Rhetorical Reading Response: “Beautiful Teenage Brains”

Rhetorical Reading Response: “Beautiful Teenage Brains”

In David Dodds’ article “Beautiful Teenage Brains” (2012), he explains that there are reasons why teenagers act irrationally. Dodds develops the idea by describing case studies in which teenager’s actions were studied and compared. Dodds wrote this work in order to inform that there are reasons why teenagers make impulsive decisions and why they behave the way they do. The intended audience is people who don’t understand teenage behavior.

I feel like this article defines the teenage brain in a nutshell and proves that teens understand the risks but has a higher regard for the reward for taking the risk.  I know from my own personal experiences there were certain things that I would not do in front of my parents that I would do in front of my friends. I knew and understood the consequences that came with them, but I wanted to be cool for my friends. To me, during the teenage stage, it’s all about image when it comes to being a teenager. It's either you're popular or you're not popular. Teens take more risk not because they don’t understand the dangers, but because they weigh risk versus rewards differently (Dodds). It is stated to believe that teens understand they just don’t care when it comes to getting approval from their peers.

Dodds does a great job at elaborating his thesis statement. “14-17-year olds-the biggest risk takers-use the same basic cognitive strategies [ways of knowing] that adults do” (Dodds). In this quote, Dodds is saying that teenagers have the ability to think critically as adults can. This leads to how teenagers view risk versus rewards, which enable them to make hard decisions. Dodds mentions that because teens take more risk, they are able to think more critically and start to succeed more often. “They usually reason their way through problems just as well as adults” (Dodds). The quote suggests that teens can reason just as good as adults because they usually overestimate risk. Dodds further informs us about a driving game test done to teens and adults. The teens ended up driving more carefully with friends around unlike the adults, which further confirms the critical thinking power that young people possess. Overall, Dodds was able to cover over sufficient information about the young brilliant minds of today’s generation.

Works Cited

Dodds, David. “Beautiful Teenage Brains” LaunchPad. Originally published in National Geographic Creative, October 2011 http://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpadsolo/readwrite/7385790/Home#/launchpad/item/MODULE_bsi__2B8776E4__C845__493C__8BFF__4BCA15B8E06E/bsi__BCEC3C1D__6394__4FDC__B0B6__9AA8F81E92A0?mode=Preview&getChildrenGrades=True&includeDiscussion=False&readOnly=False&toc=syllabusfilter&renderIn=fne

Rhetorical Reading Response: "Working at McDonald's" Amitai Etzioni

Rhetorical Reading Response “Working at McDonald’s”

In Amitai Etzioni’s article “Working at McDonald’s” (1986), he informs that working isn’t necessarily beneficial for teenagers and advises that teens should stay in school. Etzioni develops the idea by including facts, statistics, and various reasons how fast food jobs affect teens. Etzioni wrote this work in order to tell students to stay in school and that working possibly isn’t the best thing for them. The intended audience is students who need guidance.

In the essay, Etzioni hazardously mentions the bad influence of working in fast-food chains, he thinks that working in fast-food chains as a student can cause academic problems. As a student who has an experience of having a part-time job, I can say that working while you go to school is a tough mission. Although I only must have worked during some weekends, I strongly agree with what the author mentions in his essay. Work can be really an exciting experience because we can get “our own money”. However, I think that once we forget our purpose to go to school and precede part-time jobs, we can easily lose our chance to get our dreams to come true.

Etzioni demonstrated his expertise by using logos in his essay to further prove that fast food jobs are not good for high school students. “Minorities are “over-represented” in these jobs (21 percent of fast food employees)” (Etzioni). In this quote, Etzioni states the population of teens in fast food places. He further states that these jobs provide no career ladders and few marketable skills since they are low-skilled jobs. “A third of fast-food employees (including some school dropouts) labor more than 30 hours per week” (Etzioni). Here, Etzioni provides more facts about the long hours' teens usually work per week. This adds to the fast-food theme because of the small time frame the person has before the next order is requested. Eventually, it leads to having no room for initiative, creativity or even elementary rearrangements. More statistics are given as he then explains that 58 percent of seniors know that their jobs interfere with school work (Etzioni). The statistics let us know that the teens are self-aware of the harm jobs do to their education. It is then shown that these jobs are “ideal” for lower-class and “non-academic” youngsters. Furthermore, Etzioni gives an abundant amount of statistics to argue on why fast food jobs are bad for high school students.

Works Cited

Etzioni, Amitai. “Working at McDonald’s” LauchPad. Originally published in The Miami Herald, August 24, 1986. http://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpadsolo/readwrite/7385790/Home#/launchpad/item/MODULE_bsi__2B8776E4__C845__493C__8BFF__4BCA15B8E06E/bsi__F4596593__FA1C__43C3__A395__DD50DE127AC9?mode=Preview&getChildrenGrades=True&includeDiscussion=False&readOnly=False&toc=syllabusfilter&renderIn=fne

Rhetorical Reading Response : "How Serious Was the Volkswagen Scandal?" Jacob Skovran

In Jacob Skovran’s essay “How Serious Was the Volkswagen Scandal?” (2017), he informs that there was a serious scandal involving Volkswagen car production that affected the environment. Skovran develops the idea by appealing to ethos; he includes several sources about the situation which helps to authenticate the essay. Skovran wrote this work to educate readers about the scandal, its effects, and why there are certain regulations set in place concerning what gas is used. The intended audience is people who haven’t been enlightened about the situation.

After reading this essay I was shocked. I had never heard anything about this scandal, and it was really an eye-opener. The text states, “Diesel engines produce much more pollutants than gasoline engines (European Environment Agency 34). One of these pollutants is nitrogen oxide, also known as NOx, which is regulated because it is very damaging to the human respiratory and cardiovascular systems when present in the atmosphere (European Environment Agency 11)” (Skovran 203). Before reading this passage, I didn’t know this. It was extremely surprising that even after Volkswagen knew all these rules that they continued to do what they did. They violated so many rules that caused many people their lives, and that is unforgivable. When people of a higher power found out what was going on they should’ve put a stop to it immediately. Instead, they overlooked it, so they’re equally at fault for the lives lost. Volkswagen should be stopped now rather than later.

Skovran uses ethos to properly inform us about the Volkswagen scandal. He starts off by explaining to us the use of a diesel engine. “The most effective way to increase the fuel economy of a car without dramatically increasing the production costs is to use a diesel engine” (Skovran 202). Here Skovran tells us why diesel engines became so popular. Not only can it propel a car further than a gallon of gasoline, but it is also very responsive to turbocharging (Skovran 202). However, Skovran then goes to the dark side of the scandal by pointing out one major con of the diesel engine. “Nitrogen oxide which is regulated because it is very damaging to the human respiratory and cardiovascular system” (Skovran 203). In this quote, Skovran goes into detail about the damages nitrogen oxide can do to humans and the environment. He connects these points by informing us about the decline of the diesel engines. The strict regulations made it impossible to stay on budget (Skovran 203).  Skovran then goes to the heart of the scandal with the “defeat device”. “The cheat device was software in the engine control unit that concealed the real emissions of the cars during laboratory testing” (Skovran 203). The following quote tells us how Volkswagen got away with using diesel engines during emission testing. Volkswagen then claimed that it was not a corporate decision. Skovran talks about the bigger picture of the issue. “Volkswagen cars have caused significant environmental and economic damages that could result in the death of innocent people” (Skovran 205). The quote says, that damage the cars have done during the scandal cannot be undone and we will start to pay the consequences. He later states the damage it has done to more than just the environment. Various innocent lives have already been taken and much more will be claimed because the regulations are still being ignored (Skovran 205). Skovran not only informed us about the Volkswagen scandal, but the kind of future we got ourselves into. 

Works Cited

Skovran, Jacob. “How Serious Was the Volkswagen Scandal?” Connections, edited by Mary Lamb, Fountainhead Press, 2017, pp. 202-206.

Rhetorical Reading Response: “If Black English Isn't Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” James Baldwin

In James Baldwin’s essay “If Black English Isn't Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” (1979), he discusses that black English is an important part of the community and culture, and that it has evolved based on the experiences faced in America. Baldwin develops the idea by using his own personal experience while also including the background of other languages. This essay was written in order to tell about the impact that African American culture has had on English and to get readers to see language from a new standpoint. The intended audience is Americans who don’t understand the concept of black English.

I personally agree with this essay because of the fact that in this American society, believe that language is what they make it and nothing else. Different regions have been forced into turning into what the people in power decide to make it instead of allowing cultures their individual right to evolve as they see fit. Baldwin stated, “Now, I do not know what white Americans would sound like if there had never been any black people in the United States, but they would not sound the way they sound” (Baldwin). I could not agree more with this statement. He uses the example of jazz in the paper, and there are so many terms that Americans took from black english and made their own. If not for the experiences that blacks were put through in American then there wouldn’t be anything to be stolen, and only God knows what the language would be like if there wasn’t anything to be copied.            

Baldwin uses plenty of examples from all around the globe to demonstrate the social impact on the role of language. He effectively supports his claim by giving in depth details. “People evolve a language in order to describe and thus control their circumstances” (Baldwin). The quote gives us the understanding that even if the main language is French, there could be many sub-categories. He further tells us that the man in Paris could be speaking an entirely different language than the man in Marseilles because of the different realities they must articulate or control. “The price for this acceptance, and achievement, of one’s temporal identity” (Baldwin). Here, Baldwin is saying that one’s language is part of their identity. He informs us about the conflict between the Basque and Welsh; the reason for their conflict is the determination to preserve their own language and prevent it from being destroyed. Even if it is a sub-category, people will try to preserve the language because it connects to who they are as a person. “Language is a political instrument, means and proof of power” (Baldwin). This quote is telling us that just by the language we speak, others can know our identity. Speaking a certain language could inform others that the speaker is rich or speaking the same language could inform people that they’re from the same hometown. Baldwin then explains the amount of knowledge others can obtain just by speaking a certain language. To open your mouth and speak in England, you have indirectly confessed your parents, youth, school, salary, self-esteem and future (Baldwin).        

Works Cited

Baldwin, James. “If Black English Isn't Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” Launchpad, 1979. http://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpadsolo/readwrite/7385790/Home#/launchpad/item/MODULE_bsi__2B8776E4__C845__493C__8BFF__4BCA15B8E06E/bsi__1F43878F__6D60__47DF__8F9E__1192F9B4A562?mode=Preview&getChildrenGrades=True&includeDiscussion=False&readOnly=False&toc=syllabusfilter&renderIn=fne

Wendy Kaminer: "The War on High Schools"

Rhetorical Reading Response: Wendy Kaminer “The War on High Schools”

In Wendy Kaminer’s essay “The War on High Schools” (2001), she informs that instead of the school system allowing students to be expressive, they’re suppressing the individuality of the students. Kaminer develops the idea that students aren’t given the opportunity to be liberated by indicating different cases in which students were placed under disciplinary action for the words they uttered and the clothes they wore. Kaminer wrote this work in order to show that although the school system has its perks, there are certain actions that censor the students’ free speech and expressive dressings. The intended audience is the American school system.

The reading was extremely interesting to me because it’s something I can relate to. I have a very bubbly and outgoing personality, but even starting in elementary school it began to be taken away. At my old high school, we wore uniform, and I hated it because it was as if my last bit of individually had been stripped away. I enjoyed reading this essay because it’s an issue that is constantly overshadowed but was brought to light. It’s something that I believe everyone needs to read. Kaminer stated, “How will most students learn about freedom when schools treat censorship, surveillance, and conformity as social goods?”, and it is a question that needs deep thought and reflection because there’s no way for us to learn to be independent individuals when we're treated as if we're in prison. Administrators in the school system may believe that they’re doing what is best for us, but instead, they’re diminishing our character and conforming us into who they (the system) wants us to be. This essay was very impactfully and every word of it is true.

Kaminer effectively used ethos throughout her essay to back up her argument. She gave plenty of examples to ensure that we understood the various ways school can restrict students. “Unhampered by logic, judges have ruled that clothing choices are not expressive” (Kaminer). In this quote, Kaminer tells us that clothing is not expressive, so it’s not being protected by the first amendment. She further elaborates on how certain t-shirts, like vegan shirts, could be considered as a gang symbol. Kaminer then states how education is becoming militarized. “Under law, they are now required to address all school employees as “sir’’ or “ma’am,” as in “yes, sir” or “yes, ma’am” (Kaminer). The quote tells us that elementary students can now break the law by not saying “yes, ma’am” or “yes, sir” to their elders. Kaminer describes the kids as little army recruits to show how harsh the law appears. “Police officers armed with real guns are being deployed in some schools in order to provide security” (Kaminer). This quote further shows the extremes some schools take to provide their own definition of security. Kaminer also says that random drug searches happen bimonthly because of the tighter security. To sum up, Kaminer provided many examples of how schools are making children act more like machines rather than allowing them to have their own freedom and act like human beings. 

Works Cited

Kaminer, Wendy. “The War on High School” LaunchPadSolo. Originally published in The American Prospect, November 2001 http://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpadsolo/readwrite/7385790/Home#/launchpad/item/MODULE_bsi__2B8776E4__C845__493C__8BFF__4BCA15B8E06E/bsi__2DEA38E2__048E__4C77__9959__92ED7F70E8D8?mode=Preview&getChildrenGrades=True&includeDiscussion=False&readOnly=False&toc=syllabusfilter&renderIn=fne

Rhetorical Reading Response: "Learning to Read and Write" Frederick Douglass

Richard Perez, Comfort Oyeyemi, Kadayjah Tanksley, and Tatiana Foster

January 25, 2018

English 1102

Dr. Greene

Rhetorical Reading Response: “Learning to Read and Write”

In Frederick Douglass’ excerpt “Learning to Read and Write” (1845), he explains that to learn to read and write that he had to persevere through all adversities faced. Douglass develops the idea by including experiences that hindered his learning, while also including experiences that helped his learning process. Douglass wrote this work in order to show that with determination and dedication, what is thought to be impossible can be achieved. The intended audience is the other slaves and people of color that needed inspiration.

I feel like Douglass depicts his life as a young slave trying to learn to read and write without a proper teacher. He not only speaks of his unconventional ways of learning but also what he learned about the world he was living in and the difference between the feelings and thoughts of literate slaves and illiterate slaves. He speaks of the pros and cons of having the power of knowledge and how it forever changed the man he became. I also feel that Douglas had a relationship with the audience that I would describe as an "I was in your position and it gets better", showing the audience the "before" and “after” Douglass.

Douglass uses his expertise in writing to vividly describe how important knowledge is to him. “Mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking the ell” (Douglass). This quote suggests that Douglass wants to learn more about the English language and that he has the determination to learn more than he already knows. The mistress only taught him the alphabet. Learning the principles of the English language made Douglass power hungry into learning more. “This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge” (Douglass). Here, we see the lengths that Douglass would take just to learn some English from the little white boys. Douglass took advantage of the poor boys around his neighborhood by offering them bread in exchange for an English lesson. Douglass would rush his errand just to get a lesson from one of the white boys. “I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself, or done something for which I should have been killed” (Douglass). This quote shows us that Douglass is at his lowest point because of the thirst he had for learning. Unable to continue learning, he begins to realize the limitations the world has set on him for being a slave. Overall, it shows how deeply Douglass cared about learning and why it hurt him so much when he could no longer continue learning.

Works Cited

Douglass, Frederick. “Learning to Read and Write.” Launchpad, 1845. http://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpadsolo/readwrite/7385790/Home#/launchpad/item/MODULE_bsi__2B8776E4__C845__493C__8BFF__4BCA15B8E06E/bsi__8FB79332__EC44__468A__9037__A5A9585409EA?mode=Preview&getChildrenGrades=True&includeDiscussion=False&readOnly=False&toc=syllabusfilter&renderIn=fne

Rhetorical Reading Response: “Ain’t I a Woman”

Richard Perez, Tatiana Foster, Comfort Oyeyemi, and Kadayjah Tanksley

January 18, 2018

English 1102

Dr. Cantice Greene

Rhetorical Reading Response “Ain’t I a Woman”

            In Sojourner Truth’s speech “Ain’t I a Woman” (1851) she reveals the harsh fact that women, especially women of color, aren’t receiving the amount of respect that they deserve. Truth develops this idea by providing religious allusions, repeated rhetorical questions, and analogies. This speech was written in order to argue for the rights of women and impact those who believed that women didn’t deserve fair treatment. Truth’s intended audience can be described as the men and women of that time frame.


            Truth’s speech was irritating to read. Truth talks about a conflict that has been solved in our current generation, which makes the topic uninteresting to me. The text of the speech is difficult to understand because of the thick southern accent the author is trying to imply. This makes the text hard to understand and makes me reread unknown letter combinations to help me comprehend what is trying to be said. However, the speech was somewhat enjoyable because of the brief imagery that Truth uses throughout her speech.

            Although the dialogue was slightly hard to comprehend, Sojourner Truth did a good job making the reader feel like part of the audience in the crowd. Truth uses imagery to describe how she wasn’t treated the same as white women. “Nobody eber helps me into carriages, or ober mud-puddles, or gibs me any best place!” (Truth), this quote gives three different scenes that we can picture in our head. It also helps us pinpoint the time frame and environment because of the word carriages. The way the text is written enhances the feel of being there. “And ain’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! (and she bared her right arm to the shoulder, showing her tremendous muscular power)’’ (Truth), in this quote, Truth is asking a question and is followed by a command with an exclamation mark. This makes Truth feel like she is in front of the reader. It also gives her a feeling of authority. To add on, Truth’s arm is described as muscular; giving us an idea of what she looked like. “Eliciting at almost every sentence deafening applause’’ (Truth), the quote describes the roaring claps that happen after every sentence that Truth says. This implies to our hearing sense to accomplish the feeling of being in the crowd. It also shows how empowering her speech is to the audience. Overall, with all these elements put together, it helps provide a captivating experience by making the reader’s senses visualize the given environment.   

Works Cited

Truth, Sojourner. “Ain’t I a Woman.” Launchpad, 1851. http://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpadsolo/readwrite/7385790/Home#/launchpad/item/MODULE_bsi__2B8776E4__C845__493C__8BFF__4BCA15B8E06E/bsi__D0F47A8D__D83F__438F__AA63__932F9FD647AC?mode=Preview&getChildrenGrades=True&includeDiscussion=False&readOnly=False&toc=syllabusfilter&renderIn=fne