TOW #13: The Indispensable Man: Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) by Howard Chua-Eoan (article)

Nelson Mandela’s recent death on Thursday, December 5^th struck sadness through many. Mandela’s legacy of apartheid and nonviolence will live on forever in the hearts of many. In the Times Magazine article, The Indispensable Man: Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) by Howard Chua-Eoan, the author recalls the life of Mandela. From the beginning of his life when his name was Rolihlahla (which means “troublemaker” in Xhosa language) to his Presidency of the country of South Africa, Chua-Eoan captures it all. Mandela’s life was full of bumps and triumphs including 27 years in prison and a lifetime as a humble leader.

         Chua-Eoan uses Mandela quotes sporadically throughout the article. For example, when the author writes about Mandela in prison, he quotes Mandela and how he “was the symbol of justice in the court of the oppressor…the representative of the great ideals of freedom, fairness and democracy in a society that dishonored those virtues. I [Mandela] realized then and there that I could carry on the fight even within the fortress of the enemy.” By adding this quote and many others, Chua-Eoan is able to driving home his purpose of showing how amazing of a man Nelson Mandela truly was and how his legacy will live on forever. The author also uses an idolizing tone of diction throughout to describe Mandela. He uses words like “power”, “savvy saint”, and  “modest”. The title of the piece is even called “The Indispensible Man”!

          Chua-Eoan wrote this article for anyone who has ever heard of Nelson Mandela because Mandela was such an influential figure in history. I believe that Chua-Eoan was able to achieve his purpose of showing his readers the legacy of Mandela and the story of his life. This is because he talks about all the key characteristics and actions Mandela had or had done which had made him the “hero” Mandela is know as today. This article is a fantastic commemoration of Mandela’s life. An amazing figure finally has his freedom.

http://world.time.com/2013/12/05/the-indispensable-man-nelson-mandela-1918-2013/

TOW #12: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (IRB)

            Brilliantly written and nearly impossible to put down. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls has so far  been about Jeannette’s life as a child. The memoir begins with the author seeing her mom digging through a dumpster. Both her parents are homeless, so when she sees her mother she ducks due to how ashamed of her parents she is. After this short glimpse into her adult life, Walls starts telling the story of her childhood. With a mother who didn’t want the responsibility of raising a family and an a brilliant father who became destructive under the influence of alcohol, Walls life and the lives of her three siblings was anything but ordinary.  From moving over eleven times before she turned four to spending over 6 weeks in the hospital due to severe fire burns, Walls seemed to be living through the worst possible situations. But she somehow is unshaken even after all these traumatic events occurred.

            This riveting memoir had me hooked after the first page. It reads like a story and recalls the unbelievable life the author had to live.  The memoir appeals more to an older audience; but I believe that everyone at some point in their life should read it. Walls’s use of personal anecdotes throughout helps her readers see the independence of her and he siblings sprout at ages as young as two.  For example, she discusses how at the age of three she could read as well as a six year-old and when she was in second grade her father made her do her math homework using binary numbers which Walls would then transfer back to Arabic numbers for class. I can only imagine what it would be like to be that gifted so young.

            The author’s purpose in writing The Glass Castle is to show her readers that her life was like growing up in an entertaining manor. I strongly believe that so far in the memoir Walls is doing a spectacular job achieving her purpose. As of now, Walls is only seven, so I can’t wait to read what else she has in store.

TOW #11: The Best Job in the Army by Carole Emberton (article)

            In the army there are many important jobs that must be done. But which job is the best? According to Carole Emberton, that job would be the driving of a commissary wagon.  A commissary wagon is a shop supplying food or equipment in a military camp during the Civil War.  Emberton’s great-great grandfather was a Commissary at the time of the war. As the article progresses, the author talked about the importance of food in the military and how different kinds of food were supplied for different reasons. For example, the vegetable, Onion, was seen as a delicacy for army men because it contained vitamin C, which is needed in order to prevent scurvy. At the end of his article, Emberton discusses Sam Watkins and strays slightly away from the importance of a Commissary. But, he keeps the idea of the importance of food in the army contestant throughout.

            As stated in the title of the piece, Emberton’s purpose for writing this article was to convince his reader’s that driving a commissary wagon is the best job in the army. By starting off the article with a list of three reasons why being a Commissary or even better a Chief Commissary is the best job.  One of these reasons was that the Commissary is close to food and supplies at all times.  Also, Emberton uses his great-great grandfather’s experience as a Commissary to enhance his points by giving short anecdote about what he did on the job.

            Overall, I was not completely convinced by Emberton. In the beginning, I thought he had a strong and well-supported argument going, but as the article progressed, he completely stopped talking about the Commissary job. Although, he did keep the focus on the importance of food throughout, which in a way does support the job, I believe his article switched focus from the job being the best in the army, to just on the importance of the food.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/02/the-best-job-in-the-army/