Chapter 5 Harris

                In chapter 5, I like how Harris says “My hope is that doing so will allow me to offer a view of revising that, on one hand, doesn’t reduce it to a mere fiddling with sentences, to editing for style and correctness, but…” (Harris, 99). He then goes on to say that he would rather give a set of questions for you to consider when revising, which are:

1)      What’s your project?

2)      What works?

3)      What else might be said?

4)      What’s next?

                All of these are his first four chapters. This makes editing a little easier when you are able to ask yourself these questions in order to make your paper stronger, make more sense, and add what’s needed. I think these tools could be helpful to revising. He also says that these are not easy questions that you ask yourself, and that people who publish books go through hours, days, and even months of revising their papers. It isn’t as easy as you think when you read a book, but you never see their first draft.

Extra Credit Project Fair

                At the project fair, I found a girl (forgot her name) who was double majoring in some sort of science and French. For her project, they went to Mali and were able to help the people there to learn how to work computers and show them everything. They taught the Mali people in a remote village how to use the computers so that they could get connected with the technology world. One step closer to becoming a first world country. They were originally going to go to Morocco to do this, but there had been some terrorism so they were advised not to go. Instead, they were able to type up a computer Manual in French and give them to the Moroccan people so they learn how to use the computer.

                They also worked with MMAMA (Malian Mothers Against Malaria in Africa) where this group of mothers will sew and make goods, and people here at Montana State will sell them and all the money goes straight to the women to help fight against Malaria in their village. They make goods and use the money they make to buy bed nets and medicine that will help their children survive malaria.

                I was interested in this project because I have always loved international relations in a way. I have always wanted to travel and help poor villages out, and I felt like this was a really good project and a great way to help people out with your major and stuff.  I almost got to go to India to help with a humanitarian project in May, but unfortunately money was too tight. I hope someday I get to do a project like this and have an affect one peoples lives.

Harris, Chapter 4

                “By noting what others have had to say on a subject, defining where their thinking ends and yours begins, you can make your own stance as a writer all the more clear.” I agree with this quote from page 73 in the chapter Taking an Approach. It is good to take other peoples opinions about the subject you’re writing on to help yours come across more clearly. If you have other people that have somewhat the same idea as you, then it can make your paper come a long way. On page 86 Harris says that some writers are urged to try and not be bias about what they pick to write about, but as Harris says, this basically takes away the reason that you wanted to write about it in the first place. I agree with this statement. No one wants to write a paper on something that isn’t necessarily in line with their views or something they believe or are interested in.

Harris, Chapter 3

                I think the part is interesting on page 55 when Harris says that his professor asked him why he wrote is whole paper discussing the work of somebody be didn’t think was very bright. From this, I take it that it is better to not just argue for a whole paper, but try and take something out of what the person has written. A paper looks better if you can say that yes this point is right, but I disagree with this and this, and this is why. He says that he tries to set aside the temptation to argue. “Countering looks at other views and texts not as wrong but as partial—in the sense of being both interested and incomplete,” (Harris, 56). I like this part because he is saying that instead of proving the writer wrong, you should point out what they are missing.

Rewriting, Chapter 2

            I thought the analogy on page at the beginning on page 35 was interesting when he compared an academic writing paper to a person who shows up late in a conversation, voices their opinion, argues, listens, and then has to leave while the argument still goes on. When you are writing an academic paper based on an argument that is already present in the world, the argument still won’t be done. You must come up with a conclusion, but that is your own personal conclusion. You are voicing your opinion, but the argument will never be over. I liked this part, and it kind of shows that no matter what you can't win. You have to take facts that are written from books, or other sources, put them in your own words, and write about them. The argument never ends, but your paper does.

Rhetoric Analysis -- Understanding Comics

                I am doing my paper on chapter 9 of Understanding Comics.

                The chapter was written to show why you should try and understand comics, why we don’t, and how we can. He writes about the “wall of ignorance,” and how people are not trying to open their minds to comics and such, and how they can if they break the wall. He is a professional comic writer and doesn’t like that people these days view comics as something just for little kids. He thinks they are being underestimated and that they can tell a very good story using picture and word.

                Intended Audience: Anyone who wants to buy a book called Understanding Comics.

                What helps us understand the chapter: He was the most straightforward in this chapter, and it helped me to understand all of the other chapters we had read.

                Argument by author: He argues that people aren’t opening their minds to comics and because of that they get a bad reputation.

                Authors motivation: He is a professional comic writer, and he wants to stand up to other kinds of media (TV, movies, etc.) some day.

Thesis: Scott McCloud in chapter nine tries to help the reader better understand comics and how to break down the wall of ignorance that is keeping us from understanding comics and that they aren’t just for little kids.

Understanding Comics Chapter Nine

           I would have to say, this was my favorite chapter of all. It made me understand all the other chapters more, and what McCould meant by all of it. I liked all the illistrations he used to show how Comics are a medium. They involve word, and image, and still allow for space for the reader to put themselves in it. He says "Creator and reader are partners in the invisible creating something out of nothing, time and time again." By this I think he means that not all parts of a comic are laid out for you on the paper, you have to use your own imagination to help tell the story that the creator has already started. You create a story out of the invisible, and make it into something to tell. He also says that comics have harnessed the power of cartoons to command viewer involvement and identification. Using simple characters allows the person to put themselves in the story.
         I liked pretty much all of this chapter, and he made it easy to understand and summarized the whole book very well. He makes me understand comics ;)
        I think writers could use this to show that comics are a way for readers to insert themselves into the story. Also, that comics have come a long way. When images and letters seperated, comics were lost. Then, they made a comeback and we see them all the time now.
     

       Discussion Question: McCloud said that "all that's needed is the desire to be heard, the will to learn, and the ability to see." Is he implying that all human beings cannot do all of these? And, if we could, would we all enjoy comics more?