Rhetorical Analysis of Place

The 11^th floor of Thompson Library is unlike any other floor found in the library. It is composed of a large open room with a ceiling that arches in the middle then slopes down towards the floor as it nears the walls. One of the obvious differences from the other floors is the 11^th floor’s complete lack of books; instead the bulk of the room is filled with chairs surrounding wooden tables which are ideal for spreading out books and studying on. There are also several sets of leather couches and chairs positioned around a wooden coffee table which create a comfortable reading area. One of the coolest features of the 11^th floor is the square cutout portions of the wall that create little cubbyhole areas in which students are able to have a little seclusion from the rest of the room. Each little cubbyhole has a chair or two accompanied by a table, and each features a large glass window overlooking various areas of campus. I love going to the 11^th floor the library to study because it’s generally very peaceful and quiet, and I enjoy the view from the windows looking out over campus. I think this room was clearly intended to be used primarily as a quiet, secluded place for people to study, and that seems to be what it is used for the majority of the time. A secondary use which I have found this area very convenient for is taking a naps between classes, the leather couches are soft and comfortable and it doesn’t take long to get comfortable and fall asleep on one. Overall it’s a great place to spend time without being bothered by the noise and commotion that are present in most other places on campus.

The Effect of Places on my Identity

Place and identity are very relevant topics in my life, and I’m glad that they have been chosen as the themes for our class. I've had the privilege of experiencing many different places throughout my life, and this has had a definite effect on my identity. I've spent a two years of my life living in countries other than the United States. As a 13 year old I spent a year living in central China with my family, and as a 17 year old I lived in the North African country of Morocco for a year. Both of these experiences have strongly shaped my identity in many ways. I've discovered that it’s easy to have one identity in one place and assume a completely different identity in another place; this was somewhat the case for me while I lived in China and Morocco. Not only did my identity change for the time period in which I was living in those countries, but my identity changed permanently in some ways as well. As a result of the places I’ve been, I feel a much stronger international identity than I did previous to living outside the United States. When I hear Morocco or China mentioned in the news or elsewhere, I feel a sense of connection to those countries, and it has caused me to take a much greater interest in events that occur in Morocco and China, as well as in foreign countries in general. The places I’ve lived have had a huge impact on my identity, and I expect my identity to continue to be shaped by the places where I am in the future.