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Visual Argument

Persuasive Letter

Rhetorical Analysis

Sony Corporation’s ad, “Listen to your head,” first appeared in 1993. In this illustration, Sony takes a well know landscape, The Easter Islands, puts a creative twist to it, and throws in a catchy slogan to attract its consumers. Sony aims to convince its audience that through a somewhat realistic image, that these headphones can perk up even the most stoned-faced individual. This image will be analyzed using logos, pathos and ethos.

Logos

The reader is drawn into the illustration due to the vibrant colors. The placement of the Sony logo is very clever. It is placed at the upper-right hand corner in bold, white lettering which intentionally contrasts from the rest of the image to make it stand out. Immediately after the viewer has examined the illustration, their attention is drawn to the logo and then to the message below. The message below mimics the color and lettering used on the Sony logo but in a less obvious way. The headphones are up close and highly visible. The use of big, vibrant images and small less visible lettering is more effective at attracting the consumer market than the message. It is colorful, creative and persuasive.

The image is carefully organized and constructed. The creators of this image use scale to emphasize the headphones over the entire composition. The product, the Sony headphones, is upfront where it is easily viewable and the statue wearing the headphones is significantly larger and more noticeable than the other statues.

Pathos

Out of the four statues in this image, only one is wearing headphones and only that particular statue wears a smile. This is an example of pathos because it creates an emotional appeal to the viewer. The image and the message produce a sense of humor and personality through the statues delightful facial expression. The title of the image “Listen to your head” is a playful choice of words, as it refers to the statue heads and also implying to listen to your “headphones.”  The entire message, “Listen to your head. The new Sony Studio Monitor Series headphones. Experience the amazing quality of studio sound. Your head will thank you for it.” strategically supports the advertised product in hopes of subtly influencing the consumer. Additionally, the night-time scene produces a tranquil environment that is more pleasing to the eye. The night reflects a more calming, quiet and joyful environment, whereas, a day scene can reflect a more loud and active environment.  The color palette is kept simple using earthy tones, green grass and a warm-brown for the statues.

The text is contrasted like the logo to also bring attention to it. The image appears to be an ad that can be seen in magazines and on billboards, making it more versatile.

Ethos

Sony is one of the most popular and globally known brands in electronics. Sony has been around for over sixty years and is among the top ranked in customer satisfaction. Whether it is the new HDTV, or HD camcorder, or the Playstation 3, Sony’s products are always the “cutting-edge” technology.

This image portrays a well-known landscape, the Easter Islands. All the statues except for one have neutral expressions. The one without the neutral expression is smiling and is wearing headphones. The viewer assumes that he is smiling because of the “quality” sound of the headphones. However, the image does not provide specifics or details or any type of comparison to other headphones on the market.

Audience

            The target audiences are people whose interests include watching movies, listening to music, watching computer presentations, playing video games, and learning through digital educational programs, like online language learning software’s. Thus, the target audience is of all ages, ethnicities and sex. This is known because Sony is in the business of selling electronics for all age groups.

This Sony advertisement is an effective example of ethos, pathos and logos, primarily through the image versus the message. It attempts to lure in its consumer market through hard-to-resist advertising. Although this is a very attractive image, the audience cannot obtain any product specifics to make an informed decision on whether or not to buy this product. Overall, the image is presented in a very attention-grabbing format.

Community Problem Report

Annotated Bibliography

Agency Discourse Observation Memo

Agency Discourse Observation Memo

To: English 1311 students

From: Monica Marin

Re: The Computer Information System of the El Paso Public Library

Date: March 17, 2011

Technology is amazing. It is constantly growing, changing, and improving. It exists in all aspects of society and in almost all professions including healthcare, aviation, government and education. It is of extreme importance for everyone to have access to computers and the internet. Therefore, as El Pasoans have increased their use of the internet the El Paso Public libraries have increased the number of computers available to the public that provide access to the internet, its  resources and its services.

The El Paso public libraries serve as technology hubs that are available to the entire community at no charge. There are currently thirteen branches in El Paso, including a branch located inside the El Paso Community College Northwest campus. The website, elpasotexas.gov/library provides access to eight online collections which consist of downloadable eBooks, archives of the El Paso Times newspaper, career guidance and planning tools, and tutorials and practice tests for the ASVAB, GED and US citizenship. Five libraries have free wireless internet access (WI-FI). Most libraries have a computer lab with at least 14 computers that can be used by the public. Also, basic computer courses are offered at 12 of the libraries. The Inter-Library Loan (ILL) program allows any El Paso Public library card holder to request items that are not readily available in the El Paso branches from other locations.

Although the internet has become an everyday commodity, not everyone has the advantage of internet access. It is the libraries mission to bridge the gap and help the disadvantaged groups (with regards to race, income, geography and education). For that reason, the El Paso public library wants its services to be well known and widely available to the public. The website is the most valuable and easily accessible. It contains general library information that includes events, new services being offered, individual account access, and information pertaining to a particular branch. Each branch publishes monthly newsletters regarding hours of operation, classes offered, upcoming events and children programs like story time. Posters and flyers are used to announce special events like concerts and exhibits. Many El Paso residents do not speak English fluently, so a few branches offer Literacy programs for all ages that provide ESL, GED, computer literacy, and citizenship assistance.

The El Paso public library reaches out to the community in several ways. Its website and branches provide heads of information for everyone including infants, toddlers, teenagers, mature adults and senior citizens. The website includes links to computer classes, enhancements to buildings and computer centers, upcoming events sponsored by the library like the Kids Palooza, among additional links. Its design is structured like a tri-sectional newsletter providing easy access to common links. It includes links to their Twitter, Facebook and blogs at several branch locations. Finally, the bookmobile is a fully equipped library on wheels that has many stops throughout El Paso for those that cannot make it to the library. It provides full access to the internet and offers storytelling and other services.

Discourse Community Map & Response

It is the nature of human beings to “belong”; whether it’s at home with family or at school with their peers. Everyone has at least one discourse community that they belong to. Discourse communities are groups of people that share a same interest and/or idea. I belong to four main discourse communities that include voters, Customer Service Representatives, college students and mothers. In the following paragraphs I will describe the goals, genres, and specialized vocabulary of each community.

The first discourse community that I will be describing is the voter community. This community impacts, El Pasoans, Texans, Citizens, non-citizens, voters and non-voters. As a voter, my goal and duty is to be well informed about issues that directly and indirectly affect the El Paso and surrounding communities, to educate on the importance of voting, and to assist in the ballot process. The whole process has set regulations to prevent deception and dishonesty by candidates and their parties to keep voting voluntarily and discourage any bribery. To vote, you must be a registered voter in the El Paso County.  The genres used in the voting community are flyers, websites, newspapers, television, radio, and campaigning. These genres are used to inform the public about the candidates running for office, the causes supported by each party, and the advantages and disadvantages of local issues. Commonly used terms are incumbent, polling place, gubernatorial.

                Working at a call center allows me the opportunity to belong in the Customer Service Representative (CSR) community. This community includes AT&T wireless customers and AT&T employees. To be hired, several entry tests must be passed including a drug test, audio-data-entry test, and a typing test. The responsibilities of a CSR include processing payments for the customer, reviewing and explaining their monthly invoice and assisting the customer place equipment orders and upgrades. Each of the transactions mentioned above, have certain expectations that need to be provided to the customer. For example, a five dollar processing fee is applied to all payments placed over the phone; the invoice reflects one month of advanced billing for service; and all equipment orders and upgrades come with a 24 month commitment. AT&T is constantly changing and employees need to stay up-to-date with pricing, products, outages, and the competition like Verizon and T-Mobile. CSR’s utilize an intranet website, training guides and forums to stay informed. Customers can utilize the AT&T website that provides pricing on all rate plans and features, device manuals and tutorials for all wireless devices. It promotes all of its products and services via internet, television and radio, thus alerting a global market of consumers. Common terms used in this field are AUX, AutoIn, and Phoenix (all pertaining to the call center environment).

                The college student community involves interaction with instructors, other students and even our parents, since for most of us they pay for our tuition, essentially. As a UTEP student, my goals are to prepare for a career that will pay more, and to hone the knowledge and skills that I will need in life. To enroll at UTEP, I had to take an Accuplacer Test to ensure that I was ready for college level courses. Depending on the score from these tests, remedial courses might be needed. Also a University class is required. There is a wide array of topics in this community, ranging from the use of technology, analysis of specific art period to the study of the atmosphere. Fortunately, students have access to various genres to stay abreast. These genres include textbooks, professors and study groups. To enhance the learning experience of all students, there are certain conventions that all students must abide to which include: respect the opinion of others, do not plagiarize, and do not use offensive language. At UTEP, the student jargon includes blackboard, tailgate party, syllabus, and ZTA.

                The final discourse community is the most challenging but also the most rewarding, the motherhood community. This community consists of children, spouses, relatives, parents, and parenting experts. Those who are members of this community are individuals who have provided support in raising my children and experts in child care, like pediatricians and dentists. Raising children is not an easy task and fortunately there are many genres to provide guidance. These genres include parenting classes, self-help guides, and parenting magazines. The topics discussed in this community are endless, including but not limited to medical conditions, development stages, and activities that help sharpen the child’s motor skills. The saying “It takes a village to raise a child” is absolutely truth. Although, I might not agree with all the advice given by other community members, I must respect their opinions, customs and traditions and when possible, I consult a professional first. Specialized language used in this community include SBS (shaken baby syndrome), episiotomy and term baby, among others.

                In order to feel that we “belong” we must be able to relate to others and this is exactly the meaning of a discourse community. There’s at least one a similarity among the members of a discourse community. Every discourse community, although similar in nature, will vary greatly due to its members and its environment. For example, although the language at work and school must be kept professional, terms will differ. Therefore, individuals will need to adapt to the situations of the various communities.