WP 3: Rough Draft 1

Dear SANDY,

I speak to you now as a friend, as the time we have spent together that has now spanned several weeks has brought us together. When we first met, I was cautious. I did not open myself up to you as I should have, perhaps because you are set back from our world. I wonder how many people have passed by and simply gave up trying to see the real you because of this box you have been placed in. But I did not give up. At first I stood far away from you, trying to see some big picture of how you fit in this sculpture garden. But that's not what you are meant for. Your creator, Richard McDermott Miller, did not make you so you would fit anywhere because you, my friend, are trapped in defined space. You are a woman who has been trapped by your world of gender wars. This I could see, even from far away. But your features are undefined, your body is plain and not unique from this viewpoint. As I moved around you, I began to see different parts of your construction. I saw how your body language seems to change as my perspective changed.

When I saw you from the front of your framing, I thought you were a sad and almost pathetic individual. All I saw from this perspective was that you are conforming to your entrapment; you have given up fighting and your face speaks of defeat. When I moved closer to you I could see this as well, your head is turned down in weakness. I begin to wonder if you have even tried to fight this, because from where I stand you are encapsulated in two boxes; one of your own doing and one that is imposing itself upon you. Your plight is of your own sadness and wrongdoing, or so it seems from this viewpoint. Seeing you close up from this perspective almost disappoints me and your flaws and scars are disheartening. They stand out to make you appear weaker.

When I was still remaining cautious of becoming close to you I stepped behind your construction and was astonished by the change I saw. Even from a distance, I could tell that you had grown stronger, that you have changed. Your back is arched in pushing against what is trapping you. Your fluid, strong legs are contorting against this stiff, geometric shape that is keeping you in its hold. I move closer to you, to learn from this strong creature. I see your face set in determination to win. I see your hands and feet, overcompensating of your efforts to show how strong you are. I see how your body twists and fights while accepting the scars and flaws that you must take on. This vision makes me proud and want to cry from seeing your efforts so defensively strong. I touch my hand to yours, hoping I can share the strength you are showing. It seems this is the support you need, because you are even stronger when I stand next to you. As a woman, I feel connected by this and the history of strong women in my family, who battled everything from Nazis to depression to divorce, speaks to the history of the oppression you have faced in the year of your creation, 1967.

SANDY, I can only hope that you will keep fighting and will not give up. I can only hope that others who see you will recognize the strength and determination I see in you and that they will not pass you by as another woman who will not or cannot fight. I can only hope that you feel the same way as I do and that you will remember me when I visit you for strength and reassurance. Thank you for all that you have taught me and for your perseverance.

WP3: Statement of Purpose

This writing project has been the most difficult in terms of preparation for me because of the object and the analysis of the object. I am not very familiar with art especially in sculpture form but this class has prepared me for the rhetorical analysis that I have been working with in observing my sculpture.

The object I am analyzing is different from other writing projects and the requirements for this project are different which has affected the context and slightly affected my audience. I will still be publishing my writing in a blog post in a form similar to others with images and hyper-links and such. However, because I am doing option 2, my project will take the form of a letter to my sculpture which is quite an altered context from before because my writing will not be directed at the same audience of other writing projects. Additionally I will be reading my letter to my sculpture in front of the class and we will be outside. This is a whole new environment for the presentation of my writing and will be an interesting alternative to what we have done before.

As I mentioned before, the audience of this writing project has changed because of the requirements of option 2. The letter I am writing is specifically directed at my sculpture, because I will be using words like you to direct it such, and so she is my primary audience. Also this project will be available in two ways to my secondary audiences; I will be reading my letter to my sculpture in front of the class and also posting in a blog. My secondary audience that are my classmates will hear my letter and have access to it on my blog. Other people who come across my blog will be able to read my letter but it will be a different experience. Also, people who come across my blog who aren't aware of what the parameters for the assignment were might by slightly confused at first by the form of the blog post. Perhaps my author's statement that will appear before it will make it more clear to those people and just anyone who is not clear on my purpose.

My sense of purpose for this writing project stems from the requirements of option 2. I believe I would feel differently about this project if I were doing just a rhetorically analytic essay. However I am writing a letter to my sculpture, who I have spent a considerable amount of time with, which feels more personal and has changed what I want to do with my writing. I want to communicate how SANDY makes me feel and how the aspects of her construction and creation work to make me feel these things. Even though I know she won't actually be able to hear me and respond or anything, it is still important to me that I communicate specifically to her without worrying about what makes most sense to everyone else because they aren't my primary audience. I want to most effectively communicate how rhetorical elements can be applied to the way SANDY is sculpted in a way that is personal to her.