The artifact that I decided to analyze with Pentadic Criticism was shelterboxusa.org. I will use the elements of pentad- act, agent, agency, scene, and purpose.

Agency: The organization( Shelter Box Usa)

Act: They respond instantly to natural and/ or manmade disasters by delivering boxes of aid to those who are most in need. Each box has the essential needs of living for a family of ten

Scene: This is happening now. Donations and efforts are contributing world wide for Haiti, Peru, Egypt and more.

Purpose: To help the devastated families of the unfortunate get back on their feet.

Agency: They track the weather to try and pinpoint where disaster may strike before it happens. This allows them to be prepared and to have the equipment ready to shit the boxes. Donations are made worldwide from other organizations, schools, churches etc.

After analyzing this artifact with Pendatic Criticism I've come to realize that this website provides enough information for individuals to learn about the good that they are doing when they make donations. It allows other organizations to learn about shelter box and want to donate or help out. This page is great in my opinion because it allowed viewers like myself to see exactly where my donations are going (to what country), and how it is helping. The pictures are also very persuasive and reinforcing. This page also informed me of other countries that have recently been struck by disaster. Some individuals may be unaware of what other countries may need help, but this web site provides a list of the countries, and the number of people that were effected. This web site is very motivational.

The artifact that I chose to do and ideological analysis of was teen pregnancy and everything that leads up to this; sex, contraceptives, and choosing to be abstinent or not. More and more teenagers are becoming sexually active today. Even more of them are becoming pregnant. I chose this artifact because I believe it is very valuable. When people look at statistics and the reality of what’s going on, there will be debate and people with have different beliefs and beliefs on the topic.

For example, in the movie pregnancy pact, a bunch of high school girlfriends decided that they would all get pregnant at the same time together. One of the mothers, that didn’t believe her child was having sex, voted that contraceptives should not be passed out in school because it will condone the fact that they are having sex. Does contraceptive distribution really encourage teens to have sex or does it make them prepared to protect themselves from STDs and pregnancy? This issue affects both males and females age fifteen to at least twenty plus. All races and classes are included.

Religion can play a role in the teenagers’ actions. If they are very religious and believe that sex before marriage is wrong, they are more likely to be abstinent. If they aren’t as religious, they may feel that sex is okay whenever. That isn’t always the case though. For example, in the TV show The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Grace Bowman is a faithful Christian that decided to have sex, even though her fifteen-year-old classmate Amy Jeregens got pregnant and had a baby. This show as well as tries to reinforce the issue and reveal different opinions, and beliefs pertaining to my artifact. I hope after everyone can now see how abstinence, sex, and pregnancy is linked to ideology.

3 ideas

One artifact that I think I could analyze using the ideological method of criticism is marriage because, it is a topic that can stir debate based on different opinions and beliefs. After talking to young people ages 18-25, many of them have had bad experiences with relationships, which is causing them to not want to get married. Since this audience would be a younger crowd, the critic can used questions such as, what does the artifact want the audience to think about, to actually show them why marriage isn’t evil lol.

I think abstinence would be appropriate for ideological criticism, because it is a topic that is surrounded by many opinions, beliefs, and values. The critic could make the essay interesting by including what the artifact suggests is negative, unacceptable, undesirable etc. This is a great opportunity to list the biblical reasons why abstinence is appropriate and should be practiced, or even STD statistics. If the critic wants to go in the other direction by including why abstinence shouldn’t be practiced, he/she would review the question What values or general conceptions of what is and not good are suggested? This would cover all views of the artifact, both for and against it.

Another artifact that I would be interested in analyzing using the ideological method of criticism is abortion. When reviewing the questions on page 218 of the text, I was able to answer all of the questions listed to help articulate ideology in an artifact. I believe that many people have different beliefs on this topic and will engage in intense debate, or even further research to get new statistics. “ What does the artifact want the audience to think about?” Life and death. What does the artifact ask the audience to believe, understand, feel or think about?