John Rossi's E-Portfolio

John Rossi's E-Portfolio

 

Introduction

 

The initial thought of attending college filled my mind with trepidation.  For the most part, I had worked relatively hard in high school in hopes of attending a suitable university.  By the time I was a senior who already had aspirations of becoming a Nittany Lion (I was accepted into Pennsylania State University by November of my senior year), two thoughts began to worry me: I hadn't enjoyed any of my classes throughout all of high school and had not applied myself at all during my final year before college.  The belief that if I did not enjoy any of my college courses, I wouldn't succeed at Penn State constantly gnawed at me, and I felt that my "senioritis" (the term for seniors who give up on school) would leave me wholly unprepared for the trials ahead of me.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  In my first year of college, not only have I worked harder than I ever did before, but I found all of my courses to be enthralling.  My thirst for knowledge had become as potent as it's ever been, like a young boy who obsesses over each and ever detail of his new video game.  As a testament to my new found joy in learning, I created this E-Portfolio, which displays my work from the years I spent (and will spend) in college.  Thus, the purpose of this portfolio is two fold: to pay homage to the new ideas and thoughts that I have learned while attending Penn State and to showcase the improvements that I have made in both my writing and rhetorical skills.  I hope that by presenting the essays, blogs, and speeches that I will have written throughout my time in college, my passion for learning, which was all but dead as a high school senior but has now been reborn thanks to Penn State, will become apparent to the reader.

Hotel California: Excessive Materialism

The acclaimed song, "Hotel California", written and played by the American rock band, the Eagles, is both profound and allegorical.  The setting and story of the song describes a lone man arriving at a ostensibly normal hotel in California.  Through the interesting lyrics and catchy tune, the band vividly portrays the excessive materialism and superficiality of American society.

The song begins with the lyrics:


On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up in the air

By opening up the song with this statement, the Eagles are basically stating that initially, the protagonist of the song is free and unburdened by the trivialities of society.  This feeling, however, quickly subsides when the next set of lyrics are uttered:

Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew weary and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night


Literally, the figure of light is the "Hotel California" that the protagonist stays at.  Figuratively, the light is the specter of materialism and superficiality that looms over American society.  Also, by mentioning that the protagonist's head grows weary and his sight grows dim, the Eagles are implying that materialism intoxicates the mind's of the people.  After these utterances, the song mentions that the "she" standing in the doorway, or materialism incarnate, could lead to "heaven or hell", implying that a life consumed by material possessions could be either blissful or tortuous. 

The chorus, which mentions that "Hotel California" is a lovely place with plenty of space that you can find all year, proves that materialism (represented by the hotel) is found everywhere (all year, plenty of space).

The next set of lyrics describe a girl whose mind is "tiffany-twisted", an obvious nod to materialism.  Also, they mention that the "she" has a mercedes benes.  The lines immediately following this are also very significant:

How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

Here, the "dance" is actually the act of pursuing possessions, and people fervently pursue possessions to either remind themselves of a time where they were happier, or become lost in their obsessions with vanity and wealth in order to forget about unhappy memories.

The Shawshank Redemption: the Nature of Hope

The Shawshank Redemption, a film based off the novel of the same name, is a commentary on the nature of hope.  The film revolves depicts the struggles of two prison inmates (who are serving lifetime sentences) attempting to survive the corrupt and sordid jail that is Shawshank prison.  As the film advances, the bond between the two men, Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding, the De facto leader of the inmates, and Andy Dufresne, a cultured banker convicted of murdering his adulterous wife, grows significantly.  A significant theme of the movie concerns the importance of hope.  Red, through Dufresne, ultimately learns that hope is the catalyst for overcoming adversity and despondency.

Upon arriving at the prison, Red notes that all prison inmates initially lament their loss of freedom.  Their outlook on life is further demoralized when the horrors lurking in Shawshank become elucidated.  Overtime, the corrupt prison system completely breaks the minds of the inmates.  The frustration felt over the lack of freedom slowly turns into a complacency: the prisoners now feel unable to function without the oppressive system dominating their lives.  Their reliance on the system becomes so overwhelming that their views on life become distorted; they are incapable of feeling hope and become apathetic regarding their emancipation.  In fact, the outside world becomes wholly alien to them, so much so that many prisoners often do not wish to leave the penitentiary.  The utter consternation that the prisoners feel regarding the outside world is probably best exemplified through the character Brooks.  Brooks, one of the oldest convicts in Shawshank (with one of the longest sentences), is finally released from prison.  After living only a relatively short time on the outside, Brooks is unable to cope with life outside of prison and hangs himself.  According to Red, Brooks was just like all of the other inmates: "institutionalized".

After many more trying years in Shawshank, Red has all but discarded his hope of living happily.  Andy, desperate to leave the prison behind and start life anew mentions his dream of owning a small hotel on the Pacific coast of Mexico.  Incredulous, Red tells him that wistful thinking will only drive him to madness, and that in order to survive, he needs to discard his emotions.  This was the last conversation the two had in prison, as Andy successfully escaped the next day and Red receives parole soon after.  Later on, Red receives a letter from Andy with the directions to his hotel and Mexico and the conviction, "Hope is a good thing.  Maybe the best of things.  And no good thing ever dies."  Andy, through his message, vividly conveys the fact that hope can never drive a man insane.  Rather, it can lead to his salvation (or redemption, as seen in the movie's title).  Without the hope of settling in Mexico, Andy would not have survived his ordeals in Shawshank, and would have become a broken, or "institutionalized" man.  Instead, it led him to persevere and eventually find happiness.  This infectious sense of hope even spreads to the normally phlegmatic Red:

"I hope Andy is down there.
I hope I can make it across the border.
I hope to see my friend and shake his hand.
I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams.
I hope."

To Kill a Mockingbird: Atticus Finch's Speech of Equality

Harper Lee's renowned novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, depicts the racial injustices of the deep south during the early 20th century.  Protagonist Atticus Finch, a knowledgeable attorney, is faced with the daunting task of defending a convicted black man in a hostile court filled with bigoted Alabamians.  Defendant Tom Robinson is charged with the rape of Mayella Ewell, a young white woman.  It quickly becomes apparent that despite the fact that Robinson is clearly innocent, the jury has no intention of acquitting a black man charged with raping a white women.  Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, Atticus delivers a profoundly illuminating speech:

Gentlemen, I shall be brief, but I would like to use my remaining time with you to remind you that the case of Mayella Ewell vs. Tom Robinson is not a difficult one. To begin with, this case should have never come to trial. The state of Alabama has not produced one iota of medical evidence that shows that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. This case is as simple as black and white. It requires no minute sifting of complicated facts, but it does require you to be sure beyond all reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant.
Miss Ewell did something that in our society is unspeakable: she is white, and she tempted a Negro. The defendant is not guilty, but someone in this courtroom is. I have nothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness for the state, but my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man's life at stake. She knew full well the enormity of her offense, but because her desires were stronger than the code she was breaking, she persisted. The state of Alabama has relied solely upon the testimony of two witnesses who's evidence has not only been called into serious question, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant.
I need not remind you of their appearance and conduct on the stand. They have presented themselves in the cynical confidence that their testimony would not be doubted. They were confident that you, the jury, would go along with the evil assumption that all Negro's lie, and are immoral. Mr. Robinson is accused of rape, when it was she who made the advances on him. He put his word against two white people's, and now he is on trial for no apparent reason- except that he is black.
Thomas Jefferson once said that all men are created equal, a phrase that the government is fond of hurling at us. There is a tendency in this year of grace, 1935, for certain people to use that phrase out of context, to satisfy all conditions. We know that all men are not created equal in the sense that some people would have us believe. Some people are smarter than others, some people have more opportunity because they are born with it, some men have more money than others, and some people are more gifted than others.
But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal. An institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the ignorant man the equal of any president, and the stupid man the equal of Einstein. That institution is the court. But a court is only as sound as its jury, and the jury is only as sound as the men who make it up.
I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore the defendant to his family. In the name of God, do your duty. In the name of God, gentlemen, believe Tom Robinson.

Perhaps most compelling, Atticus Finch elucidates the importance of the judicial system.  Finch points out the irony in Thomas Jefferson's affirmation; equality does not naturally exist: the diversity amongst humans undermines the notion of equality.  Because of this, the importance of the judicial system becomes exacerbated, as the judiciary is the only system that, for a brief time, can truly create equality.  Harper, through Finch, also notes the hypocrisy of America: the country dubbed, "the land of the free", does not even have a legitimately fair judicial system.  Finch then makes a poignant plea to the jury.  By stating, "But a court is only as sound as its jury, and the jury is only as sound as the men who make it up", Finch proves that equality is in actuality determinate of the convictions and biases of the people, and that it is the responsibility of the common man to uphold the country's epithet.

Ironically, Finch mentions that this case is "as simple as black and white".  The literal meaning behind Finch's words convey the belief that the Robinson is clearly innocent.  Also, Finch purposely mentions the colors black and white to indicate that racial biases are a serious problem in America.  Symbolically, the use of the two opposing colors represents the opposing beliefs regarding equality, akin to a yin-yang.  While the upholders of equality (like Finch) believe that everybody is entitled to the rights of a freeborn citizen, the Alabamian commoners believe that freedom is inherited based on race.

The Gettysburg Address of Baseball

Lou Gehrig, one of the greatest baseball players in history, had his career tragically cut short by the fatal illness, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, at age 36.  When the cause of the beloved Gehrig's premature retirement became known to the public, the New York Yankees (Gehrig's team) dedicated a day to honor Gehrig, dubbed "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day".  On July 4th, 1939, the New York Yankee organization and 65,000 fans showered their hallowed hero with love and adoration.  Gehrig, an emotional and polite man, could barely hold back tears.  Then, Lou Gehrig managed to collect himself and gave the world a phenomenal, heartfelt speech:

 

Lou Gehrig's farewell speech has become so revered that it has been called the "Gettysburg Address of Baseball".  The speech not only accomplishes Gehrig's initial intention of thanking the people who supported him, it also illustrates the humility and genuineness of Gehrig was as well.  In fact, Gehrig's farewell address left nearly all of the 65,000 people in attendance, including some of the most rugged sports journalists in New York, in tears.  Succinct yet clarifying, Gehrig's speech illuminated that despite the fact that he was staring in the face of death, Lou Gehrig refused to give into despair and instead thanked the people who gave meaning to his life.  By stating, "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth", Gehrig illustrates his determination to not let his misfortune cloud his emotions.  This statement has become profoundly iconic, and it has often synonymous with baseball history.  

Overall, Gehrig incorporates emotional and logical appeals in his speech.  First, the content of the speech itself and the situation at hand (kairos) are obvious appeals to emotion.  Second, Gehrig, by listing all of the kind things that the people in his life have done for him, logically explains why he's a lucky man.  This can also be interpreted as an ethos appeal, as it establishes Gehrig as a beloved man since so many people have shown him compassion.

Full text version of the Farewell Speech:

 
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

"Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.

"When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.

"So I close in saying that I may have had a bad break, but I have an awful lot to live for."  

Dos Equis: Portraying the New "Perfect Man"

The Dos Equis beer "Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign depicts a new portrayal of the ideal man.  While most beer commercials portray their customers as being amiable oafs who are only concerned about partying, Dos Equis portrays a different beer drinker.  Instead of a young party-animal, the man in the Dos Equis commercials is an older, suave and dignified man.  By proclaiming this man to be "the most interesting man in the universe", Dos Equis makes the bold assertion that the perfect man, contrary to all the other beer commercials' depictions, is a man whose wise, debonair, and taciturn.

 The first part of the commercial describes the many achievements of the "most interesting man in the world".  (My favorite one is, "He lives vicariously...through himself".)  While these descriptions are humorous and seemingly nonsensical, they also help illustrate the fact that the best man in the world is a renaissance man who does not only strive to be a womanizing, beer-chugging goofball.  The commercial does not imply that one can actually be exactly like this man because, simply put, he is perfect.  Rather, they want their consumers to take on some of the man's characteristics and revolutionize the stereotype of beer drinkers.  For example, by portraying the man as being well-groomed and collected with woman draped around him (he isn't trying to woo them like the other men in beer commercials and instead has the women come to him), Dos Equis makes the claim that men who drink their beer should be the life of the party through other means; they should impress others through their interesting personalities and noteworthy achievements instead of through their childish antics.  It's also interesting to note that the "interesting" man himself says that he doesn't always drink beer.  By having the perfect role model state this, Dos Equis implies that it does not want the average beer-drinker to always consume 12 beers a night.  Rather, moderation is optimal and can help you become like the perfect man.

The next set of Dos Equis commercials have the interesting man giving pieces of advice to the viewer:

Specifically, in this commercial, the "most interesting man in the world" makes an ostensible claim to not pick a job that doesn't match your skill set.  This statement holds more weight than expected, as people still manage to get trapped in unappealing and difficult jobs.  With these abridged commercials, Dos Equis proves that the typical beer drinker should be wise and pragmatic.

The Themes and Motifs of "Batman Begins", and the Evolution of Bruce Wayne

In 2005, director Christopher Nolan faced the daunting task of revitalizing the Batman film franchise.  The origin of Batman, one of the biggest icons in American culture, has been rehashed so many times that it has become redundant.  Nolan, however, not only defied the odds and made one of the best comic book movies of all time, he superbly rebooted an overly played out story and added much depth to an already fleshed out character.  Nolan's Batman Begins presents several fascinating ideologies on the human psyche, and examines the evolution of an icon.

The story of Batman Begins details Bruce Wayne's life from the tragic murder of his parents to the beginning of his vigilantism.  The film examines what drives this possibly psychotic man to forgo his vast inheritance and pampered life and risk his life unrewarded.  Through his use of realism and grittiness, Nolan makes the story (and characters) far more believable, and because of this, the audience fully understands what drives Bruce Wayne.  Since the story takes place during several different periods, the viewer essentially sees five different Bruce Waynes: the young eight year old who witnessed his parents' murder, the rebellious adolescent who's angry at the world, the mature but intense 30 year old Bruce Wayne, the drunkard/billionaire facade, and the Batman persona.

The first Bruce Wayne seen is the 8 year old Bruce.  His phobia of bats is first established at this juncture, and becomes a significant theme of the movie later on.  He's still young and wide-eyed, and his naivety doesn't allow him to understand why Joe Chill (his parents' murderer) would commit a murder.  This is a driving point in the next part of the film.

We next see Wayne as an adolescent returning from college, intent on killing Joe Chill.  He has become jaded and cynical, and his biting and incorrigible tone reflects this.  After being denied the chance of killing Chill, Wayne is lectured by both his childhood sweetheart about the fine line between justice and vengeance and the crime boss of Gotham City, Carmine Falcone, about fear and naivety:
 "This is a world you don't understand.  And you always fear what you don't understand."
Wayne realizes how naive he really is, and goes on to travel the world in order to understand the criminal mind.

After several years of traveling through Asia as a wayfarer, an older Wayne is offered the chance of joining a powerful and secret organization in order to fight injustice.  Wayne agrees, and begins to train with Henri Ducard, who serves as a surrogate father to Wayne.  Ducard teaches Wayne several valuable lessons.  Ducard states that Bruce's unbridled anger and determination can allow him to truly make a difference in this world:
"If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal and if they can't stop you, you become something else entirely--a legend".
Ducard also tells Wayne that his anger gives him great power, but if left unchecked, can destroy him, and turn him into the very criminals who he despises.  This alludes to how in the real world, people with noble intentions can fall from grace and turn into the very things they sought to to eliminate.  Again, this theme alludes to Wayne himself, as he too fears what he is capable of:
 "They told me there was nothing out there, nothing to fear. But the night my parents were murdered I caught a glimpse of something. I've looked for it ever since. I went around the world, searched in all the shadows. And there is something out there in the darkness, something terrifying, something that will not stop until it gets revenge.  Me."
Most notably, Ducard states:
"Your training is nothing.  Your will is everything."
Again, this applies to the real world: that determination and heart is the foundation of success.
Finally, Ducard has Wayne take a hallucinogen that makes him see bats in order to confront his fear.  This alludes to the fact that one shouldn't shirk from his fears.  Rather, he should seek to overcome it.

Upon learning that the organization fights crime with a brutality rivaling that of the criminals they clash with (they murder as well), Bruce leaves, and travels back to Gotham to liberate the crime ridden city.  Wayne becomes the very thing he fears most, bats, and takes up the mantle of Batman.  To hide his identity, Wayne pretends to be a drunken billionaire in public.  At this juncture of the movie, Nolan fleshes out Bruce's psyche, and ironically points out that his normal persona is his mask, and his true face is that of the Batman's.  Nolan also points out Wayne, despite being a noble and righteous man, is not entirely stable.  Nolan, however, points out that Bruce Wayne is such a noble figure because he is aware of his imbalances and instead of descending into vengeful madness, uses his damaged psyche to help people:
"I'm using this monster inside me to help people."

Finally, in the ending scene, Nolan portrays just how righteous Bruce Wayne really is: