Part One:
Identify the following elements of the article by Hunter S. Thompson, "Security." You can respond to the questions in list or paragraph form.
1. The Introduction: what does he use to capture your attention? Are there words? Phrases? What kind of hook does he rely on?
2. Thesis: what is his main argument/thesis? How well do you think that he expresses his main argument? How well do you think he supports his main argument? Does he only have one argument?
3. The Conclusion: Does his conclusion effectively close out his argument? Does he introduce new arguments in his conclusion?
(Be brief in your responses)
Part Two:
Re-write "Security" by paraphrasing Thompson's words. Make his work more academic by eliminating the questions and making statements. Re-write his conclusion so that it wraps up his work, rather than starting a new argument. (Keep to 200 words)
(Due before class on Wednesday, June 11th)
Reply to classmate: offer your classmates one suggestion on how they might improve their rewrites. Please refrain from offering compliments, unless you also offer assistance. You are the audience for this blog, and your classmates need to know how to appeal to you. What could your classmates have done to convince you better?
Be sure to reply to two of your classmates; be respectful and tactful; re-read your response before submitting (edit for grammar and spelling); and stick to the titanium rule: treat others the way you believe they would like to be treated; some of us have thicker skins than others.
(Both replies due before 5pm on Sunday, June 15th)
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ReplyDeletePart One:
ReplyDeleteThe Introduction: Thompson uses the fact that what some people call security is in fact a rut. As his hook, he uses the word rut as being the same as security.
Thesis: Thompson’s main argument is that no great person who changed the world was secure. That security is dull and all that is left after achieving it is to wait for death. Thompson supports his argument with a small amount of facts and no examples.
The Conclusion: Thompson fails to close his argument by starting a new argument rather than close out his first one.
Part Two:
Re-Write:
Security ... Is it a utopian goal or is it another word for rut?
Let us examine a secure man, a man who as his goal is life monetary security and safety. Often, he is a man that pushed hope and dreams aside and settled into a dull, but safe and predictable rut for his life. This person’s future is extension of what he has in the present, and he accepts it. His thoughts and ideology is much the same as the rest of the masses that have security and he is accepted as an average man. A man to be admired is one who had the courage to step out of security and live their life instead of living it second-hand.
Look at history to see those men who have shaped the fate of the planet. They never held security they would rather live than exist. It is from those who lacked courage that we receive the false information that life is not worth living that it is dull, boring. That the ambitions and hopes of youth must be laid aside for what is acceptable to society. These men curse their existence, yet are afraid to end it because they fear unknown which faces them after death.
Those men who forgo security in favor of living their lives free from a dull routine can and have in the past changed the course of the world while those who would live in security are long forgotten.
I might be wrong, but I'm not sure if you answered the first question right. The word rut isn't something that would capture my attention. I loved your paraphrase, the vocabulary you used was great.
DeleteThompson used a phrase in the first sentence that caught my attention. Words like security and rut hook readers when compared.
ReplyDeleteThompson argues that men who live a safe life don't know much about living, and if we don't take risk thought out life how do we know or full potential. He give readers his view on a secure way of life but doesn't support his argument.
No he rants about the a lot of things associated with wiling a secure life.
No, Thompson never reiterates his thesis and goes on to assume that men who live a safe life are unhappy
Part two:
Security......defines what we all aspire to have in life. Stability and a stress free environment is what we all want as men. Unfortunately life with out risk isn't living its a means to an end.
Men who throw in the towel for stability miss out on what life has to offer. If it wasn't for men willing to fail to progress society as a whole would be stuck in the stone ages. Men with stuck in non fulfilling jobs never really experience life. Some may say they are comfortable but comfort to one man might not be the same to another. If we consistently go through life without know what hurts us we can never live a secure life. If we are oblivious to what life has to offer will we ever know what life is about. Not being able to exercise our masculine qualities is like being dead. Not knowing doesn't make men dumb it make them insecure which is the opposite of secure. Men like this are not to be admired but loathed because they stuck in a lack luster life without meaning.
A sheltered life without risk leaves our minds to wonder what if, and if we continually question our existence we can never find happiness.
Looks good, Daryl. You have a very good way of braking everything down to an easy to understand level, to me anyways.
DeleteIt seems like near the end of the re-write you distort the meaning of the original text slightly. You might want to try and catch the original tone more when paraphrasing/re-writing a text.
DeleteI. Hunter S. Thompson’s “Security” was directed at an audience of peers. His introduction opens up with a hook that immediately captured my attention. He asks his audience what the word “security” means to them forcing them to consider what his thesis has to say.
ReplyDeleteBut, then in his thesis I felt that he asked more questions to his audience than necessary. He provided too many questions when he should have provided more evidence to back his claims. Instead he prompts the audience to do it for themselves.
Thompson ends his thesis with even more questions; leaving his audience with no answers.
II. Security is something that all living beings strive for... but what does that really mean for us? For most of us that means safety and living without financial struggle. Or, is security a way to keep up from living our lives to the fullest?
When we have something that we value very much, we are less likely to take risk with it. Sometimes this can cause a lack of adventure in our lives. We can become accustom to the same routines causing us not to step outside of our comfort zones. Not taking risk is ok, but what life is worth living without passion.
Life is a valuable thing that should not be taken for granted. Enjoy life to the fullest. Do not fear death because without death, there would be no life
You did a nice job with the re-write, the only thing is that it’s about 70 words shorter than 200. So it might be a good idea in the future to try and write closer to the amount needed.
DeleteI.
ReplyDelete1) Thompson used Emotion to capture your attention, and also questions to get you thinking. He used questions to hook the reader.
2) Thompson’s main argument is it’s better to get out and experience the world for its entirety other than sitting in your comfort zone. I think he goes into depth on this topic and expresses it very well. He supports his argument fairly, but does not use too many examples. I would say he has more than one argument but does not go into too much detail about them.
3) Thompson’s conclusion does not close out his argument; he just starts a new argument and ends with a question.
II.
Security… This is what all men strive for.
Let’s look at a stable man that has put his finances at the most important. He has put himself in the comfort zone and doesn’t plan on leaving it the rest of his life. His future is now his present. He is just surviving without taking risks, exploring, and laughing ounce in a while. He is doing this in a chance at wealth not knowing that life is passing his by.
Life would be much different if the men and women of history had not taken that step off the deep end to the unknown and sometimes died for the thought of a better tomorrow. These men in their comfort zone, drain the life out of everyone else and don’t even notice it. These men are mad at the world for having to go through another day but also to naïve to die.
Thinking of the life as ever changing, it’s not worth staying in a rut. You miss out on the beautiful life outside of your bubble. Only you have the power to get out of that rut, so stop pitying yourself and do it.
Jordan I like how talked about the need to live a life. Security can really put a damper on life.
DeleteI like how you did your re-write of the "Security" text. I did notice some words that were not spelled correctly, so in the future you might want to have another person re-read it. Overall good job though.
DeleteHunter S. Thomas uses questions as a hook, or to grab his audience’s attention. His main idea is that a man with security has not gained or risked anything in his life, therefore lacks freedom, accomplishment, and excitement. He has multiple arguments, but they are all things that can possibly stem from a man with security. He supports his argument(s) with more questions and opinions instead of facts and examples. Thompson’s whole essay was about how a man with security can fulfill his potential and live a successful life. He concludes the essay with saying a man with security is not as happy as a man without.
ReplyDeleteMost people see security as the promise of safety. It’s known to be an ultimate goal, but I see it more as a boring way of life. A man with security looks like this; he has set aside all of his potential and determination to live a contented and relaxed life. His future looks exactly like his present does, boring and unfulfilled. Society sees and respects his ordinary lifestyle, but all of his dreams and goals have been forgotten for the sake of his security. Once he chooses this path he cannot escape it. He is stuck in a life without freedom. He took no risks and watched his whole life pass by, but from a safe place of course. Throughout history, men who have changed the world have never had security. They took risks instead of sitting back as a bystander. Men who never wasted a moment to live a comfortable life are the ones who are most significant and remembered. The majority of people never explore their possibilities, and they are the ones who just live another unsatisfying day. They lack courage to face the unknown; but instead they face the “what ifs”. In the long run, men who lived with risk and excitement are happier than those who sat back in comfort and protection.
I like they way you put how "most people see security as the promise of safety". I wish I had thought of that. overall very good in my opinion.
DeleteI thought you did a great job Danielle. I read your blog a couple of times over and really found no errors that I noticed! It is obvious that you put a lot of effort into this blog.
DeletePart I
ReplyDeleteIntroduction: Hunter S. Thompson opens with a question were he asks what the meaning of security is in relation to everyday life. He hooks you by asking whether you believe security means a Utopian goal or another word for rut.
Thesis: Thompson’s main argument is that the life of a man with security is a boring and somewhat wasted life while a man without security is a life worth living when you can take the risk of failure in order to achieve a chance for a better life.
Conclusion: Thompson’s conclusion doesn't close out his argument, instead he leaves his argument open to discussion.
Part II
In the world we live in today, there are two different ways you could explain the meaning of security. One way is saying that it’s “a Utopian goal”. Another is that security is just another word for rut.
A secure man is a man who has settled for financial and personal security in his life and chooses to be complacent in a comfortable, safe rut, Rather than take a chance and gamble to achieve a life goal. This man believes what society wants him to believe. He accepts the title of average man. This man has risked nothing therefor he has gained nothing. This man will eventually come to a point in his life were he’ll wish that he could go back in time and live life differently only to sit and wait for a better tomorrow that he will never see.
Going back through time and looking at all the men who have shaped our way of life, you’ll see only men who have gambled and sacrificed for a richer future. It’s clear that if these men had never risked what they had, the world would not be what is now. Life would be nothing but a slow period of time where one just wait for death.
When the question arises of who the happier man is, the man who has taken chances and lived or the man who accepted to just exist under a blanket of security, it’s obvious that risks should diffidently be taken to enjoy life to its full potential.
It seems like you had a perfect understanding of the essay. With the paraphrase, maybe try finding another word for "utopian goal" or "rut". Using many of the same words would be better for a summary instead of a paraphrase.
DeleteZach that was great and it seem like you really put time and effort into the assignment.
Delete