Comparing and Contrasting “Coming Home Again” and “Plague of Tics”

In Chang-rae Lee’s personal narrative, “Coming Home Again,” he describes the story of his mother getting sick. He leaves out all of the negative side effects of stomach cancer, and instead focuses on centering the narrative around his positive connections with his mom and the food she used to make. This is a very powerful narrative. It makes me think about how all moments need to be cherished, because you never know what will happen in the future. There are a few passages in the story when Lee seems to regret some of his past decisions, but it is mostly a recollection of positive and fond memories of his mother. He tries to let her live on even after she passes, through recreating the meals she cooked for their family. All of the many anecdotes that Lee includes, such as his tasting his mother’s meals again after being away at school, and attempting to make food for her, cause the reader to feel for him. Even though this might not be his intent, it really makes me think about all of the precious moments that I have had, and how much they should be appreciated.

            David Sedaris’ “Plague of Tics,” on the other hand, is chronologically written, from when he was a child to when he was in college. It is a tale about himself, while “Coming Home Again” is a story about the author’s mother. This narrative describes his difficult life growing up with OCD. No one seemed to understand exactly what OCD was, or what he was going through. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been to deal with what he dealt with for such a long time. Sedaris’ many descriptive anecdotes and dialogue cause me to feel very badly for him, and almost uncomfortable to imagine being around him. He writes about how he does not understand why his various tics are wrongdoings; he believes that he has no other choice. The purpose of this narrative is not particularly clear, but I think that Sedaris just wants readers to know what he went through, and although many of his actions were not accepted, he got through it.

Rhetoric Comparing and Contrasting

In Alan Dean Foster’s “Living with Fire,” he uses lots of imagery to get his point across. He writes sentences such as “the mountains were on fire,” “the fire essentially flipped over a team of firefighters,” and “the mass of orange-brown smoke had taken over the sky.” This type of short, descriptive sentence paints a picture of exactly what happened during these fires, without evoking too much emotion from the author. Foster also asks questions at the end of his essay to give the reader a more interactive feel, like we can relate to an event even if it has not happened to us personally. Not only does he tell a story, but he teaches a lesson which basically states that nothing is perfect in the world. Bad things happen no matter what, so there is no point in living in fear.

            “On Being a Cripple” is very different than “Living with Fire,” with a much different plot. Although at the same time, the authors share the same positive perspective on life, that things are what they are, and they can be dealt with. Nancy Mairs, the author of “On Being a Cripple,” does not beat around the bush. She prefers to be called what she sees herself as while having multiple sclerosis – a cripple – rather than using words such as “disabled” or “handicapped.” She believes that those two words have negative connotations to them, and she wants to remember that other than a few physical imperfections, she is the same as the next person. There are times throughout the essay where it seems that Mairs is attempting to capture sympathy from the reader, but then in following sentences, she reminds the reader that she is okay with being a cripple. A strategy that Mairs uses in her essay is the inclusion of many emotions. There is definitely some anger and frustration included, but there are also emotions and qualities such as appreciation (for the love of her family), strength, and acceptance of the fact that she is limited to less physical activities. She does not let MS stop her from living her life, which is an important lesson for all.

Introduction & Question

            Every flyer is made with the intention to inform or persuade, so why is it that some stand out more than others? The wording, pictures, size, and lengthiness can all have an effect on a flyer’s noticeability, but the purpose of the advertisement is important as well. Different styles of flyers can be used for separate types of ads, such as an organization flyer and an event flyer, and still have the same effect. The techniques used on the advertisement should reflect what it is advertising and who it is meant to attract.

            Both of the flyers that I found are for study abroad programs. One is advertising leadership and service-based studies in Ghana, and the other is for three separate trips in the Pamplin College of Business. The Ghana flyer was found in the hall of a dorm room building, showing that it is open for all students, but the Pamplin flyer was found in McBryde, with the words “College of Business” printed on the front. Another thing that differed was style of the advertisement. For Ghana, there are words covering both the front and the back of the sheet, but for Pamplin, the pictures take up more space than the few, large words do. Being that these two flyers are both advertising study abroad programs, which style most effectively draws the attention of college students?