WP2: Statement of Purpose

This writing project takes another common form of communication in the world today of cartoons and comic strips. The comic strip that I have chosen is a selection from the “A Softer World” collection. It is called “I’ve been waiting” and was put together by Emily Horne and Joey Comeau. This comic contains several elements that I want to discuss that develop the argument of the photograph through logos.

The most important aspect of this comic is the relationship between the photograph that comprises the background of each three panels and the words that appear throughout them. This relationship is developed in a chronological progression because of the fact that the entire comic is the photograph that itself is just of one moment in time. This is also provided by the motion seen in the photograph that relates to the progression of time referred to in the words. In the words themselves is the aspect of word play that matches up with what is depicted in the photo. The arrangement of the words throughout the comic also develops logos because of the effect it has on the reader to read each statement and process it and then move on to the next panel. I also want to discuss the meaning of the words themselves and how the tone and specific word choice are also forms of logos working in this comic.

This writing project would be very hard to do without the comic that I am discussing being able to be viewed by the reader of my writing. This is made possible through the context in which I am writing which is a blog. The internet helps this tremendously due to the fact that I can post hyperlinks that will lead the reader to information that can further my statements without explanation that may not be exactly pertinent to the writing. Also, I can include other images that will literally illustrate an aspect of the comic I am referring to or to just provide more visual aid to the reader.

The reader of my writing project will primarily be the teacher of the course, even though I am not directly addressing him obviously. I will be working to fulfill the expectations of this writing project that include a word count minimum and maximum, number of provided hyperlinks and multimedia elements, and other technical aspects. I will also be working to fulfill the need of the writing project in terms of actually creating something that accurately communicates what I wish to and that the 151H course requires. Secondary audiences include other members of my 151H course now and those who have previously taken it. Also, because my post is on the Internet, my blog is open for anyone to read that happens upon it. I wish to best communicate to all of these audiences.

This writing project has taken me farther into the world of rhetorical analysis through the analysis of comics, which I have not looked at in the same way as is necessary for this project. I aim to best communicate the argument that I have found that the comic makes through the aspect of logos that is most importantly ascribed in the relationship of the words and photograph that are the comic.

WP2: Pre-writing 2

A well-know American tradition is the traveling carnival that passes through towns in the late summer, setting up stands for food, booths of arcade games, and sometimes larger rides like Ferris wheels, the Zipper, and the Octopus. These types of carnivals seem to be combining with theme parks and have evolved from what carnivals were thought to be when they first began traveling the U.S. in the 19^th century, where “entertainment in rural America consisted of traveling circuses and burlesque troops, vaudeville and magic-lantern shows, all traversing the country by train or horse-and-buggy, offering temporary relief from the boredom of country life” (Traveling Circuses).

These types of traveling carnivals often featured performance by those with odd talents like sword-swallowing and ‘freak’ shows that put the strange and weird on display for the public. The people who signed up for these types of profession were not always the most quality or honest people and were often avoiding the law or had some other reason to not stay in one place. The combination of bizarre exhibits, strange people, and the supposed attitude of ‘anything goes’ created a reputation for the carnivals of a dirty, dangerous, and deceitful place of low morality. However, they still attracted crowds of people wherever they went, which proved it was still entertainment.

As the century turned, similar sorts of gathering of rides and exhibits were developing in what was known as amusement parks. The first of these appeared in Chicago in the 1890s, which was modeled after a mini-amusement park at the World’s Colombian Exposition, otherwise known as the Chicago World’s Fair (Amusement Parks). These types of gatherings were more geared to families and featured rides and booths for winning prizes and such, like Ferris wheels.

More recently, the carnivals that we see traveling the roads of America are more of a combination of the early carnivals and the later amusement parks. Magic shows are still common at these events but the country now frowns upon ‘freak’ shows; not because it is not what the wealthy people do but because it is immoral and against human rights. Now, carnivals are about the experience of adrenaline when riding on rides or winning a giant stuffed animal. They are about eating fried foods that you wouldn’t normally eat but you don’t care because it’s fun. These traveling carnivals are still not the cleanest places and the rides may not always be up to regulations but the people who attend these do not care very much about it.

The historical and cultural context of the background photo is important to the meaning of the comic because other than the words, that is all the observer has to interpret and ponder on. The reputation of carnivals as a place of entertainment and enjoyment outweighs the fact-to most people-that they are traveling sets of equipment that are not clean and the lifestyle brought about by gambling and eating fried foods is not optimal. The words of the comic are stating this but applying it in ‘grand scheme of things’ perspective: that you miss out on fun when you attempt to live cleanly and that you will end up in the same place anyway.

Works Cited:

Michael Baers "Traveling Carnivals". St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. FindArticles.com. 21 Mar, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_tov/ai_2419101246/

Stan Barker "Amusement Parks". Encyclopedia of Chicago. Encyclopedia.ChicagoHistory.org. 21 Mar, 2010. http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/48.html