Close Reading #3

What greed has wrought in D.C.

By Colbert I. King, Published: November 16

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-11-16/opinions/35502980_1_lottery-contract-money-orders-council-member

In his recent article in the Washington Post, “What Greed has Wrought in DC,” Colbert King takes a look at a recent Washington D.C. political corruption scandal. He then steps back and criticizes political atmosphere in Washington, focusing on the prevalence of corrupt local politicians accepting money from private special interests. He uses unflattering details, colorful figurative language, and effective syntax to give a brutal account of the political corruption that plagues Washington D.C.

King creates a harshly negative depiction of the political corruption in Washington D.C. using details that illustrate dramatic instances of corruption. For example, he includes details of two former Washington D.C. councilmen to make apparent the growing trend of corruption in local D.C. politics. He mentions that former councilman Harry Thomas Jr is in prison and former council chairman Kwame Brown is now a convicted felon under house arrest. These eye-opening instances of corruption are meant to warrant King’s urgent cries for dramatic reform. In another example, he writes that “D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), who was an at-large member of the council when the contract was awarded, was the lone legislator to vote against” a 2009 D.C. Lottery contract, an alleged product of corruption. By pointing to the fact that Mendelson was the only councilman to vote against the suspect contract, King implicitly suggests that the other councilmen were bought. With this detail, King suggests that corruption is so deeply-rooted in D.C. that special interests were able to influence all but one member of the council. King includes this detail to illustrate the severity ubiquity of corruption in D.C.

King uses figurative language by expressing his ideas in easy-to-understand metaphoric terms and analogies. By doing this, he clarifies his message for the reader and strengthens the voice of his argument. For example, he refers to the deep-pocketed special interests as “moneybags,” a name that unambiguously expresses King’s disdain for private interest companies. Another example arises when King talks about the shadiness of the DC lottery contract. Rather than expressing his suspicion of the situation in literal terms, King chooses a more colorful metaphor, saying “the odor stunk up the place.” Metaphors like these resound much better with readers than literal statements. King also uses an analogy to explain how strongly-rooted the problem is, saying that “[b]reaking money’s hold on our politicians may be akin to keeping an alcoholic away from strong drink.” These instances of colorful figurative language make the writer’s message clearer and his argument stronger.

King also uses a variety of sentence syntax techniques to give importance and emphasis to messages. Writers often use short sentences to create points of emphasis. In the most powerful tone-creating technique in the entire article, King ends the article with a one-word sentence, “Disgusting.” Usually one-word sentences are powerful enough in and of themselves because they’re so short. But King also places it at the very end of the article so that it will surely leave a resounding impression on the reader. With this kind of ending, the reader walks away from the article with no doubt of King’s visceral hatred of political corruption. Another example of effective syntax comes up when King recaps the negative effects of “buying” politicians. Rather than explaining all of the effects in just one sentence, King uses three sentences. He writes, “The cozy, and corrupt, arrangement supplants your voice in government. It undermines public policy and directs resources toward the powerful and privileged. It fouls our leaders and stinks up the city.” Though it might make for a choppier read, the use of anaphora emphasizes the severity of the situation by giving special importance to each point.

            King’s article is a very critical one, one that offers a severe view of corruption in local Washington D.C. politics. Yet, it doesn’t have the kind of extreme, negative diction that a lot of criticizing opinion articles often use. Rather, it uses deeply unflattering details, colorful figurative language, and effective syntax techniques to attack the corruption in D.C. With these elements alone, the article paints a harsh, eye-opening picture of the political atmosphere in D.C.

Open Prompt Response #3

2010, Form B. “You can leave home all you want, but home will never leave you.” —Sonsyrea Tate

Sonsyrea Tate’s statement suggests that “home” may be conceived of as a dwelling, a place, or a state of mind. It may have positive or negative associations, but in either case, it may have a considerable influence on an individual. Choose a novel or play in which a central character leaves home yet finds that home remains significant. Write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the importance of “home” to this character and the reasons for its continuing influence. Explain how the character’s idea of home illuminates the larger meaning of the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

                In JD Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, sixteen-year-old Holden Caufield discovers the pain of being homeless, both literally and emotionally. After being expelled from Pencey Prep boarding school, Holden decides to leave school three days earlier than he’s supposed to. The story follows Holden as he wanders through New York City, meeting new people. Holden is extremely jaded and doesn’t connect with people very well. He often passes judgment on strangers he observes and talks to, calling them “phonies.”   Despite his disgust with his peers at school and parents at home, Holden finds out that being “homeless” is a lot more miserable than being with familiar people. In an emotional sense, Holden has two kinds of homes: one at school and one at his home. Though he never directly acknowledges it, he realizes he misses home. Through his rough experience living alone on the streets, Holden ultimately learns to appreciate the familiarity of home.

                For Holden, leaving the boarding school means leaving one of his two emotional “homes.” Even in the extreme case of Holden, who doesn’t get along with people and is inclined to harshly judge his peers, the familiar faces of friends and teachers at Pencey Prep create a comfortable home for him. During his three days on the streets of New York City, Holden often thinks back to fond memories from school. He thinks about Jane Gallagher, a girl he likes. He thinks about Stradlater, his roommate at Pencey. He even calls and arranges a date with his former girlfriend, Sally Hayes. These clearly stem from his a strong emotional attachment to the school. Pency Prep was a sort of home for Holden, where Holden found comfort and safety. Because of the loneliness he experiences on the streets of New York, Holden recognizes the emotional value of his home at Pency Prep.

               Holden also has an emotional attachment to his real home away from Pency Prep. But his parents aren't the reason. It’s clear that he harbors negative feelings towards his parents. He sneaks into the house at night, careful not to wake his parents, and goes directly to his sister’s room. In an uncharacteristically kind gesture, he happily takes Phoebe to the zoo and takes her to a carousel ride. Watching Phoebe on the carousel, Holden cries out of happiness to be with his sister. Phoebe is one of the few people Holden seems to be relaxed and comfortable with. After three days of uncomfortable and cold interactions with strangers in NYC, Holden gets a breath of fresh air in his day with Phoebe. Coming home to his sister reminds Holden of the emotional value of his home at home.

Holden’s constant homesickness reflects his internal struggle, a central aspect of the book. Although he thinks everyone is a phony and doesn’t outwardly admit his loneliness, there are clear signs that he feels the pain of having no home. At one point, he asks a taxi driver “Where do the ducks go when the pond at Central Park freezes?” His question reveals his yearning for a safe, comfortable home. Being kicked out of school and harboring resentment towards his parents, Holden is a duck that doesn’t have anywhere to go. 

Response to Course Material #3

I was surprised at how similar Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and Edward Albee’s The American Dream were, yet had two different impressions on me. Both works were post-modern plays that had messages and themes centered around criticizing American consumerism. Yet, my reactions to the two works were very different.

There were several things about Albee’s The American Dream that I didn’t particularly enjoy. I didn’t like the general premise of the play; the whole thing was just a ridiculous farce of American consumerist values. Even though Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn was a satirical piece, it also had entertaining action and relatable characters. The American Dream had neither. The whole thing was set in a mundane living room. The dialogue didn’t seem to resemble anything close to real-life conversations. With the exception of Grandma, all the characters seemed very plastic and impersonal. Mommy was one-dimensionally cruel, while Daddy was one-dimensionally passive. Also, I didn't appreciate how the play was so ambiguous in its message. When our class discussed The American Dream, it felt like a messy rain of different interpretations and little to agree on. After having the chance to read Albee's works, I've learned that Theatre of the Absurd isn’t really my thing.

On the other hand, in Death of a Salesman, I felt a lot more sympathy for Willy and Biff. Their predicament is familiar and relatable. Though it’s not an action-oriented play, there are scene changes that keep the play more interesting. After having endured a Theatre of the Absurd play, I’m looking forward to Death of a Salesman.