http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/17/how-to-live-without-irony/?ref=opinion
Christy Wampole informs one of the negative outcomes of living in a post-modernistic society. In her commentary in the New York Times, she discusses the effects of irony on America as a whole, and the potential threats it serves. With Wampole's sophisticated use of imagery, diction and details, she convinces the audience that irony has harshly impacted our daily lives and will continue to do so.
In Wampole's commentary, she warns her reader's of how to spot an ironic character. Wampole classifies a hipster as "the archetype of ironic living". Hipster's are defined as an easy target for mockery. Wampole describes hipsters as "[a] contemporary urban harlequin [which] appropriates outmoded fashions (the mustache, the tiny shorts), mechanisms (fixed-gear bicycles, portable record players) and hobbies (home brewing, playing trombone)."Hipster's have an ironic stereotypical image that they are easily recognized for; "The hipster is a scholar of social forms, a student of cool (Wampole)."The details that are included give the readers a perfect description of a hipster. This opening description is crucial because the rest of the article goes on to describe how hipsters use irony in their lives. Therefore a general understanding of a hipster needed to be established.
The use of imagery within this article is very important because it allows the audience to visually recognize the effects of irony in daily life. Wampole states that irony is now used as a self-defense technique because it "functions as a shield against criticism". Living an ironic life is a way of avoiding problems that one may feel uncomfortable to face, but with irony, it offers an easy escape. Wampole creates an image of a giant shield that protects you from all of your fears and awkward situations. This image helped me realize how irony offers a get-a-way to real life problems that need to be faced. When Wampole compared ironic living to a shield, I was able to see the overall effect on individuals. Wampole successfully utilizes her literary techniques because it allows the audience to grasp her message because she provides an example that most individuals can easily relate to.
Lastly, in Wampole's commentary on ironic living her use of diction truly persuades the audience. Oftentimes the word nostalgia is used to describe the attitude of hipsters living in irony. Wampole complains about the new culture's attempt at life, "the nostalgia cycles have become so short that we even try to inject the present moment with sentimentality." Her diction here comments on the frustration seen at rushing though the best parts of life. The image of loving every minute of life has taken over the true enjoyment, and that is a message Wampole convey's through her complaints of the ironic generation growth. Wampole accomplishes her goal through her persuasive literary techniques.
This is funny because I did my close reading on the exact same article. I feel like she makes her point well, but maybe she overwrites it a little bit, to the point where it seems offensive. I think that to a lot of people, irony is just the basis of their sense of humor, and saying that this is confusing their morals might be offensive. I think she makes a good point that we need to be aware of it, but the article seems to accusatory.
ReplyDeleteYour body paragraphs are very well written and do demonstrate the author's use of DIDLS, however they don't seem to connect back to your thesis (that irony harshly impacts our daily lives) very well. You might want to include some extra details to ensure that they do. Also, your thesis is a bit broad. Saying that irony harshly impacts our daily lives doesn't really explain the effects that it has, so you might want to consider adding more words there to clarify. Also, make sure to check for errors in punctuation and other typos.
ReplyDeleteI would add a conclusion at the end.
ReplyDeleteWhile you make points about diction, imagery, and details, it's important to synthesize your points to create an overarching theme for your essay. The conclusion should show why the thesis is proven.
One nitpick: in your thesis, you go in the order of "imagery, diction and details" but in your essay, you ignore this order. This can be initially disorienting for the reader, so watch out for that.
Finally, I think that you should look more at the specificity of your sections. For instance, if you are talking about diction, talk specifically about diction. It's good to cross-apply (like with diction and imagery), but there is a reason that they are separate. If you talk about diction, contrast the word used with a synonym and THEN bring up why that specific word was used.