Chaya's AP Lang Blog

Columnist Nicholas Kristof, in his op-ed article "What Monkeys Can Teach Us About Fairness" (2017), asserts that inequality in this country is the root of many dysfunctions in America. He brings in a case study that explores the strong sense of fairness among monkeys, builds a logos argument by listing the statistics of economic inequality in America found by professor of psychology Keith Payne, suggests possible reasons why inequality negatively affects humans so much, and concludes with a comparison of views among the political spectrum regarding this issue as well as a personal reflection on America's struggle in this area. Kristof intends to probe into the inequality in America, discuss why it affects us as humans so deeply, and how it is the cause of many issues in our country. He serves as an analyst who is giving over information to his readers, creating an informative relationship with his audience, the people of America. One of the examples that Kristoff bro...

In Apple's advertisement, "Mac vs. PC: Work vs. Home" (2006), Apple asserts that the Mac is more "fun" than the boring PC, and that is why it is better. The ad starts off with a contrast between Mac's version of "fun" and PC's version, depicting how PC uses pie charts and graphs while Mac uses pictures and videos, builds on logos by clearly showing that Mac's system is better and more fun for the user, and uses humor to show how nerdy and old fashioned the PC is compared to the Mac. Apple's purpose is to clearly mark the difference between the Mac and PC, pointing out why their buyers should choose the Mac, which is more fun, user friendly, and cooler. Apple creates a close relationship with their viewers, reinforcing their products to their current clients and reaching out to PC owners in an effort to win them over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA265ZVXuq8

Columnist Danny Westneat, in his article "UW professor: The information war is real, and we're losing it" (2017), asserts that the surge in twitter bots who are spreading false news, theories and conspiracies is dangerous and is negatively impacting news and our society. He starts off with recent, real life examples of the negative impact of twitter bots, builds on ethos by structuring the entire article around his interview with University of Washington professor Kate Starbird, a professional in the field of "crisis informatics," in order to build credibility and persuade his readers by letting them hear the information from an external, expert source, and ends off with his own reflections on the severity of the situation. Overall, Westneat intends to shed light on the harmful impact of these twitter bots, as well as more importantly, back up his claim with the personal opinions and findings of an expert in order to strengthen his message. He serves as a critic...