The Professor and the Madman 1

Author:
In addition to having an award-winning thirty year newspaper writing and broadcasting career, Simon Winchester has written many best-selling works of popular history. Before being hired by British paper, The Guardian, his repertoire included a kaleidoscope of professions, including a sledding expedition into East Greenland and several years as a field geologist in Uganda.

Beginning with a two page description of the definition and history of the word murder, the book swiftly follows up with an actual death. However, rather than following the path of traditional mystery books, the plot twists by revealing the murderer and motive. The novel is about all that led to that point and what came after; the murder itself is of little importance.

            As the completed Oxford English Dictionary is ready to be published, all the contributors were being recognized. There was one man in particular who had provided the press with hundreds of definitions but mysteriously never wanted to receive his due credit. As the man in charge of the creation of the dictionary goes to his home, he learns that the contributor is 1) clinically insane, and 2) under house arrest for murder.
            As of now, the book is in the process of explaining the two men’s histories up until the point that they meet. It has explicitly stated multiple times that after that point, their futures will be “inextricably intertwined.” However, that is yet to come.

The context is, quite explicitly, the English language. Few truly understand and embrace the depth and wealth of the human language, when it is obviously large enough to exceed 21 volumes when published as the Oxford English Dictionary. The author weaves this message into his writing in a way that it not only sets off each chapter but also is hidden within the writing. He assumes that his audience is not necessarily the general public, but rather those interested enough in their language to pick up a book about the creating of a dictionary. However, this history is not only conveyed with logos, but includes a lot of pathos as it goes into the personal stories of the major players. I believe the author accomplishes his purpose tactfully. In reading his book, one is not only is drawn into the complexity of the plot but also the complexity of the language with which he writes.

10 Years Passed

Cartoonist for the Chatanooga Times Free Press and Pulitzer Prize winner, in this image Clay Bennett adresses the ever growing divisions occuring in American society. Created for citizens of the United States, particularly those that read the paper, he uses the much talked of obesity rates as a way to highlite an larger, deeper, and more destructive problem. The facial expression of the man is that of shock, representing that the public did not realize the dire situation their division had become until the government had become, in a sense, useless. As the initial purpose of the jacket was intended by the people that made it, all of the teeth of the zipper must work together harmoniously in order to serve the larger purpose, offering protection to the wearer. Similarly, the government and society at large in America may only be of use to the public if the members collaborate peacefully. The statement made by the main character (who is wearing a traditional working class outfit) implies that although there had been a division from the beginning, the decade following 9/11 has led to the country’s biggest downfall and caused the largest crisis. Written as a response to the great anniversary of the tragedy, he encourages the readers to pay attention to what has happened since then, implying that once we have come to our senses we will see the true aftermath of the incident. Therefore, it can be said that this cartoon is causal. However, he places the largest blame on the people, not the government. Obesity is a result of carelessness and is self inflicted, although never with the intent to cause harm. Similarly, a nation requires maintenance, and that maintenance was not received.

The Professor and the Madman

Author: Simon Winchester
Sections:
      1. pg 1-60
      2. pg 61-120
      3. pg 121-180
      4. pg 181-241
Why I chose the book:
      I took a few classes as part of a program this summer in Oxford, and I was excited to revisit it through this book. Also, after reading Eats, Shoots and Leaves I found that I had a growing interest in the history behind language. It is through learning their developement that I find myself respecting and considering the aspects of our language that I take for granted. With nearly every assignment I consult a dictionary and have learned to simply accept that the definitions will be concise and clear. However, when asked to offer synonims I nearly always find myself at a loss. It truly does take genious to accomplish a work as great as the Oxford English Dictionary.
     However, the book does not seem to be a dull historical narrative. The title states, "A Tale of Murder, Insanity, adn the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary." It almost guarantees a fascinating story. I'm excited!

1. A Famine We Made?

A Famine We Made?

America's campaign against Islamic terrorists in Somalia contributed to a catastrophe that could kill hundreds of thousands

by Alex Perry/Mogadishu

Summary:

            Tens of thousands of people are sick or dying in Somalia due to a raging famine. A mass exodus of people have been embarking on several hundred mile treks to Mogadishu in search of food for their children who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and will most likely only recieve help if they are lucky. Nearly 170,000 children are near death, and 29,000 have already died. However, the triggering factor is not solely  attributed to the greatest drought the area has experianced since 1950; America has played a huge role in the nation's ability to cope with the situation. Beginning with the 1993 battle called Black Hawk Down where 18 American troops were killed, an economic war has begun between the Islamic militants and the US and its allies. When this Islamic group, al-Shabab, took control of Mogadishu and bombed Uganda, the United States declared it as terrorist organization, "making aiding and abetting it a serious crime". By 2009, the lack of a central government and $50 million dollars worth of aid caused the suffereing of nearly 2.8 million Somalis; only 20% have recieved help. While these sanctions have had the effect of weakening the terrorist groups, it has inadvertantly killed, and will kill, hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.

Analysis:

"How did this happen? Could it have been stopped? And how is it that millions of Somalis were so sure that no help was coming that they took their families on a death march across the desert?"
           
            The author's goal in writing this article was to encourage thought on the side effects of our government's actions. There was a very narrow minded goal in mind: get rid of the terrorists. The point being made in the article is what really happened was the suffering of thousands, potentially millions, of people. He quotes many political leaders stating how successfull the endeavor was, but shows how none of them stop to consider the destruction it has caused. He also incorporates a portion showing that, while many aid groups submit false reports to the press stating statistics of people that are being helped, the truth is that a majority of the people will die without recognition. He quotes the mayor of Mogadishu, who says, "The aid groups say they're here, but where? It's complete rubbish! Children are dying!" Perry is trying to encourage his readers to delve deaper into what the media is showing. As TIME is a well known news periodical, he could assume that his audience was educated and has the  potential to influence society. His strong  incorporation of pathos was intended to wake up his readers and push them to act. The famine was caused partly by the United State's sanctions, so it may be up to us to address the consequences that arose.


            I found the method in which Perry presented his arguement extremely effective. He sandwiched the logos portion of his article with a introduction and conclusion of pathos. The article began and ended with imagery filled stories of the deaths of innocent children. Paired with visuals of suffering and starving civilians, it caused the reader to begin comprehending the despair of those in Somalia. However, his tone was not so much accusing as it was clear. He incorporated the conflicting views of several different groups, giving the overall impression of unanticipated side effects rather than direct blame. He made it very clear that there were many different factors that lead to the famine (by separating each factor into individual sections within the article) and that America's influence was just one portion of the problem. This was a wise choice, due to the fact that his audience is American and his article would most likely be read by many people within the government. I think that by ending the piece with information of how the aid groups are struggling, however, he pushed his readers to look deeper into the questions he posed above, "How did this happen?" and "Could it have been stopped?"

Source/Author:

This article was located in the World News section of TIME magazine.

Alex Perry is TIME's Africa bureau chief, covering everything south of the Sahara. Perry has been a TIME correspondent since 2001, reporting Asia, the Middle East and Africa from postings in Hong Kong, New Delhi and Cape Town.