Web Info

Response Paper: The Gettysburg Address

“Lincoln’s Address at Gettysburg is quite literally one of America’s definitive documents. Construct a pentad based on Lincoln’s view of Gettysburg in his address & explain how it works.”

Pentad:

SCENE: dismal battlefield where soldiers have died
AGENCY: sadness over the dead, compassion, empathy
AGENT: confident and persistent president
ACT: reassuring speech
PURPOSE: to reassure the people that there will be unity once again

The “Gettysburg Address” was given in Gettysburg for a reason. Having the speech delivered at the Soldiers National Cemetery made the people witness firsthand the effects of the Civil War. Soldiers, who were sons and fathers, had died for the cause they fought for.

This scene of the dismal battlefield where real people, real soldiers, had died made an opening for the use of an agency comprised of sadness, compassion, and empathy. These agencies were used during the speech to draw on the emotions of the nation.

They brought to light the fact that no matter what side a citizen supported; the whole nation remained made up of humans.

The speech itself was given by a President Lincoln who exuded confidence and persistence in his words. Several times in the address, in different ways, he mentioned that the United States would endure through the war, implying that it would be united once again. He stated the nation would have a “new birth of freedom”. These words gave people hope and comfort in the time of war.

Hence, the Gettysburg Address served as a reassuring speech to the nation. Its purpose was to provide the people with a sense of confidence in the idea that the nation would be reunited peacefully once again.

Response Paper: Opinions

“An excellent (though somewhat irascible) teacher colleague of mine once said to me, “I don’t want to instill strong opinions in my students.

Every bonehead on the street has strong opinions. Education is about forming better questions.

If I can get my students to be a little less confident in their own answers, and begin to question why they say what they say and think what they think, then I’ve done my job.” What do you make of this comment?”

My first English professor in college had very strong opinions about almost everything. He would always ask us to right papers voicing our opinion on matters he viewed as significant. I often felt like I had nothing to say in those papers.

I just did not care to have an opinion some of the things he wanted us to have an opinion about.

These matters seemed insignificant to me. I would think to myself, what is my opinion? I would try searching deep in my sea of thoughts. Then I would come up empty handed. I was simply impartial.

I do believe people should have strong opinions on certain matters. One cannot be indifferent to everything. However strong opinions in every, single arena of issues does not seem necessary.

I find fault in the professor’s assertion in the quote, “I don’t want to instill strong opinions in my students. Every bonehead on the street has strong opinions. Education is about forming better questions.

If I can get my students to be a little less confident in their own answers, and begin to question why they say what they say and think what they think, then I’ve done my job.” Here the professor clearly states he does not want to instill strong opinions in his students but by him getting his students to ask “better questions”, he is leading them to form strong opinions.

The idea of having a professor help his students ask “better questions” is one that is attractive to me as a student. Asking better questions entails thinking, something which all professors should aim to get their students to do.

Also, with better questions come better answers; ones that are more confident and clear. These answers may lead to strong opinions. Hence, asking “better questions”, will lead to the formation of strong opinions