Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Reflecting on Your Second Major Assignment

Take a few minutes and reflect on this assignment now that you’ve finished it. First, tell us what you set out to say about the primary document that you focused on in this essay. What did you learn by analyzing its rhetoric? Second, explore how the secondary research you drew on enhanced your understanding of this document. How did these sources shape your sense of the historical significance of your primary text? Last, what changed in your writing as you wrote for a different audience? What did you do as a writer to appeal to a scholarly audience versus the more popular audience that you wrote for in your first assignment?

14 comments:

  1. In my analysis I chose to argue that Laura Ingalls Wilder instilled anti-government messages into her children's novels while promoting family independence and self sufficiency. Reading my resources were really helpful in deciding what I should argue and how I should do it. The secondary sources provided extra support to back my argument and also gave me new ideas that I hand not thought of. These sources also helped provide the context in which Wilder wrote her stories. Because this was a scholarly paper, I not only had to draw upon other scholars, but I also had to appear scholarly through my formatting and diction as well.

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  2. In regard to my primary document, a painting by Charles Deas titled "Long Jakes, the Rocky Mountain Man", I wanted to analyze it as a component of historical recording, and as an influencing document on the subject of the mountain man's public identity in the US. By analyzing its rhetoric, I was able to get some insights into who the audience might be, who the mountain man was and what kind of image the artist was trying to portray, and why. In the end, I decided that the painting was made to educate and inspire people who had not seen the west, and create an icon of a heroic figure. My secondary research helped a lot with my understanding of the document; without putting the painting into historical context, there would have been no way that I could have made all the insights and assumptions that I did just going off of the painting alone. Sources on elements of western art, the real lives of mountain men, Deas and his relationship with the west and even the history of western photography all really played a role in my arguments. I felt writing for a scholarly audience was a bit simple and straightforward; since I've written papers like this before, I didn't have to stop and think if what I was writing made sense to my particular audience, or if they would really get what I was saying. Normally, I don't like writing for an academic audience as opposed to a popular one, but since writing to my first audience was so supremely awkward to me (a religious audience), I enjoyed this one much more.

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  3. When starting this assignment I was not sure what direction I wanted to take. The Trail of Tears is a very multi-layered, rich subject matter and I was not sure which direction I wanted to take it. I ended up finding the letter of the Cherokees to the US Congress. The letter was so shocking, because it written by the Cherokees addressing all of the mistreatment the government was imposing on them. I was really interested in learning what happened between the Native Americans and the Government, and this was the perfect document to do this. It was interesting to see the officious rhetoric the Cherokee used because it is often perceived that the Native Americans were savages who would not negotiate with the U.S. However, my primary source shows that they repeatedly attempted to negotiate, but the government was unfairly blocking their participation in the political system. My secondary research helped provide me with background knowledge of what happened up until the letter was written, and the consequences that followed. They were helpful in providing a well rounded account of what was happening. They also help provide further proof that the Cherokees were in fact attempting to negotiate terms of their land. It also gave additional information for all the kinds of tactics the government used to advance their desires. By understanding the context, it brought a richer understanding of the primary document. I tried to use more factual, and academic language in writing this paper. I also made assertions that were more strongly grounded on the sources than on opinion. In this paper I used much more sourcing to prove my background of this knowledge, since it is a much more dense subject matter than the first paper. I also wrote it in a way that would capture the audience but also hold an academic, factual basis.

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  4. The primary document that I chose was a very strong argument against the historic education system of Native Americans. The author states that the education system was not really in place to educate Native Americans. It was there instead simply to force them into the white man's way of life, and to erase all traces of American Indian culture. In my essay, I agreed with the author of this document, and my secondary sources helped me understand exactly what he was saying. The secondary sources I used were largely compiled of personal accounts of Native American education and boarding schools, so they provided strong examples of the brainwashing that was going on at the boarding schools. They really showed that the Native Americans were not happy with their "education" of being forced to learn new culture and customs and leaving their own behind. As I read these documents, it really showed that they were not receiving a proper education. The author of my primary source was completely right in saying that the system was skewed. As I was writing for a different audience, I think it became more important to add a lot of evidence to back up my claims, as it changed from more of an opinion-based blog to a researched topic. I used a lot more sources and really tried to get my point across using information and evidence from them.

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  5. The primary document I analyzed was the movie “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.” I analyzed the movie by comparing it to other accounts of the bandit’s life, scholarly sources, and articles. This way I was able to separate fact from fiction. Secondary sources I researched helped prove my argument in this essay. I was able to find interviews from the time of James regarding his life as well as book discussing multiple robberies he committed. I also analyzed a warrant out for his arrest from the last 1870s that was photo copied into one of the books I checked out from the library. These sources gave a detailed background of James life and truly set the reader back in the 1800s. My books and articles gave much information on the history of his life, his relationship with Bob Ford, and how he became a legend. Since we were writing to a different audience in this research assignment I used a more structure format, and failed to incorporate any personal opinions. I solely discussed the rhetoric of all of my sources and then compared the truth from what is believed. For our last assignment, I wrote a blog post and incorporated some of my own beliefs. I also used a more casual tone of voice in my writing, rather than the formal voice I used for our second major assignment.

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  6. I set out to say that my primary document promoted Indian activism and through its main points it allowed for hope. I learned a lot about the history of the occupation of Alcatraz through my research, especially through my primary document. My secondary research really backed up my point and gave more of an understanding of what was going on during the time the Indians of All Tribes overtook Alcatraz. These secondary sources helped me shape and think about what was going on historically at the time that the primary source was written and it let my infer reasons to why the occupation of Alcatraz did happen and why the Indians decided to make the demands that they did. I think that my writing changed from being more of an analytical piece, and what I thought, to more of a summary which was evidence for my argument. I tried to make my argument based around my primary and secondary sources and to use those sources as evidence to make a point rather than relying on what I thought.

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  7. This research project was quite a journey for me because it took a while for me to actually figure out what to say about my primary document. At first I wanted to write about how the document reflected a significant even, although I couldn't find any evidence of this in the text. After researching more about my topic outside of the primary text my topic finally hit me. I ended up writing about the insignificance of the massacre and racial riots during the 1800's and in the west.
    For me, analyzing the rhetoric of this piece was difficult. At first it took me a while to realize what the author was trying to get across and I ended up re-reading the document probably more than 15 times. When analyzing I had to be careful to find evidence that was supporting the claim made by the author and to not drift toward opinion writing.
    Secondary sources were extremely helpful once figuring out the rhetoric, especially because the rhetoric of these sources were in tune with what Bromley was saying. It was exciting to find many different sources that ended up relaying the same information, even if the writing style was different or the details was different.
    Almost every document I researched actually helped prove why my primary text was insignificant throughout history. That was the main point that I was arguing and the secondary sources helped provide information as to why historical significance wasn't the case with this document.
    When writing for a "scholarly" audience I made sure to veer away from opinion related statements which was actually hard. I found that the first draft I wrote didn't really come across as a research paper, but more of an opinion based paper with sources. After reconstructing the draft and refining the point I was trying to make the paper came together much better and seemed to be more specific for a scholar audience. In the previous assignment I tried to have more of a voice than in this assignment, just because I felt this assignments strength would rely on the facts.

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  8. The topic of vigilantism in the West has been one of much controversy. Many did not know about the vigilantes and what they set out to do and why they acted the way they did. They had pre-formed judgments about their actions and whether they were justifiable or not. In order to find out what really happened and why they acted the way they did, I used my primary source The Vigilantes of Montana: Trial, Capture and Execution of Henry Plummer’s Notorious Road Agent Band to show the truth of history and a justifiable reason for the vigilantes actions. Incorporating a rhetoric approach to my paper helped me learn even more about this topic. Dimsdale was very much involved with this subject, having many friends who were involved in it. His ethos, personal experience, specific dialogue and narration enhanced his writings, and therefore mine as well. My secondary sources helped strengthen my topic a lot. They provided details about the background of vigilantes and vigilante committees, along with specific stories that enhanced and backed up my claims. It helped give me a fuller understanding of vigilantism as a whole and why there was such controversy attached to it. In writing this type of essay, I found myself writing a lot more easily. This type of analysis and straight forward research is something that I like to do. An analysis is more of a professional type writing, rather than one trying to persuade a certain popular type of idea. I had to incorporate facts and history, which is something that comes easy to me. Rather than trying to find a specific voice for a certain type of audience, I just wrote how I usually do, and was used to doing throughout high school.

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  9. My analysis of The Searchers brought up many different questions in my research. I did not know what I wanted to analyze at first until after reading multiple secondary sources. I finally decided that the three themes of racism, kinship and vengeance would be the center of my analysis. After, deciding the themes I focused my paper mainly on the main character in The Searchers Ethan Edwards, however, I also did a small analysis on the characters of Martin Pawley and Chief Scar and how these themes were exemplified through them as well.
    The secondary sources I used in my research were extremely helpful and informative and I relied on them numerous times to support my argument and thesis statement which is “The Searchers exemplifies how racism and kinship in society lead to vengeance through Ethan’s journey to find his two nieces Debbie and Lucy.” I learned a lot about the historical significance of the film both during the time it came out and throughout history. I was very intrigued when I learned how much it has impacted film throughout history and created a plotline and themes that are still present in films today.
    I personally enjoyed this project more than the first one because I was able to find a lot more research and sources to work with for my paper on The Searchers than I was able to find for my paper comparing Milk and The Laramie Project. I believe that writing itself was a lot more different as well and I really enjoyed writing for an academic audience. I believe that I did a lot more analysis for this paper than the first paper as well. Implementing quotations from my secondary sources along with explaining them was a big part of differentiating from the first assignment for me.

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  10. When analyzing my primary document, "Pigeon's Egg" by George Catlin, I learned so much about what can be interpreted just by looking at a piece of art. There was so much to analyze, without ever being told what to see or how to see it. When looking at a painting, the metaphorical aspects are abundant but sometimes not very obvious. Also, when interpreting the meaning of the painting, there really is no right or wrong answer. If the painted wants his or her viewers to see a certain thing, and they fail to convey their desired meaning, they cannot force the viewer to see it. This is why paintings strike me as being extremely important when evaluating historical events, because you can actually see what happened and set the scene in a visual sense, which provides so many opportunities to re-create a scenario in your mind. The secondary research definitely helped, because it gave me insight as to what other viewers got out of the paintings. It was necessary to get the true stories behind the paintings so that they had credibility and provided ethos for the viewers. Although, a viewer would not know the true story unless they researched it, which is why the secondary sources in my essay were equally important. When considering my audience, I really wanted to make sure I had factual evidence while presenting my opinion in a respectful, non-judgmental manner.

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  11. What I wanted to convey about the Disney film, Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier released in 1955, was that, although aspects of the plot seemed controversial to the audience of the 1950s, Crockett’s character accurately represented key American ideals. I learned that it is difficult to use a movie as a primary source because there was less quoting and more analyzing involved. The sources that I used really shaped my piece because one in particular helped me with my thesis and gave the paper momentum while discussing how my primary source (the film) was controversial at the time. I found that this piece was more difficult than the last because I often tend to incorporate the audience into my writing, where in this paper I was essentially just supporting a claim. Having the piece appeal to a scholarly audience made me reconsider the way in which I was making a claim. I tend to play off the audience in an informal way. Here, I did less incorporation and more presentation. My approach was to give the reader historical background of Davy Crockett, then flow back and forth between the controversies and my claim of the representation of American ideals. When revising, I want to introduce my sources better and possibly incorporate the role that the song lyrics and even gender played in the controversies seen by those living in the 1950s.

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  12. The purpose of my primary document is a news article about a woman who was living in the world of prostitution and not realizing harsher side to brothels and prostitution. The focus of the essay was to understand the perspective of the women in the brothels and how it affected their lifestyle being in this kind of business and show how it was so different to what it was now. What I learned about analyzing the rhetoric of this piece was to try and persuade the audience to a topic that was not understood or judge for the lifestyle choices. Also, the way that my secondary research helped my understanding of the topic was it gave me a little background to world back in the 1800’s and how different it is from now. This help also shape my primary document because in order to understand the news article I needed a little more background of who my person was and why she decided to live the life in the brothels and kill herself. Finally, I feel that the secondary source will help the readers identify the lifestyle of my person through the background information.

    What I think changed in my writing for this piece was I had to be more informative and formal to persuade the audience without much of my opinion in the topic. Also, I think I kind of use the same appeals for both audience for both assignments to get the sympathy of each person and lifestyle. Expect this essay was a little more formal.

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  13. Reflecting on your Second Major Assignment -W1133

    Upon reviewing the rhetorical structure of my essay, I found that when I plan a brief outline where I can carefully monitor the transition
    from idea to idea, my the organization of my paper is greatly improved. I learned that after I thinking critically about whether a thesis
    statement is simply a "statment" vs. one that makes claim, the direction of my writing because more focused, and I am able to communicate with more clarity. The secondary research on Aaron Copland gave colorful
    insights into the composer's personal life which I believe impacted his music greatly. Learning that he was homosexual, jewish, and a Brooklyn citizen helped me to make sense of why communicating to the public and involving
    American political and social issues into his music was of prime importance.
    As I wrote for this audience, I made an effort to use more "academic prose." Instead of saying Copland was a fantastic composer, I tried to turn this somewhat bland idea to "American composer, Aaron Copland greatly impacted twentieth century music because of his distinctly American style and his willingess to write in a variety of musical genres. So, I guess I try to describe the subjects more eloquently and articulately. However, I think its very important to still use conversational
    tone, and find a way to use simple direct senteces that we are accustomed to using in everyday speech. But, finding a balance is difficult.

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  14. In analyzing my first document, I focused on the effects of public speaking and peaceful protests. It was without a doubt a troubled time for the United States in 1968 when Daniel Inouye gave this speech about the riots that had been erupting in the big cities. He had called out the American public and called for a better tomorrow in a country that he loved. In my secondary research, I found out more about Robert F. Kennedy and his legacy to the United States. His brother being assassinated had much to do with his motivation. I also learned that it was not just African-Americans who were the victims of racism and intolerance. My other secondary source focused on the Asian-American and Hispanic problems in the United States. The way my writing changed to fit my audience was that I included the historical impact of the time as well as the impact of Inouyue's speech 42 years later both good and bad.

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