"Saving Private Ryan" vs Army National Guard

The two topics I’ve chosen to use for my second analysis paper come from two separate forms of media. One is the popular Spielberg movie “Saving Private Ryan” and the other is an advertisement for the Army National Guard. In the advertisement, there are two halves represented: one half depicts five people as citizens and the other half depicts those same five people dressed in army attire and addresses them as soldiers.  I have chosen to write an analysis for these pieces because they both have a common theme: the army. They’re similar in that they encourage the general public to learn something about the army, whether it be from visual depictions or by actively becoming a part of it. Both medias illustrate bravery and courage that is required to be a part of such a field and both possess pathos appeals to draw in the audience. While one is more subtle (the advertisement) and the other has a great deal more active depictions of what it is like to serve on the front lines (the movie), they both are clearly using informative arguments to reveal to the audience something about the army. The two differ, however, in the sense that “Saving Private Ryan” is for entertainment and was created simply to reveal to the audience Hollywood’s rendition of a great war fought in history. The National Guard advertisement is using a persuasive argument to encourage regular citizens to consider somehow being a part of the army by representing the pride and satisfaction that comes from serving the country. It uses less of a pathos appeal than the movie by emphasizing the idea that the audience should act on the idea to be a part of the army.

Facebook

Facebook is an effective online connecting site that millions of Americans and other people worldwide use daily. Although somewhat addictive to some users, Facebook is beneficial in keeping in touch with distant relatives, friends, and former classmates. Since many people are busy with jobs and education, trips across the country to visit old familiar faces is not very convenient, thus making catching up somewhat limited. By using Facebook, users can simply check out a friend’s profile to find out what has been going on lately in their life. Of course a simple phone call could do the trick, but as mentioned before, most citizens of the developed world are so consumed with work and studies that a long phone conversation may not always be possible with such busy schedules. Facebook is also a gateway to other aspects of staying connected with distant loved ones. Users can play interactive games with one another including Farmville, Mafia, and several others that allow access to user profiles and enable users not only to catch up, but interact over fun games that normally may not happen. Facebook is also beneficial for businesses and events committees. Mass networking and event planning can take place just by simply creating a group and spreading the word about an upcoming event or new business. People can keep up with daily inspirational quotes, updates on sporting events, and news about meetings and gatherings. Although it is argued that Facebook contributes to less face to face interaction amongst people, it surely makes up for the lack by encouraging users to stay in touch with friends they otherwise would not have been connected to without the site.

What I Want to Analyze

For my first argumentative essay I am considering writing about an article in the textbook. As I was flipping through the readings, I came upon an article titled “The F Word” and it caught my eye. I briefly skimmed over the passage to get a glimpse of what it was talking about and I felt that the account held a very strong argument of exploration and some aspects that leaned toward informing an audience, as well. The overall account was about a young woman who was of Iranian ancestry and had a very non-American name that often made her a target for ridicule as a child and judgment as she grew older. The author explained how she was rejected job offers because employers could not read her Iranian name, much less pronounce it. In her account she learns that people in America, children anyways, tended to gravitate towards those with common names. She wrote of how she was often ignored because her school mates had trouble with her Iranian name and thus chose not to talk to her for fear of pronouncing it wrong, among other fears. She explores some truth of American culture and isn’t necessarily aiming to convince or persuade the audience, but to open eyes to her depth of exploration. As I continued to scan over the article, I read that the author eventually wrote her name as “Julie” on resumes and the job offers came pouring in. She informs readers of her journey in adding an American name and the interesting events that come from that decision. Overall, the account was very informative and had a lot of depth that allowed for the reader to discover truth from the author’s viewpoint.