Graven Images by Saul Bellow

Visual Source: Source Enterprises
"When you're so out there in the public eye, people are constantly criticizing every aspect about you." -Gwyneth Paltrow

Being in the public eye is not a concept that many people may be able to relate to, but is something that in today's society, is a goal wanting to be achieved by many. According to Saul Bellow, an author awarded many prizes because of his literary work, cameras have allowed everyone an "opportunity each and every one of them has dreamt of-a shot at eternity" (Bellow 565). In modern day and when this essay was written, there are numerous ways to be shown to the masses of people by just taking a picture.

An important aspect of this essay's argument is that photographers have a way to manipulate their subject. This essay starts with a quote by Harry S. Truman that talks about how photographers controlled him. They told him when to sit up, cross his legs, move his chairs, etc. Soon, it comes to a point where this picture does not even represent its subject anymore and has distorted its features. Bellow shared a personal experience of how he has been photographed and he looked completely different in a negative way.

The audience of this essay is geared toward people who are in more advanced societies that have access to all of this technology and media. He is using this essay as kind of a warning and trying to make the reader think similarly to him. An integral part of this essay is Bellow's tone. It changes often from a humorous and casual tone to a more serious and intimate tone. When describing his grandfather, Bellow is sharing a personal story that allows the reader relate to him which builds a little bit of trust between them. Bellow did not really achieve his purpose. He did bring light to this particular topic, but overall, he probably is not able to change the minds of many people. Nowadays, the goal of many is to become famous, and that goal is not easy to change.

Heaven and Nature by Edward Hoagland

Visual Source: mentalhealthy.co.uk
"Suicide isn't cowardly. I'll tell you what's cowardly; treating people so badly that they want to end their lives." -Ashley Purdy

In today's society, suicide has often been perceived as a cowardly act that is never a necessary action in any situation. An aspect in this essay that sets it apart from other works about suicides is that it has a mix of both research and personal experiences of the author, Edward Hoagland. Hoagland is an established author and taught at various universities for over forty years. He has been highly praised by many authors and is known for his nonfiction work. At first, it seems as though a lot of what he is saying is from observing his friends but then, the reader realizes that Hoagland experienced a long period of suicidal thoughts as well.

Suicide has, unfortunately, become a rising issue in society throughout the last few decades. Hoagland explained in this essay that suicide is not just about trying to harm yourself. A lot of the time it is to protect yourself or to protect others and that by dying, you are making someone else's life easier. Suicide is not always because one might be mad with their life at the present time but because one may look back at their life after many decades and feel as though they have failed.

The audience of the essay is not necessarily just to people who may have suicidal thoughts but to people who may have friends going through hard times. This is helpful to start the process of understanding suicide and one's reasons for thinking a certain way.  An important part of this essay is the little anecdotes that Hoagland includes. Reading statistics off a page is often not as eye-opening as personal stories that pertain to a specific topic. The reader is more likely to relate to certain experiences than read research that does not even have anything to do with them. Hoagland really wanted to help people through this essay and change people's minds which he definitely did. He talked about a serious topic without making it stereotypical and rather boring. This is an issue that is very apparent and is still relevant to today's society.

The Handicapped by Randolph Bourne

Visual Source: University of Lethbridge
"I hate the words 'handicapped' and 'disabled'. They imply that you are less than whole." 
-Aimee Mullins

The psychological and emotional struggle of someone who is handicapped is often a topic that is ignored or immediately judged. This essay talks a lot about isolation and how much harder the world is when someone must live with a disability. The author, Randolph Bourne, talks about his personal struggles because he was born with a facial deformity and understands what it feels like to sit "a foot lower than the normal" (Bourne 58). While Bourne was writing this, living with any kind of disability was far more difficult than modern day. There was a lot of discrimination and any person who appeared abnormal was thought to be disgusting. Bourne faced a lot of obstacles in his life; however, a lot of them were not directly from his facial deformity. Many of these issues were because of how people treated him because he appeared different.

This essay is geared toward people who think that those who are handicapped are different and are not fit for the world that they live in. The main reason Bourne wrote this essay was to create a difference in the world. He felt like he was being punished for being different, and he did not want others like him to feel the same way. This essay brings a lot of insight to the reader and explores the mind of someone who is handicapped which helps get the point across.

An important aspect of this essay is Bourne's diction. The entire essay is in a formal and rather complex tone that sets the mood early on. If this essay was in a casual tone, Bourne's purpose would not have been achieved. This topic is a very serious issue and unfortunately, a very real issue. The reader must take everything that Bourne says seriously because if they don't, the main point of the essay is lost. He achieved his purpose because he educated those who have not experienced the feeling of being handicapped, and he has changed minds way beyond what he may of thought possible.