Analysis and Critiques: How to Engage and Write about Anything
Professor Dorsey Armstrong (Purdue University)
Writing
- Essay
- Letter
- Report
Skills
- Critical
- Analytical
Literary Genres
- Fiction
- Essay
- Poetry
- Drama
- Autobiography
Rhetoric
- Deductive reasoning
- Commonplaces
- Pathos
Writing process
- Researching
- First draft
- Editing
- Rewriting
Lecture 1
11/19/2017 | 0945 – 1145
What kinds of questions need to be asked in the first place
Active – analytical reading strategies
Passive – receptive reading habits
Voice: a persona on paper that is both strong and flexible
Persuasive prose
Good writing invites interaction
Lecture 2 – 11/19/2017 | 1145 - 1245
Prectitical responses – what feelings it gave them
The key to becoming a competent writer lies 1st in being an attentive reader
Critical skills of engagement
1st Life – you read it the first time
2nd Life – you consider and then reflect on what it is you’ve just read (words, details, 1st or 3rd person)
3rd Life – you read though it yet again
Lecture 3 – 11/19/2017 | 1345 - 1452
Genre – type of writing (style, subject matter, elements)
Poetry – uses language in unexpected ways
Drama – something that is performed in front of an audience (4th wall)
Prose – writing that tells some kind of story
Essay – writing that seeks to persuade and inform, to support a particular position.
Autobiography – story of a life, told by the person who has lived it.
Made it to shelter, none to soon
For damp the air start to feel
As rain I know to come
On platform I heaved,
From latter I com
Laura said, “It won’t be long now. Here, give me that”.
What do you Want that for” Edie responded.
Laura – in pain – said, “It helps with the pain. Maybe. Can’t make it any worse.”
Edie gave it to her and asked, “Does it hurt now?”
Lecture 4 – 11/19/2017 | 1453 - 1547
Voice – sometimes called tone, style, or even diction. (critical component)
1. Sussy you would never believe the wedding I went to, at Ourtown Country Club, this weekend. The bride wore a pink gown and the groom wore a white tuxedo. There were 12 bridesmaids and only five groomsmen. Four houndard people showed up, but the DJ and caters where a no show (something about a catering accident). I ended up dancing to some kid playing the harmonica – he was cute. Then when the pizza’s showed up, an argument started ending with the bride getting knocked out. My mom made me leave after that, so I’m not sure how it ended. Anyways see you on Friday.
XoXo Jessi
2. Howard, I think we may need to disown that side of the family.
Lecture 5 – 11/19/2017 | 1631 - 1738
Knowing your reader
Construct an audience
Know
What you want to say?
How you want to say it?
Why you want to say it?
When you write, you construct not only an authorial persona, but you also construct an audience
1. On Monday 10th of September 2017 David Wilfered past on at the glories age of 98. He is servived by his lovely wife Sylvie and his three children – Ella, Peter, and David Jr. During his illustrious life he attened Youngblood Academy, served in the Navy, and was a highschool science teacher. All are invited to attend his celebration of life party at St. Lukes on September 29th at 12:00 PM.
4. Adm. Johnson:
I regret to inform you that Capt. Wilfred died on September 10th 2017. I know you to where close friends, he spoke highly of you.
Sincerly,
David Jr.
Lecture 6 – 11/19/2017 | 1739 - 1854
Make your opening as effective and engaging as possible
Successful arguments
Open
Organize
Support
Conclude
Effective strategy for opening an argument
Description of the topic at hand and explanation of its importance
Firmly fixing an argument in a specific time and place/making a substantial claim about what’s at stake
Craft an introduction to an argument that balances a specific description of a topic with a substantial explanation of its significance
1. I’m writing to appeal your recent devial of coverage for a MRi procedure; to identify acute pain and future medical treatment options. I was informed by my doctor that the first procedure did not cover a large enough area for an accurate diagnosis.
Your letter stated “medically unnecessary” as the reason for the procedure denial. I am requesting a review of my case, as I am currently unable to preform my daily job requirements due to acute pain.
After viewing your letter with Doc. Bentivites, he is willing to discuss the reason why he believes a 2nd MRi is required; to ensure the proper diagnosis and medical treatment are proscribed and followed through with.
Lecture 7 – 11/20/2017 | 1739 - 1854
Coherence
How arguments are structured and presented
Chronological structure
5 paragraph model
Keyterms
Once you’ve introduced them to your language, you have to keep speaking it and expanding the vocabulary
Language
Terms
Meanings
Transitions
Repetition – variation
Sequence or series
2. While the definition of Government is to exercise authority over a state, the purpose of government is to secure its boarders, garinty the peoples civil rights, and protect their freedooms to include speech, libity, and religion to name a few. But, alas, like all great man made vessels used to control other men; they become to powerful, to centralized and to over reaching to the point that it intrudes on the very rights and freedoms it was designed to protect.
Our founding fathers greatest fear was a centerlized government that wielded unchecked fiscal and social power of the people. A prime example of it’s fiscal power can be seen in the ever increasing national det. We can all understand the need to “brow” overy now and then for capital project and inferstuctures upgrades, but to berdom the next generation so the current can live high off the hog instead of tighting its belt in the form of cuts and sunsetting old, wastful projects, programs, and subsities. Why is it the only answer to the constent money shortage is to go to the troth of taxes and bedone the “fat hogs of production” with higher taxes. How many times does Peter have to be robed to pay Marry so Paul doesn’t have to stop playing Xbox on his flat screen and get a job. Why must my proginy eat topromin so someone else can eat Papa Merphys.
The power of social change use to stop at a states bourders, then in 18xx the rights of states where taken by the federal government. Most people incorrectly believe the civil was fought to end slavey, when in fact the war was to keep the union together, the emanination of the slaves an added benefit. Since then the federal government has increasing overrided and forceable inforced its edics on the states. Some of the most noticeable examples are slavery, business, school, abortions, sodomi, and marriage. While you may be in support of the ends you must be wiery of the means that these ends came by.
Lecture 8 – 11/20/2017 | 1848 - 2100
Key strategies
1st – evidence does not explain itself
– Show your reader how and why your proof is relevant to your argument
– – explain how a particular piece of evidence helps make your case to an audience
2nd – direct link between your evidence and your conclusion that is definitive, and based on caused-effect
3rd – concessions – admitting that afternative viewpoint exist (serves to strengthen your own argument
3. Was now truly the right time for the PAEC? While no one can argue with the aesthetily pleasing structure sitting where the old Toys R Us building is , that on a clear day has one of the best views of t X; some in cluding myself may question the timing and price.
We, as citicezens have been aschere by a handpicked Blue Ribbon Panel that the city need and could afoud the PAEC, but I uonder if the 5 year build or else pay requirement attached to the Government loan to buy the old Toys R Us property had any influence on the speed of the decision to move forward. Then there is the capital cost of the project.
While some, may say the $34,000.000 capital cost for the PAEC project is an investment in building a strong downtown core for the City of Fedeal Way; I would like to remind them of some of the City of Federal Ways other “downtown” projects. Let us start with the “Crystle Place” a multistory located on the site of the old AMC north movie theather, Ooops! Im sorry, after years of being told the deal was almost signed it simply didn’t happen – apparently the ginancal backers did not find downtown Federal Way a good investment. In order to capitalize on the inical investment to purchase the property, the city, in 20xx built Downpark I, at a cost of $xx. Agter only being opened for xx months the city government made the fiscal responsible decision to tair up the xx month old park and replace it with, wait for it, you quessed it, a band new park. The new downtown park came in under budget at @xx (true cost is not known to the large amount of labor that was provided by the park dept.) This final cost brings the total downtown park cost (minus lost property tax revenue) to $xx. Now has take a look at one more downtown project that the Federal Way tax payers have forcable invested in.
That’s say hypateticly you wanted to buy sometime, and that said something has had the same sales price for more then a year, no. three years. So you go to buy the said item only to be told by the salesperson – we will call them xx – that there is now another interested party and that the sales price – that has not moved in 3 years is now $xx? A xx% increase! Not sure about you, but any fiscally responsible I know would walk away from the deal. So what does the City of Federal Way do, they get the price lowed by x% and tell everyone they saved us $300K. That is ow the city and tax payers became the owner of another run down building. (I will add the city did just sell a piece of the Target to x to build another hotel – which will take business and jobs from the current hotels – on an up note the low paying jobs created at the new hotel count against the new job creation requirements that are part of the NMTC and CBDG funding deals used to build the PAC. But I get a head of myself, we will look at the PAEC fund next.
Lecture 9 – 11/20/2017 | 2111 - 2212
Conclusions – finish off an argument in way that solidify your claims and make your case
Must include a summary of the highlight of an argument
Negative consequences – underscore the negative things that could happen
No viable alternative – negative consequence plus adding that other alternative conclusions are not viable
Positive consequences – underscore the fact that some potentially positive things will not be manifested.
Importance of using the conclusion to recap the main thesis and key points of your argument.
1. I ask you to think of the lives of our progeny and their progeny if we continue as mere British subjects with no voice, then I ask, that you imagine the future as a free people. A people of equal stating of nation in the eyes of the court of the world. Where your progeny will not be subjects but Kings and Queens of a new world and their progeny will not feel the chains of servitude but the fresh air of freedom and the hope of prosperity, that they then may pass to their progeny for generations to come. Those are the choices we have; the simple path of chains and subjecthood or the unpleasent business of laying the cornerstone of freedom that one day our progeny can continue to build a nation upon that will show the world the power of a free people.
Lecture 10 – 11/21/2017 | 0620 - 0832
Poerty is – plays with words and imagery in an unexpected way
Call our attention to certain words or combinations of words
Poetic devices
metaphor – compairs one thing to another
“her eyes were oceans”
Simile – comparison between two things by using the words “like or “as.
“her eyes where like the ocean”
Synecdoche – a word describing a part to mean the whole
“all hands on deck”
Metonymy – word that describes something associated with an idea is used in place of the logical word.
“The White House said today”
1. It was a cold and rainy day.
Rain fall
like
ice, sheets of
cold day
on
bitter, night was
2. She was a tall, thin women with brown eyes and short, dark hair.
Tall thin like graceful gazel
Eyes brown as mud pies
Hair short dark as starless ocean night
4. He was excited to learn that his sister was coming home soon.
Excited, he was
learn he did
soon to come
Home, she would be
Lecture 11 – 11/21/2017 | 0855 - 1011
Diction – word choice (definition, connotation, and association)
Syntax – word order; the grammatical ordering of a sentence so that it makes sense
Common sentence structure = Subject – Verb – Object
Images can be discerened if we think hard about it. – it is what is hard (or initially confusing)
About a poem – that makes it so good and so interesting
1. I was driving along the road. I saw my favorite coffee shop and decided to stop.
I decided to stop at my favorite coffee shop since I was already driving along the road it was on.
2. There is nothing better then hot coffee with cream and sugar on a cold morning.
Cold mornings are always better with a hot coffee with cream and sugar.
4. I drove around for a while before I was able to find the on-ramp.
I did not find the on-ramp; until, I had driven around for a while.
Lecture 12 – 11/21/2017 | 1030 - 1127
Drama is performance.
Presentation style is key (inflection, emphasis, and enthusiasm)
1. Anger
“You’re late again!”, John’s mother said angerly.
“I’m am not! You clock is wrong.” John responded.
“No, your watch is wrong! And “where were you tonight?”
John angerly walking up the stairs responded,
“In any event, I’m home right now.” John continued to walk to his room at the end of the hall as he informed her, he was with friends and that she did not know them.
4. Jane had just walked out of the kitchen when John had started walked through the front door.
“You’re late again: she said.
“I’m note late. I believe your clock is wrong”, he responded.
“No, double check your watch, I think it might be off.: she said as she sait down on the forest reen coach in the living room.
John took off his rain jacket as he responded, “Im any event, I am home now. What show are you going to watch?”
“Not sure yet. Where were you tonight?”
“Out with friends”.
“Which friends?”
John stared that she did not know then and that he was headed upstairs to go to bed.
Lecture 13 – 11/21/2017 | 1337 - 1505
Experiences –
Qualities –
Personal anecdotes
Best way to be effective is to be selective
IAA
Interests –
Abilities –
Achievements –
How we present our achievements and accomplishments is the thing that will matter most.
Strike a balance between individual accomplishments and collaborative efforts.
Alternate the use of personel pronouns, proved a mix of “I” and “we” statements & descriptions.
Presenting your faulte or failures as part of a larger process of self-development.
1. By the time I had crossed the line, I had been up, and moving for over 31 hours (31:29:56 to be precise). Sometimes running while other time walking, eating or talking the equally lutiques person I had met on the trail between aid stations. I will admit there was even some crying and a whole lot of praying. But never was there ever the thought of quiting, giving up, or not finishing. For six months I had planned, trained, ached and scrofised. I had leaned on family, friends and especially my running parter and four legged angle Mizz Violet for support and incouragement – even tho most words of incouragement circled around my lack of mental scrupals. All the miles in the moutians, hours on my legs and mind-numbing ice baths had allowed me to compartimalize my mind to the point that I would have died before quiting. All this cam to a _________ point when I accomplished my goal and completed my first 100 mile endurance run. (REWITE FOLLOWING EXERCISE #2)
Lecture 14 – 11/21/2017 | 1524 - 1653
Link between autobiographical writing and leadership
Reciprocity is a crucial function of leadership
Emotional expression (judicious)
Soft power – the ability to achieve one’s goals by establishing intimacy and cultivating personal connections with a large public body.
Present yourself as a leader who establishes productive reciprocal relationships with those around you and never allow an individual accomplishment to be represented without some connection to those with whom you serve.
Low-key pitch and understated tones will draw your readers closer, inviting them to listen longer and hear more of what you have to say.
In 1998 I made, what will always be, the greatest mistake of my life. I was given a piece of paper with the date of November 5th 1998 on it. With the sheet of paper came the responsibility of parenthood, and what I then believed was a responcibility I could not handle, but hounostly was unwilling to try. That day I made a choice to chose my life over my childs, and even tho God had the final say and took my child back the day before we where scheduled to send her back. Till the day I die, on the 5th of November I will always be reminded of my greatest misstate, because the 5th of November is my birthday too.
Lecture 15 – 11/21/2017 | 1653 - 1754
Rhetorical concepts
Commonplace – a piece of truth that is wrapped up in easily recogvizable language
Truth = positive response [right to the pursuit of happiness]
Stasis – general agreement on terms of the argument
Deductive reasoning – generalizations to particulars (specific event, occurrence, or phenomenon)
Inductive reasoning – particulars to generalizations (used with wide range of evidence)
We reviewed your companies analytics data for the last year and noticed the top three sites sending you visits where google, bing, and facebook. With closer view facebook was removed from consideration due to low convertion rates, while google and bring where given a closer look. It is with this closer look that we believe bing will provider a lower CPA and recommend increase its budget by 15% for the next 6 months while learing googles alone and decreasing facebooks by 50%
Lecture 16 – 11/21/2017 | 1826 - 1937
Invention – the process by which we generate arguments or topics (think outside the box)
Arrangement – refers to the way arguments are organized – it’s the formula and expectation that dictate writing structure (five paragraph essay)
Kairos – refers to the opportunities that a particular set of circumstances might present you (writing or saying the right thing at the right time the right way)
Analogy – drawing connection between two things that may not necessarily be associated with each other by a particular audience
Virtual permission form – pick an aspect of your topic that seems most interesting or challenging and develop that is as much dept as possible.
Lecture 17 – 11/21/2017 | 1938 - 2038
Ethos – the perception that readers have of your reliability or character – established though patterns of behavior – when writing demonstrate expertise and/or speak from a position of authority (transfer of trust)
Pathos – inspiring emotion in your readers, especially feelings of sympathy
1. Last year we collected 500 liters of blood!
That’s 2000 lives saved or helped.
This year we need 600 liters.
Your donation of 1 liter can save 2 people
Come out on December 25 to help save kids like Little Jimmy. Last year little Jimmy was hit by a drunk drive and required 6 liter of life saving blood! That blood cam from 6 of our loving neirbors who cared enough to donate last year.
Lecture 18 – 11/22/2017 | 0808 - 0916
Research Plan
1. Identify you objective (prove position, support belief, educate audience, or entertain)
2. Narrow your focus
Broad – the figure of king Aurther in literature
Less Broad – The figure of King Aurther in Midevil literature
Perfect – The significants of the shift in King Aurthers characture, once he has founded the order of the round table.
3. Find your hood, the way into your research
4. Schedule with deadlines. 1st week read 2nd write or Monday 4hr read 1hr draft ideas
Now where to look (Internet, or Library)
Take a moment to stop and look at what books are around the one you need.
5. Spend time persuing the notes and work cited section of your articles and books
Due Exercises 1 -3 on “A Modest Proposal“
Lecture 19 – 11/22/2017 | 0920 - 1025
Start early – know what your talking about – have an understanding of other points of niew – articulate your own position – make a convincing case
Information Storing
1st run – tabs
2nd run – more detailed notes (sum up general argument – interesting points indivisually – identify page – write down personal questions or countergruments as the come
Note cards (color coded) one quote or argument – ive point per card – author -which text – which page
Information Organization
Make your voice heard – give proper accreditation – decide what your particular stance on a topic, and then try to articulate your position – rough outline – supporting points – secondary source – identify critics
Plagiarism – using words or ideas of others without giving proper credit.
Citation style
MLA
APA
Chicago
Do Exercise #2
Lecture 20 – 11/22/2017 | 1047 - 1125
Act of getting started
Free writing | brainstorming – make a list
Feeling blocked – give yourself permission to write poorly
Fresh eyes
Writing partner or writing support group
Exercise – read “a rose for Emily”
Lecture 21 – 11/22/2017 | 1112 - 1308
Two basic models
Line-by-line – edit one line at a time, making corrections as you go
Holistic – step back and take a macroscopic view
1. state in a sentence what the main argument of the essay is.
2. write an outline of the essay as it stands
3. revise the outline
4. finish up with the detail (spelling | grammar)
1. One fight defined Beowulf’s identity
2. A. Great old English poem – Hero named Beowulf – fights 3 monsters – one degines his identity
B. Monster #1 Grendel #2 Grendel’s mom #3 dragon (50 years latter) debate in his death in last battle
C. Societal importance of identity and reputation – mutipule example og narstist personalit
D. 1st fight (Grendel) most important – establish reputation
3. B no C kind of D yes
4. Review with Aleta
Lecture 22 – 11/22/2017 | 1345 - 1417
Make sure you are working with a clearly articulated main claim
State a main claim that is clear and specific as possible
Never assume your audience understands the point your trying to make – spell things out – signpost
Exercise – due with Aleta
Lecture 23 – 11/22/2017 | 1418 - 1513
Fresh eyes
Read your piece out loud
10 common errors
1. “I” vs. “me”
2. Subject – pronoun agreement
3. Gender – exclusinve language
4. Apostrophes
5. Comma
6. Dangling modigiers
7. Ironically
8. Misspelled words
9. Sound a like words
10. “there” and “yours”
1. Their dog is tired, he’s been playing in the backyard all day.
To whom did she give the present?
She brought plenty of food for us to eat: salads, muffins, and hamburger.
It’s hard when someone breaks their promise.
You’r not being very nice to him.
Lecture 24 – 11/22/2017 | 1520 - 1620
Read and write as much as you can
The world around us is filled with words; take in as many as you can, and then give us some back.
1. I have spent all but 8 years of my 40 years in this world in the Federal Way way area. I am a third generation resident and am belest enough to watch a gourth generation grow up. I have voluntired in the community with churches schools, campaigns, at the hospital and with community groups. In this time. I will argue, I have watched this city fall from a family friendly bedroom community to a mini Seattle with shopping carts at every bus stop, homeless encampments in the woods, and vagents at ever corner.
