Mitchell Kim

1/21/15
Writing 2
De Piero
Writing Project 1: The Pancake Menus Inside Scoop

Commented [ZD1]: Really cool, fun titlemakes me

want to read this right away.

Many people do not realize that different types of literary genre are present in almost
any form of writing. When people are asked to list a few of these genres, the most typical
answers are romantic, comedy, action, horror, etc. Although those are very legitimate and
correct examples, genres are not limited to only books and movies. Resumes, college
acceptance letters, receipts, advertisements, and even tweets are all forms of literary genre. It
is far more complex than just a simple discussion of types (Dirk 250). In addition to repeating

Commented [ZD2]: I like the way that you wove in this

little nugget of a quote here. Good job, Mitchelll.

rhetorical situations, the action used to accomplish certain goals also defines genre (Dirk
252). A strong grasp on the full meaning and function of genre can lead to a better

Commented [ZD3]: Not a complete sentencethis is a

dependent clause.

understanding of the rhetorical purposes of a writer. By observing the presence/absence of

Commented [ZD4]: Well said

specific conventions in menus of three popular breakfast joints, one can observe that the
awareness of genre not only helps the reader interpret the writers intentions beyond what is
written, but it also helps a writer achieve creativity in a certain genre.
The International House of Pancakes (IHOP), Original House of Pancakes (OHOP), and

Commented [ZD5]: Ah ha! I like how you raised the

stakes in this thesis statementcreativity is also on the
line. Good stuff.

Dennys are all popular chains of restaurants that sell pancakes. To narrow the spectrum of
menus, these three restaurants were chosen so that only the Pancakes section of the menu
would be scrutinized. As one will soon see, although these three menus are very similar, there
are also very subtle differences. Each will share enough conventions, or established patterns, in
terms of rhetorical features so that these genres can be categorized as menus. In order to

Commented [ZD6]: Smart idea. Sometimes less is

more, and its always useful for the reader to know what
YOU (the writer) is thinking and what decisions youre
making.

examine the purpose of genre awareness, these three examples must be concluded as of the
same genre first.
At first glance, IHOPs menu seems no different than any other typical menu. It lists the

Commented [ZD7]: This sounded a little wonky to

me. Do you need to state this? Could you maybe make a
case for why theyre the same genre?

different types of pancakes as well as a short description of the meal and a price. Along with the
name, there is a corresponding picture to give the customer an image of what to expect.
Nothing out of the ordinary. With a closer inspection, one can see that two of the pancakes
(the Cinn-A-Stack Pancakes and the Red Velvet Pancakes (IHOP)) are noticeably larger than

Commented [ZD8]: Open-ended question for you: do

you need this in there? Do you feel comfortable enough to
come right out and saythese images are larger?

the other selections. The descriptions are no more than three sentences, including adjectives
such as sky-high and legendary award-winning (IHOP). The background of the menu is a
very light green, which accentuates the images of the pancakes. There is a short message that
points to the Original Buttermilk Pancakes that says, What made us famous! (IHOP). Maybe
something to notice is that the images of delicious pancakes appears before the name, though

Commented [ZD9]: Youre making me hungry, Mitchell.

it could be just a coincidence. These are just some surface-level features present on this portion
of the menu.
The next menu to examine is that of OHOPs. After viewing the more colorful and
modern menu of IHOP, in comparison, OHOPs menu is distinguishably dull. Although the
names of dishes, descriptions, and prices are all present, there are no pictures of each type of
pancake. Not a single picture, in fact. Furthermore, the descriptions are very straight-forward. It
seems that the restaurant doesnt sugar-coat or exaggerate the dishes, possibly contrary to
the components of IHOPs menu. There is a short motto about the menu that says, The
Worlds Most Copied Menu (OHOP). Overall, OHOPs menu is very simple and succinct.

Commented [ZD10]: Could you substantiate this more

(ie, back it up with textual evidence)?

Lastly, Dennys menu offers a Build Your Own Pancakes feature that may appeal to the
customer. It has instructions on what to include in the creation, such as what size, batter,
toppings, etc. In each of those categories, the choices are listed in bullet points. Just like the
other two menus, the price is still present. However, similarly to IHOPs but different from
OHOPs, Dennys menu does have pictures of pancakes, though the images are very imaginative
combinations of different components to create obnoxious, yet appetizing and appealing,
pancakes. Building ones own pancakes seems to be a very popular choice when dining at
Dennys.

Commented [ZD11]: Are you letting the creativity

part of your thesis statement slip?

After investigating the features of each literary piece, one can see although they differ in
some ways, these three literary genres are all qualified to belong in the genre of menus.
Some rhetorical features that they share are the audience and purpose. Obviously, each menu
is intended to persuade the customer to buy and eat the dish. In addition, similar conventions
are also apparent in each menu, such as the topic of pancakes and the different toppings
including the price. Though not entirely the same style, everyone can agree that the genre of
these three examples is menus. So now that the genre is proven and confirmed, one should
consider a more in-depth understanding of genre. Yes, they are all similar, but why are they
different?
IHOPs menu included certain features that were subtly absent in the other two
examples. For example, the color and organization forced the eyes of the customer to focus on
the pictures, because the light background allowed the HD pancakes to pop out. As
mentioned earlier, the images of pancakes appears before the name of the dish. It seems the
creator of this menu was trying to intrigue the customer by first appealing to his or her visuals.

Commented [ZD12]: Ah ha! In the Comp field, we call

these sign postsyoure letting your reader know exactly
what youre doing next. Effective move!

Furthermore, the diction used also attempts to persuade by exaggerating the features of the
pancakes. Altogether, visuals appears to be the main focus of this menu. Next, the objective of
the writer of the OHOPs menu is almost too obvious, so much so that the answer appears in
the name of the restaurant. The writer aimed to preserve the meaning of original by applying it
to the menu, believing that the long-lasting reputation would be able to sell pancakes. There is
no need for delicious pictures or flamboyant descriptions because these pancakes are just that
amazing. The pancakes have been able to survive since the restaurants opening as the original
pancake because of its reputation as a true, simple pancake, which is reflected in the menu
design. The independence and free choice is what is so compelling about the Dennys menu.
The writer of the Dennys menu chose to focus on the freedom of the customer to sell pancakes,
which is shown in the example images of created pancakes. In addition, the inclusion of the
bullet points allow the customer to imagine the infinite amount of combinations possible.
Therefore, although each menu has the same purpose to sell pancakes, each writer aimed to
incorporate his or her own ingenious way of attracting customers. This distinction was only
made possible by understanding the conventions that make up a genre. By first separating the
characteristics of each menu by similarities and differences, then understanding which
conventions can be broken to enhance certain aspects of genres, one can have a clearer idea of
why authors choose to format pieces with specific approaches.
After finding what components make up a certain genre with the use of several
examples, one may wonder why some conventions remain constant and fixed, while others are
absent. As a writer, understanding genre can help determine which conventions can be broken
so that the writing can be innovative and creative, yet still considered in the same genre. It can

Commented [ZD13]: Cool insight

help people accomplish goals, whether that goal be getting a job by knowing how to write a
stellar resume, winning a persons heart by writing a romantic love letter, or getting into college
by writing an effective personal statement (Dirk 253). If one were assigned the task of writing
a menu, one may struggle because he/she most likely wasnt taught how to make one.

Commented [ZD15]: It looks like you only

incorporated one reading. Could the others enhance your
argument/viewpoint in any way?

Therefore, the value of teaching genre awareness rather than acquisition of particular genres
will benefit the writer (Dirk 259). As a reader, understanding genre can allow oneself to further
perceive the intentions of the writer. As shown in the pancake menus, each author was able to
be innovative by breaking common conventions while still remaining in the menus genre. In
addition, by inspecting the reasoning of the absence and additions of certain conventions, the
reader was able to fully understand the writers ambitions.

Works Cited
Kerry Dirk, Pavel Zemliansky, and Charles Lowe. Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing. West
Lafayette, IN: Parlor, 2010. Web.
"The Original Pancake House." The Original Pancake House. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.
"Welcome to America's Diner." Denny's Restaurants. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.
"Welcome to IHOP." Welcome to IHOP. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.

Commented [ZD16]: I didnt come away with this.

Did you want this to be the main focus of your
paper/analysis?