There are similarities and differences in how the authors of “American History” and “TV Coverage of JFK’s Death Forged Mediums’ Role” use Kennedy’s assassination in their writing. While the short story & the news article had some similarities in how the authors used Kennedy’s assassination, both had different effects on readers, and both writers had different purposes for their writing.
Now let’s look at the similarities between Judith O. Cofer’s “American History and Joanne Ostrow's “TV Coverage of JFK's Death Forged Medium's Role”. Both, Cofer and Ostrow, wrote that Kennedy’s death had a huge impact on America. Cofer in “American History” shows it several times, where people were sobbing or needing comfort. Mr. DePalma, the PE teacher, “was
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The way Judith Ortiz Cofer uses JFK’s assassination in “American History” is very minimal. “American History” is more of a romance story than a factual piece. Although, according to the passage, on the night of President Kennedy’s assassination, Elena, the protagonist of the story, “lay[s] in my [her] bed trying to feel the right thing for our [their] dead President” (Cofer 973). In contrast, Joanne Ostrow’s article “TV Coverage of JFK's Death Forged Medium's Role” talks about the effects of TV and how the media covered JFK’s death. Ostrow goes on to explain how “Nov. 22, 1963, marked a shift in the media culture in a way that Sept. 11, 2001, marked a shift in America’s awareness of its place in the global community.” (Ostrow 1). Another interesting thing about this piece is that Ostrow has her own opinions, Ostrow states “Strange how the most glamorous presidency and the most controversial killing of the century are easily distilled into a discussion of media. It’s true: 40 years later, the death of a young president pales next to the birth of a new media culture.”The authors have similarities and differences in their writings, but they also have different purposes and effects they intend to have on the