Tow # 10 Are Kids Too Coddled? by Frank Bruni

“Perhaps they [parents] should dress the children in bubble wrap and tie mattresses to their backs so they don’t get hurt” (para. 4). Frank Bruni takes a stance on this issue of over-babying children, saying that parents are becoming too obsessive. Bruni’s essay “Are Kids Too Coddled?” uses harsh diction and rhetorical questions to explain his view that parents are going overboard to protect their children in schools and activities.

Bruni’s jarring diction blatantly expresses his opinion about parents who over-coddle their children. His uses of descriptive language provides a clear view of how parents are excessive when shielding their children from failure and are making them miss important maturing process of life. When describing the top children in high schools Bruni says, “Some high schools have 10, 20 or 30 valedictorians, along with bloated honor rolls,” (para 17). By choosing the word “bloated” to describe the honor role he creates a very different picture than the word “large” would have. He creates a negative connotation about these students. He further explains how with extreme praise students are being praised for hard work, not ability, and standards have become too low. He provides countless of examples of where parents may hurt their children in the long run by sheltering them now.

To make parents reconsider their feelings of exasperation with school systems Bruni asks a number of rhetorical questions. Even the title of his essay is a question that sparks thoughts on the issue. “Are Kids Too Coddled?” (title) grabs the attention of readers and makes them consider their own stance. Later in the essay when Bruni asks “Aren’t aspects of school supposed to be relatively mirthless? Isn’t stress an acceptable byproduct of reaching higher and digging deeper?” (para 12). He allows his audience to see his opinion with the facts he provides and then allows them to develop their own. These controversial points stimulate further discussion about this topic.

By using descriptive harsh language and questions Bruni explains his opinion about parents coddling children. 

TOW #9 “China’s New Agenda” by David C. Unger

Everyone knows of the harsh laws in China that limit the entire population’s lives, however David C. Unger has new major information about these policies. China has outlined some of their plans to change the one child policy and help reduce the pollution. In his editorial “China’s New Agenda,” Unger uses powerful diction and quotes from important Chinese officials to explain the new reforms in China while sharing his opinion about all of the effects.  

            Unger uses powerful diction throughout his essay to weave his own opinions into the facts. To express his own idea he writes with many descriptive words. To open his editorial and share what reforms will be made he adds extra expressive language, “In one of several surprising and potentially welcome shifts in policy, China’s leaders announced Friday that they would… end its brutal ‘re-education through labor’ camps” (Paragraph 1). By including the word “surprising” Unger explains the context to the situation. When describing the re-education camps he uses the adjective “brutal” which leads the reader to understand that he is in favor of the reforms China is making. Through the use of his diction Unger can say a lot and send a message to his readers without outright saying his thoughts. He adds his judgment secretly and smoothly so the facts become the implicit understanding and only people who want to read into the article fully understand his opinion.

            In the essay Unger quotes the president of China. The comments from Xi Jinping help the reader feel like more of an insider in China learning about the changes. “‘We must certainly have the courage and conviction to renew ourselves,’” (Paragraph 3). Unger is able to present different views on the reforms through the use of these quotes. He not only expresses his ideas but the thoughts of the person adjusting them. The presidents ideas woven into the essay create even more of an informative tone.

            Unger’s uses of these devices help him create an article that is explanatory and expresses his opinions. 

IRB Intro Post Marking Period 2

For the second marking period I am reading "Don't Swallow Your Gum!" by Dr. Aaron Carroll and Dr. Rachel Vreeman. Written by two doctors, this book packed with many interesting myths about the human body. It is an unique spin on ways to prove your mother wrong. I selected this book becuase my favorite author mentioned how much he loved it. I enjoy reading science related books, and I love to find ways to prove my mom wrong.

TOW #8 IRB The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Implicitly it seems Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks shows how scientific research has a background to it and that it an important point to note is that HeLa cells were once a person, the entire book culminates to explain another message. Skloot uses juxtaposition to develop a second purpose showing the treatment of black citizens over time to attempt in eliminating racial discrimination.

Through the book Skloot tells a narrative of how she learned about the HeLa cells. She delves into stories of Henrietta Lacks and the people she has met in the process of writing this book. In juxtaposing paragraphs Skloot writes about different relatives of Henrietta Lacks, the black Lacks and the white Lacks. In the area where these family members live discrimination against African Americans remains very deep rooted even to this day. While explaining the interviews that Skloot had with these people, it becomes obvious that these racial problems that have dissipated in many places in America have not in Lacks town. Even though these issues seem resolved to the public eye because the black Lacks are no longer slaves, the interviews with the while Lacks show the problems that still exist. By brining attention to this tension between these groups of family, Skloot spreads awareness of the intolerance that persists into the 21^st century.

More black discrimination becomes visible through Juxtaposition of the idea of consent in medical experimentation. Skloot provides the reader with many examples of how white people are treated compared to black. The HeLa cells were extracted from Henrietta’s cervix not only without her consent but also without her or her family’s knowledge about it. After this more laws were created that make consent needed for a person to be used in research, however doctors and scientist continued to ignore them when it came to African American patients. Skloot’s detail about this trouble attempts to eliminate this in the future.

Skloot’s additional purpose about racial issues in the book use juxtaposition to highlight the problems to bring public attention to fixing them.