Chapter 3 ... Much better

My wish came true in chapter 3. Even though chapter 1 was an introduction without explanation and had us scratching our heads a bit, Ramage knew his readers would eventually understand what he was saying as they read the following chapters. The reading now feels as if it's falling in to place as Ramage refers back to the first two chapters. They make more sense now than they did last week, just as I hoped they would. That's not to say the reading is easier. He uses heavy words that I have to look up in the dictionary, but that's O.K., at least I'm building my vocabulary in the process.

About the paper ... I think I need a little direction in that area, but I'm still going to float an idea with you all so I know if I need to come up with a completely different idea or if this is a good start.

Ramage says that rhetoric is more pluralistic, emphasizing our commonalities, than it is relativistic, focusing on our differences. This reminded me of a scene that stuck with me in the movie "Take the Lead" (the dancing movie based on a true story with Antonio Banderas). The principal of an inner city high school needed someone to take over detention at the end of the day. Through a series of circumstances, Pierre Dulaine (Banderas) ends up in charge of the detention, teaching the mostly Hispanic and African-American students how to dance ballroom, the tango, foxtrot, etc. The principal eventually wants to get rid of him because in essence, this is a rich, white person's hobby that will do nothing to help her students. She is focusing on the simple fact that her students are a "different" color and background than the typical ballroom dancer. Dulaine takes the pluralistic side of this issue and argues that all kids want and need the same things out of life, regardless of their backgrounds. They need to feel as if they have a purpose. He saw that even though these kids' dancing style was different from what he teaches in his classroom, they are still dancing. Using this argument, he is able to persuade the principal to allow him to continue giving the detention students dancing lessons.

Of course this idea needs to be developed more, but it's a start. I welcome any constructive criticism anyone is willing to give.

Thanks!

Dawn