TOW #16 IRB post #2

David Sedaris did not have a glamourous childhood, yet his memoirs in his autobiography Naked are compelling and attention-grabbing. As Sedaris writes about who he is, and how he came to be the man he is today, he recounts his humble beginnings. Through contrast and and humor, he tells the story of his childhood in an interesting and through-provoking manner.
The first essay of the book is titled "Chipped Beef". The essay starts out by recounting Sedaris's "anit-childhood", the childhood he wanted but did not have. He talks about his rich family, who is so beautiful they are asked to sit in the front row of church, as to not distract those attending the service, and are often stopped on the street and asked for autographs. The memoir is actually quite confusing at first, though very amusing. One is not completely certain that Sedaris is not speaking truthfully about his childhood until his mother wakes him from a dream, and Searis is brought back to reality.
The reality of his life if quite different than his fantasy. His parents have many children, and struggle to support them all. Sedaris is angry at his life sometimes, wanting a more luxurious one. This stark contrast, which is sharpened by the humor of his "dream" paints a picture for the reader of Sedaris's lot in life, allowing them to better understand where he
 comes from.

TOW #15 William H. Seward "Irrepressible Conflict" Speech

     In the 1850-60s in the United States, tensions revolving slavery were at an all time high. The country was almost evenly split, with the North calling for the abolition of slavery and institution of a Free-Soil system, and the South demanding to keep slavery. In his "Irrepressible Conflict" speech, Senator William H. Seward of New York noted that it was impossible for "two radically different political systems" to exist in the same nation. Though Seward is most notable for his idea that slavery violates a "higher law", (a very moral and emotional appeal), "Irrepressible Conflict" is a surprisingly rational argument. Through contrast and testimonials, he explains that slavery and free-labor systems can not both exist in the United States, and calls for the abolition of slavery.
     Seward exemplifies the negatives of slavery by contrasting it with a free-labor system. He notes that most of the world has abolished slavery in exchange for a free-labor system. He writes that free-labor is synonymous with "the strength, wealth, greatness, intelligence, and freedom which the whole American people now enjoy." (para. 5). This extreme praise of a free-labor system is very opposite to his description of slavery: "The slave system is not only intolerable, unjust and inhuman towards the laborer... but is scarcely less severe upon the freeman, whom... it denies facilities for employment." Seward praises the free-labor system, equating it desirable traits the American people would want, and condemns the slave system for not only being morally unjust, but also economically hindering for white Americans. Through the contrast of the two political systems, he illustrates how vastly different they are, and, explains, "they are more than incongruous-- they are incompatible." He proves this by quoting Napoleon, who held the same view when France was split between to vastly different parties, the Cossack and Republican parties. Thus Seward explains that the two cannot exist together, and that a free-labor system would be more beneficial in America, for slavery is not only morally wrong, but economically unsustainable as well.
 Seward then points out, through testimonials, that his views are not revolutionary, but in fact shared by many of the founding fathers. He says, "[The Founding Fathers] regarded the existence of the servile system in so many of the States with sorrow and shame, which they openly confessed, and they looked upon the collision of them" (para. 11) Seward goes onto explain that the forefathers knew that two separate abor systems in American would not work out, and that the two would eventually collide, which is why they included such provisions in the Constitution that would allow for the gradual abolition of slavery. By including the testimonies of the Founding Fathers, Seward makes his claims seem much more reputable and logical. Of course people think that the founding fathers knew what was best for the nation, and they thought that the best thing was to abolish slavery.
      William H. Seward makes excellent use of contrast and testimonials in order to advocate for the abolition of slavery. Seward was just one of many people who worked to abolish slavery in the United States in the 1850s. Though many advocated for the peaceful transition to a free-labor system, it would take a civil war to finally end slavery.

William H. Seward himself whoa

TOW #14 Prudential ad

This weekend I went to New York, and while on the subway I saw a series of Prudential ads urging people to consider retirement, avoid procrastinating, and start saving now. My favorite ad read: "Retirement in Miami, Florida looks a lot different than Miami, Ohio". The ad uses a strong compare and contrast to get people to consider retirement, especially one managed by Prudential.
The two Miamis are skillfully compared. The ad uses the same font and font size for both, and they are aligned one beneath the other. In this manner the ad does a nice job of humorously highlighting that the only similarity of the two is the name. It uses imagery of the beach for Miami, Florida, and greenery and foliage for Miami, Ohio, contrasting the two. The images are accompanied with the words "Where you retire has a lot to do with when you can retire". This blurb along with the contrasting options of tropical Florida and lush Ohio is intended to intrigue people about the different retirement options they have, as well as encourage them to start planning ahead, so they can have the retirement right for them. Of course, they should plan for their retirement with Prudential.
The ad is perfect for a subway because it is witty, and visual appealing, likely to stick in one's mind.