Synthesis Paired Reading Schoology Assignment
Complete Analysis Questions 1 & 2 for the assigned essays (4 questions total)
Assigned Essay 1: Why Don’t We Complain?
1. What are three examples Buckley uses, in which one might complain?
Buckley had three examples of situations in which one might complain. Buckley’s first example was
sitting on a train, where the inside temperature was 85 degrees and the outside temperature was below
freezing. Buckley wanted to complain to the conductor, but the man across from him glared at him in a
very threatening way, he decided not to. This caused Buckley to ask the conductor when they were
going to get to their destination instead of asking him to turn the heat down, which would help all
passengers aboard. Buckley had another situation where he was at a movie with his wife and the picture
was blurry. Buckley complained to his wife, but she said that when someone saw it they would fix it,
saying this out of the fear of complaining herself. After waiting for a very long time, Buckley decided it
would be best to bring attention to one of the authorities, but once again scolded by his wife. In result,
he, his wife, and everyone else, had to watch the movie out of focus. Lastly, Buckley was at a ski repair
store and there were many people in front of him. There was a man helping a young women and it
looked like he was going to be there a while. Next, there was a man who seemed to not be busy at all,
but for whatever odd reason, he was not assisting the customers. At this point, Buckley is furious and
refuses to let another situation in which he feels uncomfortable go by without him bringing any
attention to it. So, he decides to confront the man, only to realize the reason that the man had not
helped him or the others, was simply because he had just suffered from a heart attack and could not
move. After hearing this, Buckley is instantly regretful of his decision.
2. What does Buckley argue is the relationship between our failure to complain and our failure to care
about politics?
He states that, as the years go by, we feel we have less of a voice in shaping our world than we did in
prior years. Buckley argues that, in general, we say less than we have in the past, and this feeling of
helplessness has trickled into our apathy in the political realms.
Assigned Essay 2: A Small Change: Why the Revolution will Not be Tweeted
1. What Idea of social media is Gladwell arguing against?
Social media is not capable of making revolutionary changes and/or huge improvements many think.
Although it can draw the attention and awareness to a problem, without direct action that is simply all it
can do. Social networking falls short of old fashioned social protest in making large changes. People
avoid high-risk protests when they have the luxury of sitting behind a screen.
2. The most important comparison Gladwell makes here is between revolutionary moments preand post-Internet. How does he use this comparison not only to make his point but also to
structure his essay? Imagine other ways in which he could have structured it. How would they
have differed? Would they have been less effective?
By comparing the protest then to now really opens the eyes of his readers. Gladwell mentioning
how effective protest were pre-internet in comparison with how less effective the “protest” are now,
involving social media only drive his point home. If he had not inserted the different protest in the early
60s, his argument would have not been credible. Inserting that reference causes the readers to see their
errors when it comes to social media and protests, which in the end promoted change and
improvement.
1. Provide the link for your outside related source. Summarize the outside source by stating what
the main argument is and the basic supporting details. Explain how your outside source relates
to the assigned essays: https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/04/us/colin-kaepernick-controversy-qand-a/index.html
This is an article about former Quaterback Colin Kaepernick. During the national anthem, Kaepernick
decided it was necessary to kneel rather than stand, he did so to protest unjust shootings by policemen
of unarmed black men, and any other injustices against black people. He choosing to do this drew a
plethora of attention, both good and bad. While Kaepernick could have easily just tweeted about the
situation, he understood that the only way for it to be most effective was not the internet, but instead
direct action. This relates to both essays because he is choosing not to stand by and watch or to simply
sit behind a screen of a phone, but instead he is deciding to complain and he has decided social media
will not be his only way of protest, he decided--despite the high risk--direct action was the start of this
revolution.
2. **Create the Source Box information for your outside source?