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Brankat Fordston
Mr. T. Chur
English (ENG1D) and Canadian history (CHC2D)
24 May 2013
Multigenre Paper Explanations
GENRE #1: 9/11 Photo Explanation
On September 11th, 2001—a day now infamously known as “9/11”—terrorists from the group
Al-Qaeda hi-jacked four passenger jets and crashed three of them into iconic US buildings killing 2996
people (“9/11, Death”). The first plane hit one of the World Trade Centre buildings at 8:46am; by noon
of that day, Americans began calling on the United States government to declare war on Afghanistan
(“9/11, Ten”). The picture I chose is a photography taken the day after the 9/11 attack; the photo
depicts a hand-drawn poster addressed to President Bush: “Declare War on Afghanistan tonight!!!”
(Lennihan). I chose this image because it conveys the desire of many distraught Americans to seek
revenge by “taking an eye for an eye”. The photograph also shows the top of a military helmet belonging
to a member of the National Guard (Pitner). The photographer framed his image to capture both the
civilian created poster hanging in a restaurant window and the helmet of a soldier; this further conveys
an eagerness for a military response to the crisis. The urgency of the statement is underscored by the
three exclamation marks; the writer clearly believes war in Afghanistan will resolve the conflict.
The declaratory address to the President along with the public display of the poster emphasizes
that the author feels that war is the only, proper recourse in the face of such reckless violence. But
violence is not the solution to violence. A mere 26 days after the attacks of 9/11, the US began bombing
targets in Afghanistan, killing over three thousand Afghan civilians in the first year (Templeton). Despite
the swift and aggressive response by the United States against the perceived perpetrators, the tide of
violence has not been ended. According to John Mueller of the Mershon Center Ohio State University,
there have been over 50 known cases of “Islamist extremist terrorism since 9/11, whether based in the
United States or abroad, in which the United States itself has been, or apparently has been, targeted”
(Mueller). In spite of ten years of American and NATO intervention in Afghanistan, the violence against
civilians has also persisted, resulting in 16,179 deaths in the last six years alone (“Afghanistan”). The
number of US troops killed in action during the retaliatory war in Afghanistan also surpassed 2000
(“September 11”). Clearly violence only begets more violence.
GENRE #2: Letter from Vietnam Explanation
The letter I wrote supports my thesis that the use of violence only serves to create misery and,
ultimately, more violence. The letter talks about an American soldier’s experience in the Vietnam War.
The United States became involved in the Vietnam War to prevent a takeover of South Vietnam by the
Communist forces, to “rescue the South Vietnamese people from the horrors of the commie Northern
armies” (Trueman). They feared that if the North was successful then Communism might spread in Asia,
across the world and keep “spreading to the U.S.” (Johnson). Fighting as a foreign army in the middle of
what was, essentially, a civil war created numerous difficulties as American popularity varied wildly
among the population and it was not always easy to tell who supported them and who opposed them.
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Jon asks, “are they just simple peasant farmers or V.C. sympathizers and operatives?” (Hallin 15). Even
though they were technically fighting for the Vietnamese people, the effect of having to fight among
them in their villages coupled with some of the harsh tactics used by the American military, fostered
resentment and anger in the population. This led some Vietnamese citizens who were initially
favourable to American aid to turn violently against them. As Jon sadly remarks, “they sometimes turn
into the enemy” (Chung). Violence, once unleashed, can even spread to those who we seek to protect,
planting the seeds of even greater hostility.
In crafting this letter, I sought to make it sound as authentic as possible. Therefore, I used slang
that would have been common to American soldiers in Vietnam: calling enemy fighters “Charlie” and
referring to their outfits as “pyjamas” (“Language of War”). I used the rhetorical question, “How are a
rag-tag bunch of guys in black pyjamas thousands of miles away going to conquer
Washington?”(Fordston, “Letter”) to help discredit the official argument for involvement in the war.
Through the repeated use of the word “enemy” (Fordston, “Letter”) in different contexts, I was able to
emphasize the catch-22 faced by American soldiers. Through repetition, I am able to convey how the
way the soldiers were forced to act towards the villagers might turn them into foes.
GENRE #3: “Cut Short” Poem Explanation
I chose to write a concrete poem in the shape of a felled tree. Throughout the Frank family’s
years in hiding, Anne would peer out the window in the attic of the Secret Annex at a chestnut tree. To
her, this tree to her represented her lost liberty. In her diary Anne stated, “I long for freedom and fresh
air…This morning, when I was sitting in front of the window and taking along, deep look outside at God
and nature, I was happy, just plain happy” (Frank 195). The top of the poem represents the joy of this
moment, with the “sunlight dancing on a chestnut tree”(Fordston, “Cut”) and it is juxtaposed with the
bottom of the image (where the tree is cut down) as Anne dies within eighteen months of that reflective
moment.
I used parallel structure in the first two lines to show that Anne’s life, at the beginning, was
harmonious and normal. In the third line I chose to break the parallel structure by switching tenses in
order to emphasize the fact that Anne’s life was interrupted when her sister, Margot, received a notice
from the Germans occupying Holland, stating that Margot was to be deported to a work camp (Frank
19). In reaction to this frightening news, Anne and her family hid themselves inside an unused area of
her father’s business, a place which she dubs, the “Secret Annex” (Frank 23), and in my poem it is the
“community in shadow”(Fordston, “Cut”). In the poem I compared Anne to a “treasure buried” stolen
by the Nazis (Fordston, “Cut”). This was meant to echo the idea of the possessions taken from the
Jewish people as they entered the concentration camps. I tried to convey the idea that Anne herself, her
mind, and message were a treasure lost. The story of Anne Frank illustrates the idea that violence does
not solve anything. Anne and the other residents of the Secret Annex lived with fear day in and day out
for two years. In the end they were forced to suffer through worse as their family was torn apart by the
Holocaust. Otto Frank, Anne’s father was the only survivor from the Secret Annex (Frank 334). Upon
returning to Amsterdam he had to endure the loss of his wife, children, and friends. The only good that
came from Anne’s demise was that her diary remains as a testament to the futility of violence: “her
words still echo around the world”(Fordston, “Cut”).
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GENRE #4: Boston Bombing Editorial Explanation
That “violence never solves anything, and only provokes more violence or resistance” is clearly
illustrated in the editorial regarding the Boston Marathon bombing. To begin, Fournier lists the terrorist
attacks that have taken place on American soil since September 11, 2001, like Richard Reid, the shoe
bomber from December 2001, the 2009 attempt to blow up the New York City subway system, and the
thwarted Times Square car bomb of 2010(Fournier) as examples of the continuation of homegrown
violence. However, Fournier opines that the Boston bombing has serious “social significance”(Fournier).
He opines that the events of 9/11 and Oklahoma City struck at symbolic institutions, finance and
government, whereas the Boston bombings struck at the heart of public life, at the people themselves.
He believes that America was founded on the ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and, in
his view, the recent bombing in Boston will elicit more negative repercussions on the American public
and that their lives will get “much worse”(Fournier).
Starting from the headline and working downward, there are effective elements in Fournier’s
piece, which advance my thesis. The headline “Why Boston Bombings Might Be Scarier Than 9/11” is
effective, because the audience knows that the death toll of the Boston bombing is far lower than the
causalities of 9/11, and would wonder why would the Boston bombing be viewed as “scarier”?
(Fournier). The claim Fournier makes in his headline underscores that the Boston bombing is more
sinister than 9/11 because, even though fewer people died, the bombers attacked everyday people,
instead of symbolic institutions. This could incite fear and a desire to fight back. As well, the images
below the byline are highly effective. Even though the article barely mentions Martin Richards, the
pictures of the boy and his home emphasize that the bombers attacked Americans, not institutions:
even an 8 year old boy isn’t safe. People are prepared to do just about anything to keep their families
safe. The violence precipitated by 9/11 has brought more violence in the decade since. The Boston
bombing will cause the fear to deepen, and fear makes people want to use guns, instead of reason, to
solve the problem.
GENRE #5: Hunger Games Propaganda Poster Explanation
 Here I would explain how my poster supports my thesis, as well as the propaganda techniques
(e.g. appeal to fear—the threat in “you burn” as well as the direct order—“Rebel”)
 In this explanation, I will be required to quote both my poster and the novel, to support my
thesis. In this explanation, I would quote my own word(“Rebel”), the movie Hunger Games,
Mockingjay Part 1 (“If We Burn, You Burn with Us”), and the novel Mockingjay. As such, I would
internally cite all three and list all 3 in my Works Cited (see Works Cited at end; these items are
in bold).
GENRE #6: Obama’s Israeli Speech Explanation
This speech excerpt powerfully supports my thesis that “might is not right”. The Israelis and
Palestinians have been at odds ever since the Palestinians were uprooted and displaced from their
homeland in 1947 when Jews were given back their homeland, Israel. The Palestinians received great
sympathy from all her neighbouring Arabic states, and this anti-Israeli sentiment hasn’t waned in the 60
years since Israel was created. Israel, as noted by Obama is alone in a sea of antipathy, surrounded by
enemies.(Lerner) Obama also says, “… [G]iven the march of technology, the only way to truly protect the
Israeli people over the long term is through the absence of war” (Lerner). This is a powerful argument
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against turning to violence: when you are surrounded by enemies, and the fact that technological
advances in weaponry just don’t stop coming, you cannot win, or if you did, the victory would come at
great cost. As well, Obama states, “Just as Israelis built a state in their homeland, Palestinians have a
right to be a free people in their own land…”(Lerner). This is a powerful argument: Israelis would
empathize with this sentiment, because they were without a homeland for centuries and suffered
because of this. How can one argue against such a rational and reasonable request? It shows that if
people put themselves in someone else’s shoes, violence would never be the solution.
I also chose this excerpt because of the effective stylistic components. Obama uses a metaphor
in the following line: “Israel needs to reverse an undertow of isolation”(Lerner). This metaphor
powerfully conveys why peace and friendship are necessary. If you are caught in an undertow, you are
helpless: the sea will drag you out and you will drown. With this image, Obama underscores the danger
that Israel is in if it continues to alienate its Arabic neighbours, and invite military aggression. He also
uses parallel structure: “Neither occupation nor expulsion is the answer”(Lerner). This helps emphasize
to his Israeli audience that their two solutions(“occupation” and “expulsion”) to the Palestinian situation
are equally ineffective. It is time to give Palestinians another option, an option that doesn’t involve
military aggression.
GENRE #7: VisRep Explanation
“…No wall is high enough and no Iron Dome is strong enough to stop an enemy that is intent on
inflicting harm” (Farmer 78). One cannot solve one’s problems with violence, because no one can build
a defense strong enough that will stop an enemy that wants to kill you. In my independent novel, Sarah
Freeman lives in a town surrounded by a wall and covered by an Iron Dome. Outside the walls, for
generations, roving gangs have attacked her town, because they have no food or shelter. However, no
one in Sarah’s town believes anyone should help them. As her father says, “It is either us or them,
Sarah. They are savages: they would kill every last one of us, if they could” (Farmer 4). Unfortunately,
the gangs become organized under a powerful leader, Barron, and they find a cache of “ancient
weapons of great power”(Farmer 56) which turn out to be bombs left behind by the “Old Ones”(Farmer
62). Barron unleashes these weapons, destroying Sarah’s community and killing her family. When
Sarah’s mayor begs for mercy, Barron says, “My daughter died alone. I found her shrivelled, emaciated
body with her hands in her mouth. She had chewed off the tips of three of her fingers. Where did my
daughter find mercy?” (Farmer 85). Barron’s refusal to show mercy clearly shows how violence begets
violence. For generations Barron and his people had suffered and no one had reached out to help them:
they were treated as an enemy. Sarah’s people believed their walls and dome would save them, but as
Barron says, that won’t help you if you have a determined enemy.
I chose the Grim Reaper for my image because death is inevitable, just as an attack from an enemy
is inevitable. Violence will only bring violence. It is just a matter of time. I emphasized the meaning of
the word “NO” by making it the largest on the screen. Red was chosen for the words associated with
violence and pain.(e.g., “enemy” and “inflicting harm”). “[E]nemy” and “inflicting harm” are in chiller
font to underscore the fear inspired by those words. “[W]all” and “iron dome” are very small and in
Berlin font to show how useless they are(the Berlin Wall didn’t stop all people from defecting and the
wall did come down). “[S]trong enough” is in a frail looking font and a small size to show that the dome
can’t stop the weapons aimed at you. The alignment of the word “stop” is made to look like a wall, but
put in a small size to show that it can’t stop the enemies at your gates. For “high enough”, “strong
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enough” and “stop”, I chose a very pale and anemic blue to underscore the weakness of the wall and
dome and that they won’t stop anything.
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Works Cited
"9/11 Death Statistics." Statistic Brain RSS., 26 Sept. 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
"9/11 Ten Years Later." International News. EuroNews.com, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
“Afghanistan Annual Report 2012 Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict”. UNAMA Rep. United
Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Feb. 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2013
Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2010. Print.
Chung, Nyguyen Ba. “The Vietnam War and Vietnam” American Experience Online. PBS.org., Aug. 2006.
Web. 18 April 2013.
Farmer, Mitchell. The Iron Dome. New York: Rooster Publishing, 2014. Print.
Fordston, Brankat. “Cut Short”. Unpublished. Created Apr. 2013. Print.
---. “Letter from Vietnam Soldier to his Brother”. Unpublished. Created Apr. 2013. Print.
---. “If We Burn, You Burn”. Unpublished. Created Apr. 2013. Poster.
Frank, Anne. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. New York: Bantam, 1952. Print.
Hallin, D.C. The Uncensored War: The Media and Vietnam. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985. Print.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I. Dir. Lawrence, Francis. Lionsgate, 2014. DVD.
Johnson, L. “American Policy in Vietnam.” Purdue University. Union Club Hotel, West Lafayette, IN. 7
Apr. 1965. Web. 18 Apr. 2013.
“Language of War”. American Experience Online. PBS.org, Aug. 2006. Web. 18 Apr. 2013.
Lerner, Michael (ed.)”Obama’s Speech to the Israelis”. Tikkun. Tikkun.org., 21. Mar. 2013. Web. 17 Apr.
2013.
Lennihan, Mark. 2001. Photograph. AP, New York. National Journal. National Journal, 3 May 2012. Web.
19 Apr. 2013.
Mueller, John. "Terrorism since 9/11: The American Cases." Terrorism since 9/11: The American Cases.
Ohio State University, 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
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Pitner, Barrett Holmes. "Afghanistan: A Decade of War, Nearing an End-PICTURES."
NationalJournal.com. National Journal, 3 May 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
"September 11 by Numbers." September 11 by Numbers. New York Magazine, Sept. 2012. Web. 19 Apr.
2013.
Templeton, Tom. "9/11 in Numbers." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. 17 Aug. 2002. Web. 19
Apr. 2013.
Trueman, C. “America’s Involvement in Vietnam” History Learning Site. HistoryLearningSite.co.uk, 2000.
Web. 18 April 2013.
NOTE: the 3 items in bold on this Works Cited, correspond with the
Hunger Games poster for slide 5 and the explanation for it on page 3. As
noted, since the author of this assignment is Brankat Fordston, the author
needs to list himself as one of the authors cited, as well as what else was
cited to from the two original sources—the novel and film. All 3 items
were put in bold on the Works Cited exemplar to draw your attention to
those items; however in your Works Cited, there will be NO bold
whatsoever, as per MLA expectations.