WP3: Statement of Purpose

From the first time I was informed of the guidelines for the creative option for this writing project, I immediately opted to take on this assignment. I enjoy the pastime of writing letters and do this often to maintain communication with my friends and family who still live in New York and Texas – a great distance away from my current home here in Lincoln, Nebraska. As a result of my past experience with letter writing, I knew that I would feel much more comfortable writing a friendly letter to Torso than I would a formally structured rhetorical analysis about her (as I like to refer to this sculpture by William Zorach). I feel that this venue is one that is much more natural than the latter, especially considering the fact that it involves direct communication – an aspect of life that we have all been familiar with since we were born. However, through this form of communication between myself and the sculpture, I would also like to incorporate my analyses of certain features it possesses. These analyses will work together with the communication aspect of my letter to inform my audience of my observations of the sculpture and the emotions that I have experienced through studying and examining this work. That is to say, the letter I write to Torso will be one that involves colloquial and less formal language to construct the framework and the appearance of a friendly letter. The actual content of the letter will consist of my personal elucidation of the observations and feelings I have felt toward and about the sculpture that is housed here in the Sheldon Sculpture Garden. As I am writing this letter, I will also need to be aware of whom my audience consists of. In a sense, it will be Torso. I am explicitly writing to her. However, I am articulating my personal thoughts and feelings about this sculpture that have been accumulated within me these past couple of weeks at the Sheldon. I believe I am not writing directly to the sculpture, or directly to William Zorach, its creator. I am instead writing this letter to my idea of the sculpture – the way in which I have individually interpreted it as a work of art. Nevertheless, regardless of what or whom I believe I am writing to, I will be presenting my letter verbally to my entire English class and to my freshman English professor. Members of the general public will most likely be passing by me while my letter is being read aloud, as it will be a fairly warm and fairly dry Thursday morning and afternoon the day I present to my classmates my final draft.



In conclusion, my letter to Torso will consist of two simple criteria. First, it will come across in appearance as a friendly letter as a result of my selection of the usage of a more relaxed and colloquial language. Second, it will present to my audience my constructed analyses of different aspects of the sculpture. Hopefully, this combination will bring about in my audience a more in-depth and relatable understanding of Torso.