I think the term is grossly overused to refer to rhetorical techniques - but I don't hesitate at all to refer to those used in this unit as tools. I don't think this paper actually changed my writing style, but I certainly changed the things I look for when reading. I have become more aware of what people are trying to accomplish in their writing - which is an indispensable ability. When I returned from my mission and watched TV for the first time, I couldn't believe how manipulative it was - and I'm finding the same thing with a lot of writing. Concerning what I write, this unit has helped be more objective. Previously, I would've written entirely based on my impression of the article, which would have been awfully subjective. But now I look for specific 'tools' that help me make insightful criticism more confidently.
Does anyone else worry that learning techniques like this impedes true creativity, even if it enhances our skills in the short term? I mean, I look for certain things that helped me improve my paper, but will focusing on those things make it harder for me to notice new things?
2 comments:
It is great that this essay has been able to change how we read an article. I know that I examine with greater intensity the overall purpose for which the author is writing.
I thought the exact same thing when i first got home too. TV and movies were so loaded with social messages the producers wanted us to accept, it was intense to see how much stuff changed in two short years.
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