Letter to future APELC Student (TOW#29)

       As a newcomer to the APELC class, I was filled with doubts and questions. I was uncertain of my chances of success and plagued by horrible rumors from the mouth of many graduating APELC “veterans”. Whether or not you have the same mentality I do not know, but I know that you want success and happiness. Therefore, remember this one wisdom even if you will eventually forget all other aspects of this letter: work hard but work with purpose.

       In hindsight and to your relief, I realized that many of the terrible rumors about APELC are inherently not true. Yes, the class may be hard, challenging, and even annoying at times, but the class will never be impossible as long as you show your effort. The Plato readings and unit exams you will confront are going to challenge your analytical minds, but you will also find so satisfying sense of success once you began to understand the Plato readings and improve in your unit exams. The difficulty of the class will always be the same, but I am convinced that you will find the class increasingly easier as the year goes on. Trust in your instructors because they are skilled and are capable of stretching you to a new level of maturity and insight. The assignments may be few at times know that they serve a bigger purpose collectively, so always remember to put effort into whatever you do for this class.

       At the very beginning of class, Mr. Yost told us that “it’s just school”. The statement is not to degrade the importance of trying in school but to give us a bigger picture of our life. School is important, but your life and my life do not fetter themselves to our level of successes in school or in APELC. The value of our lives lies within us; I remember the first semester of APELC really gave me a tough time, especially on the unit exam, but all the stress I felt was but a insignificant point in my past now. All the worries I had about my grades were so trivial. The value of APELC is the knowledge it offers, and the grade, if you work, will follow.

Tow reflection (TOW #28)

       The TOW assignments throughout the school year have significantly bettered my writing in two areas: wording and description. As the TOWs progressed, I noticed the increasing refinement of vocabulary words in my writings. Introductory sentences such as “Both the newspaper’s influence and the cartoon’s simple manifestation helped readers to instantly grasp the core idea of uncertainty in an atomic age yet to come”(Tow8) became shorter and more succinct, gradually developing into “Published in 1944, the short story details the origin of insanity: the normal human tendency against overtly motley manifestations” (Tow16) and “The way to the Rainy Mountain is the way to the Native American culture, a culture recalled by the wistful description of Momaday, a culture that is struggling for survival”(Tow23). The use of more sophisticated words such as “motely” and the use of parallel structure to enhance description were rarely seen in the first few Tows of the year. I am excited to see my Tows develop into more descriptive and understandable writings as the year progresses.

       With numerous writing practice opportunities brought by Tows, not only did my writing itself improve but also my analytical insight. I began to comprehend more of the choices made by authors, such as the particular wording of their essays or a specific symbol in a political cartoon. I learned to incorporate the writer’s style in my analysis so that the readers can have a taste and did so with increasing mastery. However, a constant issue that comes along is trying to find a perfect balance between evidence and analysis. For analytical essays analysis is like the keystone of the pyramid; nevertheless, evidence is almost everything else. I still need to develop in my insight so that I can spot the balance point between evidence and analysis, a goal I will strive to accomplish in the next several years.

       Overall, I believe the Tow assignments truly expanded my knowledge and whetted my analytical mind. Though only one Tow is assigned each week, the search of different topics and styles of writings, ranging from the sentimental “The Way to Rainy Mountain” to the awing “The Life of a Cell,” has exposed me to a variety of different authors and thinking. In addition, the Tows allowed me to exercise the analytical tips given by my instructors, so in hindsight Tows really were helpful.

Exaggerated reality (Visual TOW#27)

       Every now and then a delicious, appetizing, and infatuating burger will appear on the TV screen between shows and whatever food the viewers had in mind immediately changes to a trip to McDonald. However, little did McDonald fans wonder the reality of McDonald burgers compared to those on advertisements. Exactly how much resemblance do the virtual and real burgers have? To answer the interesting, yet infrequently asked question, an organization called Web Odyssem compared real burgers from McDonald and those from advertisement, reaching the disappointing yet questionable conclusion that a hyper-hyperbole is used in advertisements.

       The primary strategy Web Odyssem used to convince the viewers of McDonald advertisements’ exaggerated reality is through juxtaposition of virtual and real burgers. The viewers, upon seeing the picture, are immediately attracted to the incongruity of a handsome looking burger on the left and a pale, even sickly, looking burger on the right. Upon closer inspection, the viewers then realize the caption “advertisement” on the left and “reality” on the right. The brilliant use of juxtaposition of two dramatically different images allows the viewers to imminently realize the drastic differences between real and virtual burgers and acts as a convincing evidence for the organization to assert the fraudulence of McDonald advertisements.

       Despite the great use of juxtaposition, Web Odyssem lacks one serious element to fully convince their viewers of McDonald’s use of hyper-hyperbole: the missing of ethos. Though the picture is impactful, there were no explanations on how the real burger is obtained. The words on top of the real burger, saying “most attractive angle” and “slightly fluffed up” may be effective to McDonald haters, but to an ambivalent person these negative assertions, without any kind of backing, seem to be going too far. Real McDonald burgers may not be pretty-looking, but certainly the best-looking real burger is not that ugly of a mess.

       See for yourself? Try a McBurger and find out

The Disposable Rocket by John Updike (Text TOW#26)

       A gifted and respected Harvard graduate, Updike is well-known for his amazing ability to write, to perceive, and to describe. In his short essay “The Disposable Rocket,” Updike focused his scrutiny upon the common association of males. Nature has given humanity two types of people: men and women. However, the perception of these two genders is given by human societies. John Updike trespassed the multiple culture barriers and dived straight to the essence of masculinity: its essence and purpose. Appealing to male readers worldwide, Updike asserts that masculinity is both rough and fragile, driven uncontrollably by the desire to proliferate.

       Using a personal diction, Updike welcomes his audience to put his insight into masculinity to the test of their personal experiences and asserts his credibility as a writer, building both intimacy and convincingness. As he discusses the sensations of inhabiting a male body, Updike deliberately chooses to include words such as “I” or “our”, saying “My impulse to hurl myself from high windows and the edges of cliffs belongs to my body, not my mind”, saying “ I used to jump and fall just for the joy of it”, saying ”Our essence seems to lie not in cells and muscles but in the traces our thoughts and actions inscribe in the air” (Oates 551). The repeated reference of words such as “I” and “our” connects the audience, whom are presumably male, to the examination of masculinity Updike brings to the table. The readers can reflect upon their boyhood, their dreams, and their actions. The readers can re-call their desire to compete and to fly and the inevitable disappointment of falling.

       Assisting the use of personal diction is Updike’s extensive use of descriptive and slightly humorous similes, keeping the readers both engaged and aware. As Updike began to touch upon the sensible subject of male sexuality, he purposefully compared the sex organ to a “little brother”, stating “it is like having a smaller brother toward whom you feel both fond and impatient; if he is you, it is you in curiously simplified and ignoble form” (Oates 551). The delicate touch of comparing sex drive to a desirous little brother brilliantly avoided any discomforts a direct confrontation might bring to the male reader. However, the comparison at the same time appealed Updike’s opinion of masculinity with great clarity.

       Off the Rocket goes

The Marginal World by Rachel Carson (Text Tow#25)

       An international famous biologist and conservationist, Rachel Carson is known for her writings on the beauty of life, especially those living in the deep and inscrutable ocean. The Marginal World is another one of Rachel Carson’s beautiful work, fully exploring the beauty of organism that survive between the line of land and sea, the beauty of the edge of the sea.

       First published in The New Yorker, the Marginal World is a universal and interesting read for American audiences. Every person has a place in their heart for the caring of nature and of the environment which they live in, and Carson masterfully explores this tender spot, appealing to the Americans, and gradually to the world, of the importance of conservation and the unsurpassable grace of life.

       Carson in her short essay primary relies upon ethereal imagery and a magical tone to convey to the audience of the remarkable nature seen through her eyes. In portraying the diversity and vitality of life on the seashore, Carson repeatedly uses anaphora, saying “life descends into fissures and crevices; life tunnels into solid rock and bores into peat and clay; life encrusts weeds and drifting spars; life exists minutely, as spheres of protozoa and small as pinpricks” (Oates 215). In reminiscence of her meeting with the star fish, Carson was very specific with her description, reflecting how “ a little star fish hung down by the merest thread; it reached down to touch its own reflection, so perfectly delineated” (Oates 216). The specific scenes of life majestically portrayed by Carson and her repeated emphasis upon “life” all gave her imageries an additional convincingness. The imageries Carson portrayed can give the readers nothing but awe toward nature.

       Alongside Carson’s exquisite imageries of nature was the almost magical tone she used for her description, adding to the wonderful scenery of life. Carson included herself in her portrayal of nature, describing one scene as “ I look for the most delicately beautiful o fall the shore’s inhabitants, flowers blooming on the threshold of the deeper sea” and another as : I was filled with awareness that although abandoned briefly by the sea, the area is always reclaimed by rising tide”(Oates 216). The first person narration and the ethereal surroundings of “blooming flowers and “rising tide” gave the description an extraordinary feel, as if Carson, with nature has trespassed the mundane, and stepped into a place with much more perfection.

       Nature is truly beautiful.

Unsubstantiated fear (Visual TOW #24)

       Ebola, with the virus’s deathly rampant throughout the world, is immediately associated with fear, death, and foreboding. Hysteria finds its ground, especially in nations which had seen but not felt the devastating impact of the horrendous virus, and United States of America is one of the platforms.

       Ever since the Ebola epidemic broke out in Africa, millions were put into misery. Witnessing the tragedy, many Americans’ sympathy was overcome by their trepidation, resulting in calls for a renewed isolationist policy. However, the fear is largely unsubstantiated, and many critics even find Americans’ sudden turn toward isolation extremely ironic, considering their long-tradition of intervention. One such critic group, the Sacramento Bee, ridicules American’s conservative and fear-oriented view through a sardonic political cartoon comparing Ebola to other leading-causes of death in America, pushing Americans to realize the inherent hypocrisy of their Ebola-hysteria.

       The two main strategies the cartoonist employed to deride the Ebola fear are imagery and statistics. The cartoon features America is a fat, bold man drinking alcohol, eating fast-food, and smoking cigar while crying in trepidation “Ebola!” The image itself immediately arouses a sense of hypocrisy in the American readers. A nation characterized and enveloped by so many unhealthy traits screams like a frightened children in front of an emergent disease. Though the disease is deadly, the other insidious trends consuming American lives are not much better. Americans can daily just look pass the fast-food, the cigar, and the alcohol, but when Ebola emerges, they seem to lose their wits altogether.

       Acting along the picture are the numbers that convince the American readers even more of the innate hypocrisy of their Ebola fear. The numbers read : “Obesity 300,000 a year, Tobacco 450,000 a year, Alcohol 88,000 a year.” These enormous numbers are the number of deaths each cause annually in US, validated by scientific research. Americans are dying by millions and they are worrying over a epidemic disease that had yet to take more than ten lives on their home soil. The paradox is clearly presented and the American readers can have little choice but to acknowledge the ridiculousness of their Ebola fear.

       Let’s face the fact.

The Way to Rainy Mountain by N. Momaday (TextTOW#23)

       The way to the Rainy Mountain is the way to the Native American culture, a culture recalled by the wistful description of Momaday, a culture that is struggling for survival.

       Receiving a PhD from Stanford in both English literature and Native-American culture history, Momaday, a descendent of the Kiowas tribe, is extremely active in preserving and romanticizing the Native-American past. “The Way to Rainy Mountain”, one of his characteristic text, illustrates his nostalgic reflections of the associations between his grandmother and his tribe’s culture after his grandmother’s death. As he walks up the sacred Rainy Mountain, where his grandmother and ancestors is buried, his mind travels through centuries.

       Aimed primarily toward an understanding but non-Native American audience, Momaday wants his readers to comprehend the richness of Native-American culture and the sadness of his people’s exile, especially through the use of imagery and a nostalgic tone.

       With a detailed description of the Kiowas people and its culture, Momaday not only shows the uniqueness of one tribe’s culture, but all cultures of his people. When describing the Kiowas as extremely summer-loving people, he recalled how some elders “rubbed fat upon their hair and wound their braids…talked loud and elaborate full of jest and gesture”(Oates 317). When he detailed the sacred Sun Dance and lamented the white’s hostility, Momaday described specific scenes of  “The Natives can find no buffalo so they had to hang an old hide from the sacred tree”, of “slaughtered herds of buffalo left to rot upon the great Plain” (Oates 316). The imageries Momaday afforded are mixed. Some are beautiful; some are abhorrent. Nevertheless, the richness and decline of the Native cultures are presented explicitly.

       Assisting the vivid imageries is the nostalgic tone Momaday used throughout. Momaday is wistful about the memories of his grandmother, reflecting how “her long black hair lay upon her shoulders and something inherently sad is present in the hesitation of syllables”(Oates 317). As he stepped up the Rainy Mountain, seeing his ancestors, he “looked back once and came away” (Oates 318). The wistful longing is reflected through him recalling the sadness of his grandmother, through his inability to look back another time. Momaday is telling his readers of his sentiments not only over his grandmother’s death, but also over the fading beauty of Native culture.

       May the names on the Rainy Mountain rest in peace.

The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas (Text TOW #22)

A famous researcher, writer, and medical professor from Princeton and Harvard University, Lewis Thomas coalesced his knowledge and experience about humanity and the environment into one short essay, “The Lives of a Cell”. Exploring the connection between organisms and Earth, Thomas concludes that the relationship between mother nature and its offspring is mutually beneficial, that Earth is like a singe cell.

Despite his eloquence of beauty between nature and man, Thomas, at the time he wrote the essay, only desired to talk to the intellectuals in the society. Written in 1971 and published in The New England Journal of Medicine, “The Lives of a Cell” is for those who at least received a decent medical education and were interested in the field of biology. The biological jargon such as “mitochondria” and “plasmids” are not for average readers.

Though the audience is limited, the essay is not. Using a wide range of examples, Thomas subtly compares planet Earth with the compositions of a single biological cell and describes the mutual dependencies of the two. Starting off with a components of cells, Thomas wrote “organelles as Mitochondria turned out to be little separate creatures….with their own DNA and RNA quite different from ours”(Oates 339). As he transitioned to the structure of cells, Thomas said “My centrioles, basal bodies, each with its own special genome, are as foreign, and as essential, as aphids in anthills”, concluding with the summary that ecosystem of cells are complex and interlocking with each other

From there, Thomas began to include the elements of Earth, making convincing comparisons between the cell and the planet. He described the uniformity of earth’s life, and remarked how “the enzymes of grass are like those of whales, just as how most organelles of a cell are linked together” (Oates 359). He commented about virus and the mutual dependability of all elements with the single cell structure, saying its astonishing ability to “pass around heredity as though at a great party and a medium for change and mutation”, just as how a cell has little RNA and enzyme molecules to proliferate genetic materials, just as how changes and mutations occur in a cell’s genetic code(Oates 360). The comparison between Earth and the cell is striking, and the elements under the two’s membranes could only thrive through a harmony with the whole.

Earth is like a single cell.

Confession of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins (IRB TOW#21)

If the first half of the book can be described as to raise awareness, then the second half is definitely a call to action. Written only a decade ago, “Confession of an Economic Hit Man” is a telling tale and autobiography of John Perkins, an ex-schemer for the United States to raise the nation’s economic capital. The world Perkin experienced was bitter and cruel, filled with plots, deceptions, and calculations of self-interest. The symbol of liberty, the democratic nation of America, is not what Perkin sees. Perkins already made his readers aware of the Darwinian principle governing modern day society, and now he wants a change.

Perkins revelations appeal to readers worldwide. However, his call to action most directly put the responsibility on the citizens of America, as people of one of the leading nations in the present world.

Throughout the latter half of his book, Perkins gradually shifted the focus from his worldwide negotiations and experiences to the malevolent role United States as a whole plays in a macroscopic view, urging American citizens to take actions. He reflected on Middle Eastern affairs, saying “ a puppet administration is favorable to the United States who was to frighten countries like Iraq into submission”(Perkins 207). When he specifically tackled the event of Panama invasion, he revealed the shocking truth of how “the Bush administration and US army prohibited the Red Cross and outside observers from entering the heavily bombed area for three days” (Perkins 208). The United States, shown by Perkins, is far from the representation of liberty many Americans imagined. The world need Americans to change their nation.

Along with his emphasis on US actions in the macroscopic picture, Perkin also used intimate diction to connect to the readers. The use of the word “I” was slowly but fully being replaced by words such as “you” and “we”. In his conclusion, Perkins accentuated that “one thing we each can-and must- do is to educate ourselves.” (Perkins 276). When he is discussing the motivation for making changes, Perkins again phrased it as “the coincidences of your life, and the choices you have made have brought you to this point” (Perkins 265). Perkins shows his readers all have a responsibility to make a change, and a necessity to do so.

May the world be a better place.

Friendly almighty (Visual TOW#20)

       Who doesn’t know the big brand name of Coco Cola? The dark liquid, red bottle, and double C signature seems to be alongside people’s growth from the origin of time. Coca Cola Company knows the high popularity it holds, and attempts to extends that popularity to the very limit with another advertisement, proclaiming Coca Cola is the “friendliest drink on Earth”.

       Already prevalent on the internet, the “friendly” Cola advertisement is making an impact toward audience worldwide, especially those of relatively wealthier nations. The appeal is simple but direct: encouraging consumers to buy more of Coca Cola commodities. However, the method used is well calculated and brilliant, a well-done example of deductive reasoning, using the universal human assumption and connotation of the word “friend.”

       The advertisement’s head line reads “friendliest drink on Earth”, with a portrayal of planet Earth behind the bottle of Coco Cola. The audience’s immediate reaction to the advertisement will naturally be the connotation of the word “friend”- a positive word with associations such as good, loyal, and beneficial. At the same time, the picture depicted in the advertisement also adds weight to the claim of “friendliest drink on Earth” with the deliberate positioning of Cola bottles before the Earth itself, suggesting the importance of Coco Cola. Even without the picture to back up the minor premise, the universal and astonishing popularity of Coco Cola will naturally appeal to many world-wide audience of the weight associated with the Coco Cola brand name. The conclusion, by deduction, then is clear to the audience through syllogism: if Coco Cola is the “friendliest drink on Earth”, and friendly is good, then Coco Cola drinks must be good and beneficial.

       Nevertheless, the fact still hold true that minor premise of the deductive argument is severely exaggerated, as friendliest itself is a hard term to define. The advertisement will not necessarily elevate Coco Cola to an unprecedented peak, but it will bring them additional wealth, as the advertisement itself, with the symbol of Coco Cola, is enough for appeals.

       So drink up.

The figure a poem makes by Robert Frost (Text TOW#19)

       A famous and renowned American poet of the 20^th century, Robert Frost offers his own perspective of the nature of poems and their making in “the figure a poem makes”. As a preface to “Collected Poems” published in 1939, the essay explores the impact of poems to both the poet and the readers in wisdom and knowledge, in addition to the nature of the poem in sound and pleasure. The message is universal, and therefore Frost’s insight falls not only upon those fervent poem-lovers, or even the Literary Americans in general, but literary people around the world.

       In describing the essence, definition, and impacts of poems, Frost especially relied on personal experiences and didactic teachings. When he discussed the beauty and knowledge a poem brings, he purposefully repeated the word “I”, saying “for me the initial delight is in the surprise of remembering something I didn’t know I knew. I am in a place, in a situation, as if I had materialized from cloud or risen out of the ground”(Oates 177). When explaining the nature of a poem’s construction, Frost again emphasized upon himself, reflecting that “more than once I should have lost my soul to radicalism if it had been the originality it was mistaken for by its young converts… the originality of a poem run in the way I have: from delight to wisdom”(Oates 178). The drawing of personal experiences, combined with Frost’s already established ethos, give his essay both validity and authority.

       With his personal experiences comes alongside didactic teachings. Frost articulates clearly what he thinks a good poem should be composed of. In discussing the construction of poems, he especially focused on variety, informing the readers that “the resources for that of vowels, consants…is not enough; we need the help of context-meaning-subject-matter”(Oates 176). Later when he describes the wisdom of poetry, a similar didactic fashion is used, “The artist must value himself as he snatches a thing a thing from some previous order in time and space into a new order…”(Oates 178). What originates from the didactic teachings of Frost is explicit criteria of the figures of good poetries; the wisdom and beauty they bring.

       Unlike childhood, Poetry will always stay.

Confession of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins (IRB Tow#18)

       The book is a confession, and it is a unique one. John Perkins, the confessor, has worked as an economic Hit Man for US for more than a decade. His job is simple: to further the cause of economic imperialism on behalf of his country, or basically, to convince developing nations into unfair deals.

       Published in 2004, just a few years ago, “Confession of an Economic Hit Man” details the behind-the-scenes deals US government had made with numerous developing nations, such as Saudi Arabia, Panama, and Ecuador. As the government’s chief negotiator, John Perkins held nothing back to his worldwide, but especially American, audience. He wrote down his memories, from the prostitutes of Panama to the palace of Saudi Arabia, from poverty and desperation to luxury and corruption. Perkins wants people to no longer be ignorant.

       Before he can change people’s perception, Perkins first needs to present himself as a trustworthy source, and he accomplished the task with flying colors through the usage of specific description and fact referencing. When Perkins describes the image of General Omar Torrijos, a forward-looking leader of Panama, he was extremely detailed, reflecting how the general “was dressed casually, in typical Panamanian style: khaki slacks and a short-sleeved shirt buttoned down the front, light blue with delicate green pattern” (Perkins 81). Even when mentioning the women he used to accomplish his deal with a prince of Saudi Arabia, Perkins still put many details in his portrayal: “ ‘Sally’ was a beautiful blonde women who lived in the Boston area; she had a cavalier attitude about her husband’s activities, and she was a hippie who had become accustomed to promiscuous sex”(Perkins 107). The emphasis on specificity in Perkins description is a testimonial to his memory and credibility. It is Perkin’s way of saying he was there.

       Adding on to the specificity in Perkin’s description, the numerous reference to facts also made his believable. The discussion about “JECOR embodied an innovate concept for foreign aid”, the mentioning of how “United Fruits was one of the largest landowners in Guatemala,” and how “OPEC is established to preserve the powers of Middle East” (Perkins 93) all attests to Perkin’s expertise on current economic and world affairs. These facts are declarations to his audience of the book’s veracity.

 

       May we open our eyes.

IRB introduction- Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

Written as a confession for a man's past sin, "Confession of an Economic Hit Man" details the behind-the-scenes deals and extortions the "democratic United States of America" had made with numerous developing countries. The non-fiction centers around the struggle of the author, John Perkins. It examines his struggle with his conscience, deciding wheather his own welfare is worth the sacrifice of numerous others living in impoverished and devloping regions; it examines the ethicity of United States and all other developed countries in extension, questioning wheather social darwinism is justifed, and it examines a century old profession called "economic Hit man", a small army of man and women used by developed nations to convince developing nations to accept unfair deals and futher the cause of imperialsim. Perkins wants the world to see reality without decorations, without illusions. When I saw the summary of the book, and when I saw the words "the little-kown government and corporate activites America has been involved in since WWII, and which have dire consequences for the future," I decided to pick it up.

Once more to the Lake by E.B. White (text Tow #17)

       A prominent writer of the famous New York Times, E.B. White produced many masterpieces under his pen, especially the renowned children’s book Charlotte’s Web. However, contrary to his amazing talents, E.B White himself is a very reclusive man, and Once more to the Lake characterizes his insular tendencies with brilliant narration.

       First published in 1941, Once more to the Lake is a peaceful description of a man’s nostalgia to a shimmering lake he visited often during his childhood. The essay emphasizes upon calmness, peacefulness, and memory unlike any other. There is no dramatic plot for action-seekers or thriller-finders. The essay is centered upon nature and men, and is a way for White to communicate to those who are mature enough to understand nature, men, and memories.

       White primarily relies on rich imageries and a nostalgic tone to connect nature, humanity, and memories into a beautiful picture. In describing the scenery of the lake, White was precise and awed, saying “In the shallows, the dark, water-soaked sticks and twigs, smooth and old, were undulating in clusters on the bottom against the clean ribbed sand… and the water felt thin and clear and unsubstantial”(Oates 181). In portraying his nostalgia of the lake, White used the same imaginable style, saying “I looked at the boy, who was silently watching his fly, and it was my hands that held his rod, my eyes watching” (Oates 181). With pictures that readers can form in their mind, White made his trip to the lake much more realistic and connectable. Surely, every reader has a “lake” he wants to go back to.

       Adding to the rich imageries, the incessant nostalgia White portrays through his diction also calls upon the readers’ cherished past memories through nature. In reflection, White gasped, “the small waves were the same, chucking the boat under the chin, and the boat was the same boat, the same color green…” (Oates 181). All had not changed. The memories that filled White with joy, the nature of his childhood, and the nostalgia of his past were all traced back to the origin, the lake. White, through expressing a longing for the past, through the emphasis of “same”, also bestowed his readers a sense of nostalgia to both their childhood and nature.

       The years were a mirage and that there had been no years.

Insert Flap “A” and Throw Away by S.J. Perelman (Text Tow #16)

       A well-known humorist and a top writer for the prestigious New Yorkers, S.J. Perelman once again demonstrated his exceptional ability of sarcasm in his exceptionally sarcastic short story “Insert Flap ‘A’ and Throw Away”. Published in 1944, the short story details the origin of insanity: the normal human tendency against overtly motley manifestations, especially, in Perelman’s case, the flagrant directions of making a Self-running 10-Inch Scale-Model Delivery Truck.

       The audience of the short story varies from time to time; yet, the distinction only lies in education. Humorous short pieces are for those who understand and those who can see through the humor for the deeper meaning of the author. For those who did, Perelman’s purpose is clear: to ridicule the unnecessary complexity of the human world. The method is also clear: through irony and imagery.

       The irony of the whole process of making the “Self-running 10-Inch Scale-Model Delivery Truck” is laid out overtly from the beginning. An obvious comparison between the “shortest, cheapest method of inducing a nervous breakdown ever perfected” and Self-running 10-Inch Scale-Model Delivery Truck- method instantly displays the un-needed complications society tend to have (Oates 186). Jiffy-Cloz, the infamous nervous-breakdown method, contains “dozen of gigantic sheets of red card board, a packet of stables, and a set of abstruse directions designed to give the builders a vivid sense of frustration, anger, and helplessness” (Oates 187). On the other hand, the Model delivery truck, bought from an ordinary toy store, likewise consists of “ninety-eight segments, two lambkins, and a set of confounding directions”(Oates 187). The result, as Perelman portrayed, is him “bunting the infernal thing along with my nose and whinnying, gouging them with his nail and forcing them together” (Oates189). The complications of the Self-running 10-Inch Scale-Model Delivery Truck and the numerous other unnecessary complexities the Model represented is as Perelman illustrated, only useful for driving this society to the brink. People have no need of making things complicated, so, as Perelman urged, they should not.

       Or else, everyone will be having a “long and expansive recovery” (Oates 189).

“Disgusting…” (Visual TOW#15)

       What’s the difference between the popular Coke and the almost just as renowned Pepsi? The answer, officially, is there are no differences. Coke and Pepsi are two products derived from the same method. Ironically, the two brands belong to two different companies, which results in an intense advertisement competition of the same product to see who can gain more popularity globally.

       With vigor, determination, and a tint of condemnation, Pepsi Company presented yet another advertisement belittling his arch-enemy Coke and praising itself. The aim is simple: to gain credence and favor from the general public, and so is the presentation. Using humorous personification and simple juxtaposition, Pepsi Company strikes again at the “Cokes”, and though little depth is in the message, the straightforward and memorable picture will surely stay in the minds of all who saw the advertisement.

       In the advertisement, the straw for the Coke acts vividly as a human, and the humorous connotation of its action adds another reason for the audience to remember the message. Stretching out his “hand” and clinging tightly to the edges of the Coke opening, the straw is clearly very resentful of even touching the Coke liquid, as if infinite doom is waiting inside. The funny reaction of the straw, its deep and seemingly fanatic determination not to touch the Coke liquid, instantly deepens the audience’s negative impression on Coke. Surely no one will want to drink a liquid so terrifying that even a straw is disgusted and afraid to touch.

       Adding on to the negative impressions of Coke, Pepsi Company turned around and showed the beauty of their own product through another straw, creating a clear juxtaposition of quality for the audience to remember. While the straw of the Coke is trying with all his might not to be touched by the Coke liquid, the straw of the Pepsi is comfortably enjoying the drink and relaxing. The quality difference is imminently made obvious, and Pepsi, which straws like, will probably have an advantage over Coke, which straws despise, next time the audiences go out for shopping.

       Choose Pepsi next time.