Synthesis Blog

Prompt taken from Question 1 http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap09_frq_english_language_formb.pdf

When a parent sends their child to a mass public school, they are promised two things in return from the school. The school promises to encourage the child’s individualism to grow and to cultivate the child’s role in society. At first glance these seem like simple, harmless goals. Yet upon further examination these two goals contradict each other. This opposition creates tension in every level of the education system. To lessen this tension, schools should support a child’s individualism in place of forcing conformity onto their students.

It almost goes without saying that the problem with conformity is how it overshadows a person’s individuality. Conformity has spread into the arts and music, areas in which individuality should excel. For instance, children are expected to sing as members of a choir where their individual voice mingles with the voices of everyone else (Source F). John Taylor Cato criticized schools’ conformist tendencies in “Against School: How Public Education Cripples Our Kids, and Why.” He compared children learning in the school setting to children learning in a home environment, saying “Don’t hide behind reading, writing, and arithmetic as a rationale, because 2 million happy homeschoolers have surely never put that banal justification to rest. Even if they hadn’t, a considerable number of well-known Americans never went through the twelve-year wringer our kids currently go through, and they turned out all right.” He brings up a good point by calling Americans out on how we have confused education with a system in the recent decades (Source A).  

A possible cover design for a book that prepares kindergarten students for standardized tests is the epitome of schools’ conformity. The cover consists of three #2 pencils, a multiple choice question torn from the standardized test, and a clock. It’s bad enough that these tests are taking up kindergarten students’ time to practice their individual talents, but they are also introducing children at a very young age to the daily bell schedule (Source C). The daily bell schedule, for instance, forces students to conform to a routine which might limit their experience with their teachers and subjects (Source B). This strict routine undermines the education system in schools.

Schools should support a student’s individuality because the alternative has become a harmful system. The drawback of conformity outweighs the benefits. Regardless of a mass public school’s intentions, the practice of forcing students to conform is harming their education and individuality, both valuable aspects of children.

Rhetorical Analysis of "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones

        America’s involvement in the Vietnam War garnered backlash which came in the form of college-led anti-war protests. At a time when people were beginning to reclaim their individual freedom of speech, voices on opposing sides made their message regarding the war heard whilst trying to suppress their rival’s. Music icons of the Counterculture, such as The Rolling Stones, preferred to express their disapproval for the war lyrically rather than explicitly. It is fitting then, that The Rolling Stones, who were known for their raunchier lyrics at the time, would go on to also compare the Vietnam War to an actual apocalypse. One of their most popular songs, “Gimme Shelter,” hinted at the band’s thoughts on the war in Vietnam. The song made its first appearance on the band’s album Let It Bleed in 1969. Lead vocalist Mick Jagger co-wrote the song alongside guitarist Keith Richards; the two were the band’s primary songwriting team. In regards to the song, Jagger once remarked “that’s a kind of end-of-the-world song, really. It’s an apocalypse; the whole record’s like that”. Truly, the song conveys the band’s message through the usage of rhetorical terms such as metaphors and repetition, to name a few.

        Following the signature guitar riff, the song delves into its first metaphor of war: “Oh, a storm is threat’ning my very life today”. The metaphor of a storm endangering the singer’s life mirrors the threat the Vietnam War posed for mankind. A violent force of nature like a storm does not discriminate in its victims, much like how the Vietnam War carelessly created civilian casualties. The metaphor persists throughout the song through the imagery of floods, another agent of chaos. Not much later in the song, the repetition of the words “rape, murder!” serve to reinforce the senseless brutally so many Americans glimpsed on their television screens every night. The listener is repeatedly reminded of the devastating repercussions of, dare I say, an apocalyptic environment.

The message behind the words shifts between condemnation for the war and a hope for peace. After the first metaphor for violence, the beginning stanza carries on with the lyrics “If I don’t get some shelter oh yeah, I’m gonna fade away”. The shelter he seeks is a metaphor for the hippies seeking peace and love, sentiments that the Counterculture tried to promote during wartime. The Counterculture Movement would have been more widely accepted were it not for its close ties to drug use. The song repeats the words “it’s just a shot away,” in reference to the use of heroin. Unfortunately, teenagers and young adults turned to a range of drugs, some more harmful than others, order to achieve the peace they sought. The third stanza is comprised of the lyrics “Ooh, see the fire is sweepin’ our very street today, burns like a red coal carpet, mad bull lost its way”. The song draws an allusion to the rapid and sometimes violent changes happening in cities scattered across America. The events happening in Vietnam sparked such massive social unrest which could only be sated by peace.

For their strong message against the Vietnam War, The Rolling Stones enhanced their song with rhetorical devices. The rhetorical terms they chose to employ would have been understood by an audience living through the American occupation in Vietnam. They were not alone in their dissatisfaction with the war and its senseless violence. So, instead of taking to the streets with other protesters, the band expressed their contempt through their songs’ lyrics.

I believe that...

I believe that, much to the environment in which I grew up, reading has always been an important aspect of my life as an escape from the chaos that seeks to dominate my life. Let me begin by confessing that I don’t read as much as I would like (so much for appealing to ethos). However, that fact won’t hinder me from talking about a subject I am not qualified to talk about.  What else would I be doing on the internet if not that? Now that I’ve confessed to my sins, I can continue talking about my love for the Good Book(s).  

To start, I have always been surrounded by books. And where books go, bookworms follow. As a child I could always find my mother hiding underneath the comforts of a blanket and a cat, reading a book in her spare time. All of my close friends are bookworms too. One of my best friends can read a book at superhuman speed. It must be on account of her “magical” red hair. I’m certain another good friend is trying to live in her local Barnes & Nobles. Employees, be on the lookout for a girl of short stature with brunette hair and green eyes behind thick glasses, most likely probably holding five books from the latest series to her chest.

I can see their personalities shine through the books they are always recommending. My redheaded friend, who I mentioned before, predominantly reads fantasies and fairytales. As the hero of her own story, she can face any challenge with her optimistic perspective on life. My other best friend reads science fiction, ranging from the classics to the obscure titles hidden away in the dark crevices of her local library.  I’m convinced she’s a robot because she can read binary code better than English. Naturally their enthusiasm for books rubbed off on me, as my friends recommend books to me whenever a chance presents itself.

As I mentioned before, reading is a healthy escape from reality when it becomes too much to bare. Immersing myself in someone else’s story lets me forget about my own problems for a time. It may sound pitiful to others; to them I say, “if you are looking for more thrilling ways of coping with life then may I suggest treasure hunting or cocaine.” As for me, I read stories revolving around heroes in the hopes that their virtues will inspire me. Heroes are supposed to conquer their own demons while saving others from some universal threat, like say the imminent threat of an apocalypse, an actual apocalypse, a threat that can only be conceivable in a post-apocalyptic world, or high school. With some space to see things in a new light, I can calmly reproach life’s problems (until it becomes too much to handle again and I have to read more to keep from crying). I was raised in an environment where reading is as habitual as eating breakfast. Reading has and will continue to help me cope with my life in a safe and enjoyable way.