Analysis of Jonathan Rowe's essay on cell phone usage and tone

¶ … entertaining style while at the same time not really making light of the situation. The author struck a nice balance between keeping the essay moving and almost humorous, but he still makes it clear that his attitude regarding cell phones is very real and somewhat serious. Another good balance found in the essay is between logic and emotion. In talking about the cell phone issue, Jonathan Rowe lays out a clear and rational argument for why cell phones should not be used as intrusively as they are, while at the same time making his frustration and the other emotional changes that cell phones have brought to humanity very palpable to the reader. Rowe's ability to cover all the areas of the issue makes this essay very effective in getting his point across; his tone is incredibly well balanced, which makes it much more persuasive than an argument with a single perspective.

God's Lonely Man

This article about Johnny Cash started out fairly promising, but quickly became rather boring. The various thoughts that the author had regarding Cash often seemed disjointed, and there was not a clear pattern or focus to the article. Though the details about Cash's life and the unique politicization of his songs was interesting, the method of the information's presentation in this article was not. A more focused article that dealt explicitly with one or two aspects of Cash's life would have made for a better read. It seemed as though Francis Davis was really attempting to write a full biography of the music legend in the space of a magazine article, and it ended up being spread all over the place instead of telling a concise, well-focused story.

A Letter from the Clergy

This letter is written in a very even tone, which given the timing of its writing and the height of the tensions at the time at first seems like a truly commendable thing. The authors' intent was, of course, not to stir up anyone on any side of the issue. But though this might seem like a good thing on the surface (and is certainly a testament to these gentlemen's skill in articulation), such a letter during the midst of such a struggle can actually be quite detrimental. The overall tone of the letter is one of appeasement, and such appeasement has not ever led to the social changes of the type that were being sought by the Civil Rights movement. The bishops repeatedly urge the "Negro community" to fight their battle in the courts instead of the streets, but the courts never come around until enough of the population has -- history has shown this, but these men ignored it.