AOW #24: Text

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17174678

This piece, published by BBC News, a widely-read news source based in Britain, recapped the awards given at the Oscars earlier in February (exigence). It was purely informative, and was almost presented in a listing format, indicating that the audience of the piece was those interested in the Oscars and who missed the original showing (audience). However, little descriptions were given about each of the actors or actresses, or about the movies or directors that were being awarded so readers could have a sense of what the awards were commending rather than just a list of names and titles (rhetorical device). These descriptions also served one of author’s purposes of enticing readers to watch the movies that were given the awards (purpose). This purpose was not achieved in my opinion because as a reader I do not feel the need to watch any of these movies because I read this article. At the bottom of the article there are many other videos and articles about the Oscars; this encourages readers to peruse the news-site more which is probably another interest driving BBC to post a recap of the Oscars (purpose). This purpose was also not achieved for me because I was not interested in watching any of these other clips. Pictures were inserted in the text, which was informative but written with varying syntax and diction (rhetorical devices); both of these rhetorical devices kept readers interested in the happenings and helped distinguish each award from the other.

AOW # 23: Visual

In the February issue of Vogue, a magazine that millions of women all over the world read for fashion and entertainment, the selections for “FLASH – Talking Fashion” column was called “Gilded Age,” featuring seven images of women wearing gold and sparkly evening dresses. The main text for the collection reads, “A metallic sheen can be more than just an accent as the Red Carpet’s brightest strike gold.” This alludes to the context of the piece; thousands of people watched the Grammy Awards, where popular musicians performed their pieces and the best artists were voted for prestigious award. I had a personal context for noticing this page: the title, “Gilded Age” reminded me of our APUSH discussions about how Twain sarcastically called the time period after the Civil War “The Gilded Age” because the time saw many new advancements and developments in America, which gave the political, social, and economic corruption that were also important characteristics of the era a ‘golden cover-up’. This suggests that a possible purpose of the piece (other than to remind viewers to watch the Grammy’s) was to slyly criticize the ‘golden cover-up’ to today’s time also; there are many political, social, and economic problems America and the rest of the world are facing today, yet so many members of the upper class are spending millions of dollars on expensive, fancy outfits and other unnecessary commodities when they could be using the money to help others who are less fortunate. The audience Vogue is trying to attract with this topic are those who watched the Grammy Awards and those members of the upper class (and perhaps those who know of the historical American “Golden Age”). Notable rhetorical elements included placing, sizing, and shapes; Vogue editors knew that the bright, gold dresses could be overwhelming and confusing to look at, so they placed the rectangular pictures in straight rows to simplify the page. But the pictures were different sizes, which avoided the piece from being boring and monotonous.  

AOW #22: IRB 1

In the first section of Third Girl, readers discover the meaning of the title; the plot revolves around “the third girl” – a character, Norma, who is the third girl to share the rent of an apartment shared by two friends who needed another roommate in order to afford the flat. Norma is introduced to the reader when she visits the main character, Monsieur Poirot, an “old” detective, and tells him that she thinks she committed a murder. Then she decides telling M. Poirot her situation was a bad idea and leaves without giving her name, phone number, or any other contact information. Luckily, when M. Poirot was telling his friend, Mrs. Oliver, about the strange encounter, Mrs. Oliver recognized his description of her appearance: she was an ugly college-aged girl with dark, curly hair. Mrs. Oliver’s character is perfect for continuing the plot because of her nosy curiosity and her connections, both of which eventually allow her and M. Poirot to figure out the details of Norma’s life, including her family situation, her job, her boyfriend, and most importantly, her bizarre and “crazy” personality. The story takes place in England, where the country-side and the city of London are close to each other, which allows for the initial search for Norma: her family in the country-side thinks she is working in London, but her roommates in London know she is not there and is missing and/or hiding. This draws the reader further into the story and allows the plot to continue. The point of view is third person omniscient, although it is mostly from the point of view of M. Poirot, Mrs. Oliver, or Norma’s roommates. This allows Christie to present the story in different pieces, which makes it more enjoyable for the reader to try to put the ‘pieces together’ and solve the mystery. It is hard to predict the theme and purpose of this story from only reading the first section, but I predict that it will be about the differences and miscommunications between younger and older generations; the first scene stresses the fact that M. Poirot is very old compared to Norma, and the idea that ‘the girl is young’ tends to be a frequently frowned-upon excuse made for her when the older adults do not understand her actions.