Language Arts 10 Summer Reading Assignment

Transcription

1 This summer you will complete three tasks: Language Arts 10 Summer Reading Assignment 1. Read the information about rhetoric (page 2). 2. Read Jonathan Kozol s Savage Inequalities and complete 30 annotations (page 12). Due the first day of school. 3. Write a précis that analyzes Kozol s rhetoric in the book (page 15). Due the first day of school. If you have questions or need help, one of the Language Arts 10 teachers: Mr. Bischof: mrbischof@gmail.com Ms. Balsiger: cbalsiger@eriesd.org You will need the following materials for Language Arts 10. Please have them with you on the first day of school--they will be essential tools throughout the year. one-inch binder with dividers one standard-sized notebook highlighters in at least four different colors standard-sized Post-It Notes 1

2 Rhetoric Part I: What is Rhetoric? Rhetoric [REH turr ick] can be defined as such: Anything an author does in a text to achieve a certain purpose, on a certain audience, in a certain context. That text can be any form of communication that humans create. We typically think of text as a typed document, but when we say text, we can be referring to anything from a speech to a newspaper editorial to a radio ad to the words on the back of a shampoo bottle. The author is the person creating the text. We typically think of an author as a person who writes a book. But for our purposes, the author could be a person sending a text, a company composing an advertisement, a politician making a speech, a group of students putting together a class presentation, and so on. The purpose could be (but is not limited to): to make an argument about something to convince the audience of something to convince the audience to do something to evoke a certain emotion in the audience (sympathy, fear, guilt, patriotism, anger, joy, and so on) to compare and contrast two things to support an argument to tell a story to describe something to provide information to convince the audience that you (the speaker) are trustworthy or knowledgeable The audience of a text is the person or people for whom that text is intended. It could be a single person, the readers of a newspaper, thousands of people who have assembled to hear a speech, the viewers of an advertisement, your parents, and so on. The context is just that: the situation that compelled the author to use rhetoric. 2

3 Once you understand that broad definition of rhetoric, you will realize that rhetoric is everywhere. Any time someone uses any form of communication on any other person with the desire to achieve some purpose, he or she is using rhetoric. If you send this text message to your friend: you shud come to my house cuz we can play xbox fool you are using rhetoric. You are the author of a text that is trying to achieve a certain purpose (convince your friend to come to your house) on a certain audience (your friend) in a certain context (an occasion on which you are playing Xbox your house). This cereal box is rhetorical [rih TOR ih cool]: The authors of this text are trying to achieve a certain purpose (convince you to buy this cereal; make Kix look fun to kids and healthy to parents) on a certain audience (children and their parents) in a certain context (you re in the grocery store shopping for cereal). And this excerpt from Martin Luther King s famous I Have a Dream speech is rhetorical: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. King is the author of a text in which he is trying to achieve a certain purpose (convince the audience of the importance of racial equality; inspire his crowd; evoke sympathy for the unfairness of his children s situation) 3

4 on a certain audience (the 250,000 people who assembled to hear the speech; politicians who have the power to effect change; anyone watching or listening at home) in a certain context (the height of the civil rights movement). Once you train your brain to think this way, you will see that everything is rhetorical. Trying to convince your parents to let you go to let you stay out late this Friday? Rhetorical. Those sad commercials with Sarah McLachlan and a bunch of neglected dogs and cats? Rhetorical. The lesson on polynomials that your math teacher is giving? Rhetorical. Everything is rhetorical. Let s recap. We have defined rhetoric as such: Anything an author does in a text to achieve a certain purpose, on a certain audience in a certain context. We looked at a few examples of the second part of the definition: a certain purpose on a certain audience in a certain context In Part II we will start discussing the first part of the definition: anything that a writer or speaker does. In other words, we will talk about how a speaker or writer tries to achieve that purpose with that audience in that situation. At this point, we will be focusing on only one certain purpose: trying to persuade one s audience of something. In other words, we will focus on rhetoric whose purpose is to make an argument. Rhetoric can be much more than that, of course. But for now, we will focus only on rhetoric that makes an argument. 4

5 Part II: The Three Appeals and the Rhetorical Triangle A Brief History Lesson You have probably heard of Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher who lived during the fourth century B.C.E. Aristotle was a polymath, that is, a person whose knowledge and expertise cover a wide variety of topics. One of the topics Aristotle wrote about was rhetoric. This was a topic of great interest to the ancient Greeks: their system of proto-democracy demanded participation, and participation required the ability to speak and argue well. So there arose the need for a firm grasp of how to use rhetoric effectively. Rhetoric was one of the core subjects that a student would have learned in secondary school. (That is, a wealthy, non-slave, non-female student ancient Greek society was not quite as democratic as ours.) Aristotle wrote a book called (fittingly) Rhetoric, in which he discussed the ways that people make arguments. He argued that there are three modes of persuasion: The first kind depends on the personal character of the speaker; the second on putting the audience into a certain frame of mind; the third on the proof, or apparent proof, provided by the words of the speech itself. We call these modes of persuasion the three appeals (we use the word appeal here in the sense of an earnest plea or request). They are, in order of Aristotle s definitions: ethos pathos logos Ethos [EE-those, with the second syllable rhyming with the adjective form of close] is based on the author who is making the argument. She must establish that she is knowledgeable and reliable, that she has the audience s best interests at heart, and that she is a good person whom you can trust. 5

6 As Aristotle points out, We believe good [people] more fully and more readily than others: this is true generally whatever the question is. Aristotle argued that all that matters is what the person says and that we should ignore our prior conceptions of the person before she begins to speak. In reality, of course, ignoring how we feel about the person is impossible. Ethical appeals are, perhaps, the most difficult to identify because they are often subtle or implied. Rarely does a person come right out and write, You can trust me. I m a good person, and I know a lot about this topic. Why not? Well, what is the first thing you assume when a person says or writes something like that? Probably that she can t be trusted, that she has something to hide. Pathos [PAY-those] is based on what the audience feels and believes. When an author makes a pathetic appeal, she is focusing on the audience s emotions, values, beliefs, and prejudices. She is considering what is important to the audience, where they come from, and what emotions they are likely feeling. These are the arguments that Aristotle said stir the emotions. Think of a pathetic appeal as an appeal to the audience s heart. If pathos is an appeal to the audience s heart, then logos is an appeal to their minds. When an author makes a logical appeal, she is carefully developing the logic of her argument. She will provide reasons, evidence, data, or facts in an attempt to convince you that her argument is logical. A good logical appeal prove[s] a truth by means of the persuasive arguments suitable to the case in question. The Rhetorical Triangle We sometimes arrange the three appeals into something called the rhetorical triangle: ethos logos 6 pathos

7 It s a triangle not simply because there are three appeals; rather, the triangle emphasizes that the three appeals are constantly working together in any piece of argumentative rhetoric. Remember once again our definition of rhetoric: Anything an author does in a text to achieve a certain purpose, for a certain audience, in a certain context. If we add two more elements to the rhetorical triangle, we can turn it into a model for that definition: ethos purpose context logos pathos Let s go back once again to our initial definition of rhetoric: Anything an author (ethos, since that deals with the integrity and trustworthiness of the writer or speaker) does (making ethical, logical, and pathetic appeals) 7

8 to achieve a certain purpose (in this case, make an argument) on a certain audience (pathos, since that deals with the feelings and beliefs of the audience) in a certain context. Part III: DID Let s look once again at our definition of rhetoric: Anything an author does in a text to achieve a certain purpose, for a certain audience, in a certain context. In Part II, we discussed the three appeals. These fall into the anything an author does category, because they are indeed things that an author does to achieve a certain effect. Those appeals are used mainly in one type of writing: argumentative. But when we first defined rhetoric, we listed many possible purposes a text might have: to convince the audience of something to convince the audience to do something to evoke a certain emotion in the audience (sympathy, fear, guilt, patriotism, anger, joy, and so on) to compare and contrast two things to tell a story to describe something to provide information to convince the audience that you (the author) are trustworthy or knowledgeable So we need to start discussing some of the other things that an author can do to achieve one or more of those effects. What is the main tool at an author s disposal when she is writing something or giving a speech? Language. An author manipulates his language in a very specific way, and that way will be determined by what effect he wants to have on his audience. 8

9 We use the word style to describe how an author manipulates language. Style is a very broad topic, and an author s style is determined by many factors. In the fall, we will discuss many of these elements of style. But for now, we are going to focus on just three elements, using the acronym DID as an easy way to remember them: diction imagery details Let s take a closer look at each of those elements. Diction is an author s conscious choice of words. The choice of words part is easy to understand: it simply refers to the words that the author uses. The key word in that definition, though, is conscious. Remember that an author wants to have a certain effect on his reader. The author is very carefully going to choose the words that will best achieve that effect. A good writer very conscientiously chooses every word in his writing, knowing that different words will have different effects on his audience. When you analyze diction, keep in mind these questions: Why did the author choose this word? What effect will this word have on the reader? How will the use of this word help him to achieve his overall purpose? Every word has both a denotation and a connotation. A word s denotation is its dictionary definition. A word s connotation is the emotional associations the word has. You won t find those associations in the word s dictionary definition, yet we associate certain emotions with that word. Those emotions could be good or bad. Take for example the words house and home. Both words denote basically the same thing: the place you live. 9

10 But home carries certain connotations: safety, warmth, comfort. It connotes more than just a physical structure; it evokes a feeling. Not all words have connotations, of course. Some words just mean what they mean. But if an author uses a word that does carry some sort of connotation, chances are he is using that word on purpose. Imagery Imagery is anything in writing that appeals to one of the senses. We typically think of an image as something visual, but in writing, imagery can refer to any of the senses. Remember that we defined diction as an author s conscious choice of words; an author deliberately chooses certain words to have a certain rhetorical effect. It is the same with imagery: the author conscientiously includes certain images in a text to have a certain effect on the audience. Let s return once again to some of the possible rhetorical effects from the list in Part I: to convince the audience of something to convince the audience to do something to evoke a certain emotion in the audience (sympathy, fear, guilt, patriotism, anger, joy, and so on) to tell a story to describe something to convince the audience that you (the author) are trustworthy or knowledgeable How might an author use imagery to achieve these rhetorical effects? If he is trying to convince you that school zone speed limits should be more strictly enforced, he might describe the scene at the end of the school day, with students everywhere and some cars speeding down French Street way too fast. If he is telling a story about growing up on a farm, he might include vivid descriptions of the sights, sounds, and smells of that farm. 10

11 If he is trying to evoke a certain emotion in the reader, he might use imagery that evokes that emotion. Imagery is rhetorical. Authors carefully select certain imagery to include in their writing to have a certain effect on the audience. Details Details are the facts that an author chooses to include or not to include in her writing. Once again: we defined diction as an author s conscious choice of words; an author deliberately chooses certain words to have a certain rhetorical effect. We also said that the author conscientiously includes certain images in a text to have a certain effect on the audience. It is the same with details. An author conscientiously chooses certain facts to include (and to omit) to have a certain effect on the audience. Any facts that the author includes are details. 11

12 Reading and Annotating Jonathan Kozol s Savage Inequalities Jonathan Kozol s award-winning book traces two years that he spent in some of the poorest and the richest schools in America. He examines the stark differences among these schools, describing the sometimes deplorable conditions in the nation s poorest schools. As you read this thought-provoking book, you will annotate it. In your annotations you will analyze rhetorical strategies that Kozol uses to achieve his various purposes. Focus on the things you read about in this packet: logical, pathetic, and ethical appeals diction imagery details You will make 30 annotations throughout the book. Here are the requirements: Each annotation must be written on a standard-sized Post-It note. (The standard ones are three-inch squares.) Your annotations must be spaced evenly throughout the book. It should be clear that you read and thought about the entire book. Each annotation should be two complete sentences (see the description below). Place the Post-It note near the quotation that you are analyzing. Leave part of the note protruding from the book so that they re easy to find later. You should always be thinking in terms of rhetoric. Think back to our definition of rhetoric: Anything an author does in a text to achieve a certain purpose, on a certain audience, in a certain context. As you write your annotations, you will be focusing on the first two parts of the definition: the anything an author does and the certain purpose. Continually answer two essential questions: What is Kozol s purpose here? 12

13 What is he doing rhetorically to achieve that purpose? Think in terms of the three appeals, diction, imagery, and/or details. Let s look at an example together. Below is an excerpt from the book: Since October 1987, when the [East St. Louis s] garbage pickups ceased, the backyards of residents have been employed as dump sites. In the spring of 1988 a policeman tells a visitor that 40 plastic bags of trash are waiting for removal from the backyard of his mother's house. Public health officials are concerned the garbage will attract a plague of flies and rodents in the summer. The policeman speaks of "rats as big as puppies" in his mother's yard. They are known to the residents, he says, as "bull rats." Many people have no cars or funds to cart the trash and simply burn it in their yards. The odor of smoke from burning garbage, says the Post Dispatch, "has become one of the scents of spring" in East St. Louis. Now let s answer the two questions. Since a given piece of rhetoric often has multiple purposes, there is no one right answer. You just have to state one of the purposes he s trying to achieve. What is Kozol s purpose here? or o Kozol conveys how filthy the city is, implying that it s not fit for human beings to live in. o Kozol makes a pathetic appeal, attempting to evoke disgust in the reader. What is he doing rhetorically to achieve that purpose? o Kozol uses imagery of piles of uncollected garbage, giant rats, and the odor of smoke from burning garbage. Your Post-It note should look like this: Kozol conveys how filthy the city is, implying that it s not fit for human beings to live in. He uses imagery of piles of uncollected garbage, giant rats, and the odor of smoke from burning garbage. 13

14 The annotation has two complete sentences. It describes both Kozol s purpose and how he is trying to achieve that purpose. The 30 annotations are due on the first day of school. You must have your book with the 30 Post-It notes with you on that first day. You may use an e-reader (such as a Kindle or Nook) or a tablet. If you do, be sure to annotate using the note-taking and/or highlighting features of your device. You will need to have your device in class to show me your annotations on the first day. To earn a score of 100, your annotations must meet the following criteria: There are 30 total annotations. The annotations are spaced evenly throughout the book. Each annotation is two complete sentences. The annotations follow the assigned format of purpose and how. The annotations are thoughtful and fully developed. 14

15 The Rhetorical Précis A précis (it s French, so say it PRAY-see) is a concise but thoughtful analysis of the rhetoric in a piece of writing. It is a tool that we will use frequently throughout the year. Although there are many different formats, most précis (the plural is spelled the same but pronounced PRAY-seez) have the same essential components: a statement of the author s purpose an overview of the rhetorical strategies the author is using (e.g., the three appeals, diction, imagery, and details) direct quotations from the text that show clear examples of those rhetorical strategies analysis of those quotations You will write a précis this summer that focuses on a short section of the book. The section can be between one and five pages, but thematically, it should be about one idea. My example on the next page analyzes the section on pages These pages focus on some of the financial problems facing East St. Louis. You may not use this section for your précis. 15

16 Joe Student Mr. Bischof Language Arts August 2014 The Rhetorical Precis: Pages of Savage Inequalities On pages of Savage Inequalities, Jonathan Kozol captures how decrepit East St. Louis has become. Kozol illustrates these squalid conditions by developing specific details and by quoting government officials. Kozol wants his audience to understand the living conditions that East St. Louis s residents face. His audience will likely be both disgusted and angered by these conditions. First, Kozol describes how sewage flowed into the basement [of Martin Luther King Junior High School], through the floor, then up into the kitchen and students bathrooms (23). The fact that sewage is flowing into a school kitchen--a place where food is being prepared for children--conveys just how wretched the conditions are. Second, Kozol uses a statistic and quotes a lawmaker: a reoccurrence of this leakage forced school to be called off for all 16,500 students in the district, ultimately leading to what one legislator called a disaster (23). Kozol quotes this lawmaker s words because the word disaster conveys the magnitude of the problem. He uses the statistic of 16,500 students because it also helps to convey just how big this problem was. Third, Kozol subtly criticizes the governor of Missouri who, instead, of taking steps to help these students, has other plans: He takes the opportunity of a visit to the area to announce a fiscal grant for sewer improvements to a relatively wealthy town nearby (24). This fact makes a pathetic appeal to the audience. It will likely evoke anger at the fact that the governor seems to be blithely ignoring the poorer city s problems while at the same time announcing improvements to a wealthier city. 16

17 Here is the template I followed when I wrote the précis and that you should follow when you write yours: Start with this: On pages of Savage Inequalities, Jonathan Kozol (use a power verb) (overall purpose). Then this: He develops (or some other strong verb) this (restate purpose in different words) by (an overview of how he uses language to achieve his purpose). Then this: Kozol wants his audience to (effect he wants to have on his audience.) Then this: The audience is (statement about the nature, beliefs, emotions of the audience). Then move on to this part. You will repeat this part three times. In each you will quote something and analyze it. Your analysis might be one or two (or even three) lines: Kozol (verb) (direct quotation). Your analysis of the effect of that quotation. 17

18 Your precis should adhere to all MLA requirements for formatting: 12-point Times New Roman font one-inch margins double spacing heading a running header an academic title You can go to Purdue University s Online Writing Lab if you need to review MLA formatting: The précis is due on the first day of school. Please have a hard copy with you. 18