Actrivity 20
Composing a Rhetorical Précis for Lorde Compose a rhetorical précis that analyzes the content, purpose, and rhetorical strategies of Lorde’s speech by following the 4-sentence pattern below: Sentence 1: The name of the author, the genre, and title of the work, and the publication date in parentheses; a rhetorically accurate verb; and a clause containing the major assertion or thesis statement in the work.
Vershawn Ashanti Young's autobiographical "Prelude: The Barbershop" (2007), describes his discomfort with his inability to fit into not only the neighborhood barbershop, but also into his professional work world.
Sentence 2: An explanation of how the author develops and supports the thesis, usually in chronological order.
Young describes how he was not accepted into his "hood" and at the sametime, he did not belong into his "white" professional world.
Sentence 3: A statement of the author’s apparent purpose, followed by an “in order to” phrase.
In order to point out his premise that he truly did not belong in either world.
Sentence 4: A description of the intended audience, the relationship the author establishes with the audience, or both.
The reader learns to identify with his discomfort and being out of place.
Vershawn Ashanti Young's autobiographical "Prelude: The Barbershop" (2007), describes his discomfort with his inability to fit into not only the neighborhood barbershop, but also into his professional work world. Young describes how he was not accepted into his "hood" and at the sametime, he did not belong into his "white" professional world. In order to point out his premise that he truly did not belong in either world.The reader learns to identify with his discomfort and being out of place.
Activity 17
Descriptive Outline of Lorde Speech
Activity 15
Creating a Conversation Among Authors
choose 2.
Activity 13
Vershawn Ashanti Young
prelude introduction
vicarious experienced through another person
demeanor manner, conduct
ambivalence conflict or uncertainty
cachet status
innuendo implication
patronize be condescending
anomaly irregularity
Audre Lorde
elucidate explain
omission leave out, exclude
censure criticism
mortality humanity
tyranny oppression
scrutinize examine carefully
pertinence relevance
Activity 12
Deborah Tannen and David Brooks both write about how others
interpret and respond to individual people’s behavior. Did one article
change your thinking about how people respond to each other’s
behavior more than the other? If so, why?
Questions about Logic (Logos)
1. What is Tannen claiming, specifically about male and female
behavior?
2. What is Brooks arguing? Is his argument limited to boys?
3. What evidence does Tannen offer to support her claims?
4. At what point does Brooks begin using evidence? How does he
use that evidence?
5. How relevant and valid do you think the evidence is for both
authors? How sound is the reasoning?
6. What function does the Hal story serve in Brooks’s argument?
7. What counterarguments has each author addressed?
8. Why does Tannen focus her discussion on women?
9. Why does Brooks focus his discussion on boys?
10. How have each author’s ideas developed over the course of the
text?
Questions about the Writer (Ethos)
11. What can you infer about Tannen from her article?
12. Why does she refer both to her own research and the research of
other authors?
13. What can you infer about Brooks from his article?
14. Why does he use a character from Shakespeare to make his point?
15. Based on what you read in her chapter, does Tannen have the
appropriate background to speak with authority on this subject?
16. Based on what you read in his article, does Brooks have
the appropriate background to speak with authority about
educational policy?
17. What does each author do to appear knowledgeable?
18. Based on the biographies you read at the beginning of this
module, does each author have appropriate background to write
with authority about these issues?
19. What does Tannen’s style and language tell the reader about her?
20. What does Brooks’s style and language tell the reader about him?
21. Do the authors seem trustworthy? Why or why not?
22. Do the authors seem deceptive? Why or why not?
23. Do the authors appear to be treating the issue seriously? Does
Brooks or Tannen seem to be more serious?
Questions about Emotions (Pathos)
24. Does one of the two pieces affect you emotionally more than the
other? Which one? Which parts of the piece affect you? In what
ways?
25. Do you think Tannen is trying to manipulate the readers’
emotions? In what ways? At what points?
26. Do you think Brooks is trying to manipulate the readers’
emotions? In what ways? At what points?
27. Do your emotions conflict with your logical interpretation of the
arguments?
28. How does Brooks use humor or irony? How does that affect your
acceptance of his ideas?
29. Does Tannen use humor or irony? How does that affect your
acceptance of her ideas?
Grammar 3 & 4
Grammar 3
Identifying Adjective Clauses
This activity is based on David Brooks, “Honor Code.”
Underline the adjective clauses in the following paragraphs and
circle the noun that the adjective clause modifies (in other words, the
noun that the relative pronoun refers to).
Some of the decline in male performance, which has happened
over the last few decades, may be genetic. The information age
rewards people who mature early, who are verbally and socially
sophisticated, who can control their impulses. Girls may, on average,
do better at these things. But the big story here is cultural and moral.
Schools have to engage people as they are. That requires leaders
who insist on more cultural diversity in school. That requires
teachers who celebrate cooperation, but other teachers who
celebrate competition; not just teachers who honor environmental
virtues, but teachers who honor military virtues; not just curriculums
that teach how to share, but curriculums that teach how to win and
how to lose; not just programs that work like friendship circles,
but programs that work like boot camp. The basic problem is that
schools that praise diversity have become culturally homogenous.
Activity 4
Combining Sentences Using Adjective Clauses
This activity is based on Deborah Tannen, “His Politeness is Her
Powerlessness.”
Combine each set of sentences below into single sentence using
adjective clauses. Notice that the meaning and emphasis can change
depending which sentence you use as the main clause and which
you use as adjective clause.
1. Women tend to communicate indirectly.
Men prefer to communicate directly.
Women and men are judged differently.
Women, who tend to communicate indirectly, are judged
differently than men, who prefer to communicate directly.
2. This tendency of women to speak indirectly makes mischief.
The mischief can cause women to be viewed as powerless.
3. A psychologist was quoted in a newspaper article.
A psychologist called a woman’s style of speaking “covert.”
This suggests that he thinks women are sneaky and
underhanded.
4. Women prefer not to make outright demands.
Women have lower status than men in our society.
5. Indirection does not necessarily reflect powerlessness.
Indirection can be the prerogative of those in power.
6. Japanese culture has developed indirectness to a fine art.
Japanese culture operates on elaborate systems of indirectness
7. Harumi Befu explains that an invitation to lunch requires a
delicate exchange of indirectness in Japan.
An invitation to lunch would be simple in America.
8. Far more cultures in the world value indirection rather than
directness.
Directness is a priority in modern Western societies.