SplAtteR

English Vocab Project

Prompt:  “In The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan says that she hopes her daughter will be ‘a beautiful little fool.’  Daisy believes that, in some cases at least, ignorance is bliss.  The contradictory attitude is the commonly-stated belief that ‘Knowledge is power.’  Write a carefully reasoned, persuasive essay that demonstrates which of these two ideas is the more valid.  Use specific references from your observation, reading, or experience to develop your position. 

            In today’s world, intelligence is the key that unlocks the door to power and wealth.  In today’s world, ignorance is the dead bolt that keeps the door to sorrow and disappointment locked.  Two different doors: both existing in our culture.  (more…)

Meredith McKinney

Mrs. Lisa Huff

AP English 11

6 March 2009

Allowing Concealed Weapons on College Campuses

There is danger all around us, everyday, everywhere.  Why should we expect someone else to protect us?  Shouldn’t we, the students, the teachers, the staff, have the opportunity to protect ourselves?  After all, this is our life, our one life that we have.  I don’t know what you think, but I know that when I go to college, I want to be able to protect myself.  I want the right to carry a concealed weapon on a college campus.  (more…)

If you look “art” up in the dictionary, it has many different meanings.  Because the word “art” has so many definitions, it makes sense that art can be found everywhere.  Everyday when we wake up, we see art all around us-in movies, books, magazines, and stories.  The more intellectual people recognize this art and pick it apart, discovering the rhetoric within the language.

Examples of Rhetoric from Movies:

• Hyperbole; “You should’ve gone to China, you know, ’cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods.  You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events.”  -Juno
• Rhetorical Question; “We call this a battle but what are we fighting for?”  -Step Up 2: The Streets
• Antimetabole; “The true losers in life are not those that try and fail, but those that fail to try.”  -Popstar
• Parallelism; “Every dad is entitled to one hideous shirt and one horrible sweater.”  -Cheaper By the Dozen 2
• Anaphora; “I’ll give you the shoulder, I’ll give you the hug.  I’ll feed you, I’ll clothe you if you need it.”  -Madea’s Family Reunion

 Rhetoric is everywhere in our world, just like art.  There are many different types of both, found in many different places.  No matter what your definition of “art” is, next time you see some, dig deeper and try to find the rhetoric within the language. 

    Completely opposite of McCain and Clinton, Obama opposed the use of military force in Iraq from the start (The Candidates on Iraq, 2008; Iraq, n.d.; Elections, barack-obama, n.d.).  At the time, he commented that he was okay with some wars; just not “a dumb war.”  He prophesied that even a victorious war would last an unknown amount of time, cost an unknown amount of money, and have many unknown penalties (Presidential, Barack Obama, n.d.).  He voted in favor of the war spending bill and supports phased redeployment of U.S. troops.  He was also against Bush’s plan of sending additional troops to Iraq, and at one point called for troops to be withdrawn starting at the end of 2006 (Iraq, n.d.).  In September 2007, he released a plan that would completely redeploy all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2009 (The Candidates on Iraq, 2008). 

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