Visuals and Elements in Memoirs

Out of all of the media options for this week's readings, I really enjoyed Jaed Coffin's writing and Ted Talk. Personally, I enjoy watching someone speak because it is easier to read facial expressions and tell when they are getting emotional or are affected by a particular subject. You could definitely tell that he has a lot of passion and emotion that came along with the absence of his father and his admiration for his single mother. I think although I do prefer watching someone speak due to the audience engagement factor, his opinion piece for the New York Times was quite moving as well. The metaphor "going out to sea" was the main motif of the piece that was used to describe the absence of his father, and later his instincts when it came to fatherhood himself. I thought the ending was very well-written and tied back to his original point of fatherly absence in his life and how that affected him as an adult. He says "And it occurred to me then, as I made my way back to the shore, that the difference between my father and me wasn’t all that much. In the tradition of our male ancestors — the whale killers of Nantucket — going “out to sea” was in my blood, too. But, as my mother’s son, I’m also pretty good at reading the tides." Although he had feelings of wanting to distance himself, he was pulled back in by his single mother's values of hard work and commitment to family. This is what set himself apart from his own father who chose to float in and out of his life. As I previously mentioned, I really enjoyed the Ted Talk, but this opinion piece was very strong as well. I also enjoyed the "Adventures in Depression" by Allie Brosh. See, I think that the visuals were funny and relatable, coming from someone who has experience with depression and mental health. Although I think the visuals could cater to many people, those who have not struggled with depression may not fully get the humor. Again, this is just my opinion, which could be very different from everyone else's. Overall, I find that adding visuals to memoirs helps the audience picture the life of that person and what they endured along the way. Seeing the raw emotion on that person's face conveys a sense of humanity to the audience, reminding them of real-life struggles. Putting a voice to that story, again helps the audience picture what that person was like when they were going through something challenging. Although I don't think visuals take anything away to memoirs, I feel like people who relate to that person will see visuals in a way that others may not understand. In other words, those who have went through the same experiences may resonate with the visuals more than a person who has not been through the same events.