Analyzing Message in "Print Thyself"

In this post, I will identify and analyze this text's message and purpose. To do so, I will answer questions about what the text's purpose seems to be and what the purpose does not seem to be.

Live Life Happy, "The purpose of an argument should not be victory but progress." 04/15/12 via Flickr. Attribution-NonCommerical-ShareAlike License.

1. Out of all the bullet points listed for "Message and Purpose" on page 181, which two or three seem most relevant to the goals of your text's author/s? Why?

The main goals of this text are to express an idea or opinion, inform the reader about a topic that is often misunderstood, and persuade the audience of something. These three seem to be most relevant to the goals of the text. The author first expresses an idea about the topic, saying that 3-D printing is revolutionizing medicine in a variety of ways. The author then provides information about the topic in the form of anecdotes, and this informs the reader of the ways in which 3-D printing can be used. This seems to be done with the goal of clearing any misunderstandings that the reader might have. Finally, the author seems to present evidence in order to persuade the audience that his opinion regarding 3-D printing is correct.

2. Which bullet points do NOT seem relevant to the goals of your text's author/s? Why not?

The goal of this article does not seem to be to respond to a particular occasion or text. Rather than responding to some prior event or text, the text's purpose is to merely reflect on and persuade the audience of advancements made in medicine because of 3-D printing. In addition, the author does not seem to be advocating for change. He seems pretty certain that 3-D printing will continue to advance medicine, and he wants to continue going down this path towards the advancement of the field.

3. Are there nuances and layers to the message the author(s)/speaker(s) is/are trying to get across? If so, what are they? If not, why not?

The message that the author is trying to get across seems to be relatively straightforward, without any nuances or layers. The main purpose of this seems to be that the author is trying to appeal to the largest audience possible, and this audience may not be well versed in the nuances of 3-D printing in the field of medicine. Rather than adding layers to the message, the author clearly states his opinion regarding the topic, and then gives a series of examples in order to increase the support of those who are of the same opinion as him, or to persuade those with different opinions of the legitimacy of his own opinion.