Pre-Writing Assignment 3

World War II was a tough time for this country. Even though the war began in 1939 with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the United States did not get involved until the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This war would test the nation’s economy, resilience, and strength. Many sacrifices had to be made by citizens of the United States. For example, during 1943 the government issued shoe rationing (three pairs of leather shoes per year), meat rationing (28oz per week), and standstill wages and prices to streamline the economy (A WW2 Timeline). All these sacrifices compounded with the impeding war put a damper on many Americans; however there was one aspect of their lives that was thriving.

Job availability increased dramatically with the start of the war. With all the soldiers fighting overseas, new workers were needed to replace them. Also, new jobs were created such as weapon manufacturing, making cloths for soldiers, and transporting goods for the war. One of the businesses that profited greatly from World War II was the railroads. One such station, Ogden Union Station, played a major role in transporting military goods along with the usual passengers and cargo. Special “troop trains” would ferry around the soldiers from town to town. One interesting insight that an observer at this sight had was that the soldiers didn’t care where they were or where they were going. They were just happy to be traveling around the country. At one point during the war, a train rolled through the station every five minutes (How Trains Helped Win a War).

Armed with this newfound knowledge I have some new insight into the photo I picked to analyze. Perhaps this train contains soldiers, making it a “troop train”. Perhaps the men I previously thought to be workers are actually soldiers that have just been dropped off and are eager to explore the city. Also, I wonder if within five minutes another locomotive will pull into the station to unload precious cargo such as gasoline or a car full of passengers.

A conflicting feeling between the governments rationed goods and the flourishing railroad business could arise in these men. On one hand each man is forced to consume a rationed amount of food, while on the other they are having the most successful years in their railroad careers. It is a perplexing situation that I’m sure is a topic in the discussion between the man and the conductor. With trains coming in and out at a high rate many repairs would have to be made. Another possibility is that these men helped to repair this train and get it ready for its journey. In this case, the two conversing men could be discussing the repairs made and any precautions necessary for a smooth ride. One concept that I know is present in this picture after gaining background information is that these men know their job is vital to the success of the United States in World War II. With this knowledge they can complete their job with a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Works Cited

"A WW2 Timeline." World War 2 Timelines 1939-1945. 2006. www.worldwar-2.net, Web. 17 Feb 2010.

"How Trains Helped Win a War." Utah History to Go. 2010. utah.gov, Web. 18 Feb 2010.

Pre-Writing Assignment 2

The arrangement of objects in a photo portrays a certain perception of the scene that the photographer wants the viewer to experience. This arrangement is no coincidence; the photographer either waited until the opportune moment to snap the shot or edited the photo to his liking. My selected photograph contains seven men, but they are not side by side. The varied positions of these men create depth and a more compelling argument. From the title we know that this train is about to the leave the station. Logically, we believe these men were loading the train and preparing it for departure. Three of these men’s vectors of attention are directed toward the right bottom corner of the photo (the tracks leading to the next destination). This presents an ethos of expectation or accomplishment since they have finished their job. The man furthest from the camera has a vector of attention aimed at the group of men gathered around the locomotive, especially the man on the far left. Concerning ethos, he seems distant and lagging creating pathos of loneliness and isolation. The man on the far left is staring at the locomotive with his whole body pointed toward it. It seems he has a connection with the locomotive, evoking feelings of losing a beloved friend.

Finally, the last and most intriguing man is addressing his attention to the window of the locomotive where the conductor’s torso is visible! I failed to notice the conductor until I accessed all the other men’s vectors of attention. From this observation we can infer that these two men have a deeper connection than the others do. The worker may be wishing the conductor a safe journey, requesting that he delivers a package to a relative, or warning the conductor about a possible malfunction or aversive weather.

Altering an image is essential to portraying the photographer’s rhetorical argument. One strategy I noticed right off the bat was that the black locomotive was in the center of the frame, it is also large in comparison to the men. The photographer helped to accent this fact by increasing the saturation of the locomotive and decreasing it on the men. Another example of saturation and brightness is the snow laden foreground and its contrast to the train cars and the men. I’m sure the photographer increased the brightness and saturation of the snow, steam, and sky not only to make the train the centerpiece, but to make the whole photo eye-catching. Also, it’s no coincidence that the frame is black with a thin white line in the middle. This complements the overall contrast present in the photo.

One of the quantifying elements of this photo is the lighting which illuminates areas of the photo that would normally seem obscure. The time of day plays a major role in the rhetorical argument it is trying to present. Imagine if the setting was during dusk; most objects would be barely visible and the train would not be the center of attention anymore.

Pre-Writing Assignment 1

This image stood out to me because of its presentation. A majority of the other photos I perused throughout this selection contained darker hues and mild saturation. The contrast of the white snow and steam with the black locomotive drew my attention to this photo and evoked a sense of curiosity about it. If one randomly glances over this photograph the steam from the locomotive may be mistaken for clouds. I know I made this mistake when I first viewed this text. Upon further inspection, many intricacies appear that don’t isolate themselves immediately.

There are six people visible in this photograph. Using context clues and prior knowledge it is viable to hypothesize that all these individuals are male; however, we don’t know for sure because the faces are not detailed. By observing that this is a train carrying cargo and not passengers, it is logical to think that these men are either unloading or loading this transportation device. My initial interpretation of this photo is that these men have just finished loading the cargo onto the train and the conductor is starting his journey toward the west coast. Not only is this evidenced by the title, but also through the posture of the men, their proximity to the train, and the fact that smoke is coming out of the locomotive.

I would infer that these men live very hard lives. Loading and unloading cargo daily in frigid conditions requires mental strength and a durable body. Struggle brings people together and this photo was taken during World War II. Therefore, I believe that these men are very close to one another and care about each other’s well being. Judging by the time period and my prior knowledge, I would venture to say that these men make a measly wage. These men must work long hours to support their family. Speaking of family, I can guarantee all these men have families or else they would be out fighting a war. Furthermore, they are probably aged to a certain extent with the youngest possibly being around thirty.

The photo doesn’t give much information about the surrounding area. From just viewing the photograph, I get a feeling of desolation and harsh conditions. However, after reading the ensuing text I discovered that this train yard is located in Chicago, Ill. This totally changes my perception of the surroundings and the people that reside in it.

Chicago is a large city that brings to mind stress, crowded streets, and a business state of mind. I can definitely sense a hard work ethic from these men that is stereotype of the blue collar work force. I can see them going back to their wives and children after an exhausting day of work. I envision the stereotypical stay-at-home mother with two to three children to take care of. These inferences along with the overall ethos of the photo evoke a sense of patriotism inside me, especially now that I now this was during World War II. The photographer’s aim was to present some diligent American workers supporting their country in its time of need.

Weekly Blog Post 7

Although I don’t have an extensive experience in the field of photography, it interests me in its uses. Photos can evoke emotions that writing and paintings can’t. If a person sees a photo of a childhood farm, a heightened sense of nostalgia could come upon them that wouldn’t have occurred had it been a passage from a journal. The impact of photography is intriguing to me and I wish to delve into it further.

The little experience I have with photography deals with amateur shots of naturalistic environments. During our family vacations to Colorado, I would always bring the camera along during our hikes to capture nature’s beauty. Tinkering with the focus, lighting and shot angles all helped me better understand my camera and its abilities. Almost all my camera work has been with digital machines, so I lack a great deal of knowledge about the older generations of cameras.

Last semester for my Creativity 101 class we were assigned to photograph a variety of items within a specified area. My area was in front of Love Library where, to my astonishment, there was an extensive arrangement of flora and fauna. I genuinely enjoyed the task of photographing not only the natural world, but also the man-made structures in the surrounding area. Being creative in my selection of objects and angles made my photos unique. Throughout this process I learned a cornucopia of terms relating to this field of study such as: lens, cropping, shading, and orientation. With this knowledge I’ll have a slight grasp on the terminology for this upcoming project.

I already have a mild interest in photography and with my future occupation being in the biological sciences, I’m sure to be taking a multitude of photos in my future. This project will be a learning experience for me and will help expand my set of artistic skills. I’m very optimistic about this project and am ready for the challenge of analyzing the rhetoric and argument in these texts.

Weekly Blog Post 6

Logos can appear in a multitude of guises by using a variety of strategies. Some these include the number of elements, visual hierarchy, contrast, and visual unity. “Drive Slow” incorporates these methods to further an argument it presents to the audience.

In order to have contrast, one must have sameness. Throughout this video, there are two contrasting points of view. The camera either shows a close up of the rapper with minimal objects in the background or the shining lights of a thriving city. The video has three to five seconds of one perspective and then switches to the other and so on. Contrasting views are a significant way to get a point across because they force the audience to juxtapose them. Having the first half of the video with just close-ups and the latter half with city shots would not have a lasting impact on the audience.

Repetition is present in this video and it contributes to the visual unity. The city shots all have bright lights, but the buildings are used for different purposes and the hues differ. Most lie in the realm of red, orange, and yellow; however, there are some accents of blue and green. Casinos, clubs, movie theaters, strip malls, and restaurants are all present while Kanye and his pals cruise around town. Diversity of buildings helps to create a sense of unity as they are all integral parts of a city. Also, a few shots show brilliant fireworks in the dark city sky. One such scene depicts the firework beginning as blue, then transforms into purple, and finally red. Congruency with this scene and the previous scene helps the video to flow together. During the individual shots, the same hue scheme is used in the background with the rapper’s attire complementing it. Even though the two types of scenes contrast, the continuation of the same hues helps to unify the video as a whole.

The use of logos in this video is meant to show the juxtaposition of each rapper’s humble beginnings and the flashy, complex world that surrounded them yet seemed out of reach. Ethos is based off of these contrasting images by presenting two sides of each rapper. This in turn affects pathos and the emotions viewers obtain. If the video has done its job, the viewer will feel divided between living a simple life with friends or going for the fame and glory. Even though these two ideas seem polar opposites, they are connected. This is evidenced by each rapper’s rise to fame from the slumps.