In the art of Profiling, one can say that attention to detail is most key. Imbedding yourself with this person and being the “fly on the wall” while trying to soak up every little detail is what can make or break a piece.

 For Bernie Goetz, the amount of detail on his endeavors before the piece takes the first person, was vital to the overall perception of Goetz throughout.  I, like many, did not know who he was previous, so the first few paragraphs revealing his past lead to see him as someone not to be trusted. Due to well-placed word choices and the negative testimonies from professionals, I saw him only as an unlicensed, crazy person who kidnapped squirrels and didn’t follow the rules for the rest of the profile. It wasn’t until the detail about his care with the baby squirrels that I thought of him as someone who cared above all. The ending threw me for a loop, and returned me to my original diagnosis. This guy is crazy and his portrayal as dangerous to wild animals was intentional.

Unlike Casey, whose detail was pointed mostly at his good nature, business, and community presence, I understood him as a very caring and loving individual. He brings his employees to tears and is everyone’s favorite. These were very well written because they fulfilled the author’s intentions of portrayal and used the details they picked up to say something about that person.

I’m not saying this isn’t true or that the author didn’t intend for these things to happen, just what I learned by reading these is that perception matters. When writing my own profile, I will be careful to always make sure I am getting across the right “vibe “ to my readers and make sure I’m clear and that  they understand what I am saying.