Published by Pearson (February 1, 2019) © 2020
For first-year courses in composition.
The Prose Reader offers prose models to inspire students' own thinking and writing. Organized by rhetorical pattern, the text introduces rhetorical strategies as methods of evaluating information. Discussion questions and writing assignments for each selection lead students from literal-level responses to interpretation to analysis. These questions encourage students to improve their writing through immersion in the best examples of professional prose available today.
The 12th Edition incorporates revisions drawn from student and instructor feedback throughout.
Rhetorical Contents
PART I. THINKING, READING, AND WRITING CRITICALLY
1. Thinking Critically
1.1 Levels of Thinking
1.2 Building Bridges with Critical Thinking Questions
1.3 The Reading–Writing Connection
2. Reading Critically
2.1 The Reading Process
2.2 Reading Critically
3. Writing Critically
3.1 The Writing Process
3.2 Writing Critically
PART II. READING AND WRITING RHETORICALLY
4. Description: Exploring Through the Senses
4.1 Defining Description
4.2 Thinking Critically Through Description
4.3 Reading Descriptive Essays
4.4 Writing Descriptive Essays
4.5 Student Essay: Description at work
4.6 Some Final Thoughts on Description
RAY BRADBURY Summer Rituals
The description of a simple, comforting ritual—the putting up of a front-porch swing in early summer—confirms the value of ceremony in the life of a small town.
KIMBERLY WOZENCRAFT Notes from the Country Club
Have you ever wondered what being in prison is like? Kimberly Wozencraft takes us for a no-nonsense tour of the “correctional institution” in Kentucky that was her home for more than a year.
ANNIE DILLARD Total Eclipse
Have you ever seen a total eclipse? Annie Dillard describes the breathtaking details of her first experience with this complete blackout.
LILLIAN DIAZ-IMBELLI El Viejo
In this touching essay, Lillian Díaz-Imbelli explains the significance of her Abuelo in her life.
NASA Mars
Do you think we will walk on Mars during your lifetime? This description of the planet will prepare you for the next phase in our exploration of space.
Chapter Writing Assignments
5. Narration: Telling a Story
5.1 Defining Narration
5.2 Thinking Critically Through Narration
5.3 Reading Narrative Essays
5.4 Writing Narrative Essays
5.5 Student Essay: Narration at Work
5.6 Some Final Thoughts on Narration
LEWIS SAWAQUAT For My Indian Daughter
A Native American author responds to prejudice with a search for ethnic and cultural pride.
MAYA ANGELOU New Directions
Deserted by her husband, a proud and determined Annie Johnson decides to “step off the road and cut . . . a new path” for herself.
LYNDA BARRY The Sanctuary of School
In this essay, Lynda Barry explains how her school became a welcome retreat from the emotional turmoil at her home.
SANDRA CISNEROS Only Daughter
The only daughter in a large family, Sandra Cisneros feels overwhelming pride when her father praises her skill as a writer.
RUSSELL BAKER The Saturday Evening Post
In this autobiographical essay, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Russell Baker offers a nostalgic look at his childhood days in the small town of Morrisonville, Virginia.
Chapter Writing Assignments
6. Example: Illustrating Ideas
6.1 Defining Illustration
6.2 Thinking Critically Through Examples
6.3 Reading Example Essays
6.4 Writing Example Essays
6.5 Student Essay: Examples at Work
6.6 Some Final Thoughts on Examples
CHRISTOPHER NELSON Why We Are Looking at the “Value” of College All Wrong
How can we measure the value of education? Christopher Nelson has some answers that do not involve economics.
RICHARD RODRIGUEZ Public and Private Language
Do you speak the same language in public that you do in private with your family and friends? Richard Rodriguez argues for the importance of both forms of communication.
CHRIS LEBRON I’m Black. Does America Have a Plan for My Life?
Chris Lebron wonders if he will be able to live a full life in a country where black lives are at risk every day.
RONI JACOBSON A Digital Safety Net
Can social media help detect mental illness? And if it can, how should we respond? Jacobson offers some thoughts on both of these issues.
BRENT STAPLES A Brother’s Murder
Brent Staples’s horrifying description of his brother’s inner-city killing lays bare the decay of urban America and its effect on the young African-American men who are imprisoned there.
Chapter Writing Assignments
7. Process Analysis: Explaining Step by Step
7.1 Defining Process Analysis
7.2 Thinking Critically Through Process Analysis
7.3 Reading Process Analysis Essays
7.4 Writing Process Analysis Essays
7.5 Student Essay: Process Analysis at Work
7.6 Some Final Thoughts on Process Analysis
JAY WALLJASPER Our Schedules, Our Selves
Are you bound to your smartphone, enslaved to your daily routine? Jay Walljasper argues that we’ve booked ourselves so tightly that “there’s no time left for those magic, spontaneous moments that make us feel most alive.”
JESSICA MITFORD Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain
In this chilling and macabre essay, celebrated “muckraker” Jessica Mitford exposes the greed and hypocrisy of the American mortuary business.
CAROLE KANCHIER Dare to Change Your Job and Your Life in 7 Steps
Change is always difficult. But Kanchier offers several ways to handle change sensibly, based on interviews with others who have made positive changes in their lives.
NICHOLAS CARR How Smartphones Hijack Our Lives
See if you still want to stay connected to your phone all day after reading this essay.
JAMES HAMBLIN Football Alters the Brains of Kids as Young as 8
Playing youth football dramatically changed Zackery Lystedt’s life forever. But key researchers don’t suggest that kids should stop playing football.
Chapter Writing Assignments
8. Division/Classification: Finding Categories
8.1 Defining Division/Classification
8.2 Thinking Critically Through Division/Classification
8.3 Reading Division/Classification Essays
8.4 Writing Division/Classification Essays
8.5 Student Essay: Division/Classification at Work
8.6 Some Final Thoughts on Division/Classification
KAREN LACHTANSKI Match the Right Communication Type to the Occasion
According to this author, good communication follows one important rule: The type of communication must fit the situation.
SARA D. GILBERT The Different Ways of Being Smart
People can be smart in different ways, which Gilbert explains in this essay with examples to support her classification system.
CAMILLE LAVINGTON Rapport: How to Ignite It
Understanding personality types can make it relatively easy for you to connect with other people. This essay will help you with this mission.
AMY TAN Mother Tongue
In this provocative and intriguing article, author Amy Tan examines the relationship between her mother’s “fractured” English and her own talent as a writer.
STEPHANIE ERICSSON The Ways We Lie
Ever stretched the truth? Stephanie Ericsson catalogs the 10 worst kinds of falsehoods, from “white lies” to “delusion.” Which is your favorite?
Chapter Writing Assignments
9. Comparison/ Contrast: Discovering Similarities and Differences
9.1 Defining Comparison/Contrast
9.2 Thinking Critically Through Comparison/Contrast
9.3 Reading Comparison/Contrast Essays
9.4 Writing Comparison/Contrast Essays
9.5 Student Essay: Comparison/Contrast at Work
9.6 Some Final Thoughts on Comparison/Contrast
AMY CHUA Excerpt from Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
Why do so many Asian students excel in school? According to Amy Chua, it’s because their mothers are much more demanding than their Western counterparts.
JEAN TWENGE Millennials: The Greatest Generation or the Most Narcissistic?
Do millennials want to help others and contribute to society? Twenge sets out to settle the disagreement among researchers on these fundamental values in the lives of millennials.
MOTOKO RICH Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?
Is surfing the Net ruining our minds? New York Times reporter Motoko Rich presents a balanced and intriguing analysis of the dangers and rewards of spending too much time online.
GLORIA STEINEM The Politics of Muscle
Feminist Gloria Steinem examines the extent to which strength means sexual power.
ERMA BOMBECK Grandma
What do you think are the main differences between grandmothers and mothers? Bombeck summarizes the answers to this question from a group of eight-year-olds.
Chapter Writing Assignments
10. Definition: Limiting the Frame of Reference
10.1 Defining Definition
10.2 Thinking Critically Through Definition
10.3 Reading Definition Essays
10.4 Writing Definition Essays
10.5 Student Essay: Definition at Work
10.6 Some Final Thoughts on Definition
KEVIN WHITELAW Defining Diversity: Beyond Race and Gender
In this essay, Whitelaw presents some ideas about how to define diversity so that it is more relevant to our culture today.
ROBERT RAMIREZ The Barrio
Robert Ramirez lovingly describes the “feeling of family” in a typical inner-city barrio.
ELIZABETH SVOBODA Virtual Assault
Everyone agrees that all bullying must be stopped, but very few have any concrete suggestions for doing so. However, Svoboda offers some guidelines we need to consider for addressing virtual assault.
MARY PIPHER Beliefs About Families
What is a “family”? Psychologist Mary Pipher attempts to answer this intriguing question by examining the effect that different categories of family members have on our ability to function in the world around us.
DAVID HANSON Binge Drinking
Binge drinking is a dangerous type of drinking that Hanson claims is on the decline among current college students. Do you think society deals with drinking and youth responsibly?
Chapter Writing Assignments
11. Cause/Effect: Tracing Reasons and Results
11.1 Defining Cause/Effect
11.2 Thinking Critically Through Cause/Effect
11.3 Reading Cause/Effect Essays
11.4 Writing Cause/Effect Essays
11.5 Student Essay: Cause/Effect at Work
11.6 Some Final Thoughts on Cause/Effect
STEPHEN KING Why We Crave Horror Movies
Seen any good horror movies lately? Best-selling author Stephen King explains why we are so fascinated by films that appeal to our darker instincts.
MICHAEL DORRIS The Broken Cord
An angry and frustrated Michael Dorris describes the long-term damage done to his adopted son, Adam, by the ravages of fetal alcohol syndrome.
DANA GIOIA On the Importance of Reading
Why should we read literature? “Let me count the ways,” says former National Endowment for the Arts chair Dana Gioia, as he details the intellectual and spiritual nourishment conferred on us by imaginative works of art.
JOE KEOHANE How Facts Backfire
Are you sure you’re right about that? According to Joe Keohane, the more certain we are about our opinions, the more likely it is that we are relying on "beliefs" rather than “facts.”
ART MARKMAN Can Video Games Make You Smart (or At Least More Flexible)?
Can video games increase your ability to learn? Markman has some evidence that demonstrates some of the positive results of these games.
Chapter Writing Assignments
12. Argument and Persuasion: Inciting People to Thought or Action
12.1 Defining Argument and Persuasion
12.2 Thinking Critically Through Argument
12.3 Reading Argument Essays
12.4 Writing Argument Essays
12.5 Student Essay: Argument and Persuasion at Work
12.6 Some Final Thoughts on Argument and Persuasion
MARK BITTMAN Bad Food? Tax It, and Subsidize Vegetables
“What will it take to get Americans to change our eating habits?” asks Mark Bittman. Learn why the food industry continues to market unhealthy foods and how the government can help solve this problem.
MITCHELL BAKER Restoring the Public’s Trust in American Journalism
The concept of “fake news” is taking its toll on society today. But Baker has some suggestions for restoring trust in journalism throughout the country.
DAVE GROSSMAN We Are Training Our Kids to Kill
Retired Col. Dave Grossman questions the role models we are creating for our kids through violence on TV. In this essay, he challenges us to regain control of child abuse, racism, and poverty in American society.
SAMANTHA PUGSLEY How Language Impacts the Stigma Against Mental Health (And What We Must Do to Change It)
Are you aware of how people refer to mental health issues in their everyday lives? Are they always respectful of different mental illnesses in their references? Through this essay, Pugsley helps us build a sensitivity to these issues.
Opposing Viewpoints: Social Media
JOSH ROSE How Social Media Is Having a Positive Impact on Our Culture
SUSAN TARDANICO Is Social Media Sabotaging Real Communication?
When is social media constructive? When is it destructive? Being aware of its advantages and disadvantages is part of improving our ability to communicate in society.
Opposing Viewpoints: Postconviction DNA Testing
TIM O’BRIEN Postconviction DNA Testing Should Be Encouraged
JAMES DAO In Same Case, DNA Clears Convict and Finds Suspect
PETER ROFF Postconviction DNA Testing Should Not Be Encouraged
How reliable is DNA evidence in the courtroom? Tim O’Brien, James Dao, and Peter Roff debate the issue from three different sides.
Chapter Writing Assignments
13. Writing in Different Genres: Combining Rhetorical Modes
Autobiography
RICHARD WRIGHT The Library Card
Set in the segregationist South, Wright’s short story illustrates the triumph of one brave man’s lust for learning over a society that seeks to keep him “in his place.”
Speech
MITCH LANDRIEU Speech on the Removal of Confederate Monuments in New Orleans
Landrieu reflects on the racial history of New Orleans and explains why the removal of Confederate monuments opens possibilities to New Orleanians of all races.
Poetry
WALLACE STEVENS The House Was Quiet and the World Was Calm
Stevens claims that a quiet house and calm world stimulate the search for meaning and truth.
SEAMUS HEANEY Digging
Seamus Heaney, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995, describes through an evocative metaphor how digging into the turf is like digging into our thoughts—with the pen being the spade.
Fiction
JESSICA ANYA BLAU Red-Headed
During a hot summer in Oakland, surrounded by drug dealers and social misfits, author Jessica Anya Blau investigates the mysterious relationship between art and life.
Photography
JIM BRYANT The Gate
Where does this gate lead? Let your imagination be your guide.
PART III. REFERENCE: READING AND WRITING FROM SOURCES
R-1 Defining Documented Essays
R-2 Reading a Documented Essay
R-2.1 Preparing to Read a Documented Essay
R-2.2 Reading a Documented Essay
R-2.3 Rereading a Documented Essay
R-2.4 Checklist for Reading Documented Essays
R-2.5 Sample Documented Essay
ALLAN GOLDSTEIN “Our Brains Are Evolving to Multitask,” Not! The Illusion of Multitasking
R-3 Preparing to Write Your Own Documented Essay
R-3.1 Choosing a Topic
R-3.2 Writing a Good, Clear Thesis Statement
R-4 Finding and Evaluating Sources
R-4.1 Sources That Are Relevant, Reliable, and Recent
R-4.2 Consulting Academic Databases
R-4.3 Searching for and Evaluating Websites
R-4.4 Using the Library
R-5 Avoiding Plagiarism
R-5.1 Types of Materials
R-5.2 Acknowledging Your Sources
R-5.3 Direct Quotation, Paraphrase, and Summary
R-6 Staying Organized
R-6.1 Taking Notes on Sources
R-6.2 Making a Working Outline
R-7 Writing a Documented Essay
R-7.1 Writing the Introduction
R-7.2 Writing the Supporting Paragraphs
R-7.3 Using Your Sources
R-7.4 Writing Your Conclusion
R-7.5 Creating Your Title
R-8 Documenting
R-8.1 Introducing Your Sources
R-8.2 Documentation Format
R-8.3 MLA Versus APA
R-8.4 Sample Student Sources
R-9 Revising and Editing a Documented Essay
R-9.1 Revising
R-9.2 Editing
R-9.3 A Checklist for Writing Documented Essays
R-10 Student Essay: Documentation at Work
Glossary
Credits
Index of Authors and Titles
Kim Flachmann teaches at the California State University, Bakersfield, where she also administers the Composition Program, from remedial English through the Graduate Teaching Assistants. She was chosen Outstanding Professor at CSUB in 1998 to 1999. She also was Rhetorician of the Year for the Young Rhetoricians' Conference in 2007 and was the recipient of the California Association of Teachers of English Excellence in Teaching Award in 2009. She has published numerous articles on rhetoric and American literature and has written seven textbooks, among them a college reader (The Prose Reader in its 11th Edition), a series of 3 books for developmental English called Mosaics: Reading and Writing Sentences, Mosaics: Reading and Writing Paragraphs, and Mosaics: Reading and Writing Essays, and Nexus: A Rhetorical Reader for Writers, which combines traditional rhetorical modes with students' interest in technology.
Kim has dedicated her career to helping students achieve their goals in life through communication. Her mission has always been to teach others how to write well, which she believes is one of the most important gifts we can give our students. She believes that reading and writing are the gateways to each student's full potential and success in life.
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