Chapter 2 Reflection

Chapter 2 discusses Pathos in relation to visual arguments. Pathos deals with emotion and reaction that a person feels when being influenced by an image or topic. Often times, it can spark thought and have a greater impact on the person viewing it, rather than just hearing about something and having it go in one ear and out the other. Images tend to stick in our minds much longer than words. Companies use pathos in order to manipulate how we are feeling in relation to their advertisement or campaign, which is highly successful and why pathos is still used frequently. On the other hand, Chapter 2 discusses how pathos can be used in the wrong way. An advertiser must be careful when using pathos because it could turn people away from what they are trying to get across, simply because it makes the viewer uncomfortable. For example, the picture above is disturbing. Some viewers could see this and immediately want to turn in the other direction or flip the page, where others are drawn to it because it is so scandalous. Nonetheless, pathos is used in order to shock us.

Personally, I like the above photograph. The advertiser isn't trying to sugarcoat anything that has to do with bullying. It is true that kids have committed suicide because of fellow children's ridicule. They are trying to get people to realize how serious bullying is and that something needs to be done to change it.

I am a strong supporter of pathos because I'm a visual learner. I learn buy watching and seeing things because they stick in my mind. Chapter 2 teaches us that pathos is important and strong in order to make a good argument.

Chapter 14 Reflection

Visual arguments are everywhere we turn; but this is not new to our world. Visual arguments date as far back as the cavemen times when they painted on cave walls. The Romans and the Egyptians sculpted the rulers and the pharaohs to show a sign of authority to their people. The colors, depth and objects in a visual argument are all created to catch and appeal to our eyes in one way or another. They are created to provoke thought, ask questions and bring about emotions. For example, after 9/11 occurred, a stamp was published with the famous photo of the firefighters raising the flag in the rubble to raise money in support of the cleanup. A similar tactic was used during Iwo Jima, and the stamp also depicted soldiers raising the American flag during battle. The stamp created during Iwo Jima was one of the most profitable stamps in our history. Therefore, the same tactic was used in order to get the same response. It was so successful because it surfaced a lot of emotion people were feeling when all of that was going on. This same thing happened when Hurricane Katrina occurred, when photographs were sent to the public, people were more likely to donate money to the cause because they saw a photograph of real people or the devastation, rather than just hearing someone talk about it. Personally, I like the visual arguments that do not include many words, but instead have a symbolic photo to get the point across.  I believe it is more powerful and makes a person think deeply about what the argument is trying to say. I also think that an actual photograph rather than a drawing is more powerful because it is real rather than created or designed by someone. With a photograph you can better relate to it because you know that person or animal actually exists rather than an idea in someone's head. Visual arguments often times make more of a statement than many words on a billboard, and that is why it has remained a part of the world for so many years.

Introductory

I'm Ciera Davis, I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and I love it here. My major is Psychology and I plan to be a clinical psychologist. I have a younger brother who is a freshman in high school. I also have 2 dogs, 2 cats and a lizard. I love all music but one of my favorite bands is The Beatles along with a million others. I'm a movie fanatic and I especially love Quentin Tarantino movies. I've played the guitar since the 5th grade and I love to travel. I plan on living all over the world when I'm older.