TOW 7: Behavior Therapy Normalizes Brains of Autistic Children

Recently, the Early Start Denver Model, a behavioral intervention program, was put into use on autistic children. Results from this intervention showed that children at 18 months that went through this program for about two years, had a 17.6 point raise in their IQs. In addition, 24 toddlers diagnosed with ASD received the Denver Intervention, while another 24 toddlers went through community intervention programs, such as special education classes at school. Before the intervention, children with ASD showed that their brains were more activated when viewing an inanimate object such as a toy, but after this program, the brains of those same 24 children became more active when viewing an animate object, such as someone's face. The brain activity of the children that received the Denver Intervention was no different than the brains of normal children. 

This article was written by Alice Park, a staff writer that covers stories on health, fitness, medicine, and nutrition. The article is also from Time Magazine, which is a credible source.

I think this article was important in context. It tells about a revolutionary method of mitigating the effects of autism. This article gives parents with autistic children great hope, as Dr. Geraldin Dawson says that there is no certain time when this intervention would expire and no longer be beneficial.

The purpose of this article was to tell of a recent behavioral therapy in which the symptoms of autism could be lessened. The actual results of this intervention were described.

The text was written for the general public. 

Ethos is used in this article. "...those who provide the therapy need to be certified by a program Dawson and her co-developer, Sally Rogers, have created at University of California, Davis. About 1,000 people have been trained in the technique…” (Park para 8). The credibility of Dr. Dawson is established as shown through the description of the legitimacy of this behavioral program. In our whole country, only 1,000 people are certified, which infers that the training is not easy. In addition, those who want to provide the therapy must be certified under the direction of Dr. Dawson and Sally Rogers, which shows that these two women are knowledgeable in this topic. 

The author's purpose of writing about a revolutionary therapy was accomplished. When I read this, I was shocked, especially when I read of the actual experiment and its results. This Dawson Intervention is legitimate, as it has been proven to lessen the effects of autism. 

TOW 6: North Korean Propaganda

The painter of this piece is unknown, but it is a propaganda poster issued from North Korea.

This gruesome painting depicts a North Korean man getting painfully tortured. This picture shows the cruel American soldiers torturing a man, most likely an innocent man. This man looks to be about middle aged. A middle aged man is more effective for this painting because it hints at a possible wife and children he has back home that he must take care of and watch after, which makes the viewers feel even more sympathetic for him. His shirt is covered in blood and his head is getting sawed with a knife. He is tied down, and one American soldier is even cruelly laughing at this scene. There is blood all over the North Korean man, most likely to show the extreme, arduous torture he has been put through. They are in a dark, dingy room to portray the painful torture more explicitly.

This painting utilized a lot of pathos. This poor, innocent man getting tortured by cruel American soldiers really appeals to the viewers' emotions. It clearly gets across the message that American soldiers are evil, inhumanely torturing a helpless, North Korean man.

This painting was for the North Korean civilians.

The propaganda artist's purpose of painting this picture was definitely accomplished. After viewing this, North Korean civilians were probably strongly influenced and brainwashed to believe that American soldiers are cruel and evil.

TOW 5: Christian Group Finds Gay Agenda in Anti-Bullying Day

Mix It Up at Lunch Day is a day when students are encouraged to interact and socialize with students that they would normally not speak to. Thousands of schools have adopted this idea, in order to prevent bullying and create a welcoming atmosphere. However, the American Family Association, a conservative evangelical group has accused this day of teaching students to accept homosexuals, and to believe that homosexuality is okay. Whether it is because of this accusation, hundreds of schools have already cancelled the Mix It Up at Lunch Day.

This article was written by Kim Severson from the New York Times. The New York Times is a widely read and credible source for articles of a variety of genres. Severson is a widely acclaimed writer, having won several awards for her writing.

I don’t think this article was necessarily important in context. It just told of a recent controversial event on the effects of homosexuality and its strong opposers.

The purpose of this article was to tell a current event that was rather surprising. The idea that the American Family Association would go so far as to assume that Mix It Up at Lunch Day was to promote homosexuality was very shocking. This article is another story on the contentious topic of homosexuality today.

The text was written for the general public.

Ethos was used in this article. “’…we [American Family Association] are not a hate group. We are a truth group …we tell the truth about homosexual behavior’” (Severson para 9). The American Family Association emphasizes themselves as a truth group in order to prove to the readers that they are reliable, an example of ethos. Although there are people that do accept homosexuality, the American Family Association wants to prove that they are credible and honest, so they state that they are a “truth group,” thus they tell the truth.

The author’s purpose of telling a surprising recent event was accomplished. How a sensitive topic like homosexuality can be blown out of proportion was shown through this article. Strong minded groups like the American Family Association accused a day dedicated to anti-bullying and equality to encouraging homosexuality, which was rather far-fetched and shocking.

TOW 4: Eat, Pray, Love

The first section of this nonfiction novel described her painful divorce, as well as her desire to recuperate through travel. After eight years of dating, Elizabeth just did not want to be married anymore, and this time of difficulty led to her encounter with God. After divorcing, she met another man named David, and her relationship with him was an emotional roller coaster. After hearing about David's personal guru, Elizabeth had the desire to travel to India. After travelling to Indonesia for her job, an elderly medicine man told Elizabeth that she would return, which fueled her desire to travel again to Indonesia. Her passion for learning Italian led to her want to travel to Italy, as well.

Elizabeth Gilbert is an author, essayist, short story writer, and novelist. Eat, Pray, Love is a credible nonfiction text because it describes her own experiences through travelling.

This book is not necessarily important in context because it is simply Gilbert's learned lessons and experiences through her recuperation through travels. It is read by anyone who wants to read an enjoyable book on a woman's journey through different countries and the lessons she learns.

The purpose of this book was to tell her experiences while travelling. The many lessons she learned and her more intimate knowledge of her own self are described.

The text was written for the general public.

This novel contains  rhetorical devices, such as a simile. "...my life still looked like a multi-vehicle accident on the New Jersey Turnpike during holiday traffic..." (Gilbert 23). Her usage of rhetorical devices greatly contributes to a more explicit description of her emotions.

The author's purpose of telling her lessons through her difficult hardships as well as her search for inner equilibrium in an enjoyable way was achieved. Her descriptions were so palpable that I expressed sorrow for her when she was upset, and I felt her joy when she was happy.