Analyzing!!!

Today I was assigned reading over analyzing texts, boring right? Well, actually it wasn't as bad as it sounds. Most of the readings were actually pretty interesting. They say that with magazines and newspaper or television ads they might all cover the same thing but each one interprets them differently. If TIME magazine did an article on the reality show, John and Kate Plus 8, it would have a whole different interpretation then if Cosmopolitan did an article. Yes, they are both magazines, but the interpretations differ because of the targeted audience or just the stature of the magazine.
I enjoyed most of the readings, but I really liked William Safire's analysis of the Gettysburg Address for the Americans of 9/11. He showed the connection that President Lincoln had with 9/11 when he presented the Gettysburg Address and how it effects the Americans now. This would be a tough document to analyze, especially with all of the old English to filter through. I know that when I am reading over a text I usually just skim and scan. In this case that is not what you need to do. I think that all of the readings were pretty good examples of analyzing, but in my opinion I think that William Safire did it the best. He tried bringing the text alive with examples that show how it is relevant to us now.
All in all this was a long, but relevant reading assignment. I can't say that I didn't enjoy some parts of it.

-Caley