TIME GOAL: 30 mins ​ READING LOG #: 1

START TIME: 5:34 pm

END TIME: 7:30 pm      

BEFORE READING
Title of Article:​ A Night In Bruce Springsteen’s America   
Based on the title alone, what do you know about the subject matter?:
I assume the chapter is going to be about the image in which Bruce Springsteen depicted America.      
Write down your predictions: What will this article cover?​      
I feel as though the author will speak on the falsehoods of the way Bruce Springsteen envisioned
America, and maybe compare that to an image of America from an African American man.

External Distractions (What is physically distracting you?):

● My parents are cooking outside my room
● My friends are playing video games and I really want to join them
● Music     
Internal Distractions (What thoughts are interfering with your concentration?):
● I want to get food, but I know that I will lose my want to finish this
● Keep on thinking about college essays, as I am applying to colleges at the moment     

DURING READING

● Circle words that are new to you, and that you do not understand. ​☐

● Write the ​main idea​ of each paragraph next to it in the margins. Try to use one word or a short

phrase to summarize these points. ​☐

● Highlight passages that demonstrate ​ethos​ (yellow), ​pathos​ (pink), ​logos​ (green). ​☐

Words/Pop Culture What do they mean?

References
The River (18) Fifth studio album released by Bruce Springsteen on October 17, 1980
Michael Brown (18) He was a black man who was murdered by a police officer in 2014
 AFTER READING
Answer the following questions using complete sentences in your composition notebook using ​intext
citations for each question.
Example of an in-text citation, or quotation sandwich: In one instance, Abdurraqib discusses his own
experience and states, “...” (Abdurraqib 82).
1. What is the speaker’s motivation for writing this piece? Who is their target audience?
Explain how you know by including an in-text citation, or evidence from the text.
The speaker obviously had a very memorable night at the Bruce Springsteen concert that night, as he
remembered vivid details such as the “chanting and relentless fist-pumping beforehand while the stage
[was] being set up, the American flags wrapped around foreheads or hanging off of backs” (Abdurraqib
17). This memorable night led him to start thinking about the ways in which Springsteen’s messages
about America were not exactly true for all groups of people. Abdurraqib states that for some “work is
romantic, and for [some] work is a necessary and sometimes painful burden of survival” (Abdurraqib 20).
Springsteen sings about the beauty of work and the wonderfulness of life, but to many people, especially
poorer people, life is hard and should not be romanticized. I feel as though the author felt like he had to
state the differences from different perceptions of America, depending on your status in society. I think
the target audience is young people from different parts of America. I feel as though the author wants to
show to the average middle-class person, the struggles of less fortunate people, but at the same time, he
relates to the poorer Americans making them feel noticed. Abdurraqib keeps jumping around from the
concert to Michael Brown’s grave, which instills sadness whilst also bringing happiness to your heart.
2. What rhetorical appeals did the author employ to make for a compelling argument?
Provide citations for each example of ethos, pathos, and logos.
The author used a lot of pathos throughout the chapter. When speaking about a black man working at the
concert, he stated how the man was “sitting on a step, covered in sweat, and rubbing his right ankle”
(Abdurraqib 20). After reading this statement you cannot help but feel bad for the man working. It
invokes emotions from me and makes me understand the hardships of working. Abdurraqib is doing this
tactfully as he is trying to make the argument that not all work is romantic and pretty. Sometimes work is
very rough and he even goes to the means of saying that work “comes with the shame of time spent away
from loved ones…” (Abdurraqib 20). This invokes even more pathos as you understand the hurt and pain
that can come along with being away from the people you love. Along with pathos, Abdurraqib also
brought up a lot of ethos, as he seemed to be very knowledgeable in the work of Bruce Springsteen.
Abdurraqib states how the most fascinating part of “​The River​ is the start of Side 2. The way ‘Hungry
Heart’ bleeds into ‘Out in the Street’” (Abdurraqib 19). Here, the author shows how familiar he is with
the album thus allowing him to effectively break down each song and express his feelings towards the
meanings.
3. Although you may ​disagree​ with the argument, or the issue the speaker presents, pretend
that you agree with them, and describe the qualities of the argument that you found most
compelling. Be sure to use direct in-text citations, or evidence to justify your argument.
I thought the author had a very pressing argument and made a lot of good points to support it. He used a
lot of evidence from his surroundings and past experiences to support his argument. Since his argument
revolved around the beautification of life by more entitled people, he used the black man working
tirelessly at the concert as a prime example of people working hard because they have too in order to
support their family. He explains how the work “comes with the shame of time spent away from loved
ones…” (Abdurraqib 20). This shows how the beauties of life are being taken away from people because
they have to work harder and harder to support their families. He then relayed back to the gravesite of
Michael Brown and stated how it instills a vision of fear among the community and holds them down
throughout life. He states how it brings sadness to a city that is waiting to forget what happened to Brown.
Springsteen beautifies this life in Jersey City, but in reality, there are pressing issues prevalent throughout
the community.
4. Although you may ​agree​ with the speaker’s stance on the issue, write a counterargument
explaining why you disagree. Again, you will need to use direct evidence to make your
case.​ 
The author makes a compelling argument as to why the vision of America in the eyes of entitled
Americans such as Bruce Springsteen is wrong, but I think this vision is necessary for poorer lesser
entitled people to become motivated to work harder in their life. Abdurraqib begins to speak about a
certain Springsteen song in which “a man, overcome by the dissatisfaction with the perceived American
Dream, leaves his wife and children, never to return” (Abdurraqib 19). Here, Springsteen is using a
negative in a song with an upbeat vibe in order to let struggling people know that they are not alone in
their struggles and that they could overcome it if they work hard enough. In order for songs like these to
be made, most of the time the writer must relate to the song, so one could say that Springsteen may be
faced these struggles in his life before reaching the pinnacle of success. The author also begins to speak
about the tragedy of Michael Brown and how the city is forever cast in this shadow of sadness. I think that
this all depends on the perception of the viewer. Many would say that sadness comes greatness and
prosperity. This tragic event could spark a movement in the city or the country creating a cause for the
people who feel unwanted to rally behind.