Assignment #4: Response to Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Thinking Rhetorically About Your Subject Manner

The first concept discussed is "wallowing in complexity". I think this is an interesting idea. I agree that college students are too quick to head straight for the solution to a problem. However, I think that that kind of quick thinking has its time and place. Nevertheless, a college course is designed to help students create new ways of thinking that can help them sort through new ideas. I agree with the idea that students come to college as dualists, believing only in a right or wrong answer. I think this stems from what we are taught in high school for the most part. It was interesting to think about different academic disciplines as fields of argument. Different questions were posed for each disciplines such as psychology, history, sociology, and women's studies. This led the reader to really delve in to their thoughts as it pertains to each disciplines. I really like the concept of free writing. I think that it really allows the writer to produce a stream of consciousness without worrying about grammar, spelling, or transitions. Topics that the writer couldn't think of before suddenly come pouring out of their minds, and this is really the point of free writes. I also like focused free writing. Although more structured than a plain free write, I think it allows for the same freedom of thoughts as a free write. Idea mapping still has the same theme, but I like it for its organization of ideas. It encourages the writer to connect their ideas in to conscious themes, which is very important closer to the actual production of a paper. I don't find talking to classmates as productive, however. Sometimes people shut down in face-to-face interactions in fear of being criticized or attacked by classmates. I played the believing and doubting game in the last assignment, and I thought it was definately an interesting way of responding to a piece of writing. Although I didn't agree with the article, writing the 'believe' part of the assignment opened my eyes to different points of views and what other people could think. A strong thesis statement is essential to a good piece of persuasive writing. I agree that it should be surprising, and should invite the reader to think about your point of view. I also think it's obvious the point should give meaning to the particulars. A paper should provide support and reasoning for the thesis statement.