Proposal Essay Responses Livia

Explain how Edmonson responds to opposing points of view. Describe specific passages in which she counters those or concedes and refutes them.
Edmonson acknowledges that megastores may bring variety to their host towns, but argues that they work against that notion by independently duplicating their product line and game plan. Decisions by megastores are made with little concern about the values and needs of the local community. Therefore, this "homogenization" of regional cultures makes it easier for citizens to let go of their downtowners.
Edmonson also acknowledges that megastores offer jobs, cheaper products, and security that comes along with the national brand name. However, Edmonson points out that the money grossed at these stores does into stay in the community and refutes the fact that employers are not given adequate benefits. Edmonson also states that even though megastores seem to offer cheaper prices, their health of downtown is taken into account, the price is really quite high.

Identify her main claim and at least three supporting claims. For each of these claims, describe one piece of support she has that is linked to each claim.
The main claim Edmonson states is that the growing number and emphasis/dependence of department stores has and will continue to ruin the culture and very essence of communities. She begins supporting this claim by comparing Scottville (town she grew up in) and Cadillac (town she moved to). She expresses how big of an impact megastores have on Cadillac and how the people of the community have lost their independence and become more reliant on the megastores. She also states that local businesses are not able to financially compete with corporation prices, which causes them to close. Edmonson supports this by adding an example of a conversation she had with a man who used to buy groceries from a local farmer. In that conversation, the man said that the local farmer could no longer compete with the big businesses' prices on produce, which caused him to sell his farm and work in a factory. Edmonson ties this back to the idea that social bonds between community members deteriorates due to the loss of culture and interaction because megastores allow easy and convenient shopping. The people of Cadillac have become so reliant on megastores that culture no longer exists as it did in Scottville.

Edmonson uses sources throughout her argument. Which ones are the most effective? Why?
I believe that the most effective source Edmonson used was her conversation with the man who used to buy groceries from the local farmer. She's incorporating her own experience, which portrays emotion to the audience and gives a sense of what the community was like before the chain of megastores moved in.

Outline

I. Intro (few first paragraphs)
The author talks about how the town she grew up in is community-based but explains how things have changed after she moved to a new town and notices the differences related to the community

II. Presents the negative impact of megastores on the community based on her move to a new town
Describes in detail how these megastores negatively effect the community in a cultural sense where people become much more dependent (in response to the counterargument that box stores are good for the community)
- Turns the community into a homogenous population
- Continues to describe the negative effects of box stores (in an economic sense) by stating that even though jobs are available, employees receive little to no benefits and the money doesn't stay in the community
- Anticipates the argument that prices are cheaper but argues that in a community sense, they're quite high
- Argues that a sense of independence is taken away as well as a deterioration of social bonds

III. Cause
Increase in number of box stores in communities

IV. Solution - Existence of "Middle-Ground"
Keep locally-owned businesses and hold community festivals/activities to maintain the culture aspect of the community (while also keeping the box stores)

Side Note: has counterargument but is mainly linked to establishing the problem; no opposing links to cause or solution (focused on one solution rather than incorporating all possible solutions)

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