Response to Chapter 4 in The Wayne Writer

This chapter contains information about how someone should approach a piece of writing to critically read it. Evaluating an argument is a process, which this chapter breaks down very intricately, providing the reader with tips on how to effectively examine an argument and extract the most out of it.

This chapter was not at all hard to get through; it was short and very tolerably informative. In other words, I did not have to use too much brain fuel in an attempt to process the information I was reading. I already apply most of the tips in this chapter to my critique of arguments. I use them when I am reading the news, when I am reading a friend’s essay, when I am interpreting religious texts, and when I am analyzing someone’s oral arguments in my everyday life. This chapter gave labels to the components of my tacit knowledge, which makes me think “Ohhh, so that’s what it’s called”, just like when I read Chapter 5 (types of arguments).

I did not use a pencil to underline important parts of the piece I’m reading like I usually do, simply because I did not feel the need to. I knew the type of information that was going to be presented to me, so I decided to make mental notes instead of ones in graphite.

Reader Review Reflection

The changes we made from our SFD to our Reader Review draft were not too drastic. We edited our writing as best as we could according to the comments. We decided to rearrange our paragraphs in a more organized fashion and move the Argument Analysis paragraph so that it is read earlier in the essay.

The peer editing process was not quite satisfactory; we did not really get much feedback. At least for my portion of the essay (pathos), my peer editor only underlined one sentence and left no comments. I felt as though it was not given the amount of revision that it deserved, so I will probably keep most of my writing the same or have someone I know read it and give me an opinion about it.

Reviewing our peer editors’ essay was definitely easier than it was for Project 1; I was actually surprised when I picked up on details that I would have normally brushed over or not even noticed at all. I was really engaged while reading and tried to give as much feedback as I could to help them clarify some parts of their essay. Overall, I think I did a good job; my comments were not too critical nor were they of a “you should frame it” nature.

 

Response to Chapter 6 in Wayne Writer

The main point of this chapter is that are five main types of arguments that are used in writing: definition arguments, causal arguments, evaluation arguments, proposal arguments, and rebuttal arguments.

Upon reading this chapters, I realized that I usually incorporate a mix of these arguments into my writing without really intending to do so. My arguments tend to lean mostly in the direction of counterarguments and definition arguments. The chapter also made me realize that at times I tend to take what my audience knows for granted, so perhaps I should practice to incorporate some form of a definition argument into my writing. My mind usually jumps right past this type of argument.I also noticed that the more diverse the types of arguments a writer uses are, the more solid his or her arguments become. It is as if to support a claim as strongly as possible by answering to every counterargument that could potentially arise before it even does.

The first thing that came to my mind after reading this chapter was Project 2, unsurprisingly. Because my group is analyzing syllabi, it really made me think about what “arguments” a syllabus might contain. I’m excited to be able to look at a document that was previously so mundane to me as a piece of writing that contains arguments. The opportunity to view matters through a new lens is the way to my heart.

As usual, I followed the words in the chapter with a pencil, underlining the main points and circling what I found to be important to remember. Although it was a rather lengthy read, it was very enlightening. I experienced several “Ohhh I had no idea that had a name” moments.

Backpacks vs. Briefcases Response

The author of the text is breaking down the components of every form of rhetoric that one might encounter during his/her life. She explains the types of rhetoric that are found in every day life and why it is important to be able to analyze them.

I think everyone can relate to this text because it can be applied to each and every single person’s experiences in the world. I had always been aware of the presence of rhetoric in my life, but I had not divided it into such detailed components before; I had a more general outlook on the matter.

While reading, I held a pen and circled the main components of a piece of rhetoric that the author stated and underlined what I thought to be significant to the big picture. It was not too hard to read through as Carroll used parentheses to slip her opinion in there. By doing so, it made me feel as though her voice was much more audible and her message was specific to me.. Immaturely, I would say it made me feel like she was explaining a concept to me.

This piece is one that permanently changes one’s perception of their surroundings; once it is seen it cannot be unseen. I think that after reading this I will be much more attentive to what people say and mentally try to deconstruct every form of rhetoric that I come across into the components the author mentioned.