Practical Argument: A Text and Anthology

Responding Critically to Visual Arguments

As you learned in Chapter 2, a critical response analyzes the ideas in a text and expresses your reactions to them. When you respond in writing to a visual argument, you rely on your highlighting and annotations to help you understand the writer’s ideas and see how the words and images work together to make a particular point.

As you prepare to write a critical response to a visual argument, keep in mind the questions in the following checklist.

CHECKLIST
Questions for Responding to Visual Arguments

In what source did the visual appear? What is the target audience for this source?
For what kind of audience was the visual created? Hostile? Friendly? Neutral?
For what purpose was the visual created?
Who (or what organization) created the visual? What do you know about the background and goals of this person or group?
What issue is the visual addressing?
What position does the visual take on this issue? How can you tell? Do you agree with this position?
Does the visual include words? If so, are they necessary? What points do they make? Does the visual need more—or different—written text?
Does the visual seem to be a refutation —that is, an argument against a particular position?
Is the visual effective? Attractive? Interesting? Clear? Convincing?

When you write a critical response, begin by identifying the source and purpose of the visual. Then, state your reaction to the visual, and examine its elements one at a time, considering how effective each is and how well the various elements work together to create a convincing visual argument. End with a strong concluding statement that summarizes your reaction.

The critical response that follows was written by the student who highlighted and annotated the advertisement for Grand Theft Auto IV on page 92.

JASON SAVONA
RESPONSE TO GRAND THEFT AUTO IV

The advertisement for Grand Theft Auto IV presents a disturbing preview of the game. Rather than highlighting the game’s features and challenges, this ad promotes the game’s violence. As a result, it appeals more to those who are looking for video games that depict murder and other crimes than to those who choose a video game on the basis of the skill it requires.1

The “hero” of this game is Niko Bellic, a war veteran from Eastern Europe who has left his country to build a new life in the fictional Liberty City. Instead of finding peace, he has found a new kind of war. Now, trapped in the corrupt world of organized crime, Bellic is willing to do whatever it takes to fight his way out. His idea of justice is vigilante justice: he makes his own rules. The ad conveys this sense of Bellic as a loner and an outsider by showing him as a larger-than-life figure standing tall and alone against a background of the Liberty City skyline.2

In the ad, Niko Bellic holds a powerful weapon in his huge hands, and the weapon extends higher than the tallest building behind it, dominating the picture. Clearly, Bellic means business. As viewers look at the picture, the dark image of the gun and the man who holds it comes to the foreground, and everything else—the light brown buildings, the city lights, the yellow sky—fades into the background. In the center, the name of the game is set in large black-and-white type that contrasts with the ad’s hazy background, showing the importance of the product’s name.3

This image, clearly aimed at young players of violent video games, would certainly be appealing to those who want to have a feeling of power. What it says is, “A weapon makes a person powerful.” This is a very dangerous message.4

TEMPLATE FOR RESPONDING TO VISUAL ARGUMENTS

Write a one-paragraph critical response to the visual you highlighted and annotated in Exercise 3.2 on pages 92–93. Use the following template to shape your paragraph.

The visual created by Nate Londa shows ___________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ This visual makes a powerful statement about __________________________________________________ The central image shows __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________The background enhances the central image because _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________The visual includes words as well as images. These words suggest __________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ The goal of the organization that posted the visual seems to be to__________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________The visual (is / is not) effective because______________________________________________________________________________________________________