Synthesizing Ideas

Analysis:

Breaking

Things

Down

Synthesis

You can think about a Synthesis

as in terms of a Venn Diagram

Text 1

Text 2

Text 3

Within the Venn Diagram

we see points of convergence and divergence

Movement of Interpretation

Con

nect

Distinguish

Significance/Meaning

By connecting and then making distinctions, one

is able to think about the particular way the ideas

relate and do not relate to one another. This is how we

create meaning (rather than just difference or similarity)

Photography Example

Flag

half mast

fully raised

The flag is fully raised in the Iwo Jima photgraph because it is a moment of unequivocal victory and the resiliance of the human spirit, there is less of

sense of loss or devestation. However, the flag's half mast status, typically is a gesture made in a time of mourning

Men

three men

group of men

(Significance that will connect

with previous significance)

"The synthesis or focusing question

directs you to look for ways that a group of texts

are connected and ways that they difffer in their approaches to a particular issue" (Allyn and Bacon 305)

A Rhetorical Analysis and Synthesis

of Two music videos about America*

*I am indebted to Jennifer Coenen for the suggestion of this Synthesis.

Green day--American idiot

Toby Keith--Courtesy of the

Red, White, and Blue

Don't want to be an American idiot.

Don't want a nation under the new media

And can you hear the sound of hysteria?

The subliminal mind fuck America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.

All across the alien nation.

Where everything isn't meant to be okay.

Television dreams of tomorrow.

We're not the ones who're meant to follow.

For that's enough to argue.

Well maybe I'm the faggot America.

I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.

Now everybody do the propaganda.

And sing along to the age of paranoia.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.

All across the alien nation.

Where everything isn't meant to be okay.

Television dreams of tomorrow.

We're not the ones who're meant to follow.

For that's enough to argue.

Don't want to be an American idiot.

One nation controlled by the media.

Information age of hysteria.

It's calling out to idiot America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.

All across the alien nation.

Where everything isn't meant to be okay.

Television dreams of tomorrow.

We're not the ones who're meant to follow.

For that's enough to argue.

American girls and American guys, will always stand up and salute.

We'll always recognize, when we see ol' glory flying,

There's a lot of men dead,

So we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our heads.

My daddy served in the army where he lost his right eye,

But he flew a flag out in our yard 'til the day that he died.

He wanted my mother, my brother, my sister and me.

To grow up and live happy in the land of the free.

Now this nation that I love is fallin' under attack.

A mighty sucker-punch came flying in from somewhere in the back.

Soon as we could see clearly through our big black eye,

Man, we lit up your world like the fourth of July.

Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list,

And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist.

And the eagle will fly and it's gonna be hell,

When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell.

And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you.

Ah, brought to you, courtesy of the red, white and blue.

Instrumental break.

Oh, justice will be served and the battle will rage:

This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage.

An' you'll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A.

'Cos we'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way.

Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list,

And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist.

And the eagle will fly and it's gonna be hell,

When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell.

And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you.

Ah, brought to you, courtesy of the red, white and blue.

Oh, oh.

Of the red, white and blue.

Oh, hey, oh.

Of my Red, White and Blue.

Writing a Synthesis

Put

Parts

together

in

a

new

Way