WP 2: Pre-Writing Assignment 1

The comic that I chose is a simple multi paneled comic.  The context of this comic is quite simple.  Lucy and Bing are brother and sister and are elementary school students in Ice Valley, Antarctica.  As one may be able to tell, they are also penguins.  Writer Joseph Hewitt created this series for his own students.

The characters relationship is established in this comic in two ways.  One, they are pictured together in the majority of the frames.  This makes the viewer actually see that the characters are together.  The second is there dialogue.  The Lucy and Bing are talking interacting with each other through conversation.  We see that the characters never change location in the series of panels through a couple different conventions.  The first is that the background does not change.  This implies that they are not moving.  The second is that Bing is seated on the floor the entire comic.  As we all know, it is very difficult to change locations sitting on the stationary ground.

This comic is very simple and is something I would be interested in doing.  I am considering doing option two for this assignment and I would be able to do a comic like this one.  I like the simplicity and quickness of this comic.  It is easy for the viewer to understand what is going on and to get your message.

Wp 1: Final Draft

Authors Note:  

This essay was a great learning tool for me as a writer.  I learned among other things how to truly analyze a photograph.  I never would have spent this amount of time looking at a photo unless I had to as I did with this project.  It was easy for me to pick out the vectors of attention, framing, coloration, and context of this photograph.  Where I struggled was with trying to figure out what argument the photograph was making.  In my statement of purpose, I eluded to an argument that the emotions of the entire country were changing in the 1940's.  At that point I was basing it on mostly symbolic things that I had made up and even included the photographers motivations. 

I continued to fallow that first thesis through my first rough draft.  I really struggled to create water tight arguments for what I was trying to argue.  That is where the process became tedious and at some times painful.  I continued to analyze the physical photograph and developed some more concrete ideas.  After the first peer edit, I was given feedback that helped me to create a more solid argument.  I also changed the order of my paragraphs to better reflect the strengths of my arguments.  This also helped in the development and persuasiveness of my project.    

In the second rough draft, I kept the same thesis as I felt that the arguments were more solid with the help of a classmate.  At this time, I also received feedback from the professor.  The review from him was great.  It really pushed me into a direction where the argument fit.  

This brought me to the final draft of writing project one.  I now had a completely different thesis and strong arguments to back it up.  My thesis was "Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, reinforces that idea World War II encouraged urban migration patterns."  Essentially, the arguments did not change, just the context that I created did.  Context really is everything.  With my new thesis, I was able to link my arguments and really bring a persuasive element to the essay.  I felt much more confident in my writing after I completed the final draft.  

This essay came a long way from that very first pre-writing assignment.  I learned a lot about the process of writing and more importantly I now know that each step is very important.  I was not one to ask people to look over something I had written.  After all of the help and comments I was given by the three people that helped develop this project, I will be sure to get those revisions now.  It is very satisfying to see an entire project from pre-writes to the final draft, and have a final product you are proud of.       

Rough Draft 2

Rough Draft 1

Statement of Purpose

America was in a time of continued rebuilding in the early 1940's. World War II was in full swing and the nation was supporting the men on the front lines through manufacturing. The United States had factories that made everything from weapons to munitions and even clothing for our troops over seas. This had created large and populous urban environments that were growing in size and diversity daily. The farming industry had taken a huge blow in the depression.  Many farmers simply could not make make ends meet during the depression.   The country was self-sufficient and well on its way to putting all effects of the Great Depression behind. The people of America regained their optimism and could look forward to a day where there would be peace and happiness in the United States once again.

The photograph, Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, was taken in 1943 by John Collier Jr., a photographer for the Farm Securities Administration and the Office of War Information. The Farm Securities Administration, or FSA, was put together during the Great Depression to purchase dying farms and provide some sort of support for farmers in need. Much of the time farmers who could not afford their farms any longer were relocated to urban areas of the country.  Once they were relocated, the FSA helped them get a job.  Despite the fact that the farming industry was on the rise, the relocation and reemployment of farmers left farms all over the country abandoned post Depression.  The project that Collier did in the 1940's would have been documenting farms all over the country. The purpose of this photo shoot was to show the American people what was going on in the rural areas of the country in this World War II era.  Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, reinforces that idea World War II encouraged urban migration patterns.  This can be seen by analyzing the coloration, framing, and vectors of attention of the photo and their appeals to logos and pathos.  

The coloration of this photo works together with the other elements to create logos. All of the hues in the photo are very natural tones. The eye is first drawn to the rustic and weather structures that stand out against the lush green of the landscape and the blue of the sky. The different hues of green create a depth for the photo and add to the vastness of the land all the way back to the Catskill Mountains on the horizon. The natural lighting allows the viewer to see this valley as if the viewer were there.  The abundance of clear blue sky also reinforces that idea of a very "natural" photograph.  The importance of coloration in this photograph is mainly to create and maintain that sense of realism so that the viewers  could relate to it.   

This photo was very specifically and intentionally framed in this manner. The old buildings are clearly the main subject of the photo. However, the fact that so much of the sky and landscape are in the photo means something. This photo captures the beauty and vastness of the Catskill region. The vastness is important.  It shows that there really is nothing there.  Pasture lands that were once filled with grazing livestock were now empty.  It is important that the viewer see the emptiness of the photograph as if it were not, the buildings would have been centered and closer.  Being abandoned, the buildings create that same pathos.  There are no workers in the barn or hay or feed being stored there.  They are simply empty buildings and a reminder of only what used to be on this farm.

Vectors of attention are very important in this picture. The first thing that the viewer's eye is drawn to are the very rustic structures that are prominent in the photo. They are the closest subjects to the camera in the photo. The next subject that demands the viewers attention is the vast amount of blue sky that is in the photo. The eye then shifts down to the abundant pasture land that is below the sky. As the viewer follows the tree lines and hills, eventually he/she is led to the barely visable outline of the Catskill Mountains. The very last thing that is noticed when looking at this photo is the small part of a road that is barely noticable in the lower right hand corner of the photo. 

Farmland in the Catskill Country, New York State creates a feeling of emptiness through different vectors of attention, specific and deliberate framing, and coloration via hue and saturation. The war created opportunity for the once downtrodden people of the country. Urban factories were able to provide the most relief for the farmers who were no longer able to make a living working the land so urbanization and the abandonment of farms continued.  

Works Cited

"Natural Agriculture." 18 Feb 2010. Catskill Mountain Foundation, Web. 18 Feb 2010. .

"Biography of John Collier Jr. ." The American Image. 2000. University of New Mexico, Web. 18 Feb 2010.

WP 1: Rough Draft 2

America was in a time of continued rebuilding in the early 1940's. World War II was in full swing and the nation was supporting the men on the front lines through manufacturing. The United States had factories that made everything from weapons to munitions and even clothing for our troops over seas. This had created large and populous urban environments that were growing is size and diversity daily. The farming industry was also on the rise as farmers had to provide food for more people. Namely those who were working in the factories and could not grow food for themselves in the urban setting. This being the case, the national income of farmers more than doubled from 1940 to 1943. The country was self sufficient and well on its way to putting all effects of the Great Depression behind. The people of America were optimistic again and could look forward to a day where there would be peace and happiness in the United States once again.

This photograph, Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, was taken in 1943 by John Collier Jr., a photographer for the Farm Securities Administration and the Office of War Information. The Farm Securities Administration was put together during the Great Depression to purchase dying farms and provide some sort of support for farmers in need. Much of the time farmers who could not afford their farms any longer were relocated to suburbs of the large cities where factories were and helped them get a job. The project that Collier did in the 1940's would have been documenting the farms that were now beginning to flourish again. The purpose of this photo shoot was to show the American people that the country was on the right track again. This would have calmed those who felt that the country was in trouble and created a feeling of happiness. Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, enforces that idea peace and happiness were on the horizon for the people of the United States. This is shown through elements such as vectors of attention, framing, and coloration.

The coloration of this photo works together with the other elements to create that pathos. All of the hues in the photo are very natural and earthy tones. The eye is first drawn to the rustic and weather structures that stand out against the lush green of the landscape and the blue of the sky. The different hues of green create a depth for the photo and add to the vastness of the land all the way back to the Catskill Mountains on the horizon. The natural lighting allows the viewer to see this valley as if the viewer were there. While these hues are all natural, they create a contrast that evokes more emotions. The saturated blue sky in the top right hand corner of the photo helps the white clouds stand out more in the photo.

This photo was very specifically and intentionally framed in this manner. The old buildings are clearly the main subject of the photo. However, the fact that so much of the sky and landscape are in the photo means something. This photo captures the beauty and vastness of the Catskill region. This beauty appeals to pathos to create that feeling of happiness or peace. The amount of landscape and sky in the photograph create a depth as well. The eye is seeing much more than if the buildings were centered. However, through the buildings, the viewer is reminded that this is a farm and is serving a purpose for the country.

Vectors of attention are very important in this picture. The first thing that the viewers eye is drawn to are the very rustic structures that are prominent in the photo. They are the closest subjects to the camera in the photo. The next subject that demands the viewers attention is the vast amount of blue sky that is in the photo. The eye then shifts down to the abundant pasture land that is below the sky. As the viewer fallows the tree lines and hills, eventually they are led to the barely visable outline of the Catskill Mountains. The very last thing that is noticed when looking at this photo is the small part of a road that is barely noticable in the lower right hand corner of the photo. The vectors of attention take the viewer in a counter-clockwise circular path through the photo as the road brings the eye back to the old structures.

Farmland in the Catskill Country, New York State creates a feeling of peace and happiness for the American people through different vectors of attention, specific and deliberate framing, and coloration via hue and saturation. The war created opportunity for the once downtrodden people of the country. Urban factories and the rural farms were giving people much needed jobs and boosted the economy of the United States right out of the Great Depression.

Works Cited

"Natural Agriculture." 18 Feb 2010. Catskill Mountain Foundation, Web. 18 Feb 2010. .

"Biography of John Collier Jr. ." The American Image. 2000. University of New Mexico, Web. 18 Feb 2010.

WP 1: Rough Draft 1

America was in a time of continued rebuilding in the early 1940's.  World War II was in full swing and the nation was supporting the men on the front lines through manufacturing.  The United States had factories that made everything from weapons to munitions and even clothing for our troops  over seas.  This had created large and populous urban environments that were growing is size and diversity daily.  The farming industry was also on the rise as farmers had to provide food for more people.  Namely those who were working in the factories and could not grow food for themselves in the urban setting.  This being the case, the national income of farmers more than doubled from 1940 to 1943.  The country was self sufficient and well on its way to putting all effects of the Great Depression behind.  The people of America were optimistic again and could look forward to a day where there would be peace and happiness in the United States once again.  

This photograph, Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, was taken in 1943 by John Collier Jr., a photographer for the Farm Securities Administration and the Office of War Information.  The photographs that he took while employed there were to document farm life in the New England area of the United States.  The Farm Securities Administration was put together during the Great Depression to purchase dying farms and provide some sort of support for farmers in need.  Much of the time farmers who could not afford their farms any longer were relocated to suburbs of the large cities where factories were and helped them get a job.  The project that Collier did in the 1940's would have been documenting the farms that were now beginning to flourish again.  Photographers had been shooting pictures of farms from the creation of the Farm Securities Administration in 1935.  The purpose of this photo shoot was to show the American people that the country was on the right track again.  This would have calmed those who felt that the country was in trouble and created a feeling of happiness.  Farmland in Catskill Country, New York State, enforces that idea peace and happiness were on the horizon for the people of the United States.  This is shown through elements such as vectors of attention, framing, and coloration.

Vectors of attention are very important in this picture.  The first thing that the viewers eye is drawn to are the very rustic structures that are prominent in the photo.  They are the closest subjects to the camera in the photo.  The next subject that demands the viewers attention is the vast amount of blue sky that is in the photo.  The eye then shifts down to the abundant pasture land that is below the sky.  As the viewer fallows the tree lines and hills, eventually they are led to the barely visable outline of the Catskill Mountains.  The very last thing that is noticed when looking at this photo is the small part of a road that is barely noticable in the lower right hand corner of the photo.  The vectors of attention take the viewer in a counter-clockwise circular path through the photo as the road brings the eye back to the old structures.  

This photo was very specifically and intentionally framed in this manner.  The old buildings are clearly the main subject of the photo.  However, the fact that so much of the sky and landscape are in the photo means something.  This photo captures the beauty and vastness of the Catskill region.  This beauty appeals to pathos to create that feeling of happiness or peace.  The amount of landscape and sky in the photograph create a depth as well.  The eye is seeing much more than if the buildings were centered.  However, through the buildings, the viewer is reminded that this is a farm and is serving a purpose for the country.  


The coloration of this photo works together with the other elements to create that pathos.  All of the hues in the photo are very natural and earthy tones.  The eye is first drawn to the rustic and weather structures that stand out against the lush green of the landscape and the blue of the sky.  The different hues of green create a depth for the photo and add to the vastness of the land all the way back to the Catskill Mountains on the horizon.  The natural lighting allows the viewer to see this valley as if the viewer were there.  While these hues are all natural, they create a contrast that evokes more emotions.  The saturated blue sky in the top right hand corner of the photo helps the white clouds stand out more in the photo.                  

Farmland in the Catskill Country, New York State creates a feeling of peace and happiness for the American people through different vectors of attention, specific and deliberate framing, and coloration via hue and saturation.  The war created opportunity for the once downtrodden people of the country.  Urban factories and the rural farms were giving people much needed jobs and boosted the economy of the United States right out of the Great Depression.  

Works Cited

"Natural Agriculture." 18 Feb 2010. Catskill Mountain Foundation, Web. 18 Feb 2010. .

"Biography of John Collier Jr. ." The American Image. 2000. University of New Mexico, Web. 18 Feb 2010.

WP 1: Statement of Purpose

America was in a time of continued rebuilding in the early 1940's.  World War II was in full swing and the nation was supporting the men on the front lines through manufacturing.  The farming industry was also on the rise as farmers had to provide food for more people.  Namely those who were working in the factories.  The country was self sufficient and well on its way to putting all effects of the Great Depression behind.  "Farmland in the Catskill country, New York state" was taken in 1943 by John Collier Jr., a photographer for the Farm Securities Administration.

The purpose of writing project one is to provide a rhetorical analysis on the photo "Farmland in the Catskill country, New York state." This analysis will argue the objective of the photographer of "Farmland in the Catskill country, New York state." and the views on that argument of the author of this project. These views will be backed with rhetorical appeals and techniques that can be found in the text Compose Design Advocate. This will ensure a common understanding for the primary audience of this project.

As this writing project will be posted on the internet, the audience could be anyone that comes across the blog post.  However, this document will be written with the primary audience in mind.  This primary audience consists of the professor of English 151:Rhetoric as Argument and the author's classmates in that same class.  Along with this specific audience, other audiences that must be considered are other professors of the college and future english students.  Since this audience is so broad, this project must keep the entire body interested in the subject matter.  This will be done by providing important and relevant information to justify the author's argument.  The writing in the project also has to be unique so that it will stand out against the seventeen other projects that will be posted along with this one.

Since this audience is potentially endless, the project must be written to accommodate all members.  For that to occur, the writing must be done in a professional manner.  The first person voice will be left out of the text and language from the book, Compose Design Advocate, will be used.  This will provide a base knowledge that is available to any member of the audience.

The context is also very important to the composition of the project.  Again, this essay will be posted on the internet.  Any person with access to the internet could potentially view this project.  Since the project will be posted on the internet, it only makes sense to take advantage of the vastness of its resources.  The hyperlinks and media objects will provide additional background information as needed by the audience.  This will have a positive impact on the project.  For example, an e-version of the text, Compose Design Advocate, will be available with the click of the mouse.

There are some potential problems that could happen with an audience this large.  This essay cannot get too specific so that if read, the reader will not understand the entire piece.  To combat this, examples must be included an the appropriate back ground information will need to be provided without overpowering the main concept of the project.

The desired outcome of this project would be for the audience member to come away with understanding of the author's argument.  It would also be ideal for the audience member to form some original ideas of their own based on the information and knowledge provided in the essay.  The argument should inspire the audience so that they can begin to do the some with other pieces of composition.