well get into the tutorial
and this tutorials designed to help you with the questions
at the end of the essay
the Destruction of Culture by Chris Hedges and
let's deal with question number one which is
from why did this Chris Hedges
open his essay with both
exposition and arguments where the in the text there is a shift
between exposition narration
and argument and what is the effect of
shifting modes of discourse in this way Let's first define
the terms in this question exposition
is an explanation of ideas
where argument your your have you have an assertion
point of view that you're trying to prove
or disprove shift
is usually a a tone change or organization change a dramatic change
in the text
Modes of Discourse are different ways you develop ideas narration argument
exposition are some discourses comparing and contrasting
dividing things up those are some
other popular ways of modes of discourse
so let's let's let's attack this question the opening paragraphs
include exposition and the
and then he a has a series of a assertions to begin his argument
Hedges establishes his viewpoint on culture in wartime
saying things like the state seeks to destroy its own culture
the myth of war entices the nation to glory in sacrifice those are in the
first paragraph
he adds to these surgeons
by explaining the origins of the ideas
like in a those who question the value and cause and the veracity of the myth are
branded as internal enemies
that's in paragraph 1 war and the national myths that fuels are the
purveyors of low culture in paragraph 2
by combining explaining our exposition
argument Hedges a gets a
a factual unemotional tone
in the essay the tone is detached
because it's basically are based on fact he hasn't gotten emotional with us yet
he establishes his credibility
his ethos as a seasoned foreign correspondent
later on by on are letting us know the understands the situation in history
around the Balkans region he's been there as a reporter
um he knows the history
of that region by seeing it for himself
and it so I hope this helps you understand this let's see
the next question
next question this one here Number Two
knows how hedges effects transitions
for example what is the relationship between paragraphs 12
13 and between paragraphs 15
and 16 paragraph 12 presents the idea that
during where we cannot trust her memory experience because the heart is that we
see are so bizarre
that we feel a permanent discomfort following paragraph because section
narration
that supports this idea in first-person observation
he says for example on a chilly rainy day in March 1998 I was in a small the
Albanian village in Kosovo
by narrating this incident it supports the ideas in paragraph 12 and continues
throughout paragraph 13 through 16
paragraph 13 provide specific evidence to support the more general assertions
he made in paragraph twelfth
the idea that war and war we cannot trust our memory our experience because
the horrors we see are so bizarre
in paragraph 15
it's the last one in the section is filled with specific images of the
particular event of the village in Kosovo
and paragraph 16 widens the circle of experience describing another incident
to reiterate the nature all the horrors of war
the effective moving from the general to the particular
then from the particulate to the general enhances the readers awareness that
these particulars
are widespread
question number three what is the effect over the highly descriptive details
in paragraph 14 and 15 does it detract from his argument
or strengthen it that right now we go to paragraph 14 and 15
the highly descriptive details the mutilated bodies
vision other courses the lighting the terribly sad shaken family members
serve to bring life to edges argument
until this point in the essay Hedges has been arguing in a manner that was
historical
factual and theory and its theoretical
right now in these paragraphs he puts real life into words
so that the reader can see the devastating truth of what he is arguing
about war
and how we can barely comprehend the horrific facts of war
and may choose to have selective memory about them once the war is over
without these first-person narratives in the text the argument might be made
sanitized in distant
instead Chris Hedges infuses the argument was terribly
real and undeniable images
now we go to question number four
do you agree with Hedge's claim
that the two most important mediums that transmit information to the nation
are the media and the schools that's found in paragraph 21
explain your answer let's go there read paragraph 21
it's likely they are you agree with this claim
I am because you're in your lives are pretty familiar with both the media
in school alright but they're there
are other mediums are just as powerful
such as computers in and of course a social media website especially
when you realize that it was like Twitter
and things on cell phones that helped ignite
the recent revolutions in Egypt and in Libya
alright so here it's a matter of opinion
now we go to question number 5
how do paragraphs 23 through 29
support the assertion the Hedges makes
in paragraph 22 alright let's go there
alright paragraphs
23 through 29 support the assertion made in paragraph 22
which is of course the reinterpretation of history and cultures
dizzying dangerous but is the bedrock of the hatred and intolerance that leads to
war
alright so he goes on to our
illustrate it with specific details I just connects to reach her for some history
to the underlying hatred by describing the deed roots is history
and the paragraph states how each group
the Muslims Serbs the Croats
view each other's group which cause them to spin their history lessons in a
direction that fosters
hatred towards the other group that is traditionally despised by their people
this is most clear in paragraphs 28-29
as Hedges wraps up description of the way history is Ben
to feed the goals of the group here he describes as the muslims are taught
about the Serbs
with the Serbs say about the Muslims the Croatian say
about both the Serbs and Muslims thus
Hedges supports the assertion about hatred and how it drives
the rewriting and reinterpretation
of history question 6
what does Hedges mean by culture
provide examples to support what you think he means
what this hedges think the purpose of cultures is
you agree explain
alright when Chris Hedges uses the word culture he is referring to
that which allows us to question and examine ourselves in a society he says
that in paragraph 3
examples of course included art, songs, books
poems always reveal what he calls an authentic and humane culture
also found in paragraph 3 these forms of self-expression are silenced
in favor of the communal myth that nationalistic parties established in
wartime
group delusion that that drives participation
into the machinery of war the true purpose of culture
honest and authentic culture is to freely voice once criticisms and
observations about one's world
in period in history this type of freedom hinders the production of the myth
that the nation must embrace in order to act as one
and participate in the war efforts
we go down to question 7
in paragraph 38 Chris Hedges claims that the Vietnam veteran
memorial is important because it was funded by those who survived
rather than by the government
It encourages you encourage you to visit the website
you see up there on the screen for more information about the memorial
maybe some of you have been there. Do you agree that it offers our nation an
opportunity for redemption
explain do you agree with Hedges claim that the state has prodded us back
towards a triumphal
-ism that let us into Vietnam
I love let's go to paragraph 38
alright Vietnam
veterans memorials was financed solely by civilian funds
and some may argue that the government should have provided the funding in
order to make reparations to the dead and injured
although the government did provide the two-acre plot of land on which to build
a memorial
it had no voice and style the architecture the memorial
some say the memorial does provide an opportunity for redemption
due to the hands-off stance of the government which allowed the voice of
the people to speak freely
through the design of the memorial
in the years since the memorial was constructed back in 1982
terrorism on American soil has become an issue
figure this out that our movement towards this kind of try
triumphalism has led us to Vietnam
might of led us into the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as your generation has
experienced
some of the very factor we thought we'd learned from Vietnam it
seems we haven't learned
and we continue to do
that's a matter of opinion
number eight reread the final paragraphs
then reread the quotation from Senator Hiram Johnson
with which Hedges begins the chapter how effectively has Hedges
illustrated the meaning of Johnson's assertion
alright the meaning of the Johnson quote which is the
first casualty of war comes as truth
is illustrated throughout the essay by various pieces of supporting evidence
from the discussion of destruction of culture to silence truthful criticisms of
society
to the reinterpretation of history to the first hand accounts
of Hedges of war casualities
how they are reported. Hedges relentlessly provides information to illustrate in
support this assertion that
truth is not usually present in war rather each country presents its own
one-sided view to support its own ends in the war effort
question 9 what do you think is Hedges most interesting and provocative
statement
and why this one is a matter of opinion you have many quotes you can
you've been highlighting as you read this thing you know whatever might be in
wartime
the state seeks to destroy its own culture that's right the beginning
or it could be you know once the folly of war is over folly itself is often all
that remains
for many just pick out a quote that affected you and be ready to explain it
finally the last question has reading this as a fact that you're thinking
regarding culture
regarding the war explain
you're going to have your thoughts about war you may have relatives are in the
military or
you know or have families that are strongly against war
you've come from other countries that have a different system of
expression but this is a personal question
that a you can explore
alright I so this has been a tutorial of the
10 questions at the end of Chris Hedges essay
the Destruction of Culture I hope this has helped you
to understand the essay and the questions and the answers