Blog Post 40

Dear Lekha,
I know it's been a tough semester, and you have every reason to be exhausted and stressed...constantly. I am so proud of you for keeping your head up and refusing to let all of the catastrophes in this semester break you down. I know you are so strong, and so capable of achieving every goal you put your mind to, you just have to focus and put the effort in. One bad test grade will not prevent you from fulfilling all of your aspirations; focus on the bigger picture, and you'll get there eventually. Hang in there, I promise it will be worth it in the end.
Love,
Lekha

Blog Post 39

If I were to write myself a letter from the beginning of the year, I would've told myself that simplicity is often the best route to take, especially with English 109H. Often times, I want to use all of the extensive words in my vocabulary, and write formally. I'm not sure why I write this way, but I always have. I have learned that high grades do not always result from this type of rhetoric. I also wish I would've told myself that college is 10000000000 times harder than high school, and to believe my older friends when they told me I would never have free time. I would've told myself that little things aren't worth stressing over; it's easier to move on and go forwards, instead of dwelling on the negative. I would have advised myself to completely outline, on paper, all of my essays. This is the only way I can write clearly, and I realized it during the third assignment.

Blog Post 37

1. What topic do I want to discuss with my readers? What do I want them to understand about the topic?

I want to focus on the process of becoming a writer, and my perception of myself as a writer. I want my readers to understand that writing is a means by which self-expression, societal analysis, and calls for justice can be asserted, despite the magnitude of an issue. Every argument has an underlying or implicit theme key to understanding the rhetorical situation and language of a a text; once a general claim can be clearly supported by evidence to reflect a greater purpose, the process of becoming a writer reaches enlightenment, with resulting effective, relevant, and meaningful work. 

1. Who is my primary audience? Who is my secondary audience?

My primary audience is Dr. Bell, our instructor, who has read all of my work. My secondary audience is my classmates because they have peer edited some of my work, and witnessed my progress as a writer. 

1. What do my audiences already know or believe about my topic?

My audiences know my writing style, as well as my strengths and weaknesses. They have seen my journey through this semester as a writer. 

1. How will I organize and develop my ideas to make them convincing to these readers?

I will organize each paragraph with a "what I learned" clause, "how I learned" clause, and "why what I learned is important" clause to reflect on my growth as a writer within my essay. 

1. How will I establish my ethos (relationship and tone) with my readers?

I will establish my ethos by speaking personally, and referencing specific evidence from my work. 

Blog Post 14: Thoughts on Drafting

1. What parts of the book’s advice on the above bulleted topics are helpful for writing in this genre?

The book asserts that a thesis statement should describe your purpose and rhetorical strategies to provide your audience with a clear perception of what your essay will focus on. The book also offers PIE paragraph structure which is very helpful in organizing ideals to convey evidence supporting a claim, as well as the implicit themes within the argument. An introduction, according to the book, should be short and concise; however, background information and a thesis statement are staples of an introduction to provide a framework for the rest of the essay. 

1. What parts of the book’s advice on these topics might not be so helpful, considering the genre you’re writing in?

However, the book states that the conclusion paragraph is a restatement of the thesis clause within the essay. This information is useful, but does not really help structure or organize the length and content of the conclusion paragraph; the book could've included more information on how to write the conclusion. 

Blog Post 15

Peer Review and Revised Thesis Statement


The peer review process we did in class really helped me understand which of my ideas read smoothly, and which don't make sense. The feedback I was given will help me alter my essay so that it is easier to understand and more clear. In my feedback to others, I noticed similar trends; there was a lack of organizational structure amongst most of my peers' papers. I think altering our essay structures will show the biggest improvements within our projects for our final drafts.

Blog Post 16

Final Link to QRG:

https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/document/d/1W1SXEfxRkIAHLY52wEQ5YqLN9F8MeHFkCePOkeMlA1c/edit?usp=sharing

Blog Post 28

Link to my Final Paper: https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/document/d/1qme34QVhyGOblhr3cYm_Whb4qZVhY90tja0Aegn7KTs/edit?usp=sharing

I shared this paper with my dad, who is the program director of the journalist department at the University of Arizona. He helped me organize my paper so that it read more smoothly, and he also gave me some word choice options that served as synonyms for some words that I was repeating. My dad gave me some ideas on how to clean up sentences so that they read more concisely, and did not run-on. His criticisms really helped me fix my paper so that it read in a clear way. 

Blog Post 29

1. 
   What did I learn from this assignment about my own writing process?

This assignment taught me how to extend the normal four paragraph structure of the standard rhetorical analyses I wrote in high school. I learned that I need to work on clearly structuring my papers to write effectively and in an organized way. However, I recognized my abilities to draw out implicit themes within Stanton's blog to reflect on the relevance of the issues on social media today and society today.

1. Is this a more successful paper than the last? Why?

This is a more successful paper than my last because I was more used to the structure, and felt more comfortable writing a rhetorical analysis. Never having written a QRG before, I struggled with the formulation and portrayal of my ideas. I feel this essay was more abundant in direct evidence that support my assertions.

1. What is one thing I wish I could have done differently?

I wish that I had edited the structure of my essay more to avoid run-on sentences. I really struggle with writing to-the-point, clear ideas. I also struggle with synonyms; sometimes I use the wrong words because I want to avoid repetition.

1. What did I Iearn about the importance of rhetoric and rhetorical analysis?

I learned that a rhetorical situation extends further than the argument of the author, but includes background information and research as well. Without prior knowledge, or information about a situation, an audience cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of an argument. I also learned that rhetoric is not only found in text, but photos as well. Basically every form of media has a rhetorical situation, it is just more abstract to determine a rhetorical situation from a photograph or image.

1. How can I apply these lessons to my work in other classes?

My new abilities to assess the rhetorical situation of multi-media mediums will allow me to have deeper insights and perceptions in other classes. I will be able to organize my ideas in a clear and effective way to determine the purpose and message behind almost all arguments and statements.

Blog Post 33: Background Research on Rhetorical Analysis 3

Most of my research was done through conversations with my advisor, and looking through the journal I kept in Costa Rica with Dream Volunteers.

https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/document/d/1O-NVzPUIQdMUqTQf0ZAufsx_bJ--6rZP9tqJPEtAbTg/edit?usp=sharing

Blog Post 34

Thesis Statement for Rhetorical Analysis of Project 3:

Utilizing imagery, and personal narratives, I argue that the only way to break the cycle of oppression and abuse amongst impoverished communities is to provide a stable education for the children within them so they can become true leaders and agents of empowerment.

Blog Post 35

The context of the cartoon depicting a Pilgrim and a Native American combines both a historical setting and the current Syrian refugee crisis that is causing global controversy. The story of Thanksgiving is well-known, and symbolic of peace and cooperation between nationalities. When the pilgrims sailed to America, they encountered native Indians who, instead of turning their backs on the struggling migrants, accepted the newcomers with open arms. However, in modern times, America is not extending a helping hand to refugees in need; hence, "Sorry, but we're not accepting refugees." The cartoon is commenting on the hypocrisy of the modern refugee crisis in comparison to our historical migration.

Blog Post 38

1.) In writing the QRG assignment, my argument commented on the Death Penalty, and served to implicitly show my stance against the practice of capital punishment through the analysis of other scholars'' statistics, arguments, and evidence.

2.) Compared to my highschool AP Lang class, English 109H followed similarities in the focus on non-fiction materials, and rhetorical analysis; however, the complexity and length of the essays required for 109H proved to be more difficult and time-consuming than those of AP Lang.

3.) English 109H has illuminated my strength in diction and exploring implicit themes within rhetorical situations; however, I simultaneously recognize my tendencies to write unclearly and without a formulated structure, which ultimately weakens my writing.

4.) Two of the course objectives, focusing on rhetorical analyses and research components, were clearly reflected in my HONY analysis, which required me to not only search for statistics, personal narratives, and background information on the Syrian refugee crisis; but also rhetorically analyze each of the research components present to depict their influence and impact within the HONY blog .

5.) English 109H has taught me indelible skills that dig deep into the relationships of rhetorical situations and current events that not only provide the means to write an effective and clear paper, but reflect on the overarching applications and importances of these themes overall to pose an action that recognizes the magnitude of universal issues prevalent in modern society.

Background Information on Public Argument

https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/document/d/1O-NVzPUIQdMUqTQf0ZAufsx_bJ--6rZP9tqJPEtAbTg/edit?usp=sharing 

http://www.ontheissues.org/Education.htm (SOURCE)

Blog 32: Initial Thoughts About My Audience

General Americans looking to make a difference may be interested by my argument ; however, anyone and everyone should be impacted by the humanitarian injustices I will describe. I will be appealing to teenagers and adults, because little kids do not have the level of understanding or education to be able to help global change. My message shows that anyone has the ability to make a difference in the education and bettering of the lives of those combatting poverty and hardships, so I want my argument to be easy to understand so that anyone who reads/views it realizes they can make a difference. My intended audience will value equality, opportunity, and global advancement.

Since the communities described in my argument are very small and rural, my audience will most likely have very little knowledge about the subject. For these reasons, I will give extensive background information so that they can connect to these communities on an emotional level- my goal is to make my audience want to help.

Individuals who will be hostile to my argument are those who are indifferent to global unity, and equality. They will say that a small difference in a small community does not really help the world as a whole; however, we have to start somewhere. Large ripples start with a small drop in the pond, and empowerment cannot happen overnight. But, if we work to educate and support those passionate about change, and the world as a whole will eventually revolutionize into an equally developed society.

My audience needs to have a basic understanding of poverty, and the disadvantages of poor educations. My audience also needs to understand that America is not supreme to any other nation, and that global empowerment is more useful than forcing American culture across the globe. My argument focuses on cultural immersement, and recognizing the importance of a wide range of societies. Each community can thrive off of their own traditions and cultures if they are given the resources and help to reach their full potentials. 

Blog 31: My Proposed Public Argument

I am going to focus my public argument on international education, and the lack of funding and attention of education amongst those who cannot afford it. I work with an organization called Dream Volunteers, and we raise money to send impoverished children in third world countries, like Guatemala, India, Costa Rica, Vietnam, Africa, and Ecuador to school off of scholarships. This subject is so personal to me- I am so passionate about the kids that we work with and the goals we are attempting to achieve, as I have experienced the hardships of these struggling communities first hand. We focus on adolescent education in order to provide brighter futures for these kids so that they can take on the role of leaders in their community once they are older. Many of these communities struggle to find clean water to drink, face abusive relationships, unemployment, illness, and sub-par living situations. For example, my host family in Costa Rica doesn't even have glass to cover their windows, so bugs are constantly in their home. However, these communities are the absolute most positive, optimistic, and happy groups of people I have ever met. One would never guess their struggles, aside from the fact that they are literally living in slums, or facing malnourishment. Each family is so grateful to simply have each other, and they draw their happiness based on their relationships with each other. These families have no concept of materialism- as long as they are together they are content. We want to hep the children of these families maximize this happiness. If these children can be educated, they can find stable jobs that can allow for the innovations that need to take place in these communities.
Currently we are raising money to send girls in a slum called Jaibpur (India) to school. Women are considered intellectual property in this slum- they are married off at extremely young ages and subject to whatever kind of treatment their husbands have to offer. An education would allow them to make a life for themselves, and slowly shift the ideals of their community into a place of equality and safety. Abuse, and essentially slave labor are norms for these girls; yet, they are constantly smiling and grateful for every opportunity they are given.

I am either going to put together an ebook or a video about Dream Volunteers and the work we do. The projects we have taken on and the current goals of our organiztaion will be included. I will explain why actions need to be taken to change the societies these children are growing up in. I will also explain how Americans can get involved and cumulatively make a change in the world. I intend to use emotional appeals and an inspirational tone to convey my message.

Blog 30: Analysis of A Sample Public Argument: Suffering In the Desert

Suffering in the Desert cultivates a somber tone that is intended to show the hardships and injustices experienced by Mexican immigrants attempting to cross the border into the United States. The black and white visuals, slow music, and pop-out texts with shocking statistics collectively shock the audience, and work together to create a sense of heartache and disgust amongst viewers. The emotional appeal that is heavily relied on in this argument is structured in a video that switches between visuals and text in order to establish an aesthetic connection amongst the audience. This connection allows viewers to store the graphic horrors in their memory, and remember the call to action the author is creating: Americans need to combat the maltreatment and abuse of illegal immigrants. The producer of this video establishes trust amongst her audience by implementing direct evidence and facts that stick with viewers, and persuade them to take a stance against Border violence and discrimination. The images elicit a sense of empathy from the audience by displaying the starvation, assault, hopelessness, and even death of the Mexican immigrants. The purpose of Suffering in the Desert is clear within both the visual and textual evidence: American naivety and ignorance towards border violence is resulting in inhumane actions and unnecessary deaths of innocent people.

HONY Rhetorical Analysis Reflection

Reflection on What I learned
I learned how to write more clearly throughout this assignment. I realized that wordiness and long sentences do not accurately demonstrate my knowledge and credibility as a writer; however, concise language and clearly structured sentences help my prose greatly. I believe this is a more successful paper for me because I understood the format of a rhetorical analysis better than the format of a QRG. I wish I would've paid more attention to MLA format, and done more research on the rebel groups/terrorism in Syria in order to better understand Stanton's interviewed refugee's more clearly. I feel that my new ability to write more clearly will apply to my other classes in that I can write better structured papers and assignments. For example, my chem lab reports will be less wordy, and my Personal Morality writing assignments will be in simpler terms.

I think in teaching this unit, we could review the structure of a rhetorical analysis in more depth. Rather, I am used to writing about a 4 paged rhetorical analysis in a typical 4 paragraph essay format, and it was a little confusing to have to stray from what I am used to writing.

First Draft of HONY Rhetorical Analysis

https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/document/d/1Rn89wuULk43wiSqtZUKKzaqd61lEvVg6SnqiR-DLs6I/edit?usp=sharing

Blog Post 25: Why do I want to write about HONY?

I am interested in writing about HONY because the photographer offers new insights to the individuality, culture, and conflicts of the world through simple and memorable snapshots that emotionally touch the interests and concerns in his followers on social media. Each story the photographer conveys depicts a moral or subliminal call to action to the themes relevant across the world today. For example, Brandon Stanton, the brains behind HONY, followed a journey of Syrian Refugees in order to portray their struggles in migration, as well as compare and contrast cultural themes between Americans and Syrians. For me, reading HONY helps put in perspective the immense diversity of individual human beings. As a society, we have no idea what struggles random passer-bys are facing, or the spontaneous acts that make them happy. Anything out of uniform societal norms, whether it be the way one is dressed, how loud someone speaks, or even how much someone weighs causes us to assume the entire lifestyle of that individual. However, these predictions are made without any reasoning or rationale except for the way the individual is seen in our eyes. HONY attempts to combat these judgements by shedding positive light to the quirks and strength of random individuals who otherwise face stereotypes, or lack of attention, in the public eye. I feel HONY’s efforts help lead our world to strive to be a less judgemental, more unified web of compassionate individuals that have the potential to choose optimism over pessimism, and ultimately free one another of expectations and limitations that undermine global empowerment overall.

LINK TO PREWRITING:

https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/document/d/1YOuGvHxS39PngYbJlrF3xiIFfQGksRCSfSn8yV19-0g/edit?usp=sharing

Blog Post 27: Chesnick_Outline

Below is my thesis statement:

Stanton’s social media phenomenon, Humans of New York (HONY) artistically utilizes memorable personal stories and savvy imagery to portray quirks, cultural differences, and struggles of diverse individuals in order to spark passion and develop trust within his followers to accurately give first-hand perspectives to worldly themes intended to strengthen an overarching sense of global unity.

Rough Outline about what I will address in my Rhetorical Analysis. I really focused on the author->audience->message relationship exemplified through the combination of emotional and personal appeals to reflect a logical argument that readers can identify and respond to. I also picked 2 rhetorical strategies to analyze, but I might add a third if my paper is not long enough.



 https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/document/d/1veC6LjsyPJJs2ojq1_mHIh78Q5iB-2jnIjQS_qPX6XI/edit?usp=sharing

Blog Post 26: Chesnick_Prewriting

My prewriting for a rhetorical analysis of Humans of New York (HONY) includes an observation/Inference chart, my initial interest in HONY, and ideas about what rhetorical strategies and relationships I will address in my essay. My ideas also address the rhetorical devices (ethos, pathos, logos), and their relationships to my argument. I chose to use an observation/inference chart because it clearly conveys the themes evident in HONY in an organized, clear way. My prewriting also includes a rough outline of my essay which helps me group my ideas, and potential examples that I want to use in my analysis. All together, pre-writing helps me clarify and organize my arguments so that my paper can be written more efficiently, and effectively.

https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/document/d/1YOuGvHxS39PngYbJlrF3xiIFfQGksRCSfSn8yV19-0g/edit?usp=sharing

Blog Post #24: Outline Student's Guide Essay

The Power of Rhetorical Implications on Sex-Trafficking

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-pross/how-a-human-trafficking-v_b_7812658.html

OUTLINE OF Student's Guide Essay

Intro:
          1.) Background= Hook sentence that portrays the rhetorical context of modern sex-trafficking.
          2.) Compares modern sex trafficking to the historical slave trade; themes including the exploitation of women, women as commodity.
         3.) Introduces the documentary film that will be analyzed (what is sex trafficking, how it affects slaves).
         4.) Thesis: how film affects viewers to oppose the sex trade. (emotional responses)

Body Paragraph 1:**** Interesting example that really reflects the horrors of sex-trafficking to readers. (Easy to visualize)
          1.) Point: Nolot utilizes specific imagery to appeal to viewers' emotions, and elicit sadness in order to spark a call to action for viewers to condemn sex-trafficking.
          2.) Provided Example: Sex-Trafficking "Fashion Show"- Instead of clothes, the slave holders are analyzing the women themselves. This attention is essentially materializing and objectifying women as nothing more than commodities.
         3.) Explanation: The imagery evokes disgust and sympathy amongst viewers in order to allow them to recognize the need to end global sex trafficking.

Body Paragraph 2:
          1.) Point: Nolot utilizes direct evidence from a professional to appeal to viewers' emotions (viewers will trust the professional, and accept his/her facts as truth).
          2.) Example: A clinical psychologist depicts the dehumanizing effects of sex trafficking. The psychologist compares the women in the trafficking industry to dogs (the commands and obedience they are expected to follow).
          3.) Explanation: Nolot uses shocking mental evidence as a call to action for viewers intended to realize the inevitable humanitarian violations involved with sex trafficking.

Body Paragraph 3& 4: *** Weak paragraph- somewhat difficult to visualize examples included by author.
          1.) Nolot employs cinematographic techniques to appeal to viewers' emotions.
          2.) Example: Cinematographic angle of a woman facing ruthless beatings. The picture fades to black, which is a representation of the isolation the woman faces, and the diminishment of her soul.
               Example 2: Narrowing circular angle that fades to black: intended to represent the broken emotional outlook and hopelessness victims of sex trafficking experience.
          3.) Explanation: The diminishment of the victim's soul, and isolation she experiences spark the  viewers' hatred towards the sex trafficking industry, and are intended to persuade Nolot's audience to refute the practice of sex trafficking.

Conclusion: Nolot is blunt and up-front with intense imagery and artistic approaches in order to emotionally shock viewers and depict the emergent need for action against sex trafficking in order to provide victims with a brighter future, and chance at healing.

Blog Post #23 Observation Chart HONY

HONY Observations & Interest: What are the Underlying Themes and Purposes of HONY?

http://www.humansofnewyork.com/

Blog Post #22 SOAPSTONE HONY

SOAPSTONE of HONY: Facts Behind the Faces

Speaker: Brandon Stanton; Photographer for HONY. Depicts photographs with captions of New Yorkers with quirky, sad, or inspiring stories.
Occasion: Social Media Phenomenon; tumblr blog, facebook page, instagram, print book
Audience: Inividuals on social media who can interact on Stanton's pages through comments

Purpose: To reflect both domestic and international struggles, culture, and personalities of citizens to illuminate individual importance. Stanton also intends to display the power of one's story to shed light to societal themes, and provide a relatable perspective for his audience about global conflicts evident today. His readers, with a new sense of global awareness can interact with each other, and take action to help lessen societal issues or simply appreciate the uniqueness and individuality present in all cultures.

Subject: Culture, individualism, random appreciation,
TONE: Worldly, inspirational, informative, whimsical

Blog Post #21: SOAPSTONE on #LikeaGirl

This particular commercial is a call to action for all females to chase their dreams, and ignore gender disparities traditionally held in place. While displaying insecurities women of all ages face today, and simultaneously empowering women to embody their femininity, always offers a commercial that sparks compassion amongst viewers, and allows women to relate to the struggles depicted by the actresses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhB3l1gCz2E&index=2&list=PLRyQfUYbMgkeMaN_yICROVBYTK0jU237U 

SOAPSTONE

Speaker- Women selected by always 
Occasion- Combatting gender gaps evident in modern American society.
Audience- Women who feel oppressed by society today.
Purpose- always utilizes a select handful of women who clearly communicate gender gaps and the oppression women experience in modern society in order to empower females to embody their womanhood, and strive to achieve equally, or more incredible feats as men.
Subject- Feminism/Women's Empowerment/Self-Confidence (Combatting insecurity)
Tone- Inspiring, uplifting, heartwarming, empowering.

Revised Blog Post #20

Greenfield's Rhetorical Implications: Cleaned Up & Revealed

The following paragraph is a revision to my previous blog post. It is intended to reflect Brumberg's essay more closely, and embody a stronger rhetorical analysis that fully indicates Greenfield's style and purpose within her project. I hope these changes made for a smoother read! 

       

This photo reflects the pressure women feel to be thin in modern America. https://appsychtextbk.wikispaces.com/Anorexia+Nervosa

Greenfield's gallery of photographic images subtly illuminate a transition from traditionally self accepting women to a modern trend of adolescent girls assuming negative body images, as well as inner dissatisfactions and anxieties in order to empower her audience to combat mental degradation. The spontaneous, in-the-moment photos depict normal, daily events of all women, ranging from celebrities to teenage girls, but serve to illuminate the sentience of all females into one underlying wishful attitude that encapsulates the individual desire to fit an expected thin, "barbie like" American ideal; thus, providing reason to the lack of confidence and growing health concerns of modern American women.  The mixture of women in these photos all appear photogenic and normal at first glance, but possess implications of self-hate or stereotypical aesthetic American expectations. Analyzing different ethnic groups by utilizing perceptive imagery and societal norms, Greenfield harnesses the ability to vision the "thin ideal" of women in numerous communities, ultimately shedding light to individual mindsets regarding body image, and cultural coneptions of "perfection." Greenfield's photography continues to draw negative correlations between the mental struggle modern women are facing today with the societal pressures present in modern America. Greenfield's imagery is powerful and raw, and follows a journey of womanhood and acceptance with every age.



By recreating Brumberg's essay, I learned that every sentence in a rhetorical sentence should include the implications of the assertion being made. For example, I could say Greenfield's gallery intends to display the trend towards negative body images in American women today. However, in order to rhetorically justify this statement, I would need to add an explanation of the detrimental social effects on American women overall. So, my sentence would read something like this: The spontaneous, in-the-moment photos depict normal, daily events of all women, ranging from celebrities to teenage girls, but serve to illuminate the sentience of all females into one underlying wishful attitude that encapsulates the individual desire to fit an expected thin, "barbie like" American ideal; thus, providing reason to the lack of confidence and growing health concerns of modern American women. In my previous paragraph, I lacked a lot of the deeper meanings exemplified in Greenfield's gallery. Basically, I gave a surface analysis. This type of analysis reminds me of a visual analysis- mostly helpful in understanding the fundamental ideals of a topic. However, once I compared my paragraph to Brumberg's, I realized I needed to include more about Greenfield's craft and underlying purposes. With this in mind, I altered some of my words and added to my sentences in order to depict Greenfield in a stronger light, and assert my approval to her campaign in women's empowerment.




Original Paragraph: Lauren Greenfield’s arresting collection of photographic images brings new energy and insight to the larger societal discussion of what has happened to American girls. Her savvy, on-the-spot camera is a function of her work as a photojournalist recording the world of American popular culture, but her work ranges here beyond celebrity icons such as Jennifer Lopez and Venus Williams to reveal both the inner and exterior lives of anonymous American girls. In combining the voices of girls with their portraits, Greenfield acts as reporter and cultural anthropologist as well as art photographer. She used such a mixed-media strategy before, in the award-winning Fast Forward: Growing Up in the Shadow of Hollywood, but this journey takes her nationwide into different regional and ethnic communities. With an eye for both the ordinary and the idiosyncratic, she provides an animated, colorful canvas that visually narrates the ways in which girls, their bodies, and their psyches entwine with American popular culture. Be forewarned: There are no Girl Scouts here. Greenfield’s camera probes the process of becoming a woman in a decidedly less institutional way, visiting bedrooms, bathrooms, and waiting rooms, seeking out little girls, teenagers, and adult women in telling public and private moments.

Blog Post #20

Girl Culture and the Thin Ideal: Rhetorical Analysis Response 

This photo, not from Greenfield's gallery, reflects the expectation of the modern thin ideal. 

Greenfield's gallery of photographic images reflect a transition from traditionally self accepting women to a modern trend of adolescent girls assuming negative body images, as well as inner dissatisfactions and anxieties. The photos depict normal, daily events of all women, ranging from celebrities to teenage girls, but serve to illuminate the sentience of all females into one underlying wishful attitude that encapsulates the individual desire to fit an expected thin, "barbie like" American ideal.  Analyzing different ethnic groups by utilizing powerful imagery and societal norms, Greenfield harnesses the ability to vision the "thin ideal" of women in numerous communities, ultimately shedding light to individual mindsets regarding body image, and perception of "perfection." Greenfield's photography then relates the mental struggle modern women are facing to the societal pressures present in modern America. Greenfield's imagery is powerful and raw, and follows a journey of womanhood and acceptance with every age.

I analyzed the "S" in SOAPSTONE in order to provide information about the artist (speaker in this case) of the Girl Culture project we are analyzing. I described Greenfield, the artist, in order to illuminate the importance of her role in encapsulating the underlying societal meanings of negative body images. Both O (occasion) and A (audience) were addressed in my paragraph through the identification of a shift from historical celebration of  women's (A) bodies to the modern expectation of thin women (O). The Purpose (P) of Greenfield's gallery is to spark passion amongst her audience to combat the growing expectation of the thin ideal, while simultaneously revealing the evidence of body-hate in everyday society today. The Subject (S) of Greenfield's gallery is represented in my paragraph numerous times: body image and Girl Culture. Finally, the tone of Greenfield's project is artistic yet solemn. Greenfield intends to provide aesthetic imagery in order to attract attention to the detrimental societal effects of negative body image, and the underlying actions that must take place in order to combat the issue.



Original Paragraph: Lauren Greenfield’s arresting collection of photographic images brings new energy and insight to the larger societal discussion of what has happened to American girls. Her savvy, on-the-spot camera is a function of her work as a photojournalist recording the world of American popular culture, but her work ranges here beyond celebrity icons such as Jennifer Lopez and Venus Williams to reveal both the inner and exterior lives of anonymous American girls. In combining the voices of girls with their portraits, Greenfield acts as reporter and cultural anthropologist as well as art photographer. She used such a mixed-media strategy before, in the award-winning Fast Forward: Growing Up in the Shadow of Hollywood, but this journey takes her nationwide into different regional and ethnic communities. With an eye for both the ordinary and the idiosyncratic, she provides an animated, colorful canvas that visually narrates the ways in which girls, their bodies, and their psyches entwine with American popular culture. Be forewarned: There are no Girl Scouts here. Greenfield’s camera probes the process of becoming a woman in a decidedly less institutional way, visiting bedrooms, bathrooms, and waiting rooms, seeking out little girls, teenagers, and adult women in telling public and private moments.


**** I analyzed a paragraph of my choice because I was not in class. However, Kat sent me information about the project, so I assumed she was in my "group". I included her group's SOAPSTONE Analysis below.  
GROUP LINK TO SOAPSTONE ANALYSIS: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FkNwbZ9Zqg58M1qF_B8w2-jdjjKM93dTqHzT-KdOZOo/edit 

Blog Post #19: Visual Interpretation

"Lauren Greenfield Photography - Girl Culture Photographs." Lauren Greenfield Photography - Girl Culture Photographs. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2015.

Girl Culture & the Thin Ideal: When Does the Humor Go Too Far?

I find the comical aspect of this photograph interesting. At first glance, this photo looks harmless-simply two teenage girls making a joke about "bikini bodies." However, if the underlying meaning of this photo is analyzed, we can shed light to the real problem with the humor applied to these girls' perception of body image. In modern society, many young women feel they must live up to a standard of one conformist body shape that is considered attractive. This expectation is clearly depicted in the shirts worn by Morgan and Lisa in the photo. On the surface, the thin ideal may seem like a harmless, even beneficial, goal for young girls. There's always the saying "look good, feel good"; however, this expectation results in eating disorders, social anxiety, cliques, mental abuse, and judgement from adolescent women. Thus, the comical aspect reflects naivety to the implicit problems that our society is facing (now more than ever) with negative body image and the expectation of societal norm that every woman should be thin. I found it intriguing that Laura Greenfield's Girl Culture photo gallery, focusing on body image and expectations of modern women, should include this image. The surface is humorous, yet it has such an underlying relationship to Greenfield's gallery that this photo added depth and implicit meanings to Greenfield's project. 

Laura Greenfield intends her audience to recognize the rapid increase of negative body image amongst girls; especially at a young age. The girls in the photograph are only 13 years old. 13. I know when I was 13, I spent most of my time playing football with my neighbors, and didn't have one worry about my weight or a "bikini body". Greenfield's inclusion of this photograph not only reflects body-image issues at a younger age, but also differences in generations. The obsession with a thin ideal is considered relatively modern to our society, and is clearly presenting dangers already. Greenfield's audience can conclude her message by analyzing the contrast of the thin figures on the t-shirts to the average body types of the 13 year old girls, and the dominance of the t-shirts in the picture. The t-shirts reflect a thin ideal, and are the main focus of this photograph. Judging by the silly expressions the girls are wearing, they are "modeling" these shirts because they feel they should look like the women depicted in them.  

Overall, it is clear this photograph is intended to reflect the growing issue of negative body images in our society of young women today. One can deduce the pressure that adolescents feel for the need to be thin, and one simultaneously assumes the potentially harmful measures individuals will take to achieve this goal. Greenfield's photo essentially comments on the aesthetic-obsessed modern society we exist in today, and attempts to elicit feelings of pity from her audience in order to spark a desire to combat this social trend that will ultimately ruin the innate beauty of individualism.