ipl-logo

A Deadly Wandering Rhetorical Analysis

466 Words2 Pages

The ability to divide our attention during cognitively demanding tasks and the allure of technology creates a delicate balancing act that can at times have grave consequences. On September 22, 2006 in Utah, Reggie Shaw placed the fates of James Furfaro and Keith O’Dell, as well as his own upon this deadly scale. Tragically, the lives of James and Keith were lost, and Reggie Shaw’s future would be forever altered by the events and decisions of that day (Richtel 16). In this modern age of technological marvels our attention is vied for in a constant conflict. Frequently in our lives or particularly in our jobs we are called upon to execute mentally demanding and at times dangerous tasks. Notwithstanding, as the marvels of the technological world call to us, as a siren calls to …show more content…

However, at what point does the weight of our divided attention tilt towards disaster? Within the pages of A Deadly Wandering, Matt Richtel, a Pulitzer Prize winning author and writer for the New York Times, contemplates the impact of technology on human attention and the potential consequences of dividing our attention. Richtel seeks not only to understand why James and Keith lost their lives on that fateful day, but to also gain knowledge about the essence of attention (34). Throughout the narrative, Richtel utilizes research conducted by experts in the field of attention to illustrate the effect of divided attention on such critical tasks as driving an automobile. According to research conducted at Princeton University, directing attention to one stimulus causes awareness of all other sensory input to be lost, such as operating a mobile phone while driving (121). Dr. Adam Gazzaley, a neurologist with a PhD in

Show More
Related
1079 Words | 5 Pages

Shaun Callarman’s argument about Chris McCandless highlights how McCandless’s lifestyle choices ultimately led to his death. Callarman asserts that McCandless had no business and no common sense in venturing into the Alaskan wilderness. He emphasizes that McCandless, who was unprepared, without family, and without a home, was doomed to fail in such a harsh environment. Callarman characterizes McCandless as arrogant, reckless, and crazy, arguing that these traits were central to his tragic end. In line with and agreeing with Shaun, it’s clear that Chris made terrible choices in his life.

Read More
1303 Words | 6 Pages

Eighner’s attention to language in the first five paragraohs appeals to logos. He introduces the word “Dumpster” as a “properietary word belonging to the Dempster Dumpster company”, which is he continues to capitalize it (Eighner 107). Inserting this information makes the reader realize the seriousness the author feels toward the subject written about in the essay. Eighner considers himself a Dumpster diver, and continues to capatilize Dumpster because that is what he considers his proper name, Further on, the author introduces what he does as a scavenging rather than dumpster diving, because he lacks the ability to lower himself into the Dumpster. Eighner integrates ethics in the fifth paragraph as he claims that what does is an honorable

Read More
515 Words | 3 Pages

“Terrible Things” is a powerful allegory that tells a tale to warn the readers about the Holocaust. Eve Bunting writes this story using forest animals to not only convey the horrors of the Holocaust but also to depict the consequences of inaction in the face of oppression. Throughout the story, the events that occur and the animals’ reactions reflect and symbolize what happened during the Holocaust. Firstly, the birds were taken, and “now there were no birds to sing in the clearing. But life went on almost as before.

Read More
795 Words | 4 Pages

Jacob Hosp Mrs.Wachter 8 Literacy May 18, 2017 Do you like a good mystery then check out the book Dead Letter, by Betsy Byars, a fantasy story. When Herculeah finds a note inside a coat, she instantly wants to find out what happened to the person who wrote it. But what she does not know is that everywhere she goes to find new clues she is being stalked by someone who would kill to keep the truth a complete mystery. The theme of the Dead Letter is that Taking risks can help you in the long run.

Read More
1373 Words | 6 Pages

Nancy Lord’s Early Warming and Elizabeth Kolbert’s “The Darkening Sea” both discuss how global warming is affecting the world. Lord and Kolbert talk about the negative result of climate change and try to raise awareness to global warming. Both Lord’s Early Warming and Kolbert’s “The Darkening Sea” use many different kinds of rhetorical strategies throughout their text. In Lord’s Early Warming, Lords relates to the community about climate change and tells stories about how global warming has affected many people around us.

Read More
1142 Words | 5 Pages

Politicians call for missile defense projects. Many defense projects have failed and cost not only the government but taxpayers over 50 billion dollars. Lee Fang, a writer for The Intercept, shows how ineffective these programs have been in the past. The persuasiveness of Lee's argument in his article “Politicians Use North Korea H-Bomb Fears to Pitch Wasteful Missile Defense Projects” is based on a logical approach using facts, (logos), an emotion approach trying to rally us up (pathos), and on his credibility and the creditability of his sources (ethos). Lee's appeal to our logical (logos) side is based on facts.

Read More
1122 Words | 5 Pages

Past leaders such as Andrew Jackson, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Marc Antony are evidence that society does not reward morality and good character in leadership. Society is drawn to leaders that have good rhetoric, propaganda, and charismatic personalities, and society supports them despite their immorality. Society is concerned about stability more than the morality of their leaders and will support immoral leaders in times of crisis to provide stability. In history there have been multiple leaders that have used rhetoric, propaganda and charismatic personalities to gain power, despite their morals.

Read More
705 Words | 3 Pages

Akerejola 1 Mebibora Akerejola Mrs. Street Ninth grade literature 10 December 2016 The Overwhelming Force of Technology If technology can affect people so negatively, then why is it used so much in the world today? The reason is because technology is a distraction for many people and Ray Bradbury’s

Read More
867 Words | 4 Pages

In the essay, Mark Twain is saying that humans are the lowest of animals. Instead of evolving from lower species, human have descended from higher ones. “In order to determine the difference between an anaconda and an earl (if any) I caused seven young calves to be turned into the anaconda’s cage. The grateful reptile immediately crushed one of them and swallowed it, then lay back satisfied.

Read More
322 Words | 2 Pages

This article examines the conflict between life and death for ladies, who were not free and could not express thoughts, or achieve their goals in The Story of an Hour, written by Kate Chopin. The text shows that after the news of her husband’s death Ms. Mallard runs and locks herself alone in her room. The heroine looks through the window in the room and starts to feel something that she had never felt before. In this moment she begins to feel freedom and even she whispers “free, free, free!” under the influence of great joy.

Read More
725 Words | 3 Pages

In the essay, “The Death of the Moth”, Virginia Woolf uses metaphor to convey that the relationship between life and death is one that is strange and fragile. Woolf tells the story of the life and death of a moth, one that is petite and insignificant. The moth is full of life, and lives life as if merry days and warm summers are the only things the moth knows. However, as the moth enters it’s last moments, it realizes that death is stronger than any other force. As the moth knew life seconds before, it has now deteriorated into death.

Read More
2057 Words | 9 Pages

“Honey, you are changing that boy’s life.” A friend of Leigh Anne’s exclaimed. Leigh Anne grinned and said, “No, he’s changing mine.” This exchange of words comes from the film trailer of an award-winning film, The Blind Side, directed by John Lee Hancock, released on November 20th, 2009. This film puts emphasis on a homeless, black teen, Michael Oher, who has had no stability or support in his life thus far.

Read More
815 Words | 4 Pages

However, research has shown that the human brain can’t focus on more than one subject at a given moment. It has also been proven that those who choose to be distracted by their device have a greater likelihood of being in danger in comparison to those who don’t get distracted. The rest of the United States should follow

Read More
1055 Words | 5 Pages

Attention has always been a prized commodity. The brain knows it and cognitive psychologists know it, but the average person has yet to fully grasp the concept. Articles on how to multi-task still flag the covers of popular magazines, and distracting cell phones and tablets accompany students to class on the forefront of their desks next their notes. It has been verified time and time again that the mind simply cannot attend to two things simultaneously; one can pay attention to one thing or another, but not to two things at once. People know that neutralizing distractions will yield invaluable minutes of clarity and focus, but for most, the application of such, is nearly impossible.

Read More
489 Words | 2 Pages

These advances have become so deeply rooted in our society one cannot seem to go a single day without their phone or laptop or other electronic devices. People are constantly going on the Internet and checking their phones whether it is to text someone or post a status update or a picture. Personally this issue not only affects my generation, it hits close to home as well. The goal is to successfully address an issue in a way that provides a better well being for society as a whole. Distracted driving is an epidemic that can be controlled.

Read More

More about A Deadly Wandering Rhetorical Analysis

Open Document