TOW #4: The Anatomy of Revolution (IRB 1 Part 1)

In 1965, Crane Brinton, an American historian, published the revised and expanded version of his book, The Anatomy of Revolution for historians studying revolution and interested common readers. He examines the American, French, English, and Russian revolutions, analyzing their similarities to determine what makes a “revolution.”

His purpose, as directly stated in the introduction, is to find an “ideal type” for a revolution, though not necessarily what would be typical (Brinton 7). This vague purpose is clarified by the book. In the introduction, he notes that the scientific method of the natural sciences might be applied also to social sciences (Brinton 13). Thus, he is forming a series of hypotheses throughout, such as that revolutions generally begin with an old regime, which is faced with economic, political, and structural weaknesses (chapter 2). He then bolsters this claim with historical proof—ship money for the British, taxation without representation for the Americans, the economic disparity in France, and the financial costs of World War I in Russia display a poor economy as a common precursor—just as a natural scientist would amass experimental data in support of a hypothesis. Having read half of the book, I believe it to be his purpose to set out general parameters for what can be considered a revolution and to establish common characteristics, making his definition like a scientific theory, which is grounded in evidence, but subject to reconsideration and alteration. His logical, experiment-like structure helps him to achieve this goal.

Brinton uses historical quotations as well as detailed research to bolster his claims, with his primary appeal being to ethos. His writing is additionally heavy in metaphors, which makes the somewhat complex subject more logical for a reader to understand. For example, the metaphor for which the book is known is his comparison of a revolution to a fever (Brinton 16). This fever, he claims, is not entirely negative, but rather something that destroys bad germs (old regime), and leaves the organism (nation) stronger and healthier than before. Due to their clarification of the points made by Brinton, the metaphors help him to achieve his purpose.

TOW #3: Look Who's Back (Visual Text)

As often as I have been told not to judge a book by its cover, the cover of Look Who’s Back deserves an award. The front is matte white with a swath of shiny black in the shape of a hairline near the top. The title—capitalized, bold, black letters—occupies a tight rectangular region, if a full face were to be pictured, between the nose and mouth. The author’s name is at the top in red, not particularly emphasized, as he was previously a shadow-writer, not someone well-known who would sell books with just his name.

The use of striking black against contrasting white helps to focus the potential reader’s attention upon the distinctive hairline, arousing curiosity about its purpose, before being drawn down to the title, Look Who’s Back. The short title offers little information about the book, except that someone has returned. It is unpunctuated, leaving the answer to a viewer’s inevitable question “Who is back?” open-ended, something to be answered by the viewer, not the author.  Slowly, one comes to the realization that the hairline is that of Adolf Hitler, and the title, in its little rectangular form, is his iconic mustache. The audience must be curious and analytical, as only such an audience would be drawn to consider the cover of the book. The cover-art is well thought out, as the book itself would appeal to such group. A political satire, it comments on media’s dominating role in society in combination with historical input from main character Hitler. However, it takes someone willing to think to understand Hitler’s implications and their modern relevance to appreciate the book.
To establish the tone of the piece, once a potential reader has discovered the shadow of Hitler on the front—which might itself symbolize that a twenty-first century Führer could be lurking in the shadows, either in the form of a human or new in forms of media that control modern lives—the back cover appeals to pathos through humor. It reads: “He’s back [...] and he’s Führious.” The silly pun makes the potential reader interested in a humorous piece. Though faced with a subject that seems serious, the use of a pun makes its satirical nature clear from the start.

Note: I discovered this book in Nuremberg, Germany. I bought it because it was ironically in a bookstore one bus ride away from the Nazi rally grounds. I have not finished it due to lack of time, but it is rather funny so far. Hitler addresses a modern youth playing soccer (whose mother obviously must have sewn his name onto the back of his Hitler Youth uniform) as "Hitler Youth Ronaldo." It was funny because soccer is now Germany's most popular sport, but the fictional Hitler was confused by a soccer jersey.

IRB #1 Intro: The Anatomy of Revolution

I have chosen to read The Anatomy of Revolution by Crane Brinton as my first non-fiction book of the year. I selected the book because we were supposed to read it in AP European History last year, and our teacher deemed it to be valuable. However, our curriculum was revised and we did not get to read the book. I hope to gain insight into what constitutes a revolution and draw parallels amongst the English, American, French, and Russian revolutions. Hopefully, I will be able to apply this book to AP United States History and to current events in the future.

TOW #2: The Communist Manifesto (First Section) (Written)

*I only read the opening and first section for my TOW, as the Manifesto in its entirety is significantly longer than normal TOW-length.

In 1848, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published the Communist Manifesto, aiming to establish a platform for the Communist League, and more importantly through that to convince the international proletarian community of their necessary role in the worldwide revolution against capitalism. The first section speaks of the history of the bourgeois class, particularly as it relates to the further oppression of the proletariat. With the now-famous line, “A specter is haunting Europe—the specter of communism,” Marx and Engels begin the rhetorical approach to their communist ideology.

        From the first line, a reader of the Manifesto is intrigued. The sinister implications of a ghostly figure “haunting” Europe arouse curiosity, as communism in these words seems to be condemned, not endorsed. Within the first few paragraphs, the question is answered with a logical argument: Communism is recognized (and feared) by all of the great powers of Europe as a power itself. Therefore, it is time to “meet this nursery tale of the specter of communism with a Manifesto of the party itself.” The rationale expressed can hardly be questioned, as to define one’s ideals to alleviate or confirm the fears of another can be naught but beneficial to all.

        The first section begins with an equally moving line: “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.” It ignites a reader’s curiosity for the following section pertaining to the formation of the bourgeoisie and the eternal oppression of the proletariat, and throughout which Marx and Engels employ basic rhetorical devices to rally readers to the communist cause.

        “The bourgeoisie,” say Marx and Engels, “has stripped of its halo every occupation hitherto honored and looked up to with reverent awe.” This grandiose metaphorical implication is loaded with emotional appeal. The idea that certain professions might have formerly been revered, but due to bourgeois capitalism have been corrupted, creates empathy for the communist motivation. The removal of a halo implies destruction of innocence, the rape or exploitation professions. Given that they refer often to the exploitations of capitalism, speaking of resources, markets, and labor forces, the impact of the personifying metaphor is enhanced.

Throughout the text, the supposed maleficence of bourgeois capitalism is implied numerous times through comparisons, such as to sorcery. However, the authors of the Manifesto do not rely upon pathos alone to achieve their goals. They additionally provide an explicit history of the bourgeoisie, which is seemingly accurate, though ridden with choice diction holding negative connotations. Thus, they establish their credibility through detailed knowledge of history, particularly that of the class struggle. Through these uses of rhetoric, Marx and Engels appear to be successful in their purpose. Historically, however, the power of their words would not directly precipitate action for decades to come.

TOW #1: How to Say Nothing in 500 Words (Written)

In 1958, Paul McHenry Roberts published the essay How to Say Nothing in 500 Words as a part of one of his books, Understanding English. Roberts, an English professor, approaches his topic from the second-person perspective of a student assigned a five-hundred-word composition on college football. The topic is not only relevant given its student audience, but also because of when it was written. In the 1950s, many colleges were dropping their football programs, largely for financial reasons. This made the topic a popular point of debate for essays.

Appealing to his student audience, he satirically mimics common excuses, such as deciding to go to go to the movies rather than do homework because “you do your best thinking in the morning.” This procrastination results in a substandard position paper, which he spends the rest of the essay instructing his audience on how to amend through a rather scientific process.

Informal diction, including smatterings of contractions and direct addresses of the audience, give the piece a more conversational tone, putting the student audience at ease with his writing. Humorous hyperboles add to the youthful attraction, as he convinces his reader to avoid the most obvious examples to back up their theses. Rather, express opposition to college football because it “competes with baseball and is therefore un-American and possibly Communist inspired.” A blatantly exaggerated example, it additionally satirizes anti-Communist fervor present in 1950s America.

The organizational structure utilized by Roberts adds a logical progression and coherence to his essay. He uses headings with distinct rules for writing, including “Take the Less Usual Side,” and “Get Rid of Obvious Padding” to focus his readers. Though he elaborates with comical examples, he also, through the headings, provides the main points, lest they get lost in the text.

Through his superb use of diction, satirical humor, and organizational strategies, Roberts reaches his audiences of college students, allowing them to become better writers.

(318 words)