In the essay "Calling Home," by Jean Brandt, Jean describes an experience that she had shoplifting. She literally went to the store, found a button that she wanted to buy, then, upon seeing the long line in the store, she placed the button in her pocket and left. Not long after exiting the store she was caught and sent to jail, where she called home and felt the agony of explaining the situation to her mother. She was picked up by her parents, who withheld punishment, reasoning that she had already gone through enough.
In the essay "An American Childhood," by Annie Dillard, Annie retells an experience she treasured from her youth. She learned things about life through playing football and other sports. During the winter she was with some friends throwing snow balls at passing cars. One of the hit cars stopped, and a man ran after them. She ran, teamed up with one of her friends, through bushes and under trees, zigzagging through terrain that they were familiar with. The man chased them and caught them. She enjoyed the chase so much that when the man yelled at them for their recklessness she was unwavering.
The narrative device, framing, causes me to remember more of a story. It ties the beginning to the end, which helps me remember the middle.
The man chasing Annie, through framing, could represent a contrast between carefree fun and responsibility, the black of the car contrasting with the white of the snow. The man is constant, similar to the consistency of the cars passing by. His consistency, though, is contrasting with the character of the other drivers that Annie did or did not encounter.
She is not afraid of the man because he is fascinating and fun; he plays by rules that she is familiar with. I do not think that she should be angry at the man, because he has given her something that she did not know she needed or wanted, but did. She also deserved it because she was throwing snow balls.
Well-told stories have an emotional pull and gravity. They help the reader apply the lessons learned. Well-told stories give clear themes that are stressed to give clarity to the direction that the author wants a story to go. Well-told stories can find well-tuned ears, and make them as well.
In the essay "An American Childhood," by Annie Dillard, Annie retells an experience she treasured from her youth. She learned things about life through playing football and other sports. During the winter she was with some friends throwing snow balls at passing cars. One of the hit cars stopped, and a man ran after them. She ran, teamed up with one of her friends, through bushes and under trees, zigzagging through terrain that they were familiar with. The man chased them and caught them. She enjoyed the chase so much that when the man yelled at them for their recklessness she was unwavering.
The narrative device, framing, causes me to remember more of a story. It ties the beginning to the end, which helps me remember the middle.
The man chasing Annie, through framing, could represent a contrast between carefree fun and responsibility, the black of the car contrasting with the white of the snow. The man is constant, similar to the consistency of the cars passing by. His consistency, though, is contrasting with the character of the other drivers that Annie did or did not encounter.
She is not afraid of the man because he is fascinating and fun; he plays by rules that she is familiar with. I do not think that she should be angry at the man, because he has given her something that she did not know she needed or wanted, but did. She also deserved it because she was throwing snow balls.
Well-told stories have an emotional pull and gravity. They help the reader apply the lessons learned. Well-told stories give clear themes that are stressed to give clarity to the direction that the author wants a story to go. Well-told stories can find well-tuned ears, and make them as well.
Good Thoughts here Lucas, share more of these in class.
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