PB2B

Majd Kazzaz  

04/26/15

PB2B

            When reading different pieces of literature by different authors, one may be able to notice a difference in the way things are presented or structured. This is mostly due to the fact that every writer has his or her own “moves”. The term moves is a very broad term that can be used to identify a multiple of elements. It can be used to describe the diction a writer uses, the sentence structure, the figurative language, the schemes, and many more. Every writer’s moves are what make that writer unique and distinguishable from the others. While some writers may use some of the same individual moves, they might combine different moves to make the writing even more unique. This can be seen in Janet Boyd’s “Murder! (Rhetorically Speaking)” and in Laura Bolin Carroll’s “Backpacks vs Briefcases”.

            Janet Boyd implements a combination of unique moves that are not often seen in other pieces of writing. One particular element that I noticed in her piece I that she is extremely conversational and personal in her writing. It is almost to the point where you feel like you might as well be sitting in a coffee shop across the table from her. She floods her paper with uses of the words “I” and “You” in order to create a mood of personal connection. Now one might wonder why Boyd chooses to use this mood, rather than implement an academic tone that would be taken much more seriously. My interpretation led me to believe that she chooses this sort of personal and conversational style in order to strengthen her message and make sure the reader understands what she is attempting to portray. Say perhaps that she chose to barrage the paper with long academic words and a very serious mood; then most of the readers would find themselves lost like a tourist in a foreign country without a map. Another move that Boyd chooses to implement in her writing is the use of questions to get the reader thinking. These rhetorical questions allow for a different way of approaching the reader with new information. Rather than her just throwing information at the reader and hoping that the reader catches something, she puts these questions to get the reader more involved. Speaking of getting the reader more involved, that is something that she does constantly throughout the article. Whether it be her saying, “Take a moment to visualize the five facts” or “Really—go, write, and come back” she takes command of the information and encourages the reader to apply what they are learning. By doing this, she tells the reader to take a moment and step away from the text in order to apply some of the concepts and get an even better understanding. Another move of hers, even though it is minor, is her use of italicized words throughout the paper. She does this in order to emphasize certain concepts and to point out the main ideas of a particular paragraph.

            After analyzing all the moves that Boyd included in her piece, it was time to look at Laura Bolin Carroll’s “Backpacks vs. Briefcases” to determine some similarities and differences. Right off the bat the first thing I noticed is that this piece of writing is more formal and less personal than the other. While it does include some personal pronouns throughout the text, it is not nearly as much as Boyd had in her piece. Even though this might seem like a minor contrast between the two, it ends up creating a completely different mood and effect in both of the pieces. One move that Carroll does, and that Boyd also implements, is the use of small headings and titles throughout the paper in order to signify a change in the subject as well as to provide more structure. While Boyd used many italicized words in her piece, Carroll’s move is to include a lot of parentheses. These parentheses serve a purpose of providing examples of certain elements that she referred to in the text. This can be seen when she says, “What we choose to wear (tennis shoes vs. flip flops), where we shop (Whole Foods Market vs. Wal-Mart), what we eat (organic vs. fast food), or even the way we send information (snail mail vs. text message) can work to persuade others”. One move that both writers have in common, and for the same purpose, is the use of rhetorical questions.

            While there are many different “moves” that each of these articles implemented, some of them were more successful than the others. One particular move is how Janet Boyd made her piece extremely conversational and personal. I feel as if this provides for a very interesting and unique piece that teaches the reader the concepts in a way that they may not normally be used to. Another particular move that I feel was very successful, and that both of the authors used, is the implementation of questions throughout the text. This allows for the reader to be more engaged and involved by thinking on their own and attempting to apply the concepts that they are learning. All in all, every writer has his or her own moves that make him or her unique and different.