IRB Intro Post #3

The book that I decided to read this marking period is called "The Nazi Officer's Wife" which is an autobiography by Edith Hahn Beer. I was recommended this book by a family member, and I am excited to read it. I am quite interested in the World War II era. The life of a Nazi officer, let alone an officer's wife, is an aspect of this era that is often left untold. I am interested to see her perspective in this infamous time.

TOW #16: Running with Scissors (IRB #2)

     My life can be described as being quite normal. My parents are happily married, I have a good relationship with my siblings, and I have a stable household. This is not the case for Augusten, the main character of my IRB for this marking period. When reading the beginning of this memoir, I was originally just confused. Many crazy things were happening all at the same time that I had no idea how to relate to. Augusten's mother was seeing a psychiatrist who turned out to adopt Augusten after he labelled Augusten's mother as being unfit to take care of him. Also, the environment that the psychiatrist lived in was a mess as he had many of his patients live with him and uncontrollable children.
     A lot of this content, as mentioned before, were problems that I was not familiar with. The reviews that I read before starting my IRB definitely did not lie - there was a lot of mature content in it. It made me feel out of my comfort zone for awhile, but because there is enough of it, I got used to it and I learned how to separate it from overall analysis of my IRB. Do I believe it added to the story? Yes because it explored a teenager growing up and finding his sexuality. I feel that it was inevitable.
     I realized that this entire book has a confusing tone. It is rather informal as there are quite a lot of expletives used, yet there are many serious topics. Mental illness, abandonment, drugs, sexuality and love are all explored throughout this book that I believe support its purpose. This part of Augusten's life that is explored is a confusing, informal and very serious time in his life. He is faced with so many abnormal situations that make his life difficult to live, but he learns how to deal with them.
     After reading this book, I definitely believe that his purpose is to show how to deal with problems that make your life complicated. Whether it is losing contact with a parent, moving into a strange environment, or facing temptations with drugs and alcohol, life can have many twists and turns. Augusten always analyzed his life and wrote it down in a journal. He shared his feelings, he talked with others, and he did not allow himself to be consumed by his feelings. This is an important lesson to share, and one that I hope to utilize in my life. This book may not be designed for everyone with its mature content, but it can definitely speak to any teenager. No, I don't have addicts for parents or my own addiction to cigarettes, but I sometimes struggle with the same internal issues that Augusten wound up sharing with the entire world.

TOW #15: "The Talk" Visual Text

     Growing up, the concept of having to go through "the talk" with your parents has always had a negative connotation. Along with its predicted awkwardness, "the talk" provides a whole new look at the world and that people aren't just delivered to their parents by bird. The whole aspect of this talk is that it is the same for everyone; or so I originally thought.
     The rhetorical device most prevalent in this cartoon is juxtaposition. Every child, no matter their race, should receive the same talk as we are all created the same way, but this cartoon dictates otherwise. The white dad is telling his son the classic talk about how we are created, but the black dad is telling his son about guns and the corrupt United States justice system. This is a rather interesting comparison as "the talk" is the first introduction of really growing up. It is giving a glimpse into the world of creation, and trying to make a positive experience. As a white son is introduced to this part of the world, a black son is introduced to the very negative and upsetting aspect of our world. This cartoon compares the two races and juxtaposes the two ideas about the different kinds of worlds that we all live in. It also brings a fairly sad tone into the idea of growing up as it reflects recent events in the US. Children have to grow up thinking that who they are on the outside defines the person that they are on the outside. People will constantly judge them based on their race, and there are many situations where they will sadly have no opportunity to prove themselves to a large group in our society.
     I believe the purpose of this cartoon is to show how much our society has impacted our daily lives. "The talk" is such a normal event in a child's life, and it should definitely be the same for everyone But, because of judgement and prejudices, an innocent child can grow up thinking that they are not enough and that a difficult life awaits them. I definitely believe what the author is trying to say. I have not had any kind of personal experience with a talk like this, so I cannot understand this cartoon as well, but I believe the author knows this. I don't believe that this is directed toward black Americans as they have undergone this oppression for a long time. Overall, I really appreciate this cartoon as I can now have a little bit more of an understanding of what people may go through.

TOW #14: You Don't Need More Free Time

     The weekend is always a time that is looked forward to - a break from the daily grind leading to possible moments of full relaxation. These two special days offer free time, a concept that is often foreign to busy and employed adults. An article titled "You Don't Need More Free Time" describes that the weekend is not only looked forward to because of the free time. In fact, the atmosphere of a weekend could technically be placed at any time of the week. The reason why the weekend is so enjoyable is because it gives an opportunity to have free time with others as friends and family are usually off from work as well.
     An important aspect of this argument piece is that it possesses a counter-argument. Someone would easily be able to ask the question focusing on the point that the author, Cristobal Young, made as she stated that the weekend can be at any time of the week. Isn't asking for a day off during the week the same as having the weekend? Technically, you're not working. Actually, no because the entire appeal of the weekend is that other people are available. She presents a lot of examples of the appeal to logos as she often says phrases such as "according to our research" and "our research suggests." She is making kind of a bold statement. The whole idea of hard-working tax-payers believing that they deserve two days off is a huge concept in America. Weekends are the time when people hang out with friends, complete household chores, catch up on any unfinished work, and relax. It is essential for a person to have that time to decompress which is why is argument works. Her conclusions are logical and can relate to any person as she also refers to unemployed adults.
     Her purpose was to show that free time is important, but the any that you spend that time is essential. I could completely relate to what has he was saying, even though it can be argued that having a job and supporting a family is more stressful than going to school everyday.