Writing Log 2a Chapters 2 and 3. David Thies

A “Hotspot” from this chapter came on page 32. Here, Allyn and Bacon talked about “Free writing” and its value. Free writing or nonstop writing is all about finding new questions to write about. Hopefully through this nonstop writing you break through a barrier to find something you have never thought about. In grade school and high school I have had to do some form of free writing. I didn’t think about it as anything but a waste of time before, but after learning about its benefits I see why my classes have been involved in free writing. Free writing can help the writer find a “nugget” of genius. This “nugget” can be of great interest and eventually the foundation to a great question to write on.

Another “Hotspot” for me was on page 35, and was about dialectic talk. This exploratory strategy is simply conversation and discussion by two or more parties. Dialectic talk is a good way to find new points of view on a subject. It’ s debate and argument within reason on a subject matter that can further it’s importance. The more invested people are in something the more value it has. So having people engage in dialectic talk is a fantastic way to learn more on a subject. Two heads are better than one. And dialectic talk can happen anywhere. It can be in a classroom, office, or conference room. It can even be over the internet or phone, making dialectic talk extremely accessible. Dialectic talk was a “hotspot” for me because I believe in discussion and debate. Debate sometimes has a negative connotation but I don’t think it should. Good debate isn’t argumentative but productive.

My first “hotspot” came on page 55 with the differences of logos, ethos, and pathos. Logos is the appeal to reason. Ethos is the appeal to the character of the speaker/writer. Pathos is the appeal to sympathies, values, beliefs, and emotions of the audience. These three different appeals are interrelated. The use of one affects the other. Understanding how logos, ethos, and pathos work together can help you become a greater writer. The rhetorical triangle is a good tool when being an effective communicator.

The second “hotspot” from chapter 3 came on page 60 with the quote from Kenneth Burke, “humans are beings that by nature respond to symbols.” Burke’s quote is used in reference to clothing and its meaning. What we wear says a lot about who we are. Wearing a mini skirt is a vast difference from wearing overalls. Each item of clothing sends a message to the reader. The point from Burke’s quote, from a rhetorical perspective, is that in making a consumer choice, many people are concerned not only with the quality of the item itself but also with the symbolic messages that the item sends to different audiences. Different audiences interpret symbols in their own way, making each unique. So clothes do hold much importance, especially in today’s commercialized society where what brand you shop and wear is somewhat of importance.