SOAPSTone of “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out”

The subject of Dave Barry’s “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out” is the difference in attention to detail and sports as a priority between men and women. This comparison is illustrated through the use of the world series game and the clean bathroom example. These examples are clear indicators of the differences between men and women in these categories.

            “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out” was written during 1996. The essay’s time of creation is displayed in the description at the beginning of the essay. There is no disputing fact, but more specifically I believe it was written in winter because it is after the world series which is in the fall. The probable place of this essay’s creation is in Dave Barry’s home. I think this because he had no mention of being anywhere else in the world.

            The time and place of the essay’s creation influence the essay in that it was written after several events had occurred which led him to realize his message. We know that it was written after these events because he used them as examples.

            Dave Barry’s specific audience for “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out” is men who are in some sort of relationship with a woman. The author’s target audience is revealed when Barry explains how he dealt with the bathroom situation. He is making an example of what all men should do when that kind of situation arises; he knows he cannot win and that is what he does instead.

            The author’s general audience for the essay is all men. The author’s general audience is expressed when he singles out that women send him letters. If his audience was also women then he wouldn’t have made that distinction.

            Dave Barry’s purpose in “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out” is to contrast men in women in certain aspects of life. After reading his essay he wants his audience to understand the differences and why they occur. The contrast is illustrated by recognizing that “men generally don’t notice [dirt] until if forms clumps large enough to support agriculture.” In the sentence prior to this one he explained how women can see dirt that is microscopic; thus, the clear difference between a man’s and a woman’s attention to detail.

            Dave Barry, a humorist, believes that women pay more attention to detail than men. This value is illustrated by his use of the dirty bathroom example. He was asked to clean the bathroom, and he cleaned it even though he thought it was already clean. Then when his wife looked at it she thought it was still dirty. This attention to detail that women have is half of his purpose.

            Dave Barry, once called the funniest man in America, also believes that women in general do not have a love for sports even close to the average mans. He demonstrates this with the social gaffe example of his friend Maddy. The women didn’t care at all about one of the biggest sporting events in the world. This lack of concern clearly displays and is the second half of the purpose.

            Dave Barry’s use of sarcasm is evident when he describes the toy soldiers his son has next to his bathtub. The sarcasm he uses make the purpose feel less serious, yet it still makes it meaningful.

            Dave Barry’s use of imagery is evident when he speaks of the bathroom at the bar he used to hang out at. This amount of dirtiness shows when men become aware of filth and why women pay more attention to detail.

            Dave Barry exhibits a sarcastic and humorous attitude about the comparison between men and women when it comes to attention to detail and love for sports in “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out.” These attitudes are expressed with phrases like “God forbid he ever” and when describing how babies feel about eating dirt. The author’s tone makes the purpose less credible because it is clear he is not serious about this essay.

Voice Journal

1. Voice in literature is the tone and attitude that is understood about the message of a piece of literature. To create voice a person could use word choice, syntax, or irony.

2. "I am a soccer player; I am the next Messi. I score like two goals every season!" My voice here is sarcastic because scoring just two goals in a season, as a forward, is not very good. I used irony to convey my sarcasm.

3. I would talk around failing a test if my parents asked me about it. I would do this because I wouldn't want a bad light to be shined on me.

4. It is important in non-fiction because it demonstrates the way an author feels about the subject. We want to avoid bias in our academic essays.

5. Using the same devices and developing a specific style would make your writing unique and identifiable.

Kandisky vs. Pollack

Personally, I like Kandisky's painting better because it makes me feel happy and cheerful.

The Kandisky painting is also more pleasing to look at because it is lighter, more colorful, and not as strange as the splatter that Pollack uses.

Sign Language - a short film

The single effect is that nothing in front of you can be taken for granted and that you have to make things happen instead of hoping that they just will.

1) Ben and Anya both have rainbow gloves which symbolizes that they are meant to be together.
2) Ben and Anya both look happier than the other sign holders, we can see that they always have smiles and are very enthusiastic.
3) There was constant music that flowed with and developed the tone of the film.

I think that if there was no music then the same tone wouldn't have been conveyed. If the tone wasn't quite the same then the single effect wouldn't have been as powerful.

"Shooting an Elephant" SOAPSTone

The subject of George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant" is that he shot and killed a majestic animal that didn't morally deserve to die, in order for him not to look a fool. His murdering of the elephant is illustrated with exact details based on his experience of killing the elephant. The details that he uses of his own thought processes illustrate why he shot the elephant.

"Shooting an Elephant" was written after George Orwell was a Burmese police officer in 1936. The essay's time of creation is displayed in the bottom right corner of the work where it is clearly dated "1936." Unless he was referring to the year in which this event took place, which is extremely unlikely, the date of 1936 is correct. The probable place of this essay's creation is in England where he retired to after working in Burma; I have inferred this based on the knowledge that the first sentence states that he "was hated" in "Moulmein, in Lower Burma."

The rime and place of the essay's creation influence the essay in the choice of language that Orwell uses; for example, he describes the Burmese people as "yellow" which is unacceptable in modern society even dating back to around 1950. When preparing to shoot the gun he explains that he could feel "two thousand yellow faces urging him on." Calling eastern peoples yellow was acceptable from white people up until about 1950; since this piece was written fourteen years before that the use of the term "yellow" was not just acceptable but expected and therefore he used "yellow."

The author's specific audience for the essay is people who would work later in Burma and people who worked there then. The author's target audience is expressed by the fact that Orwell's writing is more of a teaching than it is a story, it is a teaching of morals of how one should behave and why it is so difficult. Nobody, but people who are or will be working there would want to know this so why would Orwell write about it if they weren't his audience.

George Orwell's general audience for "Shooting an Elephant" is all the white people of higher society than the Burmese people. The author's general audience is identified by Orwell's explanations about life there and how the white man was thought of by Burmese people. He would not have included these details if his audience were people who knew about Burmese society.

George Orwell's purpose in "Shooting an Elephant" is to describe the relationship between the natives and the white man and what actions and reactions it causes. Orwell also wants his audience to recognize that something terrible like killing an elephant should not be done in order to save ones own skin, especially, to keep yourself from looking dumb. The rationalization of the relationship  between white people and the Burmese is illustrated by the Buddhist monks, "there were several thousands of them in the town and none of them seemed to have anything to do except stand on street corners and jeer at Europeans." This detail rather clearly explains the relationships that white people have with the native people. The purpose is further articulated by the fact that these are monks of Buddhism, these monks of peace feel so strongly as to jeer Europeans for no reason surely displays the negative relationship held between the two parties.


George Orwell, author of Animal Farm, believes that the Burmese do not show proper respect to white people, especially people with authority like police officers. This value is illustrated by the disgust he expresses about everyday behaviors of Burmese people toward white people. If he agreed with their behavior he wouldn't write about it, but since he disagrees with their behavior we have to infer that it is because he believes that they fail to show respect where it is needed. This value that  Orwell has influences his essay by the tone that it causes him to take up because for part of it he seems irritated, especially when describing the relationship.


George Orwell, actually Eric Arthur Blair, believes that he was wrong in killing the elephant. This value is illustrated by his remorse for the dying beast and his guilt when he realizes why he killed it. If Orwell didn't think that his actions were wrong then he would not feel guilty. This value influences his essay at the end when he admits that the only reason he killed it was to keep himself from looking a fool, when in reality it made him a fool to himself. It also affects the purpose of the essay because it is the subject of the essay.


George Orwell's use of imagery is evident when he explains the two thousand "yellow" faces behind him as he is about to shoot the elephant. This rhetoric influences the essay's purpose because it emphasizes the pressure that he was under not to look like a fool. This rhetoric does increase the purpose's effectiveness.


George Orwell's use of imagery is evident when he demonstrates the elephants suffering at death. This influences the purpose of the essay because it makes the subject stronger and more powerful. This also increases the purpose's effectiveness.


George Orwell exhibits an irritated and sorrowful attitude about how he killed an elephant just so he could keep from looking a fool in "Shooting an Elephant." These attitudes are expressed by words like agony, solely, and furious. These show that he put an elephant in pain only to avoid looking like a fool in front of lots of people and now he is angry with himself. The tone of the essay contributes to the purpose by making it serious and also to show that this is a one time thing, but the concept is the main point of his writing. Obviously, Orwell does not mean to say that if you come across this situation do not do what I did, he means to say that do what is right, not what makes you look best.

"Across the Universe" by the Beatles

1. overflowing cup of water
2. broken light looking like 1000 eyes
3. outer space

"Broken light looking like 1000 eyes," is not only an image but also a symbol. It is a symbol because it represents something metaphorically instead of just having what is shows be what it represents.

The "Broken light looking like 1000 eyes," to me is like a shattered mirror in a dark bathroom that has been scattered about the floor. In this image I also see someone looking into the largest chunk of glass on the floor, wit h the jagged, harsh edges of the cracked mirror. To me, the shattered, distorted face that they see represents problems, failures, and disappointments. These in turn display this persons crumbling life.

"The Runaway" by Norman Rockwell

The simpler times that the 50s are often thought of as imply a carefree world in which adults wouldn't worry about what appears to be a child running away, yet in today's society we would be unnerved by this image because the police officer isn't taking any action to stop the boy. Rockwell displays, with this image, that older people are entranced in the idea that America is perfect; when, in fact, America has very many problems. Because the boy is young he is only familiar with the problems of America and hasn't been exposed to "classic America" like the policeman has. This lack of significant exposure to either side allows him not to be biased is able to recognize with his own judgement that America is not the same as it used to be. His realization of this causes him to want out of the bad situation. Rockwell's "The Runaway" overlooks the fundamental rift that was rising in America throughout the 1950s - an emerging counter-culture that was not concerned with how things were in America but rather how things are.