Old school conquers new school: A personal response to “An Ode to the User-Friendly Pencil” Technology is upgrading itself and is, perhaps, taking over the world. From virtual reality to supercomputers, people are depending more on technology in their everyday lives, but is it necessary? Technology has reached the point where Samsung phones are becoming C4 explosives and 4K televisions do not display 4K quality. In “An Ode to the User-Friendly Pencil” by Bonnie Laing, she explains how a simple pencil that we use in our everyday lives is better than a complex computer that is technologically advanced, and through her ironic tone and economic line of reasoning, she gets that message across to her readers which I firmly agree on. In her essay, she utilizes irony to add a sarcastic tone in her essay, making the essay more enjoyable for readers to read. An example of this is the use of computer jargon to explain why the pencil is the better tool. Laing states how “the software of a pencil is both cheap and simple” (332) and how you can “render it …show more content…
An example of that is how she fought and “wrestled with [her] microchips” (Laing, 332), which is an example of personification. As we all know, a computer does not have human traits nor can it wrestle with the user like WWE; however, Laing is explaining how it gets more complicated the more you use a computer, and I agree with that. A computer is not smart; instead, it is the exact opposite. This is because without a user, a computer is just a sitting duck without the proper programming. It needs to be programmed to perform certain tasks or it needs a user to give it something to do in order to be useful, which is what software engineers do for a living. From taking computer science, I can tell you it is not an easy task, but rather, a hardworking one since we wrestle with the OS rather than the
Thousands of years have passed that we have lived with technology, and it has worked in our benefit in many circumstances. However, it has become an addiction,
Yelling “oh great!” after failing a test demonstrates one example. Someone wouldn’t really be happy about that; the irony is being overly positive about a negative occurrence. When the author writes, “you’re a game hunter not a philosopher, who cares how the jaguar feels” (Connell 18), and when Rainsford becomes the “Jaguar” later it is a little ironic. Connell wanted us to think about how a jaguar feels, and why they would be talking about that. When it came to the part in the story where he was being hunted, the readers think back to where the jaguar is mentioned and might think how that was ironic. The author was effective at showing irony. Another example of irony is, “ ‘...you’ll have a cocktail, Mr. Rainsford,’ he suggested” (Connell 22). He wanted the audience to think about how General Zaroff was being overly nice to a stranger he just met, but then, all of a sudden, changed into a psychopath, a murderer who hunts people for fun. The author made the reader believe Zaroff was generous and kind, and Rainsford probably believed it too. Zaroff acted this way to get Rainsford’s trust, so he could set him free and hunt him
Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," irony is used as an effective literary device. Situational irony is used to show the reader that what is expected to happen sometimes doesn't. Dramatic irony is used to clue the reader in on something that is happening that the characters in the story do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" through the use of situational irony and the use of dramatic irony.
She also uses sarcasm as a form of showing irony. The author is sarcastic when she says that her
"Irony is a device that protects him (the artist) from the pain of his experience so that he may use it objectively in his art(Susquehanna. "New Critical")." In The Glass Menagerie, it is ironic how Tom speaks badly of his father and his leaving home but in the end he leaves home just like his father, the man "in love with long distances (Williams 30)''. The fact that Amanda wants what is best for her children is ironic because she worries so much over it that she doesn't realize what is best for them.
This essay by Jeff Jacoby illustrates an authors use of ironic sarcasm otherwise known as satire to defend and illustrate his platform on his position. Jacoby uses in this essay verbal irony (persuasion in the form of ridicule). In the irony of this sort there is a contrast between what is said and what is meant.
Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," irony is used as an effective literary device. Situational irony is used to show the reader that what is expected to happen sometimes doesn't. Dramatic irony is used to clue the reader in on something that is happening that the characters in the story do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" through the use of situational irony and the use of dramatic irony.
As time moves on, people begin to forget about the little things, and focus more on the bigger picture. New discoveries are being made that can make a task become easier and more efficient to accomplish. However, not all of this new technology proves to be better. In Bonnie Laing’s “An Ode to the User-Friendly Pencil,” she argues about the benefits of a pencil while outlining the drawbacks of a computer. Laing’s viewpoint on this topic is convincing because she argues her perspective effectively, she uses rhetorical devices expertly to enhance her opinion, and the overall essay can be relatable to almost everyone.
Authors use irony in literature in order to give double meanings and make it more interesting to the reader. In the play “ The Death of a Salesman” Arthur Miller uses irony as a strong writing technique in order to express the character's behavior. In “The Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller moments of situational and dramatic irony helps to illustrate the story's theme in which Willy is a man trying yo achieve the American dream, however he have created a world of illusion.
Irony is most commonly used in dialogue to express sarcasm and humor, however it can also be applied to add depth to literature. Mary Shelley employs irony in Frankenstein to emphasize the truth and prompt her readers to question pivotal concepts. Her use of irony does not intended for humor, but instead, she utilizes ironic devices to enhance her overall themes and convey the unpredictable consequences of actions.
She uses it to show us how each party feels, without making it too obvious at the same time. She uses ironic situations in order to let us know what is going on with her characters feelings, emotions, actions, and their past experiences. Without it, the stories she writes would be drastically different, and if I may be so bold to say, quite dull. But fortunately for all of us, she uses irony very, very well throughout all of her stories, especially this one, "The Storm." It's tied in so well that it aids us to see that this is not a storm of just thunder or lightning, but of lust and
Over this past decade or so, people all around the globe have been granted with greater advancements in technology. From cellphones we can talk to, to 3-Dimensional televisions, we are able to pretty much do anything thanks to these high-tech products. But, should we really be grateful for these easy-to-use devices, or are they taking over the lives of millions? In the articles written by Michael Malone and Daniel Burrus, we receive an inside look on whether todays modern, wired, Web world is, or is not, benefitting society. Although both authors held pretty neutral views on the subject itself, Malone’s support towards the negative effect of technology definitely lures readers into
Start with questions to initiate a conversation using a PowerPoint (PPT) and have students respond in IRF (Initiate Response Feedback) manner.
If you were to ask somebody what a computer was sixty years ago they would look at you look at you puzzled. Now days it is hard to find a household or office in America that does not contain at least one personal computer. With all of this information at our finger tips, we have to ask ourselves if we are becoming too dependent on technology. Imagine if we were to wake up tomorrow with all electronic devices disabled. Everybody’s life would be impacted in one way or another. We would lose what has become the largest portal for communication. We would also lose countless information that has
As technology start to play more of a role in classroom settings and curriculum start to change, cursive handwriting has started to disappear from classrooms settings. Whether or not cursive should be taught in school, is a controversial issue facing the world of education. Many believe that cursive writing should continue to be taught in school because of the academic benefits cursive writing can have on students. On the other hand, others believe that cursive writing is no longer needed due to the fact that new curriculum standards do not require cursive writing being taught among students. After reading the articles, it is evident that cursive writing should still be teached in school settings. Cursive writing can allow students