Thlog # 2: Shelley's Quick Guide/ Close Reading

On Monday, we received to readings to take home: Shelly’s Quick Guides for Writing Teachers and How to do a Close Reading. In Shelley’s Quick Guides, the article listed a number of mini assignments that students may complete in order to be more well prepared in discussion of what they are reading. The reading and writing techniques listed are: Predict and Annotate, Opinionnaire, Freewrite, SQ3R, KWL, Two-Column Log, Concept Map, among others. The only ones that I were familiar with from earlier years of education were KWL and Predict and Annotate. There are so many techniques listed in the article that are new to me, and it was really helpful to sit back and analyze each, one by one. Now in future readings, I can practice these techniques, and better prepare myself for discussions of readings and making a written analysis of such. In the other article, How to do a Close Reading, I learned how to “develop a deep understanding and a precise interpretation of a literary passage that is based first and foremost on the words themselves” (Kneece, 1). What the author means is that, you must re-read the passage, define key vocab words, spot rhetorical devices, figure out the tone, know the theme and construct a thesis, among other things. Doing this will allow to take small parts of information, and move it into larger groupings to get a thorough understanding of the reading. Along with the tips from SQGWTHCW, I can closely dissect a reading for its theme and purpose and not take it for what it is on paper.

Thlog #1: Advancements in the Class

           When we began three weeks ago, I thought I knew what genre was. I thought a genre was as vague as music, sports, comedy, science fiction, horror, etc. But Zach (as he likes to be called) showed me and the whole class is much more specific. Instead of just music, the genre could be album reviews. Or instead of sports, the genre would be Eagles v Redskins game analysis.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     In class, Zach taught us how to get from point A to B in looking for a written genre by using the nesting dolls technique. This technique allows you to take a broad and vague topic like music, and boil it down to a specific writing genre. You start at music, and then you look for types of music, so you go to Hip Hop. Then you even get more specific and use Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly album. You’re close, but that’s still a little too broad so you boil it all the way down to To Pimp a Butterfly Reviews, and there’s your genre.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Without the nesting dolls technique, I wouldn’t have been able to find a specific written genre, and all of my genre would’ve been too vague, and all of my future papers would be incorrect.                                                                           

PB1A - Satire

                 The genre I chose for this first project builder is Satire. Satire is a genre of literature that uses sharp humor for the purpose of mocking social issues and society in general. There are a few different classifications of satire: Horatian, Juvenalian, and Menippean. Horatian satire mocked human error instead of evils so the reader can understand what's being criticized and can laugh at themselves. Juvenalian satire uses strong irony and sarcasm to aim at people in power (public officials, governmental organizations). Menippean satire usually aims at bigots, braggers, etc.                                                                                                                                                        

Satire has plenty of different conventions. The form of comedy mostly aims at groups of people other specific people. Its humor is ironic, witty and extremely exaggerated.  It is also implicit and assumes the reader is aware of the situation being criticized. Satire is aimed towards those who can understand the topic being criticized. Knowing of those events or people will allow the reader to appreciate the humor more.  The purpose of satire is mainly to criticize foolishness and corruptness, whether it is of a society/group, or an individual.                                                                                                                                                                                                    One source of satire is excerpted from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a novel by Mark Twain based in post-slavery America. This story mocks America’s justice system at the time of its publishing. "The judge and the widow went to law to get the court to take me away from him and let one of them be my guardian; but it was a new judge that had just come, and he didn't know the old man; so he said courts mustn't interfere and separate families if they could help it; said he druther not take a child away from its father. Although the townsfolk know of Pap's drunkenness, abuse, lack of education, and overall poor character, the court gives him custody because he's the biological father”( Twain, 16). Another Example is from The Onion, the well-known news satire organization that publishes articles on the international, national, and local news.  One of its articles was titles was titled “Trump Vomits Immediately After Seeing Everyday Americans Up Close.” The false articles spoke on how Donald Trump is sick to his stomach at the sight of normal citizens, implying he only spend his time around highly-wealthy, people in power, which is not entirely true.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Possibly the greatest source of written satire is the script/ screen wright of Saturday Night Live. SNL is one of America’s longest running television shows that are comprised mostly of comedy sketches.  Saturday Night Live has taken comedic shots at any American President, Presidential Candidate, governor or mayor of the last 40 years.  In the very first season of the show, Chevy Chase brilliantly portrayed President Gerald Ford as a bumbling idiot. In 2008, during the Presidential race, Sarah Palin (VP Nominee) and Hillary Clinton (Pres. Candidate) where portrayed by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. Sarah Palin was portrayed goofy and clueless by Fey, exaggerating how the female politician acts in real life.  

                Sources:                                                                                                                                                                                     The Onion                                                                                                                                                                                  Huckleberry Finn                                                                                                                                                                      Satire Conventions

About Me

 What's up guys, my name is Jonah Wooten, and I was born and raised here in Philly. A few things to know about me is that I love Jesus, family, and sports. I am majoring in Communications, and I plan on transferring to Temple in two years. Once I graduate from college, I hope to begin a career in sports media/broadcasting and be on Sportscenter one day. I have two older brothers and a younger sister. My hobbies are playing football, baseball, and discussing sports and other topics among friends. I occasionally enjoy writing also. I'll listen to any music, but country and opera. My favorite movie is Friday. I'm hoping for a good semester and a great school year!