Ethos, Pathos, and Logos...

In the world today there are advertisements everywhere. Because there are so many, the creators of the ads have to find ways to make their ad stand out. By using Aristotle's Appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos, the ad catches a viewer's attention in many ways. The ad that I chose is a "vitamin water" ad that uses these three tools to make the viewer want to try the product.

The most obvious tool that is used in this ad is ethos. The ad features a professional athlete, Kobe Bryant, that is very well known. The label on the bottle in the ad says that this particular kind is used for power. By using an athlete that has been very successful in his sport and saying "1,845 bottles of vitamin water... and chugging", the ad portrays that this drink is the reason he is such a powerful player. The ad also says that he has been named MVP (most valuable player) but they changed the wording to "most valuable power" to express that the power that is inside of the bottle helped him become the most valuable player.

Pathos is used in this ad to give the viewer a sense of excitement. Because the man is blurred we know that he is moving very fast. This makes the viewer think that the drink is what made him move so fast. Also, Kobe Bryant is a very fit man. By using a man like this the product appeals to people that want to look like him. People might think that because he drinks this he has enough energy and "power" to make his body look like it does.

The use of logos in this ad isn't as significant as the other rhetorical appeals. The name of the product gives off the sense that it is healthy. The vitamins in this water are just what moms are looking for in order to keep their kids healthy. People in America are always looking for something that is tasty and good for them, and the color of this water makes the viewer believe that the water would have a good taste.

The target audience for this ad is obviously athletes and young males. But by using all of Aristotle's appeals anybody can find something in this that will make them want to buy the product.

College Fears: Rational or Not?

At this point in my life I am starting to look at colleges, and I am wondering what kind of college is right for me. I will try to get as many scholarships as possible, but if I do not get enough I will need student loans. This article, "What We Can Learn From For-Profit Colleges," got my attention and made me skeptical to even consider for-profit colleges.

I think for-profit colleges are way overpriced, and I can get an education that is just as good at a public college for a much cheaper price. When I first read the article I discovered that in the last ten years the number of for-profit colleges have increased by "60%." Judging by the way I feel about these colleges I am really confused about how this happened. As I read more of the article I started to understand the reason behind this: "people don't realize their options." Without realizing that there are better options, a person is just going to agree to whatever comes along. That makes me genuinely sad.

I usually do not click on extra links on articles like this, but I did this time and it took me to this page. I didn't get much out of the text, but the video on this page made me furious. There were so many cases that the student was lied to about the amount they would have to pay. But the worst part was that some of the advisers wouldn't let the students know how much they would need to pay until they enrolled into the college. I was completely blown away by this; to me that would be like committing to a marriage without knowing the husband. Towards the end of the video one of the advisers actually rips up a student's application just because he wants to know how much he is going to have to pay.

The thing that scares me the most about this is that it really happens. I could be tricked into paying way more than necessary to go to college. This isn't going to stop me from going to college, because a post-secondary education is way too important for that, but this definitely will make me more cautious when making my college decision.

Change the World?

Everyone is always talking about how the world is a scary place, but no one really tries to change anything. The song "Change" by Carrie Underwood made me want to change the world.

The lyrics of this song are really powerful. Most people think that the only way to change anything is to do a huge act of kindness. This song shows that the "smallest thing can make all the difference" and something as small as 36 cents can mean the world to a person that has nothing.

The song stresses that the only way to change the world is to do something, and believing that it is possible is the key. I cannot even count the number of times I have seen the ad on TV that is "flashin' up pictures of a child in need," but I never called the number or contributed to try to "save a life," and many people are the same way. They think they are "just a fool to believe [they] can change the world." If everyone would believe that changing the world is possible, we would see a much brighter tomorrow.

Carrie Underwood has contributed to many charities. She has visited and helped children in Africa that are affected by malaria and aids. She recently started the C.A.T.S foundation that helps the schools and animal shelters in her hometown. For her upcoming tour she is donating "36 cents" of every ticket sold to Save the Children's United States Programs. Carrie Underwood emphasizes that trying to make the world a better place is very important.

We often feel compelled to give in times of crisis. Many people give money to people affected by tragedies such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and even oil spills, but we should want to help the less fortunate all the time because there is always something we can do to help "change the world."

Hope

When looking at this photo (photo 7) I see beauty. I see a bunch of people coming together as one. I see a strong connection between two people that will not be broken easily. I see the clear blue sky with the sun shining in the distance. Everything is alluring; it gives me hope.

Without knowing the circumstances of this image, anyone could overlook the photo without another thought. The photo would be passed off as simple and beautiful but without any real meaning. But by having the knowledge of recent conditions in the ocean, the reader of the image changes his whole perspective. Now the picture is inspiring and uplifting.

At first glance the photographer seems to want the viewer to see the bond between the two hands, and that is exactly what I saw. But after I looked a little deeper I saw much more. A few of the people seem to be praying, others just look bored. But they are all there together.

The smallest detail that caught my eye is the water bottle that is standing in the middle of the circle. This seems really ironic because the people are all coming together because of something that harmed the earth tremendously, but they still leave their plastic bottles on the beach.

Everyone is always talking about how people in the world only care about themselves. This photo shows that there are still good people with kind hearts in the world. The idea of this many people coming together with a united front gives me hope for a better tomorrow.

My Annotated Photo

This is me as a writer, reader, and person. Click to see more.

"Of Mice and Men" Analysis

Detail:

John Steinbeck, the author of Of Mice and Men, uses many features to foreshadow and parallel events or characteristics of the characters that will come to be later in the book. In the first paragraph he uses many physical traits of the land to parallel characters and relationships of the characters.

In the sentence "the Salinas river drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green," John Steinbeck uses the words "deep" and "green" to describe Lennie and George. The word green mean life, youth, fresh, and new. This is a good word to parallel Lennie to because he has a very young mind and everything he thinks is very different and new.

Another parallel comes from the sentence "slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan mountains." By saying strong and rocky Steinbeck kind of contradicts himself, but Lennie and George together are strong and rocky. Lennie is very strong physically but rocky mentally. George is the opposite; he is strong mentally and small, or rocky, physically.

"The limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it." This quote describes Lennie and George's relationship. The have been traveling together so long that everything goes smoothly. They have worked out all the rough parts of their relationship.

These quotes used descriptive words to parallel the characters and relationships in a different way.

Point of View:

The third person objective point of view expresses the fear of two characters through different point of views.

"She struggled violently under his hands. Her feet battered on the hay and she writhed to be free; and from under Lennie's hand came a muffled screaming." Curley's wife was very afraid, and rightfully so. This very large man was forcefully petting her head and covering her mouth so she did not know what to do. She could not get him to stop no matter what she did.

"Lennie was in a panic. His face was contorted. She screamed then, and Lennie's other hand closed over her mouth and nose." This quote shows how scared Lennie is when he starts petting Curley's wife's hair. He gets so afraid because he knows that if George catches him he will not be allowed to "tend the rabbits." He covered her mouth so George will not hear what is going on.

They were both really scared and I think that scared them more. Neither of them could figure out why the other person was doing what he/she was doing.

Tone:

The tones of lonely and longing in Steinbeck's passage reflect his ideas of the way men lived and felt during these times.

This book has a very lonely feeling. Almost all of the characters in this book are lonely. "'Come on in. If everybody's comin' in, you might just as well.' It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger." This shows how lonely Crooks is. He is happy that people are coming in to visit him so he is having trouble trying to keep up his image as a mad loner.

"How's it gonna be? We gonna get a little place.' 'We'll have a cow. An' we'll have maybe a pig an' chickens...an' down the flat we'll have a...little piece of alfalfa-' 'For the rabbits.'" This quote shows that Lennie is longing for something more. He wants friends, security, and most of all, rabbits. When he did something wrong the first thing that crossed his mind was that he was not going to be able to "tend the rabbits." Lennie just needs to be reassured that everything he is longing will eventually come to him.

The tone of this book is very reflective of the hard times that were going on during the years that this book is set in.

Theme:

The theme of Of Mice and Men is "I am my brother's keeper." This is a great theme because it applies to real life often. We are responsible for taking care of the less fortunate.

There are many times in the book that George takes care of Lennie. He makes sure he is in a safe place. Lennie offers to go find a cave and try to live on his own so George could have a better life, but George does not let him. (p. 12-13) He tries to keep Lennie out of trouble by always having a plan. (p.15)

George says he does not mind taking care of Lennie because Lennie keeps him company. Most guys that are working on ranches "get mean and don't want to talk to nobody." George is so used to going around with Lennie that he does not mind anymore. (p.41)

George took care of Lennie because Lennie was not smart enough to know what to do most of the time. I take care of my little sister in the same way. She is only two years old so she has no clue what to do about most things. I help her stay out of trouble and teach her right from wrong. The theme "I am my brother's keeper" is a great theme to live by.

"Migrant Mother" Photos

All of these photos are very strong and intense. They all make the viewer feel sad that the mother is having such a hard time.

The one picture that really struck me was the one where the mom and kids are in the tent. I am assuming the tent is their house and that really makes me sad. No one should have to live without shelter. That tent is not even covered on all four sides. If there is rain or snow, the people are going to get terribly wet and cold.

After looking at these photos I realized how strong a mom is. This mother is doing everything she can to help her kids. In almost all of the photos she is holding or cuddling at least one of the kids. By looking at her face I can tell she is worried, but she is still staying strong for her kids. Most moms would probably do this for their kids too.

These photos make me realize how fortunate I really am.