Reading Critically

Critical thinking involves a significant number of steps. Even before reading, one should examine and analyze the title. This can provide insight as to what the essay may be about. Examining the author and context (when and where) of the essay also allow the reader to draw a basic understanding of what to expect. On the first read through, one should not analyze the small details. It is best to get a first read-through and then go back and analyze further. Annotating is an essential part of understanding an essay and making connection; summarizing these essays can also provide additional opportunity for analysis. The three big steps of critical reading are analysis, inference, and synthesis. These steps allow one to break an essay down, make assumptions, and then build it back up into an understanding. More extensive understanding of an essay comes through analyzing an author's purpose and reasons for his or her decisions.

"Eleanor Rigby"

• The version I prefer would be the original by far. The dubstep version was bearable, but the stereotypical "wobble bass" sounded a bit cheesy. However, the metal version takes the cake for creating the cheesiest cover.
• The most pleasing version would definitely be the original. This is because it is devoid of the harsh sounds that the other two add to the song. It sounds the most pleasant and well-crafted.

Kandinsky vs. Pollock

• I like the Jackson Pollock painting much better because of its use of rich earth tones. The Kandinsky painting is too busy and uses to many colors, lines, and shapes. The Pollock has a sense of unity and cohesiveness that the Kandinsky doesn't have.
• Despite my preference, the Kandinsky would be more of a pleasing painting. The mixture of multiple bright colors and different shapes make it more appealing to most people.

“Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out”

                The subject of Dave Barry’s “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” is that men and women are very different in their priorities and what they find important. This difference between the sexes is illustrated with his anecdote about his wife noticing dirt better than him and him caring more about sports than her. These stories allow Barry to illustrate the differences in the sexes by having his wife represent women as a whole and having himself represent men as a whole. The contrast the stories create makes a statement of the difference in priorities of men and women.

                “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” was written during 1988. The essay’s time of creation is conveyed by the use of relatively contemporary elements (e.g. the obsession with the World Series, Windex) and the late twentieth century husband-wife dynamic that he and his wife display. The husband-wife dynamic especially enforces this time period because the playfully combative natures of he and his wife are a relatively new development. The probable place of the essay’s creation is America. This is because he is concerned with the World Series, an important American baseball event. The time and place of the essay’s creation influence the essay by creating the correct occasion for this gender difference to make sense. The disagreements he has with his wife only make sense in the context of the time period and place.

                Dave Barry’s specific audience for “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” is married men and women in America. The author’s target audience is exhibited by his direct commentary on these married couples and the nature of their differences. This commentary creates a message that would be most well received by married couples who can relate to his anecdotes. The author’s general audience for the essay is Americans in general. The author’s general audience is shown by his description of a marriage dynamic that is very well-known by Americans.

                Dave Barry’s purpose in “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” is to entertain the audience by presenting two comical stories. His intent to entertain is manifested by his opening: “The primary between men and women is that women can see extremely small quantities of dirt.” The apparent sarcasm of this statement immediately makes it clear to the audience that he intends to entertain them. The purpose is further revealed by the humorous statement about Pompeii: “[The men] never even noticed the ash until it had for the most part covered the children.” Barry’s obvious lack of factual representation of the story shows that he is merely joking.

                Dave Barry, Pulitzer Prize winner, believes in the importance of a sense of humor. This value is illustrated by his teasing of the differences between men and women. The fact that he pokes fun at such an everyday dynamic helps to show the audience that Barry feels the need to present information in a comical and satirical way. Dave Barry’s use of imagery is evident in the prior quote about Pompeii. The imagery allows the audience to picture this comical scene of Roman children covered in ash.

                Dave Barry articulates a sarcastic and playful attitude about the husband-wife dynamic in “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out”. These attitudes are expressed with his use of gross exaggerations that mock the situation he is talking about. When he is describing how his wife pays more attention to detail when it concerns cleaning, he uses a hyperbole that equates her attentiveness to an ability to see dirt molecules. This treatment of his subject allows his tone to shine through.


Thank you to Mogwai for creating an album that made writing this essay go by quickly.

"Sign Language"

The single effect: An optimistic feeling. The idea that you can find happiness no matter what your circumstances may be.

Details that help create the effect:
     1. Music (soft, sweet, acoustic)
     2. Camera work (unsteady, close, intimate, personal)
     3. Setting (bustling city on a rainy day)

If you were to make the music more upbeat and poppy, the short film would lose the aspect of optimism and would become a bit too excited and inappropriately fun.

"Good Old Desk" // Harry Nilsson

Subject: His desk (God)
Occasion: The '70s
Audience: People in general
Purpose: To convey his love for his desk (God)
Speaker: Someone who has a reliable god
Tone: Happy, thankful, appreciative

Nilsson is talking about how wonderful and reliable his god is. He uses the desk as a symbol for his relationship to his god. (Good Old Desk)

Quotes to support the symbol of the desk as God:
     1. "To keep my hopes alive"
     2. "It's always there"
     3. "We never say a word"

"Shooting an Elephant"

            The subject of George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” is the influence that group pressures have on behavior. This influence is illustrated by Orwell’s descriptions of a crowd of Burmans pressuring a police officer to kill a loose elephant, which he was only supposed to control. In this situation, the officer did not truly want to shoot the animal because it seemed peaceable and was a valuable working elephant. However, the crowd behind him saw his gun and could only think of him killing the elephant giving them the parts; the pressure they created overwhelmed the officer, forcing him to kill the creature.

            “Shooting an Elephant” was written during the 1920s or the 1930’s. The essay’s time of creation is conveyed by the fact that Burma had previously been conquered by Britain and the effects of imperialism were still strong. It is often noted that the Burmans hated the Europeans, and the speaker is a European working as a police officer in Burma, so we can assume that this must be a time when Burma was still under Britain’s imperial rule. The probable place of the essay’s creation is Burma. Orwell specifically states in the first sentence that he was in Moulmein in lower Burma. The time and place of the essay’s creation influence the essay by shaping the speaker’s views of the government and imperialism. Orwell claims, “In a job like that you see the dirty work of Empire at close quarters.” This shows that his location strongly influenced his views of the government of the time.

            George Orwell’s specific audience for “Shooting an Elephant” is the British imperialists. The author’s target audience is exhibited by his anti-imperialist statements. This shows that he wanted his message to reach those who disagreed with him so that he could convince them of the dangers of imperialism. The author’s general audience for the essay is the British in general. The author’s general audience is communicated by his explanation of his views towards the British rule at the time. All of the British people could learn from his expression of opinion, and the British rule is relevant to them.

            George Orwell’s purpose in “Shooting an Elephant” is to explain the fundamental problems that imperialism encounters. These obstacles are revealed with this statement: “…when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys… For it is the condition of his rule that he shall spend his life in trying to impress the ‘native’.” This quote demonstrates the meaning of this whole metaphor about the officer being pressured into shooting the elephant. The purpose is further articulated by the ultimate killing of the elephant. This act was one of great sorrow for the officer, but he had to do it because it was the will of the Burmans.

            George Orwell, a famous 20^th century author, believes that imperialism was a horrendous thing. This value is illustrated by his multiple explicit statements about his distaste for the British Empire. These outright professions of his views prove his hatred. This value definitely influenced the purpose of the piece because the purpose is to convince others that imperialism is wrong. George Orwell’s use of imagery is evident in the eleventh paragraph when he mentions the crowd’s “devilish roar of glee” because he shot the elephant. This imagery helps to influence the audience’s perception of the crowd, and it promotes the idea that these natives were strongly pressuring him to shoot.

            George Orwell exhibits a sorrowful and hateful attitude about imperialism in “Shooting an Elephant”. These attitudes are expressed by his sadness about the death of the elephant and his anger at the tyranny of British. His anger and sadness strongly express a sorrowful and hateful attitude. This tone helps to solidify his opinions towards the subject and show that he strongly opposes imperialism. The audience feels Orwell’s pain, and, through this, we are able to understand what he truly wants.

"The Runaway" (Intro)

The counterculture is a group that opposes the established views or values of mainstream society. Often times, a counterculture emerges when society fails to adapt to the changing world, but many refuse to acknowledge this movement. The middle of the twentieth century came as no exception. Rockwell's "The Runaway" overlooks the fundamental rift that was rising in America throughout the 1950's - an emerging counterculture that was not concerned with how things were but rather how they are.

"Across the Universe" // The Beatles

Three images featured in the song:
     1. "...like endless rain into a paper cup."
     2. "Pools of sorrow, waves of joy..."

     3. "...like a million suns."

I don't think that any of these images are symbols in context. Two of them are just similes, and the image of "pools of sorrow, waves of joy" could just be interpreted as intense emotions which isn't a symbol.

A symbol that is widely recognizable is the bald eagle which represents America, justice, and freedom.