Rise of the Image Culture: Re-Imagining the American Dream (RL5)

1.) Thoman connects images and lifestyles by showing how one affects the other. She explains how images have altered the way people live their lives over time. Images have made people want more. They want to own more, want to do more, and want to be more than they were before, whether or not they fully need it. Yes, images have progressed the average lifestyle and standard of living, but Thoman highlights that there are some negative effects as well and that those effects need to be monitored.

2.) The main idea of the essay is that progressions in images have lead to many effects on people, both positive and not so positive effects, and that there are things the people can do to limit those changes today. The title of the essay focuses the reader on this main idea, because in nine short words in spells out that the image culture is rising and it is altering the American Drive, or way of living.

3.) Thoman uses history a key tool in stressing her main idea, because with it, she is able to discuss the changes in technology and imagery in chronologically order. Doing it this way, allows the reader to see that the changes happened consecutively and naturally with each advancement, from the basic camera to the radio to the television. She furthers her points by mentioning historic figures like Ronald Reagan and Ghandi and writing the opinions of other men including Oliver Holmes and Stehpen Garey.

4.) The essay is in part a call to action, because Thoman writes of all the ways she thinks people can counteract the power images have over them, or at the least make them less influential in negative ways.

5.) The last paragraph about the philosopher and the cave threw me off a bit. Maybe the author could have explained that scenario a little bit further for someone like me to understand, because it seems pretty significant. I feel like I missed the pivotal conclusion to the entire paper, and I wish I could say I didn't. Other than that, I think Thoman provided enough support for her points throughout her essay.