Reader Response Number Five

"The Wal-Mart You Don't Know"

I'm sure that everyone has shopped at a Wal-Mart before, or maybe at least entered one. Instantly you find out what it is all about, low prices. In Charles Fishman's article, "The Wal-Mart You Don't Know," Fishman discusses quite literally the side of Wal-Mart that most do not know about. I found Fishman's article to be very informative and enlightening. Most do not know the business aspect behind any large corporate company, and Fishman does a good job making his subject and argument very relate able.

One way that Fishman makes his article relate able is the use of his examples. He uses Vlasic pickles, Dial soap, Huffy bicycles, and Levi Strauss jeans. He uses these as examples because they are brands that people have heard of even if they do not shop at Wal-Mart. In his examples Fishman explains why Wal-Mart has been detrimental to these companies profits or explains the company's relationship with Wal-Mart. Fishman also uses analogies to make his subject relate able to his audience. He states, "One way to think of Wal-Mart is as a vast pipeline that gives non-U.S. companies direct access to the American market" (533). Fishman's use of an analogy helps the reader better understand what he means. Although he has many strengths in his article, Fishman also has some weaknesses. One is his awkward syntax. He states, "Here, for example, is an executive at Dial..." (536). This makes it sound as if he is speaking and makes his argument less formal. Another weakness Fishman has is his conclusion. He uses a quote to end his paper, which does not allow for a true clincher to his strong paper. He also used an example of Levi Strauss in his concluding paragraph, which I think should have been left out or placed earlier in the paper.

Overall, I feel that Fishman has a very strong argument and paper. He has strong support from outside sources involved with Wal-Mart that make his argument more credible. I feel that he has very strong organization throughout and has relevant examples as well. His use of support from outside sources and real examples from companies involved with Wal-Mart make his argument credible and relate able.

Reader Response Number Four

"Social Connections"

The first thing that should be in an essay is a hook. Something that is going to catch the reader's eye, but in Steven Johnson's piece, "Social Connections," I did not feel that he had an adequate hook. He started his piece with a reference to a column in The New York Times written by Thomas Friedman, not something that he wrote. That was the only thing that I did not like about his piece. I felt overall he wrote a very strong argument about technology and it's pros and cons in our society. 

Johnson refers back to The New York Times article frequently throughout his piece. Since he continues to use it throughout I feel that it does strengthen his piece, because it shows his consistency. I did notice that Johnson's argument was similar to Friedman's. Johnson's argument was, "the idea that new technology is pushing us away from the people sharing our local spaces." Friedman's argument in his column was, "that technology is dividing us as much as uniting us." The two sound very similar to me. This can be detrimental to a piece, or it can be helpful, and in this case I feel that using Friedman's argument helps to strengthen Johnson's.  

I liked the structure of Johnson's essay. I feel that he had good support and quotations throughout, and also uses his own experiences to help support his argument. I liked the varying sentence structure he used, and also the way that he organized his ideas. In one paragraph Johnson introduces his suggestions as to why he is less worried than Friedman is about technology. Then, in the following paragraphs explains his ideas in depth. I liked this because he was able to fully explain his idea's without mixing the two together. One thing that Johnson does well is his strong conclusion. His conclusion is where he states his thesis, and states his final thoughts very powerfully. 

Overall, I feel that Johnson has a very strong piece. Although he continuously refers to someone else's ideas, I feel that it strengthens his piece as a whole. I also liked Johnson's use of personal experience throughout and his ability to vary his sentence and paragraph structures. 

Reader Response Number Three

“ Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Kids”

    In Anna Quindlen’s piece, “ Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Kids,” an appeal to pathos or emotion can be found throughout. What kind of author would one be if they did not appeal to emotions in a writing about poverty and homelessness? I found Quindlen’s piece to be very informative and eye opening. 
    She began her piece in the setting of a small and claustrophobic shelter room, a situation that some are faced with everyday of their lives. This is a very effective way of opening her essay, and grabbing her readers attention. I felt that I could really see the setting of, “Trundles, bunk beds, dressers side by side stacked with toys, clothes, boxes, in tidy claustrophobic clutter” (316). This is the second sentence of her essay, and already there is insight into the lives of those who live in this situation daily.
    Quindlen’s piece also highlighted the effects of poverty on children, stating that the “problems ignored or fumbled or unforeseen during this great period of prosperity have dovetailed into an enormous subculture of children who think that only rich people have their own bedrooms” (317). Many of Quindlen’s statements provoke emotion. I know my jaw dropped multiple times while reading this piece. Her ability to use pathos in her essay can be a good thing, but it can also distract her readers from the point that she is trying to make. Due to her desire to appeal to emotions and receive a reaction from her reader, Quindlen does begin to lose sight of her argument. At the beginning of one paragraph she starts to talk about the welfare reform, but by the next sentence she is talking about a study on homelessness that was done in San Diego.
    Overall, I believe that Quindlen wrote a very effective piece on the effects of homelessness to children, to their parents, and to society. Her ability to appeal to emotions strengthened and weakened her piece at the same time. She was able to grab the readers attention, but also did not make a clear point because she was too focused on emotions.

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.