Transcript Plan for text 1

Plan for text 1
Me + He
Intro
The article “Genetically Engineered Children” is a political article from “The Cagle Post” published in
2012. The author aims to entertain and inform its reader how technology is taking over something as
natural as child birth. Through irony and comical techniques the writer explores the conflicts of values
and conveys the serious message of how society is moving into areas of science and technology that
he considers wrong and perhaps unethical. In this essay, I intend to explore the literary devices and
the writers use of the cartoon juxtaposed with it to convey this article in an satirical and effective way.
Context
● This political article shows a conversation between a couple and a doctor.
● The doctor introduces new technology known as biotechnology where a
child is genetically engineered to withhold desired characteristics.
● There is a conflict of values as the doctor is essentially forcing these
changes upon the couple when the couple want something more natural
Audience
The audience is of the educated and higher socio economic class who could
afford to pay for this sort of technology. However it is also a global issue due to
the ethical concerns many people have with genetic modification.
The writer uses two different values:
- The doctor who represents through stereotyping the 21st century
- The parents who have different values and seem to consider the
implications
He uses these two values to relate to a wide audience. Also by being on the
website, it can be accessed by almost anyone and shared through FB/Twitter
as seen in the icons.
Formal and stylistic features
The use of questions as it shows how the parents are not understanding of the
concept as it is against their values, as meaning is lost by designing their kidsbecomes a superficial thing from its normal beautiful thing.
“he or she will grow up skinny as a rail” & “We have a range of celebrity noses
you can choose from in our catalog” The modern day stereotype that thin
people/smaller noses look the best.
“We are refining the baby making process”
“It won't take but 20 mins for us to custom make your fetus” the fast moving
nature suggests the lack of care and sets the tone for the sattircal nature of the
text.
Image and text complement
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Image shows a newborn baby with the umbilical cord still attached, holding a mobile
phone in their hands.
Indicates how genetically engineered children are born into this world as children of
technology
Shows the paradigm shift in technology as it is becoming more relevant to the point
where it is introduced from before a child is born
Complements the article as the doctor is trying to sell the idea of genetically
engineered children whilst the parents want a natural birth.
The baby holding a phone right at birth is a symbolism for how technology is having
an impact from a young age, which is complemented by the article saying babies
need to be perfect/hence modified.
“when people try to have kids the old way, all kinds of things can go wrong”
“
Text 1: Genetically
Engineered Children
Petr Bai Y2JB
Structure
● Intro: Satirical and sarcastic website article on genetically engineered babies,
argument between the doctor and future parents.
● Conflict of Values
o Doctor “parents want intelligent children who are as attractive as a
supermodel”
o Parents “won’t beauty lose some of its meaning,”
● Cartoon: showing baby being born with using a phone, looks very unnatural
● Parent’s use of celebrities
o Churchill and Welles (‘chubby’), Keller (‘blind and deaf’)
● Conc: Attempts to criticise any doctor who want to carry out genetic engineering
that causes parents to concern about ethical and morality of genetics
Introduction
Text 1 is originated from a satirical website called ‘The
Cagle Post’ by Daryl Cagle published in 2012. The audience is
mainly targeted at new parents wanting to have children, but
unsure whether genetic engineering be used. This article contains
an argument between the doctor (for) and future parents (against),
written in dialogue form, using examples of conflict of values, a
cartoon and parent’s celebrities examples.
Genetically Engineered
Children
Plan
Explore conflict of values expressed in the extract:
-
-
-
Nature vs. science / Science vs. meaning of life..
A doctor who is passionate about his work and believes in scientific breakthroughs is trying to
promote this idea of modifying babies to couples
Image-White baby in black person’s hands - implies black people can now have white babies if
they want. Phone in childs hand implies a white baby will become more wealthy?
Parents believe in nature and god’s will. argue that people who weren't perfect still made
great achievements.
What is right and what is wrong? the idea is put in front of the reader throughout the extract
but is consolidated by the end where the extract leaves the question; ‘’meaning? What is all
this silly talk about meaning?’’ This I believe sets the reader to think for themselves about
what they believe might be the meaning of life.
The Tone of the doctor is much different to the tone of the parents. Doctor is excited and
supportive of the new breakthrough whereas the parents are nervous and not sure about what
they think this science is doing to life.
plan
In what ways do this article and the illustration convey a serious point in an
amusing manner?
-
-
The article was posted on a cartoons & commentary website which shows it obviously is not a
serious post.
Image-Implies white children are better than black children. Which can be another argument
set to the reader.
Straight after being born, still with the umbilical cord attached the child is playing with a
phone which shows that the white child is intelligent and knows how to use technology, even
at a young age.
The use of the doctors reasoning behind the modification of the baby, Joking about the
parents appearances and imperfections. The tone is used very much so to indicate that the
doctor is not joking but being serious. This is to the reader can be perceived as humor as the
doctor is actually being very rude to the couple.
context of doctors are that they are polite and trustworthy people that are their to help the
client to the best of their ability and support them. Here for the way in which this doctor is
shown is the complete opposite and can herefor be perceived as funny.
Introduction
The extract is a website that does cartoons and commentary. In this
particular piece there is a conversation between a doctor and couple that are
about to have a baby. They are having an argument about the genetically
modifying of babies. Hence the title of the extract; Genetically engineered
children. The audience this may be attracting can be people that are
interested into political cartoons and science. The extract makes use of
ideals and stereotypes as well as arguing about the meaning of life vs.
science. The conversation gives the reader two sides of the argument. A
doctor who supports the scientific breakthrough and is very excited about
this, trying to sell it to the couple. Whereas this couple is very nervous and
doubtful about the idea of genetically modifying their child.