TOW #16: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (IRB)

      They were going to live in a glass castle, that was the goal. The memoir, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls shares the story of her life to the world. Growing up, Jeannette and her three siblings (Lori, Brian, and Maureen) had to deal with an alcoholic father who could not hold a job and a whimsical, free spirited mother who rarely fulfilled her parental role. The Walls family never stayed in one place for too long, they were constantly on the move whether it was because Rex (Jeannette's father) lost another job or because they felt like outcasts. Throughout the memoir, Walls recalls her fathers plans to build a house he called their Glass Castle. After years of putting up with and even admiring her parents Jeannette realized the true status of her life. So her older sister Lori and herself devised a plan to move to New York to escape their hell of a life. Soon after they moved the girls were able to convince their other two siblings to move to New York as well. In the end, Rex dies of a heart attack. His death made Jeannette rethink her new life; and with these thoughts came the divorce of her and her first husband, Eric.

      I believe Walls wrote this memoir in order to show readers the lessons she has learned from her life while also being able to express (and maybe even release) the feels and experiences she had gone through. These lessons adds character too the book in a unique way. For example in one part of the book, Jeannette was trying to learn how to swim but continuously drowned, Her father told her “If you don't want to sink, you better figure out how to swim”. Although it's not the best way to teach a lesson, it does make a strong point. 
        Overall, I enjoyed this memoir and believe that Walls was able to achieve her purpose in a unique, inspiring, and even heart-wrenching way. Although she had an extremely tough life, Walls was able to make the best of it and in the end (well at least the end of the book) was able to make peace with herself and her life.

TOW #15: Etrade Baby (visual)

            Today, advertising through TV commercials is one of he most common ways to get the word out about ones company. But, with so many commercials out there businesses need to find ways to make their ad stand out from all the others. E*TRADE has done just that by creating a humorous, cute, and most importantly memorable ad. I mean who doesn’t know about the E*trade baby commercials? One adorable little baby has quickly become a household face. This little boy is given the voice of a grown man and is made to seem like he is broadcasting about his love for E*trade. In this commercial in particular the baby is put in what he calls solitary confinement because he rode the dog around the house. But of course, even in time out he hides all his electronic devices so that he can still go check his stocks on the E*trade app.

            The overall purpose of this commercial is to convince viewers to begin using E*trade. The main audience is adults who own stocks, but it also appeals to almost anyone who watches this charming ad. By adding the elements of humor and the baby captivates viewers. By giving the baby adult characteristics such as its voice and its possession of multiple electronic devices easily appeals to the humor element of the ad.  However, by keeping some of the elements of the baby, like the fact that he was given a time out and that he is in a crib creates a sense of cuteness, which is very appealing to most.

            I do not believe that the overall purpose of the ad (convincing people to use their product) was very successful. This is only because I do not know anyone who has ever used E*trade. But I think it was able to make the companies name well know because of how darling the ad was. So, even though I do not believe that they achieved their main purpose, I still think that E*trade was able to make a memorable commercial which in the long run could help their company succeed.

TOW #14: Stage Notes: Matilda on Broadway and Tales from London's West End by Adam Green

             From New York City to London, going to the theater is always a pleasurable experience for any avid theatergoer. Adam Green, the author of the article “Stage Notes: Matilda on Broadway and Tales from London’s West End”, shares his experience from his five-day theater going trip to London. Beginning with the play Matilda, Green shares with his readers a brief summary of the play and his perspective on the atmosphere in the theater as well. Describing the play as “boisterous” and “ buoyant” is only the start of Green’s praise towards this wonderful musical. He goes on by eulogizing the cast for their spectacular performance. As his trip continued, Green attended many more theatrical performances including Peter and Alice, Untold Stories, and Macbeth; all of which he seemed to have theroly enjoyed.

            Green’s purpose in writing this article was to share the new experiences from his trip and the experiences from the plays he attended. This article is perfect for anyone interested in seeing the play Matilda or any theater enthusiastic. Green uses an uplifting and eager tone and insider information makes his article a pleasurable read for all. Green described the main actress’s (Oona Laurence) performance as follows: “She sings and dances up a storm without a trace of how-do-you-like-me-now kiddie-performer treacle, and she breaks your heart without asking for sympathy”. This gives his readers a glimpse into the performance and intrigues them to go and see this talented little girl successfully execute the classic role of Matilda.

            Being a complete Broadway nerd, I obviously loved reading this article! Not only did Green make me want to hop on the next train to New York to see Matilda, he also had he online further researching the plays. He incorporated his theatrical knowledge faultlessly and left me wanting to hear more!

***Note: I have been singing Matilda songs around the house ever since I read this article

http://www.vogue.com/culture/article/stage-notes-matilda-on-broadway-and-tales-from-londons-west-end/#1

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/

TOW #10: AT&T "Cutest Grape" Commercial (Visual)

Children are our future, but are they also the future of advertising? AT&T harnesses the cuteness of little children to advertise many different aspects of its company.  Recently, AT&T has been airing multiple of these adorable ads. They begin with an interviewer asking a group of four young children a question. In this commercial in particular the question asked was, “why is it better to get what you want now instead of later?”. In reply, a little girl says the phrase: “you don’t want to wait to eat your raisins because they’ll turn into grapes”. The commercial finished by stating that “now is better” and that AT&T is now the fastest and most reliable 4g LTE network.

AT&T targets adults and anyone in search of a new wireless network through this commercial. Their purpose is to create a memorable advertisement that would stick in the minds of viewers in order to promote its own networking company. By adding the young children into the commercials, AT&T is able to successfully appeal to pathos. By first interviewing the kids and then turning what they say into an advertisement, the company can proudly display their masterpiece of manipulation. These clever and lovable kids, just like the ones in the Cutest Grape ad, draw attention to the AT&T Company and help create sales. Also, the children often add naive humor that also grabs viewer’s attention. For example, when asked what place she is in for the competition of cutest kid, the same little girl that mentioned the grapes responded that she was in kindergarten. How could anyone ignore something that adorable?

I personally believe that AT&T successfully fulfilled their purpose of making a memorable advertisement in order to promote their company. These ads are one of my favorites that are currently airing.  Although I do not use AT&T, nor do I plan on changing my wireless provider (not like that was my decision in the first place), I still found this commercial adorable and unforgettable. No one can ignore these adorable children.