Ruskin’s first lecture has a pseudo-scientific feel, which continued to make me wonder while reading how literally Ruskin was taking his claims about the plague-wind and plague-clouds. His tone varied from persuasive to animated and I think the overall tone would have been more easily gaged in the piece’s intended lecture format. I enjoyed the progression of time subheadings as a literary device. I thought the passage of time displayed in this way allowed Ruskin to appropriately fragment his work and also added legitimacy to Ruskin’s story because the time was carefully measured and documented. More than Ruskin, Baldwin emphasized how his pieces fit into the historical record. It is an interesting question to think about what was gained or lost by the more subtle approach. In both of Baldwin’s pieces, he clearly outlines the problems and contradictions of African Americans in America and gives a call to action of people who are capable of making societal change. I thought Baldwin was able to articulately utilized the letter format such that the piece was both imaginable as a letter to its specified recipient, but also resonated deeply with a wide audience.