Ethos

First off I want to thank my instructor, Mr. Mitchell. You allow your English classes to express their creativity through their writing especially through our blogs. First, we were allowed to title our blogs and come up with our own screen names. I chose to use crazykid09 because this best represents my personality. I am the crazy kid that has and will get out of a car to dance on the highway. I am the one who always wants to have a good time. When Mr. Mitchell let us choose our names, it just rang creativity. Throughout this semester I have learned a few new things about writing. The first thing I learned how to do was to analyze an ad. The second thing I learned was how to write was a claim paper. The last paper I learned how to write was the Rogerian Argument. I absolutely loved the website project. I definitely thought we were able to show off our creativity. Mr. Mitchell encouraged us to write with ethos. Ethos is our personality and we use it by incorporating it into our work.

Throughout the year I have changed. My perception on things has changed. I have found how my major and minor can tie into any paper I wish to write about. Let’s take the Rogerian argument for example, the man who created this type of argument was a psychologist. The Rogerian argument was based off of Carl Rogers’ therapy. Amazing. I have to say the Rogerian argument was my favorite. I enjoyed presenting both sides equally. In the traditional style of writing we butcher our opposing side. But in the Rogerian, you approach the argument by not pointing fingers and claiming who is right or wrong. In the website project, my group taught our audience how to write certain types of arguments. This showed not only Mr. Mitchell, but ourselves what we learned. We talked about the dos and don’ts on writing. We even used our own essays as examples, showing our readers how easy it is to write these essays. We provided our own ethos into our websites. By providing ethos, we gained our readers trust. My least favorite paper to write was the claim argument. But I learned how to incorporate ethos, logos and pathos into my essays. Ethos, pathos, and logos provided validity between me and my audience. I enjoyed writing about my favorite accessory in the word, my iPod. Then writing about how society relies on technology too much showed me how much I need technology. I am ashamed to say I cannot go a few days without technology. I saw how much I relied on technology this semester alone.

An ending note: Thank you Mr. Mitchell! You taught us that writing essays is not as boring as we once thought it was. Essays should be about us and we should be able to have fun while writing them. You helped all of your students find themselves as writers, just like I found myself. You also helped some of us realize how badly we rely on technology to get through our day. So now, I do not get on facebook, I do not take my iPod everywhere, and I no longer have my phone attached to my hand. Thank you. I have more time for people who matter most to me.

This Semester

One of the best things I learned this semester in Comp. 2 at the University of Oklahoma was ethos. Ethos shows one’s moral character. Showing your moral character provides validity between you and your audience. Ethos is the main common ground between you and your reader. You want to ensure your reader that you understand what they are going through. I was told to imagine myself at a museum where my essays were an exhibit. Would I be ashamed? Yes, I am not a strong writer, I know that. Did I try to work my personality into the essay? Yes. In my Rogerian Argument: “Same Sex Marriage: Equal Rights or Sacred Blessings?” I discussed a common ground between both same-sex advocates and anti-same-sex organizations. In doing so I stated “Is there common ground, waiting to be discovered, that one day, could help solve this confrontation? It is definitely possible, and can be simple to solve this issue. Both sides are fighting with blind fury, inadvertently ignoring the fact that they are each fighting for a common cause, love. Both sides are fighting for their version of love to be recognized. But love is the greatest force of all, and who has the right and the permission to define what marriage should be. ‘All you Need is Love,’ made famous by the Beatles, says it all.” I am proud of this except, I feel like it shows my reader that there is no difference between same-sex love and straight love. There is just love and that is the driving force. I also stated “No one is right or wrong in this situation, it is socialization.” The way we were brought up determines how well we will take anything that has to do with same-sex. Mr. Mitchell said [it is socialization] “…are important, and very powerful, words.” I really liked writing that paper. I expressed both pros and cons for both sides. I felt like I reached my reader.

Another essay I wrote in this class was about how society relies on technology too much. I stated “Pre-technology, teachers would tell their students that if they did not how to spell a word, they should look it up in the dictionary. Looking it up in the dictionary would provide the correct spelling of the word. Does anyone even own a dictionary anymore?” I provide ethos in this sense. I do so because I was the student the teacher told to look in the dictionary to find the spelling of a word. Now, in 2010, I look a word up on the internet. There is my ethos, because I know most people do the same thing as I. I feel like there are times when my writing represents me well, but then there are times when my writing does not represent me well enough. There are times in my essays when I showcase my ethos extremely well and times when my ethos falls short. Would I want my name attached to my essay’s if they were in a museum? No. I would want it to be anonymous because I believe any great writing should not have the bias of someone’s name attached to the work.

Work Cited

Parker, Chelsea. Same-Sex Marriage: Equal Rights or Sacred Blessings? 2010. Print.

Mitchell, Paul. Comments on Same-Sex Marriage: Equal Rights or Sacred Blessings? 2010. Print.

Have you ever gone to the movies and there was an annoying person talking the entire time? Eating food from home? How about talking on the phone? If you answered no to any of these questions… can you tell me where you go to the movies? Every time I go to the movies there is always someone doing one of the things I mentioned above. It is so annoying.



This clip provided above shows what it is like when someone goes to the movies with me or my friends. This clip shows the average movie watcher’s fear. The person who does not shut up and makes all the noise they possibly can. Brenda brings in her own food, talks during the entire movie and answers the phone. The clip is analyzing how movie watchers today do not respect fellow movie watchers. We talk our way through the movie, making jokes and practically narrating the movie. Or how customers cheat the system by bringing in food, which is not allowed and we all know it. Too bad we know it is wrong, but we do it anyways. I am not going to lie, I am Brenda. I am the movie watcher that does not shut up, but I will make the whole theater laugh. I can turn any scary movie into a comedy. I find myself so wrapped in a movie, its story line or its characters, that I actually lost track of where I am. I actually yell out “Don’t go in there, the killer is behind the door …RUN!!” And the whole time my brother is sitting there hiding in his jacket and laughing at me. In this case my brother finds me hilarious, but I’m sure there are people who wish I would just shut up and watch the movie. People who commented on this clip thought Brenda was hilarious and a lot of them could relate to Brenda, not the rest of the audience. They thought Brenda’s actions were funny. And most of them saw nothing wrong with what she was doing. But for every one person that finds her or people just like her funny, there are probably 20 others who hate people like her.

Day Without Technology

For my day without technology, I went without facebook. Not only did I go without it for a day, I went for a week. I originally planned on going two weeks without facebook. Last Monday instead of doing homework I went to get on facebook. But instead I could not access my account because recently my friend changed my password. I would really like to thank my friend for saving me from myself. Even though I was a little upset at first, I might have even yelled at you. Instead of getting on facebook, I got all of my homework done. I finished my math homework by Monday and it was due Thursday. I finished my Sociology on Monday and that was due in Wednesday. During the first few days all I wanted to do was get on Facebook. As the week progressed I realized I did not need facebook, I was fine without it. I actually enjoyed going without it. There was one bad thing about this project. The bad thing is that I am unable to talk to my friends from back home. I cannot find out what is new with my friends. Yeah I have a phone, but who really has time to sit and call someone. It is so much faster for me to go onto my Facebook App find out what is going on and comment. So much easier and so much more convenient to use Social Networking cites.



Wendell Berry’s Essay “Why I am Not Going to Buy a Computer,”states reasons Berry does not want or need a computer in his life. He states he is a writer, he writes with pen and paper. When Berry’s work needs to be typed, Mrs. Berry types it up on their typewriter. Berry states that he does not want a computer because he does not like the corporations selling computers and he does not admire the price of a computer. I agree the prices on computers go up with every passing day. Yet I do not agree with not owning a computer. I understand the tools of his trade are a pencil and paper. As a craftsman, you should own the tools that better you and your craft, plain and simple a computer can help make Berry a better writer. I also understand that he is a farmer, he has no need for technology. But I also feel that deep down; everyone has a need for technology. Whether it is just to send your mom an e-mail once a day, or to check up on your best friend, there is a need for technology. I will admit I am addicted to my technology. I need my iPod, I need my laptop, and I need my phone. My favorite point of Berry’s essay, “It should not replace or disrupt anything good that already exists, and this includes family and community relationships.” That sentence says it all to me; I believe this is Berry’s main reason for not owning a computer. Berry feels like technology will take the place of his family and his community and that is not acceptable.

The company, who created the iPod, is called Apple. The reason Apple created the iPod was to introduce the newer, more improved version of a c.d. player. I identify with this object because this is one piece of technology that I need in my everyday life. I cannot go anywhere without my “pod”. The commercial Adequately represents me, I am the silhouette. I am the kid you see dancing around, jamming to their “pod”. This commercial represents me very well to others, people know me as the kid “jerking” with the iPod in and sunglasses on. I do not think the ad does a good job at persuading the audience to buy the product. Do not get me wrong, I love Apple’s commercials, but the commercial did not scream “BUY AN IPOD!” I understand how it could appeal to the music lovers, but I think they could have done more to sell their product. Occasionally when I need a “pick-me-up”, my iPod gets me through, especially when I miss my family. Once Apple came out with the different colored iPods, I knew I needed to have the purple one. Purple is a wild and crazy color for an iPod and I knew it would match my personality the best. I think iPods are the best thing in the world! I am currently listening to “Go Crazy” and I just feel the urge to… well go crazy. The ad I am analyzing is the ad that made iPod so popular.



The subject in the ad is the device that the silhouette is holding. The iPod and the headphones are the intended focus of this advertisement. What makes the iPod stand out so much is the contrast in colors. The yellow background, the black silhouette and the thing that pops is the product itself. What I noticed that was missing was the ethnicity of the dancer because Apple made the dancer into a silhouette. Apple did that because they want to show iPod sees no color. The purpose of the rhetorical object is to show all music lovers that Apple’s iPod is about having fun and just going crazy. The main reason some should buy this item is to have fun while listening to their favorite genre of music. Another thing that was omitted was the price of one of the devices. In psychology, this term is called the foot-in-the-phenomenon. Where the seller grabs your attention and makes you consider buying their product, without telling the buyer how much the item actually costs. Both race and price where omitted from the ad to get you to buy the product, or to at least consider purchasing the product.




The motivation for this ad is to sell the product, plain and simple. This advertisement shows the world that when you own one of these devices, the world is a better place. Where you can dance, blast your music and just enjoy life. The audience, like I said before, is music lovers around the world. Anyone who listens to music should own an iPod. The constraints are that when I state how great these iPods are and the reader thinking well I have a cd player and I love it. But I am going to assume that the reader and I have some common ground when it comes to owning an iPod. Also, that the reader loves their iPod just as much as I do. That we share the feeling that out iPods are an essential part of our daily existence and our personal happiness. When we examine the structure and composition of the ad, we notice the different themes that go into it. The unity of the ad is how it stirs up happy emotions in us, because we see people dancing and enjoying their music in a whole new way. There appears to be a hierarchy in this ad, in that the silhouette appears to be the most important thing. But the ad highlights the iPod and the headphones, showing that if you have an Apple iPod, your music and movies are always with you, no matter where you go. Thus fun is always at your fingertips. In this advertisement the contrasting colorful backgrounds and the black silhouette highlight the white iPod and makes it stand out.


The intended audience is music lovers of any genre or generation. Anyone who loves music should own one. Throughout the years the audience has never changed. Music lovers own iPods. Obviously this applies to me since I own an iPod, in fact I’ve owned four throughout the years. I keep buying them because I love music and that is how this ad appeals to me. I love my music and cannot survive without it. Apple is hoping that all music lovers feel the same way as I do, therefore gaining customers. This is the 21st century’s listening device; c.d. players are a thing of the past. Good bye, old technology and hello, wave of the future. It is my opinion that IPods are must have items, and most everyone owns one. They keep selling because with each generation they get better and better. Some of the newer iPods are in different assorted colors; I saw the purple one and fell in love. Apple created the new generation to appeal to a larger audience. Before Apple only had plain colors; white, black and silver, but now they have purple, blue, red etc. I cannot go anywhere without my iPod. I need them especially when I have to ride on the airplane for two hours or when I am doing homework. Most college students own one and you can see why. You yourself probably own one; you know how great these little devices really are. They are a great accessory to keep people entertained on a daily basis. Apple created a universal entertainment device that anyone from any age can own and enjoy.