Rhetorical Analysis

For the next assignment in English 111, I have chosen to rhetorically analyze the movie Pulp Fiction and impact the quote from the fictional passage "Ezekiel 25:17" has on the movie. This passage is repeated several times throughout the film and, through analysis, it can be used to describe the fate of each character.

Hasty Generalizations

                One of the most common illogical fallacy is the “hasty generalization.” This illogical fallacy means that one person jumps to a conclusion using evidence that cannot necessarily applied to the person or thing. A common occurrence of hasty generalization is prejudice. For example, if someone assumes that if a student attending Miami University likes hockey because all other Miami University students they have met like hockey, then a hasty generalization has been made based off prejudice. 

Response to "Residence Halls"

                After reading Kelly McCormick’s “Residence Halls” I can conclude that she in fact makes a very convincing and valid argument.  McCormick compares and contrasts what is expected of an average college dorm room by using claims obtained from the brochure on dorm room living.  I believe that her argument obtains its validity from the real-life stories that are tied in with it. She is constantly injecting personal experiences into her writing which not only makes her argument more believable, but much easier to read.  Furthermore, Kelly did an excellent job picking her topic because dorm rooms are something that the average first-year has to deal with. Because this experience is so common among all college students, it is easy to relate to and verify for ourselves (which should be true in any writing and its’ target audience).

                Although I thought Kelly McCormick wrote a very entertaining and interesting piece, I also believe some improvements can be made. McCormick has a very naturalistic way of writing—a positive thing—but she kept referring back to various elements of text as explained in “What Is Rhetoric” (such as ethos, logos, and pathos). Obviously she had to use these elements of writing in order to make a convincing rhetoric, but it takes away from the writing when they are directly mentioned.

Overall I found Kelly McCormick’s “Residence Halls” an enjoyable read. Despite minor flaws, I believe makes a strong argument due in part because of the topic chosen and the direct comparison of the brochure with personal experiences.

Thick Description

The Spot

Another uneventful Saturday evening was slipping through my fingers as myself and three friends sat lazily in our quad.  The channels on the TV were being flipped through so quickly that I could barely make out what was on, but it didn’t bother me; television was truly the last thing on my mind. Without warning, one of the room’s occupants blurted out the suggestion to take a walk. I jumped at this idea because familiarizing ourselves with my new home sounded infinitely better than watching yet another episode of Deadliest Catch.

We threw our shoes on, exited the room and climbed down the three flights of stairs leading out the back of our residence hall. Pushing the door open, our group of four stepped into the dusk and was instantly greeted by a wave of heat. This brutal transition from our cool interior dorm to the outside would normally have made us think twice, but today we were fueled by boredom.  

The idea was to explore West Campus, since none of us had ever been there.  We crossed the street and stepped onto a path leading through a field, empty except for several Frisbee golf cages scattered around. It felt good to be out of the dorm and into nature. The setting sun painted the sky full of orange and purple and illuminated the path that guided our way from cut grass into thick forest, which we plunged into curiously. Engulfed by woodland, the path led us to a narrow metal-worked footbridge which we crossed to find yet another change of scenery.

None of us were quite sure what to make of what we saw. In front of us, constructed out of stone, was what appeared to be a miniature stadium. Benches worked out of rock were curved into a half-circle all surrounding one spot that I can only imagine would be used for speaking. This miniature lecture hall would be the perfect place for a professor to host class as a treat to deserving students. The four of us remained at this spot until the sky grew dark, and then reluctantly found our way back across the path using light from tall-standing lamps, previously unlit.  Thus far in my Miami career, I consider this to be a truly unique place on campus that I know will be visited again.