Analysis of "Fear and Recreation" by Molly McHugh
With the transition of national leadership, climate change introduces a whole new controversy all across the United States. National Parks are directly endangered as they no longer serve as a political priority. McHugh argues that national parks are threatened and those who have the power to speak up choose not to through repeated themes and phrases and consistent appeals to logos. McHugh powerfully restates the idea that those who are able to protest stay silent. "Accounts . . . are failing to say much at all", "many of those who could speak up are not", and "some of my favorite accounts haven't commented on what might happen to the outdoors" are examples drawn from various parts of the article restating a similar idea. Each quote transforms her claims so it flows with the theme of the paragraph, skillfully demonstrating that the same concept can apply in multiple scenarios. The insertion of tweets and Instagram posts along with the presentation of facts throughout the article appeal to the audience's logic. The tweets back up her claims about the importance of maintaining a national park: "If you've ever seen . . .you know why the national parks matter" as stated by @rangeremily from Yosemite National Park. McHugh utilizes the proliferation of national parks on social media to demonstrate the voice from those who care, and later contrasts this to the lack of voice from the general public. Through interviews, McHugh gathers more presentable views to the audience by speaking with those invested in the parks. Emily Nyod, one of those interviewed, says, "I need to be able to communicate to visitors why climate change threatens Yosemite, because I want them to leave with a passion for protecting the place they just fell in love with.” McHugh feeds off of these opinions to make her argument: a large number of people are passionate about protecting the national parks, yet few are willing to express themselves. The argument for national parks is thoroughly convincing (how could you not love the images of the gorgeous landscape?). Repetition of claims encourages the audience to comprehend the significance of the claims, while exemplary evidence supports her inference of a supportive public. With slight political edge, McHugh manages to follow her own advice to speak up on behalf of the endangered national parks.
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Analysis of "NFL Championship Weekend Recap: The Falcons Have Ascended to a Higher Plane" by Robert Mays
On Sunday, January 23, 2017, the Atlanta Falcons win the game that allows them to pack their things and ready themselves for the trek to Houston, Texas for the 51st Super Bowl. Mays discusses the mindset and the actions of the players in the playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. Mays's use of imagery, use of elevated language, and appeals to ethos convince the audience why the Falcons dominated the way they did. Throughout the article, Mays describes simple tasks in a fashion that connects the audience to the each play of the game: "I’ve seen old men feeding pigeons in the park who look more frantic". Even the players' mental state is acknowledged in a manner unlike most game analyses: "Ryan's quiet optimism developed into a full-throated war". Mays twists Ryan's state-of-mind into a character, egging him on and feeding into his determination, leading him to a state of "full-throated war". The elevated language does not appear polysyllabic or advanced to the point of misunderstanding, but the description throughout the piece appears dissimilar to that of comparable sports columns. "Before digging into the defensive looks they’d just seen, Ryan made a proclamation to his offensive coordinator that, in hindsight, was prescient" is an example of the carefully constructed sentence, deliberately inserting "digging", "proclamation", and "prescient" to clarify and exaggerate the meaning of the sentence. Player statistics are strategically placed throughout the article, establishing the credibility of the author. The player statistics and season standings suggest to the audience that Mays has been following the conference throughout the pre and post season, and is qualified to present an analysis of the game. After reviewing Jones's season ratings, Mays gives an opinion about him as a team member, saying, "Nursing a sprained toe that’s lingered for weeks, Jones was the best player on the field". Mays took the game analysis to a whole new level with an in depth evaluation of each section of the game, and a fully developed argument on how the Atlanta Falcons emerged as a Super Bowl team. The language used to convey his message flowed extraordinarily, as Mays painted a beautiful portrait of the road to the championship. |
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