Life in the military camp differs from life as a civilian. The environment and the rules are quite different from those experienced when one is civilian. The field at the army base where I work is quite interesting to observe as there is always an activity taking place on the field.
Positive Description (231 Words)
At any given day, the Army field is a beehive of activity. The field serves as the heart of the base; therefore, serves a social as well as a training area. The field has different areas with the sitting area having trees and other plants. The availability of trees allows for a cool climate protected from the sun. The sound of tree leaves swaying resulted in a calm and relaxing feeling. The large size of the field allows for the occurrence of multiple activities at the same time. One of the activities that caught my attention was the various soldiers training on marching techniques. Watching the soldiers train was one of the entertainment sources experienced while on the field. Another activity that caught my eye while on the field was a group of joggers who kept on competing on which of them is the fastest. Watching the joggers resulted in fond memories of my training. Another noticeable aspect of the field that I noticed was the high level of cleanliness. Trying to spot any form of litter on the field was like trying to find a needle in the haystack. The rules about littering as well as the availability of cleaners are the major causes behind the lack of litter on the field. Another positive observation made on the field was that the field was not crowded which allowed some privacy.
Negative Description (212 Words)
Life in the military is both interesting and challenging at the same time. Sitting in the field also brought back memories of my first day of basic training. Being one of the smallest people in my class, I had trouble coping up. Another negative observation made while on the field was the lack of animal life. The only animals noticed during the fifteen minutes were a few birds. Due to the noise from activities on the field, there are very few animals on the base. Another negative aspect noted was the patchy nature of the field. The field is used for a range of activities, which may result in the grass not growing in some areas. There are also limited lavatories on the field, which presented an inconvenience. The lavatories are located at the far edge of the field; therefore, I had to cross the whole field to get to them. Although military camps encourage endurance, I think it is important to add a few lavatories on the large field. Another negative aspect of the field is its location. The field is located far from the entrance and offices. The location of the field results in fewer people visiting the field to relax as moving to and from the field is quite tiring.
Rhetorical Analysis (603 Words)
Both the positive and negative descriptions resulted in the creation of several effects. One of the effects that have resulted from the description is a paradox effect. The positive description explained the field to have different activities; therefore the heart of the base. The negative description, on the other hand, explains the field as hard to get to. Explaining the field as the heart of the base meant that the field is the center of all activities involving anyone on the base. Another effect achieved by the description is an emotional effect. The description explains the various feelings gotten while on the field. Sitting on the field resulted in remembering different memories. Introducing issues of memory resulted in an appeal to the readers emotions; therefore, achievement of an emotional effect.
Both the descriptions employed specific word choice. The positive description employed words such as calm and relaxing feeling. The use of the word calm shows the effect of trees on the general environment of the sitting area. The word calm was also used to describe the feeling that one got from hearing the tree leaves sway with the wind. Using the word relaxing showed how one felt while on the field. Military life consists of different duties as well as a strict following of rules. The experience on the field offers an escape from the military life; therefore, using the words relaxing. The negative description explains military life as challenging. The use of the word challenging at the beginning of the description is meant to prepare the reader for the negative description. Most of the negative points in the description show the various challenges that one is expected to face in the military. The field being far away from the entrance shows the challenge to keep fit. The lack of animal life in the base shows the challenge of loneliness that may exist in the army, especially when deployed.
The descriptions contained various instances where more detail was offered. Explaining on how I felt while on the field is one area that employed a lot of detail. The attention to detail when explaining how I felt while on the field allowed an appeal to the reader’s emotions. Much of what human beings experience influences how they feel; therefore, the detail to feelings. Explanations of the various memories I got while on the fields also employed some detail. Another instance that involved that much attention to detail was the description of the location of the lavatories. The detail included an explanation of how one would get to the toilets from where I was seated, allowed the reader to visualize the inconvenience caused by the toilets position.
The description involved the use of several metaphors as well as comparison. The positive description started with the field being said to be a beehive of activities. Using the metaphor beehive of activity shows that the field always has some activity going on. The description of the field as a beehive of activity also shows the many functions served by the field on the base. Explaining the lack of litter on the field involved the use of comparison. Spotting litter on the field was described to be same as looking for a needle in a haystack. The main of this comparison was to show how much cleanliness was valued at the base. Another instance of comparison has involved the comparison of military life and civilian life. These two different environments differ greatly, therefore, the comparison, which was meant to prepare the reader for a different description from that of a field outside the base. Another instance of comparison
