Reader response #2

The essay, “Grade Inflation: It’s Time to Face the Facts,” Professor Harvey C. Mansfield explains the pitfalls of grade inflation in Harvard and any other university. Grade inflation is the act of giving a higher grade to students whether or not the student deserves it. According to Mansfield, about half of the students in a class are guaranteed an A in the course to “conform with Harvard’s inflated distribution” (59).  Mansfield says that the grades given at elite American colleges are unfair and, to an extent, scandalous. Mansfield also believes that inflating grades is just a way to flatter students, reveals the downward trend of faculty spirit, and the loss of the idea of the average student.

Mansfield had many detailed explanations that helped clarify some of the ideas he spoke of. One of my favorite examples he used was the comparison of prospective students to new car models. Another good thing that Mansfield did was acknowledging the opposing view and telling the reader why universities wanted to have grade inflation. One more good point that Mansfield had in his argumentative essay was asserting his credibility. At the end of the essay, there is a line that says that Mansfield works as a professor of government at Harvard which means that Mansfield at least has his Masters Degree, but most likely has his Doctorates Degree. Another way he asserts his credibility is by saying that The Boston Globe interviewed him about his “two-grade policy” (61).  The Boston Globe sounds like it is a credible source and to be interviewed by it makes anyone sound very important.

Reading this essay was quite shocking since I did not expect universities to practice grade inflation. In fact, before reading this article, I had no idea what grade inflation was! Grade inflation is a confusing matter, and I agree with Mansfield. It should not be practiced at all. Professors need to remember why they wanted to teach so they can gain their moral back. The idea of an average student needs to be reiterated into universities nationwide. Professors and universities also need to remember that grades should not be a way to flatter a student. Grades should reflect how a student is doing in the class and nothing else. It should reflect how much effort a student has put into a course.

All in all, Harvey Mansfield wrote a very interesting essay and though it was confusing at times, people should take note of what he is saying and try to change the universities into giving true and fair grades to all of their students.

Reader response #1

In the essay, “Violent Media is Good For Kids,” the author, Gerard Jones, strongly believes that violent media is good for young children because it allows children to become more creative and to release or feel emotions that could affect them positively. Jones uses an example from when he was a young child. He tells the reader that his parents “built a wall between [him] and the crudest elements of American pop culture”; however, his mother gave him Marvel Comics once because she thought they would be “good” for him since someone told her they were “devoted to lofty messages of pacifism and tolerance.” He finishes the story by saying that they were indeed good for him, but in a different way than his mother wanted them to be. He said that through the Marvel Comics, namely The Incredible Hulk, he was able to fantasize about a different person that was himself and he was also able to make new friends because of The Incredible Hulk. Jones gives more examples from his life about how violent media has helped children he knows get through school and express themselves through creative stories or works of art.

                The structure of Jones’ essay is formatted nicely, going from personal experiences to observations, professional and personal opinion to popular opinions, and finally acknowledging the other side of the argument and rebutting it. Not only that, but Jones makes a very valid argument. When taking something in, one should always have a balance. Too much can always be bad, and too little can deprive oneself from achieving greatness. The use of Melanie Moore’s quote also helped further prove his idea that violence is not bad for children. It showed that he and professionals both agree that violence is good for children if, again, it is given in moderation. He also establishes his credibility by saying that he developed Power Play and then going on to explain what the program is and how it uses violent, or heroic, storytelling to improve children’s knowledge of themselves and make them feel strong. Jones also appeals to the reader’s emotions too by telling stories, like the story of pretending to be a Power Ranger to “muscle through a social competition in kindergarten,” that most readers can relate to. Another way Jones appeals to emotion is by telling stories about helping different children embrace their violent fantasies by allowing the child to write stories and/or draw pictures. The reader cannot help but feel a sense of warmth when he tells the two stories about the girls he helped.

                Overall, Gerard Jones makes a valid argument and his use of details, word choices, and the use of the three rhetorical appeals helped make his argument stronger.