Analysis Of Douglas Rushkoff's Present Shock

One of the most noteworthy developments in postmodern literature is the ability to combine historical elements with fictionalized elements to create a story that presents an alternative truth—one that could be true and yet significantly deviates from the reported truth. Don DeLillo’s poignant novel Libra is a prime example of historiographic metafiction, bringing fictional characters, conversations, and events together to tell the story of Lee Harvey Oswald and the conspiracy to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. Likewise, philosopher Jacques Derrida poses the idea that the media has total control over the information presented as news. In his interview “Deconstruction and Actuality,” Derrida states, “…the time of this speaking is produced artificially. It is an artifact. In its actualization, the time of such a public act is calculated and constrained, ‘formatted’ and ‘initialised’ by (to put it briefly) the organisations of the media—and these alone would deserve an almost infinite analysis” (Malpas 75). DeLillo also addresses Derrida’s beliefs that organizations have more control over information and that the population needs to question in Libra.

It seems not a day goes by without news of a major calamity echoing in the chamber that is the news. This echo chamber might even lead you to think that we are living in the most dangerous time in history. Protest spring up in one city, wars start in another country, a terrorist group kills civilians, or North Korea performs a nuclear test. What this news might not tell you is that we are living in the most peaceful time, that less children die in birth today than ever before, that many diseases that were once prevalent have all but been eradicated. This is what George Saunders speaks off in his essay “The Braindead Megaphone” he asks use to imagine a man

Saunders criticizes the megaphone, claiming it places priority on entertaining, profitable news as opposed to news that is educational or enlightening. Saunders furthers this claim by arguing that news media is habitually over-simplifying complicated issues, thus desensitizing the masses to stupidity and frivolity. Saunders’ essay is important because although it was published in 2007, it is still relevant (and will most likely be relevant as long as media exists). In fact, the points he makes in this essay are even more relatable now, as social media has increased greatly in popularity. Everywhere you look, there is a new “breaking story” about the Kardashians or the Jenners; and people accept this as real news! Saunders’ essay encourages readers to be critical of mass media and seek out undiluted, uncontaminated, earnest news

In his short story, “The Last Night of the World”, Ray Bradbury explores the rhetorical question by asking, “What would you do if you knew that this was the last night of the world?” (Bradbury 1). Wondering why or how it could possibly be the last night of the world, the wife presumes to ask if it is due to a war, a hydrogen, an atomic bomb or because of the germ warfare. Nevertheless, it was simply due to the fact that, that night was “the closing of a book” (Bradbury 1). Through the characters thoughts and actions, Bradbury is able to express the ability of acceptance in things that cannot be changed and accepting and overcoming the thought and feeling of fear. Bradbury presents endless thoughts, yet understandings within the characters.

The article "Mind Over Mass Media" by Steven Pinker uses logos, ethos, pathos, and other rhetorical elements to effectively communicate that mass media is a positive development and is not a reason for panic. The first noticeable rhetorical element in Pinker’s essay is the presence of a rhetorical triangle. A rhetorical triangle is made up of a rhetor, the audience, and the rhetor’s purpose. In this essay Steven Pinker is the rhetor because is the one trying to make a point to the audience. The audience is the reader of the article who is listening to the rhetor. Finally, the text or point the rhetor is trying to make is that e effects of mass media are not a cause for panic. In fact mass media is an effective way for humans to keep up with the modern age. The clearly defined rhetorical triangle in Steven Pinker’s essay is a surface level example of rhetorical elements in the text.

By the end of the journey, it is obvious the narrative is a tragedy. The author has formed this safety blanket,

Automatically, the reader knows that serious issues are about to be discussed and that the outcome may not be positive. This novel challenges the material ideology discussed above. It does this by bringing the issues to the forefront and reporting on them in a fictitious yet realistic manner. The reader is not led to believe that the ending will be happy, he is supposed to expect the consider the harsh realities of the world throughout the piece.

Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried, the chapter “Spin”, highlights how when a writer formulates their story, certain details will always be intentionally left out, and by stringing together disconnected ideas and memories, O’Brien reveals that distortion is ineluctable. Writing lies on the fundamental principal that writers have the ability to manipulate people into believing what they say by highlighting certain facts and ignoring others.

Imagine, if you will, a time that seemed innocent... almost too innocent. Imagine a nation under whose seemingly conformist and conservative surface dramatic social changes were brewing, changes as obvious as integration and as subtle as fast food. And imagine, if you will, a radical television show that scrutinized, criticized, and most importantly, publicized these changes, making the social turmoil of a nation apparent to its post-world war, self-contented middle-class citizens. But what if this television show was not as it appeared? What if it masqueraded as simple science fiction, and did not reveal its true agenda until viewers took a closer look? Let us examine how

There are many ways to interpret a book, one can read it as a character’s adventure, a conflict of ideas or emotions, or a story. For myself, I read the books, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and Billy Budd, Sailor by Herman Melville, in an ironic sense; and while doing this, I noticed that both books showed an intuitive sense of sociology. Furthermore, what mattered most by reading the books ironically is that it is easy to see the outcome of a situation which is pleasing to be conscious of. It is easy to see the outcome of a situation because when one is paying attention to a character, one’s attention is toward a character, except when one’s attention is on an entire situation, one’s attention is on the flow of events and then the

Richard Louv, in his book “Last Child in the Woods” describes the dramatic change that the world is now facing. Louv’s purpose is to show reader that not everything that we invent is good. In addition, the writer uses a reader-friendly tone in order to establish that he is not going to be harsh on any one person. Also, the author creates a factual tone by giving reader lots of information. Louv does so by utilizing diction in order to establish the mood and tone in the passage.With the use of rhetorical devices such as diction, nostalgia, and rhetorical questioning, Louv has a powerful impact and gets his point across to the audience.

Humanity has always been fascinated by books which provide us with an apocalyptic view of the future. The destruction of a nation; the fall of our government—or in Huxley’s vision, its rise to power in formidable ways. As Huxley puts it, “the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance…[and humanity] would be reduced to passivity and egoism.” In contemporary America, Huxley’s pessimistic, yet already-fulfilled prophecy illustrates how both the government and ourselves are at fault—as we are deliberately aware of the things which he describes but nonetheless, choose to let his ideas become a reality, rather than a ludicrous view of the future.

What about literature entices individuals to read, and to pursue a further understanding of the writing material? Surprisingly, it lies in the fact that literature creates a solid connection between readers and relatable personal experiences. With literature, readers transcend their own physical lives, and for the duration of the story, experience someone else’s emotions, and realities, as if it were their own. One person known for discussing the importance of “human connection” (Llosa, 2001), is Mario Vargas Llosa, a famous Peruvian writer. He deems that in order for literature to gain substantiality and longevity, it must first create strong connections with its readers. In the three works Until Gwen, A&P, and Winter’s Bone, the primary goal of human connection as emphasized by Llosa is largely attained through experience.

It takes a significant incident for others to understand that change is needed. An example Ornstein and Ehrlich uses in the book, “ Cancer terrifies us, yet we keep smoking (ch1-3).” Everyone thinks they are invincible and will be one of the ones that cancer slides right past. The reality is, cancer is real and could be lurking at the door any moment. It takes the doctor telling one that he or she has cancer for a reaction to occur. This is how people see everyday life. It takes a school shooting to occur for the school to set up a prevention plan and a sex addict to be told he has AIDS. Humans are the number one ingredient for world disaster. The only ones who can destroy the world faster than ever thought

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley depicts a future that seems happy and stable on the surface, but when you dig deeper you realize that it is not so bright at all. People almost autonomously fall in line to do what they have been taught to do through constant conditioning and hypnopædia. Neil Postman’s argument that Huxley’s book is becoming more relevant than George Orwell’s 1984 is partly true. Huxley’s vision of the future is not only partly true, but it is only the beginning of what is to come.