Journal # 5

Over the entirety of the concepts that we have learned so far in this course, I think the three most important things are purpose, place/setting, and affect. Purpose is very important in everyday writing because it gives the whole point as to why someone is writing what they are writing. Place and setting are important because it has an influence over who sees the writing and how it can be interpreted. Along with affect, writing can be used as a trigger for different emotions, interpretations or different responses. When it comes to tattoos, all three of these concepts can align together. When getting a tattoo, most people have a purpose in doing so. Whether it is as a dare, in honor of a lost loved one, or some drunken mistake, there is purpose within a tattoo. Place and setting can go along with tattoos because tattoos can have a particular meaning depending on the time someone had gotten a tattoo or a particular place on the body where the tattoo is located.

I believe that tattooing can be considered everyday writing because it can be a way to convey a message.  As Simone mentioned, the HIV positive people in the article got tattoos in order to publicize their infection and placed it somewhere that it could be easily visible by all people. Tattooing is everyday writing because it is handmade it does not necessarily have to be taught in an institution. Like Brandon mentioned, “tattoos are able to generate different opinions from the audience” and have a deeper meaning that can go beyond the tattoo itself.