Reader Response Number Two

“Grade Inflation: It’s Time to Face the Facts”

    In my opinion, I think that it is better to earn something than to receive it. In Harvey Mansfield’s essay, “Grade Inflation: It’s Time to Face the Facts,” I found that Mansfield was saying the same thing. Mansfield’s essay portrays his views on grade inflation at Harvard University and how higher grades are expected to be given to students, and not actually earned. He also states how he gives students two grades, their inflated grades, and the grades that, “will give students a realistic, useful assessment of how well they did and where they stand in relation to others”(59). I feel that Mansfield gives a very strong argument about his view against grade inflation, and how it has taken over Harvard University.
    One thing that I find stands out in Mansfield’s argument is the counter argument. A counter argument shows that the author has acknowledged how others feel on the subject and can back up what they believe. Mansfield brings up a counter argument from when he was interviewed by The Boston Globe and how he believes that grade inflation began. He then rebuttals the counter argument that he made, which I find strengthens his argument as a whole.
    At first, I found it to be strange that Mansfield states, “I have no access to the figures,” because I thought that made him sound less credible (61). Once I read further though about why he did not have figures, I felt that earlier stating that he did not have the figures makes him actually sound credible because of his honesty.
    Mansfield’s essay was very well written, and was very easy to follow. I particularly liked the tone that he used because it made him sound relatable. His essay took on a more relaxed feel to it as well because he was writing as if it were a conversation, and not as if he were a professor and more superior than the reader.
    Overall, I feel that Mansfield had a very strong argument against grade inflation, and had a very strong essay as well. His ability to rebuttal a counter argument and have a relatable tone also help to improve his essay. This essay was very easy to follow and was something that I found interesting to read since I am a college student.

Reader Response Number One

“Violent Media Is Good For Kids”

    When you first hear a title stating that violent media is good for kids, it sounds a little strange and kind of, well out there. In Gerard Jones’s passage, I felt that there was no other option but to agree with his arguments for violent media actually helping children in society today. Before I read this, I felt completely different about this topic, I believed that violent media like games and comic books made kids want to mimic what they saw. After reading deeper, I found that, “ children use violent stories to meet their emotional and developmental needs.” Maybe not every violent video game and explicit comic or movie is the best for a four year old child, but to some extent, I would have to agree that violence is key to helping children grow and be less fearful about their surrounding world. I know that when I was young, I hated being around my family members because I was the smallest and the most powerless person there. That’s why media with some violence is helpful, because it “helps children conquer those feelings.”    
    I also found that some of Jones’s arguments were very effective, because he gave examples of a child’s problem with violence and how it was possible to fix them. I specifically liked his example of the little girl who was outcasted at school because of her violence, and the more that her superiors told her, “No,” to her acting out scenarios and telling stories, the more that she acted upon her violence. I feel that this is a perfect example, because when someone tells you no about anything, a common reaction is to, go against those demands, especially as a child.
    I really like this piece on violence in media. Usually when you hear a story about such a thing, you would think that it would be the same repetitive story , but this piece had a very effective and capturing tone that made me want to keep reading. At some points it sounded like it was coming from a parent, which made it a very relatable article for people with children who are going through the same things. Overall, I feel that this was a very effectively written passage that made a very clear argument about violence and aggression and its positive influence on children in society today.