I am an only child and I had my own room in a two story house within a gated community located in what was typical Floridian suburbia. For some reason, I was always asked if I was intimidated by moving away from the Palm Beach to the north. That question never bothered me, but I always wondered why so many people thought about that. For me college was always a means to an end, and I couldn’t accomplish what I am setting out to without putting myself out into the world. Palm Beach would not have gotten me where I need to go.
I would be lying if I did not admit to my first term here being a blur. Between the long nights, the crazy weekends and the pedestrian commutes, time really meshes together. I no longer have school days. High school was all about making it out of freeway traffic in time for the first bell at 8:20 AM to ring on campus, and fighting for the parking spots closest to the buildings. Now I’m waking up at 9:00 to make my 10:00 AM class on Monday mornings approximately two blocks away from my dorm. This element alone has been exceptionally paramount to my transition because I feel as though it contributes further to my move into adulthood. The phrase time-management has never been so essential to my way of life. While it has been almost a blur to undergo higher education, it would be wrong to discredit the amount of stress caused by the ratio I have between my work-load and the time I have to complete it all. But my shift into college life goes even deeper than just school.
I have always viewed education as the foundation for a thriving society, that being said I felt like high school was a waste of time. By the time I had turned 17 I was already prepared become a part of the work force and establish myself as a working-class citizen. I am here now, sowing the seeds of my career and yet I feel more relieved than ever. Now that all of my actions are efforts to further my career, I feel as though I’ve been given more purpose, and have more reason to really think about my decisions as an adult individual. I’ve been forced to grow up, and I am not entirely upset about it because I have my whole life ahead of me.
In the end, the key is to take things one at a time and I have honestly come to feel at home with Drexel. My habits have all changed but I don’t necessarily feel negative about it, this is one the most exciting stages of my life and there is nothing notable that can make the coming years undesirable for me. What comes next is a direct relation to what comes now, and that idea is what keeps me open to all the changes that I will come to experience. It also keeps me interested in to the type of person I will become.
I used to look up and feel the heat of the sun on a warm day with a low of 76 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle of November. Now as I walk among the streets of University City I can see my breath seep out of my scarf since my face is buried within it. It is a paradigm shift from every perspective I can think of, ever since I started my collegiate schooling I have lived a different life. My mornings, my eating habits, my mode of transit, and especially my restroom situation have all seen a different light. These transition however, is almost effortless because it is all so exciting.
I am an only child and I had my own room in a two story house within a gated community located in what was typical Floridian suburbia. For some reason, I was always asked if I was scared or intimidated by moving away from the Palm Beach to the north. That question never bothered me, but I always wondered why so many people thought about that. For me college was always a means to an end, and I couldn’t accomplish what I am setting out to without putting myself out into the world. Palm Beach would not have gotten me where I need to go.
I would be lying if I did not admit to my first term here being a blur. Between the long nights, the crazy weekends and the pedestrian commutes, time really meshes together. I no longer have school days. This element alone has been exceptionally paramount to my transition because I feel as though it contributes further to my move into adulthood.
The phrase time-management has never been so essential to my way of life. While it has been an almost effortless blur to undergo higher education, it would be wrong to discredit the amount of stress caused by the ratio I have between my work-load and the time I have to complete it all. In the end, the key is to take things one at a time and I have honestly come to feel at home with Drexel. My habits have all changed but I don’t necessarily feel negative about it, this is one the most exciting stages of my life and there is nothing notable that can make this undesirable for me. What comes next is a direct relation to what comes now, and that idea is what keeps me open to all the changes that I experience.
Writing is a foundational aspect of a thriving society. I can make that claim because it is common knowledge that writing allows each and every educated individual to clearly communicate thought provoking ideas. Knowing how to write allows anyone to become a participating member of society. Becoming involved in the discussions that bring forth change, and then recording that change is enabled by putting effort into communicating your ideas and learning about the issues of today.
Writing in itself is a method of learning. After having taken my first class on what I have come to label ‘writing in the real world’, I have come to realize the different advantages writing can offer. Aside from just being a form of communication, and keeping in mind how essential writing is for a civilization to prosper, the art can take on many uses. Through my research on the evolution of writing, it dawned on me that I would never have discovered what did about human nature and the history of writing from different civilizations had I not taken the approach to paper in the fashion that I did. Writing that paper was a learning process from all perspectives.
I can even go as far as to say that writing is what I was made for. As a human being I crave many things from my peers, i.e. attention, understanding, acceptance, guidance, etc. Writing is avenue for all of those things to come to from whom I want them to come from. I believe it is reflection of who I am, because it is what I think. It would be an injustice to myself to not pursue my education in writing further, because in the past few months alone I feel as though I have grown so much in the way I present myself clearer and more effectively. Writing makes me a better version of myself.
I knew that I knew nothing about real writing prior to taking this course. High school isn't meant to make writers, merely people can write. I knew that I would learn the true value writing has by coming to college and figuring out just what is so useful about the task most students to passionately dread.
I feel as though I have learned more about the mechanics behind writing, in a practical sense, than I ever have in an English class. The work we were involved in provided for some thought provoking uses of the techniques we were covering in class. I had discovered that writing is a method of learning in itself and I was being taught multiple things at once just in practice.
My writing has evolved naturally over the course of this term as a result of the way I had been utilizing it. I have been conceptualizing writing as a tool for me to propose my ideas and learn how to make them more effective, enticing, appropriate, and thorough. I have learned that writing is the advantage.
I am certainly not used to the kind of writing I have been tasked with in the past weeks. The unfamiliarity doesn’t like within the length, the quality, nor the subject of my writing. In reality, I am not used to the level scrutiny that my writing undergoes. At the risk of that sounding negative, I believe it is very fitting for the depth we have gone into rhetoric. My assignments have all been challenging as well, as I believe it should be in higher education. The course took turns I did not expect it to. I definitely got to practice and hone my skills in writing, and I know I am walking away having gained something. While I have yet to see exactly what it is I have gained from my compositions, I am certain it is the type of knowledge that reveals itself in practice. I have no doubt learned more than I expected to about the process of writing. The stasis theory is an aspect of writing that really changed the game for me. I firmly believe that stasis theory will serve me for years to come. I only wish it had been revealed to me sooner.
I decided that I would look in to the timelessness of writing. How has it faired over the centuries that mankind has been using it like we have? I wanted to learn about how writing as we know it has come to be, and stayed so. It is likely important to note that the many scholarly authors don’t tend to write much on the mortality of the writing they know, and finding authors with interest in the way the writing can very well meet its demise is no easy feat. I began my search using an online database of scholarly authors who have done research on writing as element of our culture and I came across Ilya Yakubovich, an Oxford University published researcher on ancient languages. My initial inquiries were concerned with what it takes for writing as we know it to remain so. His findings on Writing Systems are comparatively different from much of the other information I found which discusses the progression of the way we write and the way writing is utilized. He elaborates upon the “evolutionary” approach even though in the last decade he claims that “the tide has shifted in favor of the ‘sociological’ approach, emphasizing the external factors affecting the evolution of writing” (Yakubovich 136). The article continues by explaining that this, now more common, approach replaces “the question ‘why’ with a narrower question ‘how’. It has succeeded in demonstrating the non-linear character of the evolution of writing and its tight connection with political, economic, and ethnic history…But the extension of the linguistic uniformitarian hypothesis to writing is in my opinion, counterproductive.” (137). Yakubovich uses much of the article to elaborate on the demise of many writing systems in history, from Mesopotamian cuneiform to Mayan glyphics. The article focuses on the disintegration of writing systems from those points in history and how the demise of those civilizations didn’t necessarily predict the extinction of the written language. Yakubovich focused on Rome and Egypt to support his ideas, because their languages and societies have changed radically but maintained writing systems in their alphabets and texts. “Script, unlike language, is not a universal property of human beings but a cultural artifact. If we are prepared to assume the some number systems or calendars are more adequate than others, it is only natural to adopt the same approach in the case of writing systems” (Yakubovich 137). What Yakubovich was suggesting was that not only does literacy as we know it change over time, but the change is on a deeper level than the external forces that affect it. At this point I found myself thinking perhaps our writing systems change regardless of the forces that they are affected by, and evolve as we see fit—not as society does. In other words, it seems to me that as we change writing, we change our society, as opposed to society changing our writing.
I have never considered the evolution of writing as its own entity before. I digested the idea Yakubovich’s findings proposed. The mechanics of writing as we know it have less to do with what our civilization makes of them, but instead seems to be as a result of what we do. I delved into the schooling of the literacy we have embraced in our era. Refining my search led me to consider, what are the evolutionary steps our current writing system is undergoing? A research group of English professors that came together at the Conference on English Education Leadership and Policy Summit in May of 2005 discussed the changes of writing at length. The purpose of their discussion was to share their perceptions of the issues and opportunities associated with the introduction of newer technologies and literacies into our personal lives. The article that unfolded attempts to shed light on “multimodal literacies and digital technologies”, which is to say how time affects English education and in turn the way the next generation will perceive writing. As mentioned in the article, the group discovered several specific evolutionary properties of writing, most notably the idea that writing is “apt to take many forms”, such as conforming to the original definition of the “essai” which are “attempts rather than performances of codified forms” (Swenson et al. 362). I was blown away. Such a notion is one I have had confidence in for some time, because it is already noticeable in our day to day lives. “The ‘essai’ was developed not to tell knowledge but to discover it during a time of uncertainty; it was an attempt to develop new ideas, insights and visions.” (363). While I have yet to notice the “essai” form of writing in an academic setting, I do notice it in our habits even in conversation. The idea is that our understanding and “vision” of them is certain.
To visually represent the themes I had been ruminating about, I knew I needed to touch base on technology, as the visual forms communication have become relevant in my search. In looking for a piece of visual rhetoric to discuss, I wondered if it was a good representation of what the educated journalists of our time thought. How might they perceive our writing in the media? Jeff Parker has been an editorial cartoonist since 1992, regularly appearing on USA Today, Newsweek, TIME, The Washington Post, Le Monde, Courrier International, The York Times, and CNN. The following image was published on Florida Today, being from that part of the states I was drawn to his commentary on the way the local media sees my demographic’s use of technology in even the most basic and perceivably simplistic writing tasks.
The image depicts a scene in which a student attempts to submit a presentation recapping her summer break from school, and doing so by referring to her Twitter account to relay the information. I believe this is a subtle nod to how the younger generation views perceives writing—highlights and fast paced shared pieces of information—as opposed to the way the older generation perceives writing. It’s even more interesting to note that the student is holding a smart phone in her hand, further signifying that the use of technology at such a young age greatly affects the way she perceives writing as a vehicle to share information.
At this point in my research the only foreseeable direction I could take was to ask individuals of different ages what their opinions were on the matter. The survey I conducted included more than a dozen writers of my own generation and of our parents’ generation in order to get a wider range of perspectives on writing. I asked about their utilization of writing, and how their utilization has changed over their lifetime. I also asked for their views on how writing has changed over the latter half of the century and how they believe writing will continue to change. Most importantly we discussed why these changes in writing may be what they are. Most people between the ages of 17-22 rely on traditional writing systems weekly to convey ideas but rarely daily and for very little other than academic purposes. These same people express that “technology has transformed writing into something less intellectual or respectable than it used to be. Now, it is just a task students seem to dread” (Rodriguez Jr). Individuals between the ages of 38-43 hold fast to thinking “the traditional way of writing still plays important role in society especially in [the] professional world” yet still admit that “people write more on computers and [the methods of] grammar learning have changed because technology does it all” (Rodriguez Jr). A common theme I gathered from this survey is that writing is teetering on the edge of reform, whether the current system is believed to be an art form, a professional necessity, or just a form of communication.
The fate of writing may very well be in our hands, but not solely as a generation. After discovering the origins of how writing chooses to evolve I was easily led to how it evolves now. The current state of writing is exemplary of the most momentous transformations it has undergone in history. As I found out more about how writing evolves in relation to how we want it to, I discovered that it is also quite dependent on the rise of technology. My peers and elders have both led me to understand that the longevity of writing is not transient, but that it will transform in order to survive, and the system we use in the future will be a result of the changes we slowly make to our habits in writing within the decades to come.
The consensus of the writing that follows, that has been since revised, is focused on the way I get my points across. The reader lost the focus of the point in certain areas of the paper due to the overly descriptive, or otherwise useless added details to my sentences. I’ve revised the original paper so it isn’t as focused on the context of the letter discussed in the text, and more focused on the rhetorical elements of the letter. Those who have reviewed different drafts of the text seemed to think that it accomplished my goal, and enjoyed my example of writing in a yearbook, as it worked to my advantage. Others have said the structure is clear and my thoughts don’t ramble and that furthermore, I must remember to make sure I transition well.
Sergio Rodriguez
Steven Kleinman
October 17th, 2014
Word Count: 931
My Voice, On and Off the Page
Once, I tried to capture a relationship on a single page, in black sharpie, inscribing my letter on top of a cliché image of high-school students in mid-air. What I wrote was witty, it was concise, and it was borderline illegible. I wrote what I felt, and I wrote what I considered to be the essence of my relationship with her; as my friend, as my companion. I wrote what I hoped she would remember us by. It remains to be seen whether or not the true purpose of my letter will see its fruition. However, for the moment, she cried, she laughed, and she thanked me for my words.
While writing in her yearbook I was aware that the world was not coming to end. As melodramatic as I make it out to be, it wasn’t so difficult. In the end, I was just focusing on the significance of the message. Relationships do decay; such is the reality of time plus distance.
The way I convey my ideas and emotions has always been a centerpiece for the estimation that I have of myself. I strive toward an ideal of myself that has the ability to efficiently describe my perspective on matters. That way, the opinions generated of in result genuine. I pride myself on the way I express myself to others, so it’s clear why I was so consumed by an effort to express what someone else meant to me.
My voice as a writer is the voice I revolve my identity around. As my writing experience grows, I become more and more reliant on how I share my thoughts as a writer while interacting my peers, day in and day out. Furthermore, it is with that voice and logic that I approach most if not all situations and subject matter. Over time, the rationality and reason that evolved in my writing became an integral part in the way that I behave and react to things outside of a literary or compositional setting. The voice I used to write in that yearbook is the same as the one I used to write this paper. Writing is a reflection of the person who wrote it. The principles that I uphold as a member of society are the same as the priorities I have in my writing.
I know who I was, but who were we? More importantly, who will we be? I only said goodbye once I accepted that at the core, we are two individuals who depended on one another from time to time. We are imperfect, we are juvenile, we are ambitious, and we are too young to even hope to understand whether or not life actually gives away lemons. We’re both thirsty for lemonade. However, knowing all of this I still couldn’t articulate what was needed, not until I recognized the reality that she may never read this again in ten years. So why burden myself with the weight that I have designated these words to have?
Writing is more legitimate than word of mouth. There is not much reason to trust most of what people say, yet somehow when words are written down, we somehow consider them to have more validity. Writing has been a conduit of everything that has claimed importance in our history. It is likely the single most important tool that is forced upon us from the day we first begin to form coherent sentences. I could say anything I wanted to about the subject, and it would sound like the ravings of a student overly interested in the benefits of proper communication. Through writing, I can articulate my thoughts down in an organized and cohesive manner. Not only would a message come across more smoothly, but it would appear to have more weight and authenticity to anyone interested in reading it.
This isn’t what I was taught as I treaded through grade school. I’m impressed I discovered the significance of writing as early as my first year of higher education. In our society, writing is perhaps the most important skill I will have at my disposal. However, I’ve noticed it’s misrepresented to the youth nowadays. Many of my peers admit to dreading the standardized testing prompts, and being repulsed by the overly structured responses expected in high school English classes. Unfortunately, it is as if the impact of writing is lost on some who become victims of the nonsense that early instructors force upon the young.
There is a part of me that coincides with the readers of this paper who deem writing to my best friend a trivial matter not meant for discussion on an academic scale. Then there’s the part of me that objectively looks at all writing as what it is: a physical manifestation of our—mostly—impartial thoughts, visible to anyone with the interest to read them. When I’m given the task of writing on a topic in which my thoughts cannot be clearly represented, or rather if my words have no meaning other than to regurgitate known facts, then I can never be genuinely engaged.
I wrote my goodbye to Lauren Hammett the night before I moved in to my first college dorm, on the other side of the country. In a sense, that was probably the most ideal moment I could have picked to write it. The letter was reminiscent of the endless responses we would share with one another at ungodly hours of the night. Simple, pure, and sweet. It was as if I were speaking to her directly, as she reads it in ten years.
My source is an advertisement by Kate Spade, a designer handbag company. Without knowing much about the product, and actually having never heard of it prior to seeing this image, I know instantly when looking at it that the product is not likely affordable to all. The center of the image display’s a glamorous Anna Kendrick looking up and flashing an award winning smile as silver confetti falls all around her. Kate Spade wants at first glance of this image that their handbags are only worn by the most glamorous and stunning individuals.
Everything that surrounds Kendrick depicts affluence. The color red is most prominent throughout, in the curtains behind her, the carpeting, and the gold accented seats she and three other well-dressed gentlemen are sitting in. The men are in tuxedoes and are of multiple ethnicities and ages. The handbag is subtly placed in two locations and the most prominent is being held by the man closest to Anna Kendrick as everyone is smiling and perceivable having a ball. Kate Spade seems to be emphasizing to its audience that while it is a designer handbag and very expensive, it is still low-key and worn by light-hearted and non-judgmental people who just like to have classy parties as they sip Champaign. The product is definitely marketed towards upper-middle and upper class consumers, likely women.
The Conversation: New Technologies, New Literacies, and English Education." English Education 38.4 (2006): 351-69. ProQuest. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.
The authors of this essay are all collegiate professor of English and were asked to attend the Conference on English education Leadership and Policy Summit in Atlanta, GA, in May of 2005. Once there they participated on the Multimodal Literacies and Digital Technologies Thematic Stand group. The purpose of their discussion was to share their perceptions of the issues and opportunities associated with the introduction of newer technologies and literacies into their personal lives. The lead author Janet Swenson is currently an Associate Professor at the Michigan State University, she has been serving as the Director of the Writing Center of the school for the past decade and is the winner of a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Michigan Council of Teachers of English.
This essay attempts to unfold some understanding of “multimodal literacies and digital technologies”, which is to say how time affects English education and in turn the way the next generation will perceive writing. Mentioned in the article, the group discovered several specific evolutionary properties of writing, most notably the idea that writing is “apt to take many forms”, such as conforming to the original definition of the “essai” which are “attempts rather than performances of codified forms”. Observations on the quite literal evolution that writing undergoes is exactly the type of research required for me to tackle the perception of writing by the next generation.
Parker, Jeff. Back to School and Twitter. Digital image. The Cagle Post. N.p., 7 Aug. 2012. Web.
Jeff Parker has been an editorial cartoonist since 1992. He has one awards from the Gannett News Service, Florida Society of Newspaper Editors, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Florida Press Association. In 2004, the National Cartoonist Society finally awarded him with the Division Award for Editorial Cartooning after three prior nominations. He regularly appears on USA Today, Newsweek, TIME, The Washington Post, Le Monde, Courrier International, The York Times, and CNN.
The image depicts a scene in which a student attempts to submit a presentation on recapping her summer, and doing so by referring to her Twitter account to relay the information. I believe this is a subtle nod to how the upcoming generation views writing, as highlights and fast paced shared pieces of information. It’s even more interesting to note that the student is holding a smart phone in her hand, further signifying hat the use of technology at such a young age greatly affects the way she perceives writing as a vehicle to share information.
Rodriguez Jr., Sergio. “Writing Over Time” Survey. November 2014.
I conducted this survey with students and adults alike. The age range for this survey was anywhere between 18-47 years with a large generational gap of 21-45. The reason for the way this survey was organized was so that I could see the different perspectives of the youth and the “adult” writers. Thus far I have logged 14 responses.
The findings I’m attempting to elicit from this survey are concerned with the way people utilize writing, and how they have since change the way they utilize it. I also look for people’s perspective on what the purpose of writing once was, now is, and will be. The feedback I’m generating from my generation has created consensus that writing as it once was will be completely unrecognizable in the near future. Those from the older generation tend to lean toward a perspective that speaks on how a good understanding of writing was crucial to the majority of things in life, and will likely remain that way, regardless of what form it takes.
Yakubovich, Ilya. "The Disappearance of Writing Systems: Perspectives on Literacy and
Communication." Journal of the American Oriental Society 131.1 (2011): 135-8. ProQuest. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
The author of this article Ilya Yakubovich was published by Moscow State/Oxford University. He’s been published by more than 35 different scholarly journals along with publishing 3 of his own books. All of his work extensively delves into ancient languages and the evolution of their literacy. His knowledge on the way the ancient languages evolved over time led to his informed theories on the evolution of our literacy.
The article cited is heavily supported by the author’s existing knowledge on the evolution of past languages. The progression of the way we write and the way we utilize it is discussed and elaborated upon outside of the typical “sociological” approach. Instead, the author focuses on the logical and “linear evolution of writing” as a “cultural artifact”. By using this article I can better elaborate on the natural mechanics of how writing truly changes and adapts to the humanity progresses over time.
Roberts, Lewis C. "The Economy of Literary Form: English Literature and the IndustrializationOf Publishing, 1800-1850." Victorian Studies 40.2 (1997): 328-30. ProQuest. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.
This text is an analytical review of the book The Economy of Literary Form: English Literature and the Industrialization of Publishing, 1800-150 by Lee Erickson. Lewis Roberts, the author of the article, delves into a commentary on the literary history constructed by Erickson in which the eighteenth-century author was freer from the tides of “fashion” and could create “valuable, lasting literature”, due to the fact he wrote for “aristocracy and the court”. The use of such an analytical look at Erickson’s discussion on the way writing was affected by social and class affiliations would greatly support my research concerning the endurance of writing.
Swenson, Janet; Young, Carl A.; McGrail, Ewa; Rozema, Robert; Whitin, Phyllis. "Extending The Conversation: New Technologies, New Literacies, and English Education." English Education 38.4 (2006): 351-69. ProQuest. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.
This essay attempts to unfold some understanding of “multimodal literacies and digital technologies”, which is to say how time affects English education and in turn the way the next generation will perceive writing. Mentioned in the article, the group discovered several specific evolutionary properties of writing, most notably the idea that writing is “apt to take many forms”, such as conforming to the original definition of the “essai” which are “attempts rather than performances of codified forms”. Observations on the quite literal evolution that writing undergoes is exactly the type of research required for me to tackle the perception of writing by the next generation.
Erickson, Lee. The Economy of Literary Form: English Literature and the Industrialization of Publishing, 1800-1850. Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996. ProQuest. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
Lee Erickson is an associate professor of English at Marshall University, having published five books and 39 articles within scholarly journals. Erickson has an extensive background concerning the way different societal aspects affect many ideas and facets of everything to do with the English literacy.
In this book, Erickson delves into a literary history he constructed in which the eighteenth-century author was freer from the tides of “fashion” and could create “valuable, lasting literature”, due to the fact he wrote for “aristocracy and the court”. The use of such an analytical look at Erickson’s discussion on the way writing was affected by social and class affiliations would greatly support my research concerning the endurance of writing.
So is it possible that the days of influential literature can come to end? In the last century alone, America has seen many novels that shaped the way our society perceives certain issues that were prevalent during those times. I’d be remiss to say that there aren’t any novels like that in our time, but I truly can’t think of any. I think that can speak volumes for the typical members of my generation, do any of us see literature as influential anymore? I plan to survey many of my peers to get their thoughts on the matter, and to see how high they even hold their literature consumption on their list of priorities. In my research I’m going to find what constitutes an influential work of literature and the influence it is capable of. Truthfully my interest lies in whether or not there are currently very influential pieces out there right now, and what their impact is, I feel as though this would interest any of those studying Human Geography, both from a Historical and English studies point of view.
To the author of Women in Combat. The text was concise, to the point—albeit formulaic—but very informational on the issue at hand. When reading the essay I got a good sense of the knowledge the author had on this topic, however it was the delivery that didn’t allow the information to affect me. To elaborate, it is my understanding that an Op-Ed argumentative piece is not only supposed to provoke the reader, but have a certain smoothness in tone.
As a reader I was thrown off from the start. At the end of the first paragraph I was lost on the run-on sentence concerning the author’s description of America. It’s important when writing an argumentative editorial to keep sentence flow. I also noticed, or rather was confused by, certain sentence focuses of the text that didn’t match up with the subject of those sentences.
Again concerning the purpose of the Op-Ed. It is my opinion that and editorial work needs to convince its readers to consider issues and even take action, through the use of provocative language. The language used in the text was puzzling in that the decorative words didn’t match the “five paragraph” style of writing—admittedly well executed. I wasn’t swayed as reader, I was focused on the ornate language and the cited sources that weren’t elaborated upon which could have potentially done the job required of the piece.
There are maybe a dozen books I can think of, which actually influenced my opinion on things. As someone who is beginning to seek out a future, I do not have much of a history. Odds are I may read much more, and there will be some works of literature that will shift my perspective on certain matters. By the standards of my grandparents and even the generation that just precedes me, I would never be considered “well-read”. But what does the present generation expect of literature writing among the influences on their thoughts? More importantly, what will the next generation expect the influence of literature will be? The rapid evolution of technology is both aiding and stifling the absorption of information by my peers. It’s not too difficult to imagine a world in which literature is even more underplayed than it already is. I’m not advocating such a future, however I continue to notice that my fellow Millennials and I have become dependent upon on social networking, and the high-speed transferring of the information we seek. The influence that actually make an impact on the people of tomorrow, is having less to do with the writing forms of yesterday.
My mother is religious, and for the most part an entirely opposite thinker from me. Most to the purpose these gives to the world around her is considered just a manifestation of god’s will. My mother sees the world and the people in it as inherently lost without God. I have a very civil and loving relationship with my mother, I respect her opinions and when I was younger held her word as law. However, I no longer agree with the majority views. I still believe in a higher power, perhaps none that intervenes, and I don’t think I’m so impressionable that I allowed the popular culture to dissuade me from my upbringing. Yet I’ve grown vastly polar to my mother’s doctrine. Considering that she raised me on her own, in a—albeit semi—sheltered childhood, it’s interesting to try and understand the course of events that can lead up to this fissure of beliefs.
Can we reach a point in which writing (in terms of academic literature), loses its influence in culture?
Sociology Studies & Anthropology Studies
Speaking as a member of the “Millennial” generation, I see more and more every day, how technology is both aiding and stifling the absorption of information by my peers. It’s not too difficult to imagine a world in which literature is underplayed. I’m not advocating such a future, however the way I see my fellow Millennials so dependent upon on the social networking, and the high-speed transferring of the information they seek. The same technology makes all forms of literature even more accessible however, and if done correctly, can make education and all form of writing accessible to all. Such a notion isn’t likely though, because the truth is, it’s bad for business.
What aspects of our writing nowadays are still influenced by the eras of writing in the past, if at all?
World Literature Studies & History Studies
I’ve learned from my high school English courses that Shakespeare invented hundreds of the words we use day to day in the 21st century. That being said I don’t write like they did in Shakespeare’s lifetime, nor do I speak, or act like they do. I’d venture to say my entire outlook on life is drastically different than that of those who live in Elizabethan times. In my experience I have notice my writing evolve completely over the years, directly resulting from my maturity and my surroundings. By that logic my writing today should have little to do with the writing of Shakespeare’s day, yet I’m aware that I still depend on it, possibly even more than I realize.
The notion that time is an illusion is often used by “worldly” hipsters, or rather those people who get a kick out of using it as a smart retort to their own tardiness. Truth is, a staple in Buddhist culture happens to denounce time as no more real than the dream you had last night. However as far as I’m concerned, the dream I had last night is the construct of my past experiences and therefore a manifestation of the time I have spent alive. A former classmate Lauren Hammett argued with the utmost determination, that I haven’t any time to spend; it’s all happening at once.
When debates take place by means of the telephone, they’re already off to a rocky start. Trying to explain the mechanics of memory as proof of my previously existing consciousness to Ms. Hammett, (who countered all of my arguments with circular logic), was in retrospect impossible. Her father, a practicing Buddhist has hammered this rational into her head for years, even today our views on determinism and all things metaphysical clash. To her, while she also has memories and carries out her life according to them, time is still and illusion created by man to make sense of the world around him.
It often went on like this. I embrace it however, our differing out looks on such ideas and albeit cliché topics allowed for some stimulating conversation. The Buddha’s teachings ask: when are we ever as aware of ourselves as we are right now? Hammett proceeded to drop some knowledge: if you can only be certain of your existence at this very moment, how could you speak on behalf of the reality and declare you’ve existed before now? Getting down to the bare knuckle philosophy of this subject I ended up conceding to Ms. Hammett’s logic. She based her ideas on the walk of life her father had shown her, and I based mine on merely common sense; our argument was going in circles.
Although we didn’t waste time in this debate. I personally feel as though when delving into topics that many may see as trivial or senseless, you get a better sense of the kind of person you’re dealing with. Not everyone knows everything that they stand for, we sort of figure that out as we go along. I took from this a new principle I stand by, and a new perspective to understand it further.
The Appeals
I am the sum of my experience and nothing else. I share with others what I’ve learned to be a useful way of learning from them. I do this not because I believe they need it, or because I believe I am the most credible person to provide it. The idea is what I share will be reciprocated by what they have to offer, and thus I learn more too.
Personally, this text is an essence of the type of person I strive to be: critical and curious. It should speak to anyone who should read it for that reason; they have a better understand of who I am, and what I think. I chose to write about it because it’s genuine, and I wanted to explain why I think the way I do in hopes others will gain from it what I try to gain from all the discussions I instigate and contribute to.
Concerning the Logos of this text, it’s what I have done, and what has happened as a result. My observations on this subject matter are all common knowledge, and my audience would agree. Lauren Hammett was far more versed concerning the argument that took place and provided further perspective for readers on the nature of the topic from a Buddhist stand point as well. What’s the use in discussing the trivial if it has no weight? The facts included in this text are from word of mouth, but based upon a shared knowledge of the Buddhist way of life and our day to day lives as well. They were necessary for the sake of sharing what I had gained from this experience with others in order for them to also gain something useful in future discussion.
Authorities and prosecutors discuss the issue of credibility in reference to sex-crime allegations. Questions are raised on whether or not cases with such a lack of credibility on the alleged victim’s behalf should be fully investigated or dropped entirely. Attorneys agree that the case discussed in the article need to be handled with care, although it, and all cases similar must be fully investigated because as was stated you can’t “reward offenders who choose victims with credibility problems. At the same time authorities cannot make an arrest simply because someone may be a “pompous guy with a reputation…for grabbing women”.
The readers of the Washington Post get a sense of each sides to the argument presented in the article. Author Paul Duggan chose to bring up this credibility issue because at the time the primary case discussed—New York v. Strauss-Kahn—was popular and being analyzed by many different individuals. It’s clear that Duggan wanted to show his audience he flip side of the coin that the other forms of media were perhaps keeping down from its audience. Duggan accomplished his goal by providing multiple sources for each argument.
Many students nowadays are still figuring out who they are, what they want, and how to live on their own. Browning is no exception, he wanted to justify his current direction. Using this assignment, he got the opportunity to put down in writing, his thoughts on his choice to come to Drexel and study Production & Management within the Television industry. Browning used this argument as a chance to better articulate his reasoning for going through with this at all.
The words he wrote were was meant for his peers. For Television students and for everyone in the Drexel community, these words, while few, help paint a picture of Browning’s presence here. He wanted to share it with his peers and especially with those who have opposing views. The argument Christian Browning wrote about was for potential argumentative peers to understand about him down the line.
It makes sense to think about this now, the school year has opened up a new chapter. Writing about his reasoning for the direction this chapter will take is relevant to those whom it was meant for. We’re currently in a very pivotal moment in our lives, and the subject of defining our actions is not only crucial, but expected of us to consider.
Furthermore, this is the time that Christian himself is determining not only if this is the right path for him, but how he feels about this choice overall. It’s important for him around this time to come to terms with exactly why he’s doing what he’s doing with his life sooner than later, as to avoid regret, and to triumph over anything that may stand in his way of success.
