Writing Homework Help

PART 1: RHETORICAL SITUATION

Describe the rhetorical situation of the article “How the Poor Are Made to Pay for Their Poverty” (pp. 364-368), specifically the author, author’s argument, subject, audience, context/setting, purpose, and genre/text.  You can write your response in the form of a bullet-point list or paragraphs.

PART 2: IDENTIFY AND RESPOND TO KEY POINTS OF YOUR SELECTED ARTICLE

Identify 4 to 5 key statements from the article “How the Poor Are Made to Pay for Their Poverty” (pp. 364-368) that support the author’s main argument. Altogether, the lines you choose, if chosen carefully, will come from different sections of the article and will give a good sense the author’s rationale for their argument.

Copy those lines and include the page number. Then beneath each line, state your response or reaction to it. Do you have questions? Agree with what the author is saying? Disagree? Agree, but feel that there are holes or gaps that the author has overlooked?

Example:

“Taking the bus, eating less meat, even turning down the thermostat can conflict with traditionally masculine notions of power and self-reliance” (p. 78)
My reaction: Here, the writer is giving examples of actions that he perceives as “un-manly.” To me, this seems to be a gross generalization. What does the author mean by “traditionally masculine,” anyway? Isn’t masculinity defined on a spectrum and can differ depending on location/region, especially in a country as large and diverse as the US? Also, who are these men who are so self-conscious about their “manliness” that they would feel judged by taking public transportation (how is public transportation gender-specific??)? I feel the author is making a huge sweeping statement and does not consider the diversity of men nor their knowledge of or attitudes toward climate change.