Reading
Review
KEVIN LEDDY AND EMILY ROFF
Declaration of Rights and
Sentiments
BY ELIZABETH CADY STANTON
100 GREATS PAGE 592
SOAPSTone

Speaker: Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Occasion: Seneca Falls Convention in 1848

Audience:crowd gathered at the convention, therefore
most people who supported women’s right to vote

Purpose: To persuade and inform people of why
women should have the right to vote.

Subject: Why women deserve equal rights to vote
especially in respect to the Declaration of
Independence

Tone: Authoritative, Pedantic and Formal
Analysis

Stanton takes a firm stand on why women
deserve the right to vote.

Stanton utilizes the structure of the Declaration of
Independence to draw a parallel between her
argument and the argument of the founding
fathers. Stanton makes key diction changes to
make the sentences more inclusive. Stanton
inserts ‘women’ into the sentence ‘We hold these
truths to be self evident: that all men and women
are created equal. The use of the Declaration is a
masterful appeal to both ethos and pathos.
Analysis

Stanton then states the government is wrong for
denying women their rights, specifically the right to
vote. To justify her claim, Stanton lists her grievances
against the government. Stanton feels that they
government has used women when they could gain
and ignored women at any other time.

Stanton specifically cites double standards that
women face. Stanton states that the government
forces women to obey the laws and pay taxes
without having a voice (vote). Stanton also states
the double standards of women when it comes to
morality. Women can commit any impure act
provide it is in the covenant of marriage and that
women are made slaves to their husband who
becomes their master.
Analysis

Stanton states that women have been forced to
live a subordinate life in both the Church and
state. She also states that women’s self esteem
has been destroyed by men.

Stanton finishes her essay by stating that women
will continue to crusade for their rights until they
are given what is rightfully theirs.
Quotes

We hold these truths to be self evident: that all
men and women are created equal.

These quote illustrates Stanton’s argument. All
men and women are created equal and should
be treated equal as such. The rights of women,
especially voting, are God-given and undeniable.
It is against the natural laws of God and man to
deny these rights.
Quotes

Such has been the patient sufferance of
sufferance of women under this government

The struggle of women is not a new concept. It
has existed for a long time. Women were patient
and waited desperately for men to correct the
situation. Since that has not come to past, women
have been forced to take action on their own to
correct the grievous wrongs committed against
them.
Quotes

If single, and the owner of property, he has taxed
her to support a government which recognizes
her only when her property can be made
profitable to it

These quote illustrates a specific and cruel
example of the exploitation of women at the
hands of men. The government does not allow
women to be citizens or vote. They have no say in
our democracy. Yet our democracy will force
them to pay taxes which they have no influence
over as they lack the ability to vote.
Logos

Because Stanton lived in a religious society,
Stanton uses religious examples to prove her
point. She states, “He has usurped the prerogative
of Jehovah himself”

Stanton also structures her essay in the same
manner as Declaration of Independence.
Through the first three paragraphs, Stanton uses
the same structure as the Declaration of
Independence.
Ethos

Stanton is a woman, thus she can speak on an
issue of women’s rights.

Stanton proves herself capable of being
educated individual by referring throughout her
essay to the Declaration of Independence at
many points.

Stanton creates a list of grievances to show the
rationale behind her argument that women
should vote.
Syntax/Tone

Stanton uses flowing syntax of long sentences. The
entire first paragraph of the essay is one sentence.
The second paragraph continues the long syntax
which symbolizes the long struggle of women.
When Stanton gets to the list of grievances, her
sentences become shorter, showing a more
forceful tone and the direct action needed to
end women’s struggles.

The tone of the speech is slightly pedantic and
didactic. Overall, the tone is very respectful.
Stanton does not becomes accusatory or rude at
any point but remains respectful and ends the
speech on Call to Action of change rather than
an accusation.
Themes:

Discovery of self: Women are discovering who
they are and reaching out for greater
opportunities. Women have discovered their inner
strength to give speeches, be leaders, hold
protests, and work outside the home.

Freedom/Government: Women were proposing
and major change in government policy. Women
were asking for something that had previously
been unheard of, the right to vote.

History: This is a historical document that is part of
the history of the 19th amendment

.
Themes

Family/Gender relations: The relationship of men
and women started to shift as women become
more independent and thought for themselves.
The right to vote was major milestone for women
become independent of men. The roles of
women started to shift outside of the home which
was different from the past.

Ethics/Morals: the right of women to vote went
against the morals of the 1800s which had women
the silent supporters of men. Women did not
speak out or criticize men, especially in public
NAPS

BY: Barbara Holland

Thematic Characterization: Cultural Diversity

100 Great page 289
SOAPSTone

Speaker: Barbara Holland

Occasion: Essay from Endangered Pleasures

Audience: Americans

Purpose: To persuade the American Public to accept the idea
of naps into their culture

Subject: Importance of daily naps for a human’s physical
and psychological health

Tone: Informative

Start with imagery on a boat in France. The scene was quiet
and peaceful

“the fields lay empty of farmers. The roads lay empty of
trucks.”

“France lunched, and the slept. So did Spain. So did much
of the civilized world.”

Appeal to pathos with repetition of “so did”, soft diction.
Implying the world was napping

Logos is heavily appealed to.

“Napping is too luxurious, too sybaritic, too unproductive, and it’s free;
pleasures for which we don’t pay make us anxious.”

We do not like them because, “Fighting off natural inclinations is a major
Puritan value”

Americans dislike naps because they are not accustomed to free pleasures
and feel obligated to work rather than to seek pleasure
She continues by saying that those without a sense
of time nap. Americans are afraid to nap, she
addresses these concerns in the following
paragraphs
Concerns: -It is different then bedtime sleep
-we lose a sense of time –We nap alone –Outside
world continues/Nervousness about what we are
missing –Nowhere to nap
With all of these concerns, Holland asks, where are the beds? In
Japan they have nap rooms in work, so that workers can rest and
be productive rather than their American counterparts who lose
productivity and make sloppy work which must be redone the
following day. She says that even CEOs have these rooms. This
appeal to a successful person is meant to get the effect of, if
they can do and run massive companies, I too want to be
successful and it forces the reader to say perhaps I should nap.
“Oozing virtue and busyness, we flog ourselves”
By not napping we are punishing ourselves
Pathos Again with the imagery of the tired American Man. Also
appeal to women where, “naps are not an option” She says that
the man can take a nap and he will listen. She attempts reverse
psychology say that women are always busy, non-stop creatures
in hopes that they will respond by saying that they are in charge
and can stop and nap whenever, and to prove it they will stop
and nap. Holland hopes this nap will hook them onto her idea
CALL TO ACTION
“It’s time to rethink the nap from both the corporate
and the personal viewpoint”
Solution

Naps at work and home

Store futons and cots in the office under one’s
desk

Phones and fax to automated response

Naps at home to like a cat
The Cat Metaphor

We should be more the the cat, “the house may
be simply pattering with uncaught mice, but no
twitch of guilt quivers the whiskers of the napping
cat . . . Nothing tells him he ought to be rushing
about his various occupations”

Be like the cat, feel no guilt in sleeping, relax and
enjoy your rest. Do not worry about work, sleep
and then go back to your job well rested.
Reasons to Nap

Not only when sick

Allusions: Milton’s Paridise Lost and Whinston
Churchill.

Also note Personification of Creativity as She and
her
Logos
Holland uses logos to explain the benefits of napping
on productivity and creativity
Pathos
Holland uses Pathos to paint images and emotionally
capture her audience. She uses allusion and
metaphor to seduce the reader into accepting naps
into their daily life and the general culture of
America.
Structure
1. Imagery and
background of
other cultures
6. Concluding
Imagery and Allusions
with final comments
2. Napping is
against our culture
and addresses
Opposition/Conce
rns
5. Holland’s
solution
3. Production
quality with
and without
Naps
(Japan Vs. US)
4. American
Stereotypes
and Call to
Action
This is Emo
BY CHUCK KLOSTERMAN
SOAPSTone

Speaker: Chuck Klosterman

Occasion: Essay from Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A
Low Culture Manifesto

Audience: Anyone who reads his book, especially
the American public

Purpose: To criticize the public image of love, to
challenge the morals of modern society when it
comes to love

Subject: Klosterman speaks about the devolution of
love and the reality that most ideas about love exist
only in fantasy. The public craves a perfect ‘fake’
idea of love.

Tone: Sarcastic and forthright.
Analysis:

Klosterman begins his essay with a bold statement to grab
the audiences attention.

He then acknowledges the opposition by stating that he
recognizes this statement could be used against him in the
future. He acknowledges that if he does find the fake
perfect love, he will deny the thoughts that he stated in his
essay.

Klosterman continues to make bold statements throughout
his essay, using non politically correct and coarse
language to surprise and shake the reader. Klosterman
explains that no one experiences the kind of mindblowing
love that is portrayed in the movies because it does not
exist.

Klosterman explains that we as the American public
choose to idealize the love that is seen in the movies. The
prefect love were no one fights and you can fall in love in
1½ hours does not exist.
Klosterman states that single women are not in love
with John Cusack but the character who he played.
They are in love with Lloyd Dobler who wrote the
two dimension character.
 Klosterman cites a personal experience when his
girlfriend chose to go to a Coldplay concert rather
than go the Waldorf Astoria with him. His girlfriend
choose the manufactured love of Coldplay songs
rather than his real and genuine love.
 To acknowledge the opposition of his personal
experiences, Klosterman states that he is not bitter.
 Klosterman shifts his argument to society. He states
the problem with modern marriage is that people
expect real love to be like fake love and that real
people are modelling themselves after fake people,
making them no less fake.


Klosterman states that there are positives too. Woody Allen
made the nerdy guy cool. (Think our class and David
Tennant ;] )Thus Klosterman, the nerdy guy benefits but
only in the short term.

Klosterman states how the media makes us overemphasis
our feelings. We lose the beauty of simplicity. Like breakfast
for an example, all Klosterman wants is companionable
silence to eat his cocoa puffs in.

Klosterman also talks about the dating your best friend and
how disaster that is because it was never a friendship to
begin with. One person was actually in love with the other.
The biggest problem is we all believe that all relationships
will last forever. But they don’t. How do you pick up the
pieces after a BFF romantic relationship ends?

Klosterman concludes with his own humanity, he too wants
fake love.
Quotes:

“No woman will ever satisfy me”

This quote is the most basic explanation of
Klosterman’s argument. We can never find love
because we look for a form of perfect two
dimensional love that cannot exist in our three
dimensional world.

“Every straight girl I know would sell her soul to
share a milkshake with that motherfucker”

Klosterman expresses his frustration at the priorities
of Americans. These teenage girls would give
anything and everything for a milkshake with John
Cusack (insert hot guy here). This guy will probably
forget them about ten minutes after the
milkshake. The guy will also not live up to their
expectations because they will be real and not
the imagined fantasy.

“Fake love is a very powerful thing”

This sentence is almost poetic. The sentence is
short and simple but explains a very profound
truth. All of us are motivated by fake love. Like an
alcoholic with a vintage wine, we crave and seek
this fake love ruthlessly. We go crazy over it. It can
make us happy enough to dance naked in the
rain or make us hole up in our room with
chocolate and ice cream for a weekend. Fake
love controls us and we have very little control
over it.

“Real people are actively trying to live like fake
people, so real people are no less fake.”

This quote is extremely versatile in the argument
section of the exam. Klosterman is saying that real
people are fake because they try to imitate what
characters, who are not real, do. This can apply
to a broader range of anything that seems to
control people. For example, people buying an
expensive apartment to pretend to be classy. This
quote is about facades.

“I want fake love. But that’s all I want, and that’s
why I can’t have it.”

We can never have something that does not
exist. Klosterman like most of us, desires fake love.
However something that is fake by definition does
not exist. If fake love does not exist, we can never
have it.

Could be used for a prompt about pursuit of
unattainable/obsession
Ethos/Allusions

Klosterman uses allusions to establish his ethos as
an author. Klosterman’s claim is very controversial.
He must prove that he is well informed on his
subject in order for his argument to work. To prove
he is aware of modern society which is his subject,
Klosterman alludes to common pop culture like
“Woody Allen”, “John Cusack”, “Coldplay” and
“Ford”. Klosterman reinforces that he understands
the subject he is speaking about. The audience is
also able to relate because they understand and
recognize his metaphors.
Ethos/Pathos

Klosterman further establishes ethos be citing a
personal encounter with ‘fake love’. Klosterman
has experience the effects of fake love first hand,
he understands and knows the effects. Therefore,
he can comment on the existence of fake love
and the effects it has.

Klosterman plays to the audience’s emotions
through his story. Klosterman tells a sad tale of his
girlfriend picking Coldplay over him. He ends up in
a lonely bed in the Waldorf (a fancy hotel) while
she’s at a concert. We feel bad for Klosterman
because we can all relate to rejection.
Tone/Syntax
Klosterman makes his major claims through short
sentences like “Now I will be lying” (paragraph 2).
These short sentences stand out and identify
Klosterman’s argument and frustrations. The short
sentences contrast with the slightly longer diction the
way reality contrasts with fake love.
 The tone is frank and colloquial. Klosterman does not
‘sugar coat’ it. He states his beliefs in a forthright
manner to avoid having them misconstrued or
misunderstood.
 Klosterman is speaking to the public not scholars
and his diction reflects this. At times, Klosterman uses
coarse diction like ‘fucking milkshake’ or ‘Ford
fucking Motor Company’. Klosterman is frustrated.
We all curse when we are frustrated so Klosterman
remains uncensored and does the same.

Themes

Morals: Klosterman is criticizing society’s morals.
Klosterman is upset that real people are imitating
the made up characters of movies. Klosterman
believes that people need to revaluate what they
value in a relationship in order to be successful in
a romantic relationship.

Humour and Satire: This essay is very funny.
Klosterman presents his ideas in a way to make
you laugh. While the piece address a serious
topic, it uses a light hearted approach to deliver
the message. If the essay was not funny, the
audience would probably not be receptive to
Klosterman’s ideas.

Gender relations: Romance is a form of gender
relation. Klosterman is commenting on the way
we interact with the other sex. Klosterman feels
we need to be more realistic and approach love
with a view grounded in reality. Right now, we do
not use reality to judge our interactions.