Blog assignment #6

Find one example of a paraphrase and one example of a quotation in the essay. Why did the writer choose to present their research material in this way? How does the research contribute to the overall meaning of the essay?

Arak Anthology- p73-76, Synesthesia by Elizabeth Glinka

Paraphrase(p74): Throughout the 19th century, synethesia was not a prominently recognized in the medical or scientific communities; however, as Europe experienced an artistic and scientific renaissance, its latent presence became more prominent. Sir Francis Galton rediscovered the sensory applications linked to synethesia (Ramachandran and Hubbard 148).
Quotation(p73): Researchers believed John Locke, a 17th century political philosopher, first referenced synesthesia in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, when he stated, “a studious blind man who…bragged one day that he now understood what scarlet signified…It was like the sound of thrumpet”(qtd. In Cytowic 52).

The writer used many quotations in her essay because those sentences from the sources were particularly vivid or striking and they made her point clearly. She used paraphrases when she wanted to summarize and write about the information from the source with her own word. In this way, she was able to make a strong connection between her view and the material as well. Writers also can use paraphrases when a source sounds very old-fashioned because it is published long time ago or when the sentences they are planning to use are from different sources and they want to combine them with their own word. Furthermore, especially when the readers are doubtful or not sure of the writer’s opinion, paraphrases and quotations can support the writer’s opinion with reliable sources.
These two ways to present writers’ research materials have many purposes. They contribute to the overall meaning of the essay by providing support for claims and add credibility to the essay. They also give many examples and attract the readers using these interesting and realistic instances. Paraphrasing and using quotations expand the depth of the essay by referring to works that lead up the point that the writer is now focusing on; it eventually enhance the overall essay. The writer often connects paraphrases and quotations. His/her paraphrases mixed with appropriate quotations play an important role to give the readers specific and dependable materials throughout the essay and make the whole essay strongly-built.