TOW #13: Nothing Good Gets Away

     The concept of love is not one well understood as there are twists and turns that cause stress and frustration. Although this may be true, many may not experience the love mentioned above as there are often times where the cliché that the "sparks flew" can apply. Young love is not always defined as legitimate as immaturity and inexperience surround these assumptions, but that does not necessarily  mean that legitimate young lovers do not exist. John Steinbeck, a critically-acclaimed author, wrote a response letter to his 14-year-old in boarding school regarding his young son's first love. Instead of being a critical father analyzing his son's life choices, he resorts to being sympathetic and caring toward this budding relationship.
     An aspect of his response letter that effectively represents his purpose in being supportive is his fatherly tone. Steinbeck believes that in a relationship, one should "be very glad and grateful for it." This is important as it shows that many people do not take relationships as seriously as they should. He is advising his son to protect this relationship and even break the stereotype that says that young lovers are not responsible enough to be in a committed relationship. He also says that love "is the best thing that can happen to anyone" and to not "let anyone make it small or light." It is very possible that people will make assumptions and say that being young and in love does not mean anything more than having fun. Because Steinbeck is married and has kids with his wife, he understands the importance of a relationship and how it can positively impact your life greatly. Even if he were to not support this relationship, he is still given quality advice because he is a father and that is what would be expected of him. 
     His overall purpose in this letter was mainly to tell his son that no matter what other people say, it is important to stick to relationships. I completely understand this as I have experienced relationships that have enriched my life greatly. This lesson can go further than young generations as protecting a relationship can be applied for the rest of your life. Although many relationships may not end perfectly, the experiences that one may gain from a long period of their life makes up for the effort and work that it takes to live in a relationship.

TOW #12: Running with Scissors (IRB)

     A situation that is unfortunately quite common is the concept of single parents feeling forced to give away their child. Running with Scissors, a memoir by Augusten Burroughs, tells the story of how he lived in an unstable house and was given away by his mother to yet another unstable household. This is a rather controversial book as it contains mature content but is also described as being humorous. I found myself being skeptical before reading this book as I am not used to reading a book with such an informal and unique style, but I quickly adapted to it. An aspect that makes it unique is that Augusten's story could not possibly be mad up as it is full of many dramatic and jaw-dropping surprises that are quite unpredictable.

     Augusten's unique style is different as his arrangement of his paragraphs differs greatly throughout the book. Burroughs described his experiences: "Not crazy in a let's paint the kitchen bright red! sort of way. But crazy in a gas oven, toothpaste sandwich, I am God sort of way" (Burroughs 28). I kind of had a double-take while reading this as I was not only confused by what he was talking about but also about how he put his thoughts together. Changing to the italics and adding little unique phrases added an even more personal aspect to these sentences. It may seem rather impossible that he could make his memoir even more personal, but this makes him seem a little more human as if he's had many fun experiences revolved around certain kinds of crazies. It also can make the audience ponder the kind of craziness that Burroughs faced during his life besides what he explains in his memoir. It may not seem like a fantastic example of his writing, but it personally impacted me and shows the kind of trust and style that he invested into this book.

     I am not quite sure of Augusten's purpose as I have only read half of the book, but I trust Burroughs which will then overall contribute to him achieving his purpose through me.

TOW #11: America Needs a National Slavery Monument

     Unfortunately, the root of oppression in the United States stems from the long history of slavery and the unfair treatment of black Africans-turned-"Americans." Although this issue was "resolved" after the Civil War, modern day still faces the issues of the Confederation and the reminders of the oppression that our country caused. In the article "America Needs a National Slavery Monument" by Blain Roberts, Roberts exemplifies the appeal to ethos in order to effectively convince the audience to that a national slavery monument should exist.
     An important aspect of an argument is providing background information in order to inform the audience of the issue. Roberts provides the context of this issue by mentioning Dylann Roof who "murdered nine black worshipers in Charleston, SC." This is an event that touched many hearts and created the urge in many people to protest and bring awareness to the issue of racism. Roberts creates a context to show the catalyst for the protests of this issue to make sure that the audience knows that the entire topic of this essay is not their own. If the topic of the essay was their own, it would not be as trustworthy as it could may have been interpreted as a random thought of a random New York Times writer. This statement may not seem like much, but it is an important part to the entire argument. Roberts looks trustworthy and therefore, their argument is more effective.
     Because this is an argument, the purpose is clear as it is to convince the audience that our country, our people, is in need of a national slavery monument. I believe that their purpose was reached as me, being an uninformed reader, was effectively informed and convinced that our country needs a monument. It shows how effective this argument is as I do not have as much of a connection to the issue as other people in our country do. Overall, this article is full of interesting facts and creates a valuable argument that could change our country forever.