TOW #7: Finding musical 'diamonds' in the slums of Paradise City

There is currently a high poverty rate in Brazil, creating very poor living conditions and few options for its youth. Recently, a program was founded that strives to improve upon these issues through music. Students are given violins and free, intensive music lessons once a week. The program’s aim is not only to seek raw talent but also to show the students that they can contribute something to the world. The article was written by Shasta Darlington, an international correspondent for CNN and head of its Brazil branch. Recent surveys suggest that 11 million Brazilians live in favelas with extremely poor living conditions. Musical programs such as this one mean a lot to people who have so little. The article was written to portray the harsh realities of these students and to instill hope for the future. Darlington most likely wrote this article to readers of CNN who are interested in international relations as well as community service.  There are multiple appeals to pathos, most of them attempting to portray the importance and necessity of this program. The most resonating example appears as the last few sentence of the article. "I play with all my heart," she says, breaking down in tears. "If it weren't for music, I'd be a drug addict or a prostitute or out robbing. Because that's the reality here." Anecdotes are also frequently used. Darlington includes quotes and mini-stories of successful people who grew up in the slums of Brazil. After reading the article I feel it was rather effective. Shasta creates a very clear and concise composition that does a great job of both appealing to and engaging with the reader. 

To see more: http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/25/world/cnnheroes-brazil-slum-music/index.html?hpt=wo_t4

Nobel Laureates Endorse Obama

There is a letter that has been passed around to all of the living Nobel Prize winners. By signing the letter, the laureates are saying that they endorse President Obama over his rival Mitt Romney. The supporters of this letter claim that Romney is in support of a bill that is not counterproductive and devastating to the countries public research and investment in science. Kenneth Chang is the author, an esteemed science reporter for the New York Times. The article was written at a very opportune time with November 2^nd drawing ever closer. It is very important to show where the two candidates differ when it comes to science. The article was written for readers of the New York Times that are interested in the sciences and value the opinions of Nobel laureates. Anecdotes are used very effectively in the piece; various quotes and descriptions are given from the laureates. This is also an appeal to logos, as the anecdotes give logical support for why Obama’s plan is favored over Romney’s. Chang did a great job of appealing to his audience. His personal writing was concise and logical, however the anecdotes were the most appealing. He was very good at selecting ones that supported his claim, and the piece seemed to flow quite well. It would be hard for anyone who is a strong supporter of the sciences to not be influenced by this article.  

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/nobel-laureates-endorse-obama/?ref=science

Brazilian Anti-tobacco Propaganda

This advertisement is one that depicts a car upside-down, clearly involved in a crash. The front of the vehicle is smoldering with ashes all around it, an image very similar to a cigarette butt. The caption to the right reads, “Do you know how much you really spend on cigarettes?” It was created for a Brazilian company called Tabaconomia, a creator of anti-tobacco propaganda. The creative director for the project was Flavio Waiteman, a prolific advertisement creator in Brazil who has had his works published in numerous magazines. Smokers often buy cigarettes without realizing the true price that they pay. They spend a few dollars on each pack with few immediate consequences. This advertisement attempts to show a different perspective. A comparison is made between the long term deaths caused by smoking and the immediate effects of a car crash. The message is given to an audience of smokers that it doesn’t matter how long cigarettes take to kill you, the result is still the same. It is also interesting that a car metaphor is used because often times there is more than one person harmed in car crashes. This is an appeal to pathos in saying that everyone around the smoker, including his or her family, is affected by secondhand smoke. I believe this is what makes the advertisement most effective. Smokers know they put their lives in danger; it’s often written right on the front of the packs that they purchase. The comparison of a car crash challenges the common conception that they are only harming themselves, and causes the onlooker to think hard about the effects of their actions by tapping into a violent and dangerous cultural memory of car crashes.

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell, Post 1

We as humans attribute many of the causes to success on innate ability. One person is always more talented, smarter, or bigger. This is the reason they succeed. In Outliers, a very different approach is taken. It takes the stance that this assertion is wrong; that much of success can be traced back to opportune timing, extreme preparation and practice, and sometimes even the month that you are born. Malcolm Gladwell, an author of three other bestselling novels and a staff writer for The New Yorker, is the author. Gladwell published and released the book in 2008 in New York City. The book was written to give a well rounded, factually accurate basis for the explanation of success; the cover is subtitled “The Story of Success”. Gladwell has seen time and time again the success of others be attributed to innate talent, and his purpose was to disprove the weight that society places on this factor. The book was written for the many people who fail to analyze success through the facts, but instead hold on to common societal beliefs. The most effective rhetorical devices that are used include appeals to logos and the use of anecdotes. Malcolm Gladwell has a style of including a variety of seemingly unlike descriptions and somehow, almost magically, tying it all together. In this way, he is very effective in accomplishing his purpose because the reader is always both surprised and compelled by the evidence he presents.