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Thursday, January 2, 2014
Honors Seniors: Prose Analyses
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Shifting from trying to avoid her parents at all cost to making small talk with her parents in “Kiss and Tell” Alain de Botton utilizes abrupt, ironic diction and extended metaphors to help produce a comic effect throughout the excerpt. The abrupt diction is used in the passage to illustrate Isabel is ranting to her boyfriend and is genuinely not trying to come in contact with her parents. In the passage Isabel runs her boyfriend (who has yet to say anything) through the instance where her dad is about to sneeze, saying that “he’s about to sneeze. Look, there we go, aaahhtchooo. Here comes his red handkerchief.” By saying what the sneeze sounds like, “aaahhtchooo” instead of just saying that her dad had sneezed shows the author’s attempt at producing a comedic effort. The abrupt diction also helps aid this by showing the girl’s panicking nature, making it comedic to watch the girl in fright over her own parents. The ironic diction of when the girl says her dad, “will get flustered because he’ll just have dropped (the parking ticket) into a bin by mistake. At the end of the play the father actually does throw away the parking ticket which shows the author’s desire to write a comedic passage. Further demonstrating the attempts of the author to be funny is when the extended metaphor of the cruise ship and her parents is brought up. Botton says that her father was, “making the vigorous hand gestures of a man waving off a departing cruise ship,” while her mother was, “[shouting] ‘Isabel’ at top pitch and with all excitement of a women recognizing a long-last friend on the deck of an in-coming cruise ship.” This extended metaphor that ultimately connects shows the author’s desire for humor in the excerpt. This metaphor helps the reader imagine just how embarrassing the two parents are being, or at least how it seems to Isabel, creating a comic relief. To help produce a comic effect throughout the excerpt Alain de Botton utilizes abrupt, ironic diction and extended metaphors throughout the shift from avoiding her parents at all costs to making small talk with her parents. - Tolstoy
Shifting from trying to avoid her parents at all cost to making small talk with her parents in “Kiss and Tell” Alain de Botton utilizes abrupt, ironic diction and extended metaphors to help produce a comic effect throughout the excerpt. The abrupt diction is used in the passage to illustrate Isabel is ranting to her boyfriend and is genuinely not trying to come in contact with her parents. In the passage Isabel runs her boyfriend (who has yet to say anything) through the instance where her dad is about to sneeze, saying that “he’s about to sneeze. Look, there we go, aaahhtchooo. Here comes his red handkerchief.” By saying what the sneeze sounds like, “aaahhtchooo” instead of just saying that her dad had sneezed shows the author’s attempt at producing a comedic effort. The abrupt diction also helps aid this by showing the girl’s panicking nature, making it comedic to watch the girl in fright over her own parents. The ironic diction of when the girl says her dad, “will get flustered because he’ll just have dropped (the parking ticket) into a bin by mistake. At the end of the play the father actually does throw away the parking ticket which shows the author’s desire to write a comedic passage. Further demonstrating the attempts of the author to be funny is when the extended metaphor of the cruise ship and her parents is brought up. Botton says that her father was, “making the vigorous hand gestures of a man waving off a departing cruise ship,” while her mother was, “[shouting] ‘Isabel’ at top pitch and with all excitement of a women recognizing a long-last friend on the deck of an in-coming cruise ship.” This extended metaphor that ultimately connects shows the author’s desire for humor in the excerpt. This metaphor helps the reader imagine just how embarrassing the two parents are being, or at least how it seems to Isabel, creating a comic relief. To help produce a comic effect throughout the excerpt Alain de Botton utilizes abrupt, ironic diction and extended metaphors throughout the shift from avoiding her parents at all costs to making small talk with her parents. - Tolstoy
Shifting between Lutie Johnson and an urban setting, Ann Petry’s opening to her 1946 novel, The Street, utilizes precise imagery, brute personification and specific selection of detail to show the way in which the wind is discouraging people throughout the city. Imagery plays a big part throughout the passage. It tells us what the wind is blowing and to show that it is making life difficult for everybody, to the point where everyone was leaving the streets to seek shelter. In one instance, Lutie was trying to find somewhere to get from the menacing storm, but the sign was blowing around and she couldn’t read it. For a moment though, it stopped allowing her to read it and take shelter. The wind was both warning her about the shelter, while giving her hope.
Brute personification is also prevalent throughout the passage. The wind is personified as causing problems in the city. It was given human-like traits like: discouraging, dislodging, lifting, opening, and assaulting. Some quotes that explain how much of a nuisance the wind was are, “It did everything it could to discourage the people walking along the street” and “Avenues except for a few hurried pedestrians who bent double in an effort to offer the least possible exposed surface to its violent assault”.
Ann Petry decides to revolve the story around the very small things throughout the city. This selection of detail makes the passage very easy to imagine and makes us concentrate on these very minute things. Some of these things are, old papers, flapping window shades, porkchop bones and much more. She concentrates on these things because she is trying to make it seem like the people are expendable, they are just pieces of useless paper and when it comes to the brute force of the wind. Lutie Johnson and an urban setting in the opening of the 1946 novel, The Street, is explained with precise imagery, brute personification and specific selection of detail to portray the wind as nuisance to everyone in the city.
Within the short comical excerpt from the modern novel Kiss and Tell, Alain de Botton utilizes a humorous diction, embarrassing imagery and situational irony to express how running into ones parents when unexpected can bring a humorous “panic” in the personal life of a daughter. The humorous diction that is so deeply woven throughout the short excerpt is lightheartedly brought forth by an amused speaker. Immediately we are introduced to Isabel, a panicked daughter who starts gasping “Oh my god” spotting her parents on her first date with a new partner. She is “hoping” that her mother is there with her father and not one of her “gentlemen friends” which she is “really too old for” anyways. Only adding to Isabel’s problems her father spots her and “vigorously” waves in her direction to a point where Isabel’s date labels him a “maniac”. Only after the show started and “rescued” her from further embarrassment would her parents end their restless attempts to grasp Isabel’s attention. Working alongside the humorous diction discussed earlier is embarrassing imagery. Isabel’s father is oblivious to his surroundings and waves to his daughter like “a man waving off a departing cruise ship”. As if this was not embarrassing enough Isabel’s mother is made aware of who her husband is trying to get a hold of and shrieks her name for all to hear. Isabella is even further concerned with her mother’s outfit which makes her look like a “willow tree”. Lastly Isabel wonders why her father is staring at the “ceiling with an intent expression” when she is trying to introduce her date to him. Her father’s reasoning was odd enough for Isabel to change topics immediately to avoid further embarrassment. The last and most important device is the situational irony of the excerpt. We can find irony in the fact that Isabel is on a date at a Spanish domestic drama when she too is experiencing a domestic drama. The excerpt concludes with what Isabel had predicted in the very beginning. This was the fact that her mother was angry that Isabel’s father had misplaced their parking tickets. It is easily conceivable for any son or daughter to be completely aware of what is going on between their parents and in this case Isabel was spot on. The short excerpt from the modern novel Kiss and Tell made use of three different devices that not complemented one another but had a comical effect. The humorous diction and embarrassing imagery throughout the excerpt showcased the worrisome feeling all of us have felt when our parents enter our personal lives in a social setting. The situational irony which is at the core of the comedic effect of the excerpt displays the deep connection between children and their parents. Anyone with parents knows that when parents become too involved in our social lives, our control of everything can “fall right out of ones hands”.
Reminiscing on a certain guilt from his childhood in A Summer Life. Gary Soto utilizes meticulous imagery, simple similes and biblical symbolism to depict how he learned that “sin was what you took and didn’t give back”. Imagery is very evident in this narrative from Gary Soto’s A Summer Life. Soto describes his restless urge to eat the stolen piece of pie by saying, “I raced on skinny legs to my block, but slowed to a quick walk when I couldn’t wait any longer.” In order to portray the eagerness and enjoyment he felt while eating it, the author states things like “clawing a chunk from the pie tin and pushing it into the cavern of my mouth,” and “I held the pie to my nose and breathed in its sweetness. I licked some of the crust and closed my eyes as I took a small bite.” As time went on, Soto began to feel extremely guilty for his actions. “Crust fell from my mouth, and my teeth were bathed with the jam-like filling. Tears blurred my eyes as I remembered the grocer’s forehead.” Gary Soto utilizes imagery to depict his bliss and guilt. Soto uses several bold, but fairly simple similes in A Summer Life. The author recalls crawling underneath his childhood house where it was cool and noisy from the plumbing pipes. “Was it God? Was it Father, speaking from death, or Uncle with his last shiny dime? I listened, ear pressed to a cold pipe, and heard a howl like the sea.” Soto describes how he tried to occupy himself with a Frisbee toy after he finished the stolen piece of pie and lightly makes another biblical reference. “… its shadow like the shadow of an angel fleeing bad deeds.” “’No one saw,’ I muttered to myself, the pie like a discus in my hand,” The author relates the piece of pie to a discus in order to prove that he instantly felt the guilt and weight of stealing. Throughout Gary Soto’s A Summer Life, references to Christianity and the bible are made. Soto relates the story of Adam and Eve to eating the stolen pie by stating, “I know an apple got Eve in deep trouble… but even that didn’t stop me from clawing a chunk from the pie tin…”. “A squirrel nailed itself high on the trunk, where it forked into two back-scabbed limbs.” This quote not only paints a picture in the reader’s mind, but also is a representation of how Jesus died on the cross. Another relation to the bible through this narrative includes “Cross-Eyed Johnny”, who could be depicted as the apostle John. Gary Soto’s religious childhood and background knowledge of religion influenced how he wrote this narrative.
Jonathan Taylor Angelou Kiss and Tell; write up 1-2-14 In this excerpt from the novel Kiss and Tell by Alain de Botton you can see a comic effect throughout which is created through the use of informal diction and dynamic irony. The passage is not necessarily laugh out loud hilarious but there is subtle humorous aspects. Botton’s style of writing is actually quite informal for example the narrator used the adjective “maniac” when describing his date’s father. This diction is quite unique and comical. Also the dialogue in the passage makes for a humorous atmosphere for example Isabel, the man’s date, refers to her mother as “mum” and her father calls her “bean” These are both very informal names which might not be found in a formal piece of literature. The techniques Botton chooses to use when writing this are meant to be comical. The second literary technic utilized in this passage is dynamic irony which is different in each case. In the beginning Isabel makes a joke saying her parents are probably arguing over something petty like a lost car park ticket. When in the end she was completely accurate in her assumption and it had happened just as she guessed. That was a very unexpected turn of events that she prediction perfectly. Also it is very ironic how all throughout you see instances of tension between mother and daughter yet they do have thing in common. They are both at the same show that shows they have the same taste in musical theater. Despite there obvious differences when they interact they have underlying similarities that are present. The use of dynamic irony in this passage paired with informal diction creates a humorous effect that some would consider funny.
Otto is having a bad flashback of the time he committed a small crime back when he was just a little boy. Remembering his childhood guilt, Gary Soto uses perceptible imagery and relatable symbolism to describe the guilt trip he experienced as a child when he stole a pie. By using imagery that the reader can actually envision and see happening, it gives them a better idea of what is actually occurring. He explains what he saw as a young child, and how that made him feel all the more guilty. Eating the “sweet, gold-colored slop” was so refreshing that it made him feel even worse about stealing it. However, it is not primarily the fact that he stole it that makes him feel bad, but he feels even worse because he is scared of being caught. And when he eats more and more of the pie, it tastes better and better, which makes him feel even worse about taking it from someone else. The guilt is killing him inside, and as bad as he feels, he can’t help but fear being caught even more. The fear starts killing him, and he ends up feeling really bad about it, despite how good it tasted at the time. He won the fight, but lost the war. At the end, when Soto says, “I looked and saw the glare of a pie tin on a hot day. I knew sin was what you took and didn’t give back.” It shows how he is coming to the realization that he cannot give the pie back, and he did a wrongful sin. Throughout the autobiographical narrative Sotto relates his memories to many different biblical references. He first references God saying “I nearly wept trying to decide which to steal, forgetting the flowery dust priests give off, the shadow of angels and the proximity of God howling in the plumbing underneath the house”. By saying this he is making note that he did in fact know that God or some other holy figure (a priest or angel) would look down upon the decision he is about to make; however, he does so anyway. He mentions God again, saying, “In my front yard….. I panicked about stealing the apple pie. I knew an apple got Eve in trouble with snakes because Sister Marie had shown us a film about Adam and Eve being cast into the desert.” By stealing the APPLE pie, it is a direct reference to Adam and Eve because Eve stole an apple of the tree and that’s what got her into trouble. Again he knows that there are biblical figures and stories that suggest he should not take the pie, but he does so anyway. Finally, the character Cross-eyed Johnny, is another reference to the bible. John is a very important name in the Bible, and by adding “cross-eyed” in front of his name, it is referring to the actual, physical cross. By making Johnny a nice boy and simply asking “Can I have some?” it is showing that even those without perfect capabilities are actually the purest of heart. The references to the Bible are frequent yet relevant throughout this narrative. Otto is having a very bad memory of an event that happened to him very long ago. Although he only took a small apple pie from a nearby shop he uses biblical allusions to relate it to the grave mistake Eve made in the Bible. It is a very relevant reference as it directly relates to what he did. The religous references are very relatable and truly enhance the flashback he is trying to tell.
Dostoevsky- Shifting from adjectives pertaining to physical manipulation to adjectives subtly involving emotion within the novel, The Street, Ann Petry uses key literary devices including vivid imagery and pronounced personification through meticulous selection of figurative language and to carefully establish Lutie Johnson’s relationship to the wind in the urban setting. The wind holds the ability to both hinder the order of the physical surroundings within the city and to manipulate people through emotion and discouragement. This is apparent when the wind switches focus from things like garbage cans and window shades to the by standing throats and feet of the victims within the city.
red stain like blood”. Here she personifies the wind through its ability, then describes the consequences therough vivid imagery and figurative language. The image of blood strengthens negative relationship apparent between the city and Lutie. Between the vivid imagery and personification, Petry is successful in establishing a negative relationship between the wind and the city people, specifically Lutie. The wind is subliminally constructed as a force against progress. Petry may be using the wind to describe an Ann Petry’s use of imagery to provide the reader a clear mental representation of the setting succeeds in assuring us in the physical disruptions that the wind is causing. She uses imagery pertaining to specific senses such as stating that the wind is “rattling the tops of garbage cans” and “fingering its way along the curb” to give the reader a sense of a constantly disturbed environment in the city. The wind earns its spot as the antagonist performing physical tasks in order to dislodge the routine from the people’s days. Petry goes as far as to describe the wind’s actions as a “violent assault” on the city’s inhabitants. As Lutie Johnson attempts to navigate the city, it is apparent that the wind does not want her to reach her destination without presenting obstacle improvised out of garbage and litter. The wind has the ability to not only physically disturb people, but also to disturb their emotions through its interaction with the urban environment. Petry Brings about a strong example of personification while stating that the wind “touched [Lutie’s] the back of her neck, explored the sides of her head.” Here we see this shift between the winds actions remaining physical and simple such as blowing over a bag on the street to more personal diction like the intellectual exploration of the wind and Lutie’s body. As Lutie walks further along the road, more simple disruptions are brought about. It is clear that the wind’s primary goal is preventing Lutie from arriving at her destination, no matter what that is. Petry clarifies this upon stating that “[he wind] did everything it could to discourage people walking along the street. She couples this with the indirect personification of the wind and its ability to be the cause of why the “metal had slowly rusted, making a dark even broader concept involving the natural battle between nature and the human race, despite the human intelligence projected through the urban environment. The wind makes sure that the inhabitants of the city go untouched before arriving at their destination, and through Petry’s careful choice of diction, it is hard to believe that this force is, in fact, just the wind.
DICKENS Shifting to the characterization of the speaker, Judd Mulvaney, in We Were the Mulvaneys Oate’s utilizes outdoor imagery, depressing repetition, and observant point of view while Judd comes to the realization that everyone is going to die someday. This excerpt starts off as a description of nature that he is looking at. He seems to be sitting there just enjoying the nature where he begins to think. An example of the adjectives the writer uses when describing the outdoors is “shallow, sky the color of lead and the light mostly drained…” These adjectives are very gloomy. He seems to be looking at things in a dark version, almost as if he is looking at it through a different point of view. Judd is just a young boy; most children look at everything in bright color. Most children view everything as warm and happy and not much can go wrong. But not Judd. Just being alone outside enjoying the nature is where he came to the realization that no one lives forever. Depressing repetition is used throughout this excerpt to show something that the reader believes is important in this passage. When the speaker comes to the realization that one day he is going to die along with everyone else he knows he begins to feel very over-whelmed. He begins to repeat “Every heartbeat is past and gone!” This quote blatantly tells the reader that he has realized that everyone is going to die. As he is thinking he continuously repeats this line reminding himself that one die he really is going to die. Judd is just a young boy so this realization is a very a big scary thing for him. Dying is not a happy thing therefor he uses depressing words when describing the situation. Observant point of view is used in this excerpt to show that Judd is not a normal kid. He does not think like an average child. His thoughts are way deeper. Most children his age are worrying about nothing. Most children are together inside playing games, but Judd is alone in the nature thinking about what really happens in life. He realizes that no one lives forever when he is thinking alone. Judd’s character could be considered a different point of view to the average young child because of his intellect. This excerpt clearly characterizes Judd as an intellectual child due to his point of view. Outdoor imagery, depressing repetition, and observant point of view are used in We Were the Mulvaneys to show that the young speaker has come to the realization that no one lives forever. The description of his scenery outdoors is a symbol that Judd is not an average, he is much deeper than that. The repetition that is used bluntly states that he knows that soon or later he and everyone else will die. His observant point of view shows that Judd is very intellectual and thinks deeply. Oate’s does a very good job portraying Judd’s character.
DICKENS Shifting to the characterization of the speaker, Judd Mulvaney, in We Were the Mulvaneys Oate’s utilizes outdoor imagery, depressing repetition, and observant point of view while Judd comes to the realization that everyone is going to die someday. This excerpt starts off as a description of nature that he is looking at. He seems to be sitting there just enjoying the nature where he begins to think. An example of the adjectives the writer uses when describing the outdoors is “shallow, sky the color of lead and the light mostly drained…” These adjectives are very gloomy. He seems to be looking at things in a dark version, almost as if he is looking at it through a different point of view. Judd is just a young boy; most children look at everything in bright color. Most children view everything as warm and happy and not much can go wrong. But not Judd. Just being alone outside enjoying the nature is where he came to the realization that no one lives forever. Depressing repetition is used throughout this excerpt to show something that the reader believes is important in this passage. When the speaker comes to the realization that one day he is going to die along with everyone else he knows he begins to feel very over-whelmed. He begins to repeat “Every heartbeat is past and gone!” This quote blatantly tells the reader that he has realized that everyone is going to die. As he is thinking he continuously repeats this line reminding himself that one die he really is going to die. Judd is just a young boy so this realization is a very a big scary thing for him. Dying is not a happy thing therefor he uses depressing words when describing the situation. Observant point of view is used in this excerpt to show that Judd is not a normal kid. He does not think like an average child. His thoughts are way deeper. Most children his age are worrying about nothing. Most children are together inside playing games, but Judd is alone in the nature thinking about what really happens in life. He realizes that no one lives forever when he is thinking alone. Judd’s character could be considered a different point of view to the average young child because of his intellect. This excerpt clearly characterizes Judd as an intellectual child due to his point of view. Outdoor imagery, depressing repetition, and observant point of view are used in We Were the Mulvaneys to show that the young speaker has come to the realization that no one lives forever. The description of his scenery outdoors is a symbol that Judd is not an average, he is much deeper than that. The repetition that is used bluntly states that he knows that soon or later he and everyone else will die. His observant point of view shows that Judd is very intellectual and thinks deeply. Oate’s does a very good job portraying Judd’s character.
DICKENS Shifting to the characterization of the speaker, Judd Mulvaney, in We Were the Mulvaneys Oate’s utilizes outdoor imagery, depressing repetition, and observant point of view while Judd comes to the realization that everyone is going to die someday. This excerpt starts off as a description of nature that he is looking at. He seems to be sitting there just enjoying the nature where he begins to think. An example of the adjectives the writer uses when describing the outdoors is “shallow, sky the color of lead and the light mostly drained…” These adjectives are very gloomy. He seems to be looking at things in a dark version, almost as if he is looking at it through a different point of view. Judd is just a young boy; most children look at everything in bright color. Most children view everything as warm and happy and not much can go wrong. But not Judd. Just being alone outside enjoying the nature is where he came to the realization that no one lives forever. Depressing repetition is used throughout this excerpt to show something that the reader believes is important in this passage. When the speaker comes to the realization that one day he is going to die along with everyone else he knows he begins to feel very over-whelmed. He begins to repeat “Every heartbeat is past and gone!” This quote blatantly tells the reader that he has realized that everyone is going to die. As he is thinking he continuously repeats this line reminding himself that one die he really is going to die. Judd is just a young boy so this realization is a very a big scary thing for him. Dying is not a happy thing therefor he uses depressing words when describing the situation. Observant point of view is used in this excerpt to show that Judd is not a normal kid. He does not think like an average child. His thoughts are way deeper. Most children his age are worrying about nothing. Most children are together inside playing games, but Judd is alone in the nature thinking about what really happens in life. He realizes that no one lives forever when he is thinking alone. Judd’s character could be considered a different point of view to the average young child because of his intellect. This excerpt clearly characterizes Judd as an intellectual child due to his point of view. Outdoor imagery, depressing repetition, and observant point of view are used in We Were the Mulvaneys to show that the young speaker has come to the realization that no one lives forever. The description of his scenery outdoors is a symbol that Judd is not an average, he is much deeper than that. The repetition that is used bluntly states that he knows that soon or later he and everyone else will die. His observant point of view shows that Judd is very intellectual and thinks deeply. Oate’s does a very good job portraying Judd’s character.
Name: Twain Looking at the writing of Ann Petry’s 1946 novel, The Street, she uses imagery and personification to establish the relationship between Lutie Johnson and the urban setting. Ann Petry uses imagery to help establish the relationship between the girl and the setting. While the “wind lifted Lutie Johnson’s hair away from the back of her neck so that she felt suddenly naked and bald” allows us to see what is happening. The wind blew her hair away from her neck. Lutie “had to blink in order to read the words on sign swaying back and forth over her head” because the wind whipped into her eyes. The wind is strong and powerful. The wind is being personified throughout the entire excerpt. Lutie “shivered as the cold fingers of the wind touched the back of her neck”. The wind is said to have touched Lutie with human fingers. Also when it says, “the wind held it still for an instant in front of her” as if the wind stopped moving the sign just so she could read it. The wind is given human characteristics trying to help Lutie by stopping itself so it does not make it difficult for her. The wind has physical traits that are found by the reader as it is near the girl and on the streets.
Shifting from a religious and holy view to a rebellious and morally wrong decision in Gary Soto’s autobiographical narrative he utilizes spiritual symbolism to portray that thinking in certain ways can cause the mind and body to make morally wrong decisions because of interior wants. Religion is a huge aspect in the narrative when explaining the sin the boy is committing. The symbolism portrayed has many parallels to the Catholic religion. The boy steals the pie from the Market because he cannot contain his want when he does not have the money to pay for it. He lets temptation take over and ends up stealing and committing a crime that sins against his religious beliefs. The Devil is a figure that is defined by temptation and sin. In this case the boy becomes the Devil; he is almost not guilty about what he did. His nervousness of being caught is more prominent then the sin itself. The apple pie symbolizes the apple that Adam and Eve came across in the garden when Eve was told not to touch or eat anything: “I knew an apple got Eve in deep trouble with snakes because Sister Marie had shown us a film about Adam and Eve being cast into the desert, and what scared me more than falling from grace was being thirsty for the rest of my life.” Even though the boy knew it was wrong he still did it because he wanted the pie so badly: “..the best things in life came stolen.” The conscience the boy has is a guilty one seeing his temptation was wrong but he still pulled through with it but tried to hide it from the people around him. The character names are extinct in the narrative because Soto is recalling his six year old experience. The only character whose name is mentioned is Cross-Eyed-Johnny. This name is religiously paralleled to two things in the Catholic religion. “Cross”-Eyed-Johnny could be broken down into a few things in the spiritual sense, such as the cross in the Catholic religion. The name itself “Johnny” could be referred to as the big figure in the Bible named Saint John. John is a popular name in the religion with many specific parts in the Bible teaching people to do right and follow the same beliefs. An instance where Soto uses imagery and symbolism in one example is when he explained the squirrel: “A squirrel nailed itself high on the trunk where it forked into two large bark-scabbed limbs.”’ This example references the nailing of Jesus to the cross, which in the Catholic religion is looked upon as the worst thing that could happen to the people of the faith. In that religion it symbolizes the love and compassion that Jesus had for his people and followers to sacrifice his own body for them. The boy was tempted into doing something that he knew was morally wrong but still did it anyway. Temptation creates situations that people do not prefer to be in. It causes trouble and guilty consciences for everyone who is sucked in by it. In life you will find that temptation will play a huge role; whether or not you let it take over is up to you. Religious symbols and ideas that are paralleled are frequently shown through Gary Soto’s narrative displaying that temptation can cause people to act in ways that could go against their beliefs and morals.
Peering through an attentive point of view of Judd Mulvaney, Joyce Carol Oates utilizes brusque repetition, scenic imagery, and solitary characterization to reveal the universal idea that one must confront the fact that eventually in time, everyone’s “heartbeat is past and gone”. Joyce Carol Oates continuously uses repetition to allow the readers to comprehend the universal idea throughout the passage. When Judd is alone, he comes to a realization that someday, for some reason, everyone will meet their demise. Deliberately using repetition, Oates reveals to the reader that Judd Mulvaney is simply aghast by this idea. Oates states, “in that instant aware of my heart beating ONEtwothree ONEtwothree” (line 20). The realization comes to Judd when he becomes mindful of his heart beat. Judd “did not believe that [he] could die” (line 33). Another line Oates repeats throughout the passage: “Every heartbeat is past and gone! Every heartbeat is past and gone!” (line 21). It is repeated throughout to place emphasis on how Judd is caught off guard at the fact that everyone eventually dies. Scenic imagery plays a large part in this passage. The nature surroundings cause Judd to think more profoundly and think about life around him. Oates states, “Only the evergreens and some of the black birches remaining but it’s a fact when dry yellow leaves don’t fall from a tree the tree is partly dead” (line 26). When Judd scrutinizes his surroundings, he acknowledges life around him which partakes in his thought process of death. Judd was “straddling [his] bike staring down into the water” (line 2) when he began to think about the nature and life surrounding him. Oates’s imagery reveals that Judd being in a nature-filled environment is what provoked him to think about heartbeats becoming “past and gone”. Judd’s solidarity contributes to his realization of death. While by the water, Oates states, “Hypnotizing myself the way kids do. Lonely kids or kids not realizing they’re lonely” (line 7). Judd’s loneliness almost puts him in a trance where his mind wanders off to profound thoughts and ideas. Judd’s brothers appear in the passage and the mood changes as he is more outgoing. When his brothers leave the scene, Judd then returns to thinking about death. The thought frightened Judd as he sat alone thinking. He knew that “not just would [he] lose the people [he] loved, but they would lose [him]” (line 62), and that abashed him.
Shifting from a holy and pure being to a guilty sinner, Gary Soto’s autobiographical narrative uses religious symbolism, spiritual simile, and shameful imagery to convey that the guilt and sin from stealing the pie was something he “didn’t give back” as a six-year-old boy. Soto’s use of symbolism incorporates a religious meaning to the story. Stating “A squirrel nailed itself high on the trunk,” Soto is representing Jesus nailed to the cross by the squirrel nailed to the tree. The squirrel is watching over the boy sinning just as Jesus is. Soto symbolizes Adam and Eve with the apple with the pie when saying “[I] panicked about stealing the apple pie. I knew an apple got Eve in deep trouble.” In the Bible, Eve knowingly sinned when she took the apple and when the boy steals the apple pie he knows he is sinning. The symbolism is used to give the story a religious meaning. Soto’s narrative uses several similes to convey the deeper meaning of the piece. The similes show the spiritual side to what the boy did and how he knowingly sinned. Soto stated “I flung my Frisbee across the street, its shadow like the shadow of an angel fleeing bad deeds” impying that when the boy threw the Frisbee he thought his sins would go away with it. This did not help the boy as he still felt guiltangel fleeing bad deeds” impying that when the boy threw the Frisbee he thought his sins would go away with it. This did not help the boy as he still felt guilt after. Soto said “I listened, ear pressed to a cold pipe, and heard a howl like the sea.” The boy thought the howling was God and felt even more guilty knowing God saw him sin. Soto’s use of simile deepens the understanding of the theme of the story. The imagery used in Soto’s narrative greatly shows how guilty the boy feels after eating the pie. His face and fingers are sticky with guilt as he wonders who knows about what he did. Soto stated “I sat on the curb. The pie tin glared at me and rolled away when the wind picked up. My face was sticky with guilt… Mrs. Hancock stood on her lawn, hands on hip, and she knew” showing how paranoid the boy is. He believes everyone knows of his sins and is extremely guilty. The imagery shows how he will be stuck with the guilt due to his sin. The empty pie tin makes the boy shameful that he stole something and he realizes this event will stay with him for the rest of his life.. Using symbolism, simile, and imagery, Gary Soto’s autobiographical narrative portrays that some sins stay forever. -Lee
Shifting from setting the scene to the innermost thoughts of a young boy, Joyce Carol Oates uses constant repetition, visual imagery, and depressing ideas in We Were the Mulvaneys to display what it means to Judd to be “moving helplessly forward”. (Lines 17-18) The speedy “ONEtwothree ONEtwothree” of Judd’s heart shows how terrified he really is of the situation he is in as well as of the outcome. (Lines 20-21) The reoccurring thought, “Every heartbeat is past and gone” also indicates his increasing panic as he begins to think of death. (Lines 21-22) Judd saying that he could not see his face, “only the dark shape of a head that could be anybody’s head” shows how he thinks of himself as just another face in the crowd. (Lines 5-6) It confirms that he believes he is like the many others who are born “not even knowing that they are taking the places of those who have died” and one day he too will be replaced. (Lines 37-38) After he realizes that it was “not just that I would lose the people I loved, but they would lose me… and they knew nothing of it”, Judd decides that he does not want to share this thought, knowing that it means he “would have to pretend not to know what” he knew. (Lines 62-66)
Focusing on the awkwardness of seeing parents while on a date in the excerpt "Kiss and Tell", Alain de Botton uses humorous diction, situational irony, and descriptive metaphors to convey the comicalness of dysfunctional family encounters. Humorous diction is used to portray how the speaker feels when he sees his girlfriend’s reaction to the unavoidable contact with her parents. The speaker uses light humor to make this situation seem a little less awkward. When stating, “Christopher stood up in the middle of the elegantly suited and scented audience, and began making vigorous hand gestures of a man waving off a departing cruise ship.” It shows how the reader can picture someone waving so hard that it’s actually embarrassing and funny at the same time. At the end of the excerpt it is clear situational irony has been in affect. When Isabel states, “This is prime argument territory for them, Mum will be asking Dad where he put the car ticket and he’ll get flustered because he’ll just have dropped it into a bin by mistake.” It shows clear irony because at the end of the excerpt the father does indeed lose the ticket. Isabel knows her parents so well that she was able to predict exactly what would happen and how it embarrasses her. -Golding
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Shifting from trying to avoid her parents at all cost to making small talk with her parents in “Kiss and Tell” Alain de Botton utilizes abrupt, ironic diction and extended metaphors to help produce a comic effect throughout the excerpt. The abrupt diction is used in the passage to illustrate Isabel is ranting to her boyfriend and is genuinely not trying to come in contact with her parents. In the passage Isabel runs her boyfriend (who has yet to say anything) through the instance where her dad is about to sneeze, saying that “he’s about to sneeze. Look, there we go, aaahhtchooo. Here comes his red handkerchief.” By saying what the sneeze sounds like, “aaahhtchooo” instead of just saying that her dad had sneezed shows the author’s attempt at producing a comedic effort. The abrupt diction also helps aid this by showing the girl’s panicking nature, making it comedic to watch the girl in fright over her own parents. The ironic diction of when the girl says her dad, “will get flustered because he’ll just have dropped (the parking ticket) into a bin by mistake. At the end of the play the father actually does throw away the parking ticket which shows the author’s desire to write a comedic passage. Further demonstrating the attempts of the author to be funny is when the extended metaphor of the cruise ship and her parents is brought up. Botton says that her father was, “making the vigorous hand gestures of a man waving off a departing cruise ship,” while her mother was, “[shouting] ‘Isabel’ at top pitch and with all excitement of a women recognizing a long-last friend on the deck of an in-coming cruise ship.” This extended metaphor that ultimately connects shows the author’s desire for humor in the excerpt. This metaphor helps the reader imagine just how embarrassing the two parents are being, or at least how it seems to Isabel, creating a comic relief. To help produce a comic effect throughout the excerpt Alain de Botton utilizes abrupt, ironic diction and extended metaphors throughout the shift from avoiding her parents at all costs to making small talk with her parents.
- Tolstoy
Shifting from trying to avoid her parents at all cost to making small talk with her parents in “Kiss and Tell” Alain de Botton utilizes abrupt, ironic diction and extended metaphors to help produce a comic effect throughout the excerpt. The abrupt diction is used in the passage to illustrate Isabel is ranting to her boyfriend and is genuinely not trying to come in contact with her parents. In the passage Isabel runs her boyfriend (who has yet to say anything) through the instance where her dad is about to sneeze, saying that “he’s about to sneeze. Look, there we go, aaahhtchooo. Here comes his red handkerchief.” By saying what the sneeze sounds like, “aaahhtchooo” instead of just saying that her dad had sneezed shows the author’s attempt at producing a comedic effort. The abrupt diction also helps aid this by showing the girl’s panicking nature, making it comedic to watch the girl in fright over her own parents. The ironic diction of when the girl says her dad, “will get flustered because he’ll just have dropped (the parking ticket) into a bin by mistake. At the end of the play the father actually does throw away the parking ticket which shows the author’s desire to write a comedic passage. Further demonstrating the attempts of the author to be funny is when the extended metaphor of the cruise ship and her parents is brought up. Botton says that her father was, “making the vigorous hand gestures of a man waving off a departing cruise ship,” while her mother was, “[shouting] ‘Isabel’ at top pitch and with all excitement of a women recognizing a long-last friend on the deck of an in-coming cruise ship.” This extended metaphor that ultimately connects shows the author’s desire for humor in the excerpt. This metaphor helps the reader imagine just how embarrassing the two parents are being, or at least how it seems to Isabel, creating a comic relief. To help produce a comic effect throughout the excerpt Alain de Botton utilizes abrupt, ironic diction and extended metaphors throughout the shift from avoiding her parents at all costs to making small talk with her parents.
- Tolstoy
Shifting between Lutie Johnson and an urban setting, Ann Petry’s opening to her 1946 novel, The Street, utilizes precise imagery, brute personification and specific selection of detail to show the way in which the wind is discouraging people throughout the city. Imagery plays a big part throughout the passage. It tells us what the wind is blowing and to show that it is making life difficult for everybody, to the point where everyone was leaving the streets to seek shelter. In one instance, Lutie was trying to find somewhere to get from the menacing storm, but the sign was blowing around and she couldn’t read it. For a moment though, it stopped allowing her to read it and take shelter. The wind was both warning her about the shelter, while giving her hope.
Brute personification is also prevalent throughout the passage. The wind is personified as causing problems in the city. It was given human-like traits like: discouraging, dislodging, lifting, opening, and assaulting. Some quotes that explain how much of a nuisance the wind was are, “It did everything it could to discourage the people walking along the street” and “Avenues except for a few hurried pedestrians who bent double in an effort to offer the least possible exposed surface to its violent assault”.
Ann Petry decides to revolve the story around the very small things throughout the city. This selection of detail makes the passage very easy to imagine and makes us concentrate on these very minute things. Some of these things are, old papers, flapping window shades, porkchop bones and much more. She concentrates on these things because she is trying to make it seem like the people are expendable, they are just pieces of useless paper and when it comes to the brute force of the wind. Lutie Johnson and an urban setting in the opening of the 1946 novel, The Street, is explained with precise imagery, brute personification and specific selection of detail to portray the wind as nuisance to everyone in the city.
Section II essay
Shakespeare
Within the short comical excerpt from the modern novel Kiss and Tell, Alain de Botton utilizes a humorous diction, embarrassing imagery and situational irony to express how running into ones parents when unexpected can bring a humorous “panic” in the personal life of a daughter.
The humorous diction that is so deeply woven throughout the short excerpt is lightheartedly brought forth by an amused speaker. Immediately we are introduced to Isabel, a panicked daughter who starts gasping “Oh my god” spotting her parents on her first date with a new partner. She is “hoping” that her mother is there with her father and not one of her “gentlemen friends” which she is “really too old for” anyways. Only adding to Isabel’s problems her father spots her and “vigorously” waves in her direction to a point where Isabel’s date labels him a “maniac”. Only after the show started and “rescued” her from further embarrassment would her parents end their restless attempts to grasp Isabel’s attention.
Working alongside the humorous diction discussed earlier is embarrassing imagery. Isabel’s father is oblivious to his surroundings and waves to his daughter like “a man waving off a departing cruise ship”. As if this was not embarrassing enough Isabel’s mother is made aware of who her husband is trying to get a hold of and shrieks her name for all to hear. Isabella is even further concerned with her mother’s outfit which makes her look like a “willow tree”. Lastly Isabel wonders why her father is staring at the “ceiling with an intent expression” when she is trying to introduce her date to him. Her father’s reasoning was odd enough for Isabel to change topics immediately to avoid further embarrassment.
The last and most important device is the situational irony of the excerpt. We can find irony in the fact that Isabel is on a date at a Spanish domestic drama when she too is experiencing a domestic drama. The excerpt concludes with what Isabel had predicted in the very beginning. This was the fact that her mother was angry that Isabel’s father had misplaced their parking tickets. It is easily conceivable for any son or daughter to be completely aware of what is going on between their parents and in this case Isabel was spot on.
The short excerpt from the modern novel Kiss and Tell made use of three different devices that not complemented one another but had a comical effect. The humorous diction and embarrassing imagery throughout the excerpt showcased the worrisome feeling all of us have felt when our parents enter our personal lives in a social setting. The situational irony which is at the core of the comedic effect of the excerpt displays the deep connection between children and their parents. Anyone with parents knows that when parents become too involved in our social lives, our control of everything can “fall right out of ones hands”.
Reminiscing on a certain guilt from his childhood in A Summer Life. Gary Soto utilizes meticulous imagery, simple similes and biblical symbolism to depict how he learned that “sin was what you took and didn’t give back”.
Imagery is very evident in this narrative from Gary Soto’s A Summer Life. Soto describes his restless urge to eat the stolen piece of pie by saying, “I raced on skinny legs to my block, but slowed to a quick walk when I couldn’t wait any longer.” In order to portray the eagerness and enjoyment he felt while eating it, the author states things like “clawing a chunk from the pie tin and pushing it into the cavern of my mouth,” and “I held the pie to my nose and breathed in its sweetness. I licked some of the crust and closed my eyes as I took a small bite.” As time went on, Soto began to feel extremely guilty for his actions. “Crust fell from my mouth, and my teeth were bathed with the jam-like filling. Tears blurred my eyes as I remembered the grocer’s forehead.” Gary Soto utilizes imagery to depict his bliss and guilt.
Soto uses several bold, but fairly simple similes in A Summer Life. The author recalls crawling underneath his childhood house where it was cool and noisy from the plumbing pipes. “Was it God? Was it Father, speaking from death, or Uncle with his last shiny dime? I listened, ear pressed to a cold pipe, and heard a howl like the sea.” Soto describes how he tried to occupy himself with a Frisbee toy after he finished the stolen piece of pie and lightly makes another biblical reference. “… its shadow like the shadow of an angel fleeing bad deeds.” “’No one saw,’ I muttered to myself, the pie like a discus in my hand,” The author relates the piece of pie to a discus in order to prove that he instantly felt the guilt and weight of stealing.
Throughout Gary Soto’s A Summer Life, references to Christianity and the bible are made. Soto relates the story of Adam and Eve to eating the stolen pie by stating, “I know an apple got Eve in deep trouble… but even that didn’t stop me from clawing a chunk from the pie tin…”. “A squirrel nailed itself high on the trunk, where it forked into two back-scabbed limbs.” This quote not only paints a picture in the reader’s mind, but also is a representation of how Jesus died on the cross. Another relation to the bible through this narrative includes “Cross-Eyed Johnny”, who could be depicted as the apostle John. Gary Soto’s religious childhood and background knowledge of religion influenced how he wrote this narrative.
Jonathan Taylor
Angelou
Kiss and Tell; write up
1-2-14
In this excerpt from the novel Kiss and Tell by Alain de Botton you can see a comic effect throughout which is created through the use of informal diction and dynamic irony. The passage is not necessarily laugh out loud hilarious but there is subtle humorous aspects. Botton’s style of writing is actually quite informal for example the narrator used the adjective “maniac” when describing his date’s father. This diction is quite unique and comical. Also the dialogue in the passage makes for a humorous atmosphere for example Isabel, the man’s date, refers to her mother as “mum” and her father calls her “bean” These are both very informal names which might not be found in a formal piece of literature. The techniques Botton chooses to use when writing this are meant to be comical.
The second literary technic utilized in this passage is dynamic irony which is different in each case. In the beginning Isabel makes a joke saying her parents are probably arguing over something petty like a lost car park ticket. When in the end she was completely accurate in her assumption and it had happened just as she guessed. That was a very unexpected turn of events that she prediction perfectly. Also it is very ironic how all throughout you see instances of tension between mother and daughter yet they do have thing in common. They are both at the same show that shows they have the same taste in musical theater. Despite there obvious differences when they interact they have underlying similarities that are present. The use of dynamic irony in this passage paired with informal diction creates a humorous effect that some would consider funny.
Otto is having a bad flashback of the time he committed a small crime back when he was just a little boy. Remembering his childhood guilt, Gary Soto uses perceptible imagery and relatable symbolism to describe the guilt trip he experienced as a child when he stole a pie.
By using imagery that the reader can actually envision and see happening, it gives them a better idea of what is actually occurring. He explains what he saw as a young child, and how that made him feel all the more guilty. Eating the “sweet, gold-colored slop” was so refreshing that it made him feel even worse about stealing it. However, it is not primarily the fact that he stole it that makes him feel bad, but he feels even worse because he is scared of being caught. And when he eats more and more of the pie, it tastes better and better, which makes him feel even worse about taking it from someone else. The guilt is killing him inside, and as bad as he feels, he can’t help but fear being caught even more. The fear starts killing him, and he ends up feeling really bad about it, despite how good it tasted at the time. He won the fight, but lost the war. At the end, when Soto says, “I looked and saw the glare of a pie tin on a hot day. I knew sin was what you took and didn’t give back.” It shows how he is coming to the realization that he cannot give the pie back, and he did a wrongful sin.
Throughout the autobiographical narrative Sotto relates his memories to many different biblical references. He first references God saying “I nearly wept trying to decide which to steal, forgetting the flowery dust priests give off, the shadow of angels and the proximity of God howling in the plumbing underneath the house”. By saying this he is making note that he did in fact know that God or some other holy figure (a priest or angel) would look down upon the decision he is about to make; however, he does so anyway. He mentions God again, saying, “In my front yard….. I panicked about stealing the apple pie. I knew an apple got Eve in trouble with snakes because Sister Marie had shown us a film about Adam and Eve being cast into the desert.” By stealing the APPLE pie, it is a direct reference to Adam and Eve because Eve stole an apple of the tree and that’s what got her into trouble. Again he knows that there are biblical figures and stories that suggest he should not take the pie, but he does so anyway. Finally, the character Cross-eyed Johnny, is another reference to the bible. John is a very important name in the Bible, and by adding “cross-eyed” in front of his name, it is referring to the actual, physical cross. By making Johnny a nice boy and simply asking “Can I have some?” it is showing that even those without perfect capabilities are actually the purest of heart. The references to the Bible are frequent yet relevant throughout this narrative.
Otto is having a very bad memory of an event that happened to him very long ago. Although he only took a small apple pie from a nearby shop he uses biblical allusions to relate it to the grave mistake Eve made in the Bible. It is a very relevant reference as it directly relates to what he did. The religous references are very relatable and truly enhance the flashback he is trying to tell.
Dostoevsky- Shifting from adjectives pertaining to physical manipulation to adjectives subtly involving emotion within the novel, The Street, Ann Petry uses key literary devices including vivid imagery and pronounced personification through meticulous selection of figurative language and to carefully establish Lutie Johnson’s relationship to the wind in the urban setting. The wind holds the ability to both hinder the order of the physical surroundings within the city and to manipulate people through emotion and discouragement. This is apparent when the wind switches focus from things like garbage cans and window shades to the by standing throats and feet of the victims within the city.
red stain like blood”. Here she personifies the wind through its ability, then describes the consequences therough vivid imagery and figurative language. The image of blood strengthens negative relationship apparent between the city and Lutie.
Between the vivid imagery and personification, Petry is successful in establishing a negative relationship between the wind and the city people, specifically Lutie. The wind is subliminally constructed as a force against progress. Petry may be using the wind to describe an Ann Petry’s use of imagery to provide the reader a clear mental representation of the setting succeeds in assuring us in the physical disruptions that the wind is causing. She uses imagery pertaining to specific senses such as stating that the wind is “rattling the tops of garbage cans” and “fingering its way along the curb” to give the reader a sense of a constantly disturbed environment in the city. The wind earns its spot as the antagonist performing physical tasks in order to dislodge the routine from the people’s days. Petry goes as far as to describe the wind’s actions as a “violent assault” on the city’s inhabitants. As Lutie Johnson attempts to navigate the city, it is apparent that the wind does not want her to reach her destination without presenting obstacle improvised out of garbage and litter.
The wind has the ability to not only physically disturb people, but also to disturb their emotions through its interaction with the urban environment. Petry Brings about a strong example of personification while stating that the wind “touched [Lutie’s] the back of her neck, explored the sides of her head.” Here we see this shift between the winds actions remaining physical and simple such as blowing over a bag on the street to more personal diction like the intellectual exploration of the wind and Lutie’s body. As Lutie walks further along the road, more simple disruptions are brought about. It is clear that the wind’s primary goal is preventing Lutie from arriving at her destination, no matter what that is. Petry clarifies this upon stating that “[he wind] did everything it could to discourage people walking along the street. She couples this with the indirect personification of the wind and its ability to be the cause of why the “metal had slowly rusted, making a dark even broader concept involving the natural battle between nature and the human race, despite the human intelligence projected through the urban environment. The wind makes sure that the inhabitants of the city go untouched before arriving at their destination, and through Petry’s careful choice of diction, it is hard to believe that this force is, in fact, just the wind.
DICKENS
Shifting to the characterization of the speaker, Judd Mulvaney, in We Were the Mulvaneys Oate’s utilizes outdoor imagery, depressing repetition, and observant point of view while Judd comes to the realization that everyone is going to die someday.
This excerpt starts off as a description of nature that he is looking at. He seems to be sitting there just enjoying the nature where he begins to think. An example of the adjectives the writer uses when describing the outdoors is “shallow, sky the color of lead and the light mostly drained…” These adjectives are very gloomy. He seems to be looking at things in a dark version, almost as if he is looking at it through a different point of view. Judd is just a young boy; most children look at everything in bright color. Most children view everything as warm and happy and not much can go wrong. But not Judd. Just being alone outside enjoying the nature is where he came to the realization that no one lives forever.
Depressing repetition is used throughout this excerpt to show something that the reader believes is important in this passage. When the speaker comes to the realization that one day he is going to die along with everyone else he knows he begins to feel very over-whelmed. He begins to repeat “Every heartbeat is past and gone!” This quote blatantly tells the reader that he has realized that everyone is going to die. As he is thinking he continuously repeats this line reminding himself that one die he really is going to die. Judd is just a young boy so this realization is a very a big scary thing for him. Dying is not a happy thing therefor he uses depressing words when describing the situation.
Observant point of view is used in this excerpt to show that Judd is not a normal kid. He does not think like an average child. His thoughts are way deeper. Most children his age are worrying about nothing. Most children are together inside playing games, but Judd is alone in the nature thinking about what really happens in life. He realizes that no one lives forever when he is thinking alone. Judd’s character could be considered a different point of view to the average young child because of his intellect. This excerpt clearly characterizes Judd as an intellectual child due to his point of view.
Outdoor imagery, depressing repetition, and observant point of view are used in We Were the Mulvaneys to show that the young speaker has come to the realization that no one lives forever. The description of his scenery outdoors is a symbol that Judd is not an average, he is much deeper than that. The repetition that is used bluntly states that he knows that soon or later he and everyone else will die. His observant point of view shows that Judd is very intellectual and thinks deeply. Oate’s does a very good job portraying Judd’s character.
DICKENS
Shifting to the characterization of the speaker, Judd Mulvaney, in We Were the Mulvaneys Oate’s utilizes outdoor imagery, depressing repetition, and observant point of view while Judd comes to the realization that everyone is going to die someday.
This excerpt starts off as a description of nature that he is looking at. He seems to be sitting there just enjoying the nature where he begins to think. An example of the adjectives the writer uses when describing the outdoors is “shallow, sky the color of lead and the light mostly drained…” These adjectives are very gloomy. He seems to be looking at things in a dark version, almost as if he is looking at it through a different point of view. Judd is just a young boy; most children look at everything in bright color. Most children view everything as warm and happy and not much can go wrong. But not Judd. Just being alone outside enjoying the nature is where he came to the realization that no one lives forever.
Depressing repetition is used throughout this excerpt to show something that the reader believes is important in this passage. When the speaker comes to the realization that one day he is going to die along with everyone else he knows he begins to feel very over-whelmed. He begins to repeat “Every heartbeat is past and gone!” This quote blatantly tells the reader that he has realized that everyone is going to die. As he is thinking he continuously repeats this line reminding himself that one die he really is going to die. Judd is just a young boy so this realization is a very a big scary thing for him. Dying is not a happy thing therefor he uses depressing words when describing the situation.
Observant point of view is used in this excerpt to show that Judd is not a normal kid. He does not think like an average child. His thoughts are way deeper. Most children his age are worrying about nothing. Most children are together inside playing games, but Judd is alone in the nature thinking about what really happens in life. He realizes that no one lives forever when he is thinking alone. Judd’s character could be considered a different point of view to the average young child because of his intellect. This excerpt clearly characterizes Judd as an intellectual child due to his point of view.
Outdoor imagery, depressing repetition, and observant point of view are used in We Were the Mulvaneys to show that the young speaker has come to the realization that no one lives forever. The description of his scenery outdoors is a symbol that Judd is not an average, he is much deeper than that. The repetition that is used bluntly states that he knows that soon or later he and everyone else will die. His observant point of view shows that Judd is very intellectual and thinks deeply. Oate’s does a very good job portraying Judd’s character.
DICKENS
Shifting to the characterization of the speaker, Judd Mulvaney, in We Were the Mulvaneys Oate’s utilizes outdoor imagery, depressing repetition, and observant point of view while Judd comes to the realization that everyone is going to die someday.
This excerpt starts off as a description of nature that he is looking at. He seems to be sitting there just enjoying the nature where he begins to think. An example of the adjectives the writer uses when describing the outdoors is “shallow, sky the color of lead and the light mostly drained…” These adjectives are very gloomy. He seems to be looking at things in a dark version, almost as if he is looking at it through a different point of view. Judd is just a young boy; most children look at everything in bright color. Most children view everything as warm and happy and not much can go wrong. But not Judd. Just being alone outside enjoying the nature is where he came to the realization that no one lives forever.
Depressing repetition is used throughout this excerpt to show something that the reader believes is important in this passage. When the speaker comes to the realization that one day he is going to die along with everyone else he knows he begins to feel very over-whelmed. He begins to repeat “Every heartbeat is past and gone!” This quote blatantly tells the reader that he has realized that everyone is going to die. As he is thinking he continuously repeats this line reminding himself that one die he really is going to die. Judd is just a young boy so this realization is a very a big scary thing for him. Dying is not a happy thing therefor he uses depressing words when describing the situation.
Observant point of view is used in this excerpt to show that Judd is not a normal kid. He does not think like an average child. His thoughts are way deeper. Most children his age are worrying about nothing. Most children are together inside playing games, but Judd is alone in the nature thinking about what really happens in life. He realizes that no one lives forever when he is thinking alone. Judd’s character could be considered a different point of view to the average young child because of his intellect. This excerpt clearly characterizes Judd as an intellectual child due to his point of view.
Outdoor imagery, depressing repetition, and observant point of view are used in We Were the Mulvaneys to show that the young speaker has come to the realization that no one lives forever. The description of his scenery outdoors is a symbol that Judd is not an average, he is much deeper than that. The repetition that is used bluntly states that he knows that soon or later he and everyone else will die. His observant point of view shows that Judd is very intellectual and thinks deeply. Oate’s does a very good job portraying Judd’s character.
Name: Twain
Looking at the writing of Ann Petry’s 1946 novel, The Street, she uses imagery and personification to establish the relationship between Lutie Johnson and the urban setting.
Ann Petry uses imagery to help establish the relationship between the girl and the setting. While the “wind lifted Lutie Johnson’s hair away from the back of her neck so that she felt suddenly naked and bald” allows us to see what is happening. The wind blew her hair away from her neck. Lutie “had to blink in order to read the words on sign swaying back and forth over her head” because the wind whipped into her eyes. The wind is strong and powerful.
The wind is being personified throughout the entire excerpt. Lutie “shivered as the cold fingers of the wind touched the back of her neck”. The wind is said to have touched Lutie with human fingers. Also when it says, “the wind held it still for an instant in front of her” as if the wind stopped moving the sign just so she could read it. The wind is given human characteristics trying to help Lutie by stopping itself so it does not make it difficult for her. The wind has physical traits that are found by the reader as it is near the girl and on the streets.
Shifting from a religious and holy view to a rebellious and morally wrong decision in Gary Soto’s autobiographical narrative he utilizes spiritual symbolism to portray that thinking in certain ways can cause the mind and body to make morally wrong decisions because of interior wants.
Religion is a huge aspect in the narrative when explaining the sin the boy is committing. The symbolism portrayed has many parallels to the Catholic religion. The boy steals the pie from the Market because he cannot contain his want when he does not have the money to pay for it. He lets temptation take over and ends up stealing and committing a crime that sins against his religious beliefs. The Devil is a figure that is defined by temptation and sin. In this case the boy becomes the Devil; he is almost not guilty about what he did. His nervousness of being caught is more prominent then the sin itself. The apple pie symbolizes the apple that Adam and Eve came across in the garden when Eve was told not to touch or eat anything: “I knew an apple got Eve in deep trouble with snakes because Sister Marie had shown us a film about Adam and Eve being cast into the desert, and what scared me more than falling from grace was being thirsty for the rest of my life.” Even though the boy knew it was wrong he still did it because he wanted the pie so badly: “..the best things in life came stolen.”
The conscience the boy has is a guilty one seeing his temptation was wrong but he still pulled through with it but tried to hide it from the people around him. The character names are extinct in the narrative because Soto is recalling his six year old experience. The only character whose name is mentioned is Cross-Eyed-Johnny. This name is religiously paralleled to two things in the Catholic religion. “Cross”-Eyed-Johnny could be broken down into a few things in the spiritual sense, such as the cross in the Catholic religion. The name itself “Johnny” could be referred to as the big figure in the Bible named Saint John. John is a popular name in the religion with many specific parts in the Bible teaching people to do right and follow the same beliefs. An instance where Soto uses imagery and symbolism in one example is when he explained the squirrel: “A squirrel nailed itself high on the trunk where it forked into two large bark-scabbed limbs.”’ This example references the nailing of Jesus to the cross, which in the Catholic religion is looked upon as the worst thing that could happen to the people of the faith. In that religion it symbolizes the love and compassion that Jesus had for his people and followers to sacrifice his own body for them.
The boy was tempted into doing something that he knew was morally wrong but still did it anyway. Temptation creates situations that people do not prefer to be in. It causes trouble and guilty consciences for everyone who is sucked in by it. In life you will find that temptation will play a huge role; whether or not you let it take over is up to you. Religious symbols and ideas that are paralleled are frequently shown through Gary Soto’s narrative displaying that temptation can cause people to act in ways that could go against their beliefs and morals.
Miller
January 7, 2014
Peering through an attentive point of view of Judd Mulvaney, Joyce Carol Oates utilizes brusque repetition, scenic imagery, and solitary characterization to reveal the universal idea that one must confront the fact that eventually in time, everyone’s “heartbeat is past and gone”.
Joyce Carol Oates continuously uses repetition to allow the readers to comprehend the universal idea throughout the passage. When Judd is alone, he comes to a realization that someday, for some reason, everyone will meet their demise. Deliberately using repetition, Oates reveals to the reader that Judd Mulvaney is simply aghast by this idea. Oates states, “in that instant aware of my heart beating ONEtwothree ONEtwothree” (line 20). The realization comes to Judd when he becomes mindful of his heart beat. Judd “did not believe that [he] could die” (line 33). Another line Oates repeats throughout the passage: “Every heartbeat is past and gone! Every heartbeat is past and gone!” (line 21). It is repeated throughout to place emphasis on how Judd is caught off guard at the fact that everyone eventually dies.
Scenic imagery plays a large part in this passage. The nature surroundings cause Judd to think more profoundly and think about life around him. Oates states, “Only the evergreens and some of the black birches remaining but it’s a fact when dry yellow leaves don’t fall from a tree the tree is partly dead” (line 26). When Judd scrutinizes his surroundings, he acknowledges life around him which partakes in his thought process of death. Judd was “straddling [his] bike staring down into the water” (line 2) when he began to think about the nature and life surrounding him. Oates’s imagery reveals that Judd being in a nature-filled environment is what provoked him to think about heartbeats becoming “past and gone”.
Judd’s solidarity contributes to his realization of death. While by the water, Oates states, “Hypnotizing myself the way kids do. Lonely kids or kids not realizing they’re lonely” (line 7). Judd’s loneliness almost puts him in a trance where his mind wanders off to profound thoughts and ideas. Judd’s brothers appear in the passage and the mood changes as he is more outgoing. When his brothers leave the scene, Judd then returns to thinking about death. The thought frightened Judd as he sat alone thinking. He knew that “not just would [he] lose the people [he] loved, but they would lose [him]” (line 62), and that abashed him.
Shifting from a holy and pure being to a guilty sinner, Gary Soto’s autobiographical narrative uses religious symbolism, spiritual simile, and shameful imagery to convey that the guilt and sin from stealing the pie was something he “didn’t give back” as a six-year-old boy. Soto’s use of symbolism incorporates a religious meaning to the story. Stating “A squirrel nailed itself high on the trunk,” Soto is representing Jesus nailed to the cross by the squirrel nailed to the tree. The squirrel is watching over the boy sinning just as Jesus is. Soto symbolizes Adam and Eve with the apple with the pie when saying “[I] panicked about stealing the apple pie. I knew an apple got Eve in deep trouble.” In the Bible, Eve knowingly sinned when she took the apple and when the boy steals the apple pie he knows he is sinning. The symbolism is used to give the story a religious meaning.
Soto’s narrative uses several similes to convey the deeper meaning of the piece. The similes show the spiritual side to what the boy did and how he knowingly sinned. Soto stated “I flung my Frisbee across the street, its shadow like the shadow of an angel fleeing bad deeds” impying that when the boy threw the Frisbee he thought his sins would go away with it. This did not help the boy as he still felt guiltangel fleeing bad deeds” impying that when the boy threw the Frisbee he thought his sins would go away with it. This did not help the boy as he still felt guilt after. Soto said “I listened, ear pressed to a cold pipe, and heard a howl like the sea.” The boy thought the howling was God and felt even more guilty knowing God saw him sin. Soto’s use of simile deepens the understanding of the theme of the story.
The imagery used in Soto’s narrative greatly shows how guilty the boy feels after eating the pie. His face and fingers are sticky with guilt as he wonders who knows about what he did. Soto stated “I sat on the curb. The pie tin glared at me and rolled away when the wind picked up. My face was sticky with guilt… Mrs. Hancock stood on her lawn, hands on hip, and she knew” showing how paranoid the boy is. He believes everyone knows of his sins and is extremely guilty. The imagery shows how he will be stuck with the guilt due to his sin. The empty pie tin makes the boy shameful that he stole something and he realizes this event will stay with him for the rest of his life.. Using symbolism, simile, and imagery, Gary Soto’s autobiographical narrative portrays that some sins stay forever.
-Lee
Shifting from setting the scene to the innermost thoughts of a young boy, Joyce Carol Oates uses constant repetition, visual imagery, and depressing ideas in We Were the Mulvaneys to display what it means to Judd to be “moving helplessly forward”. (Lines 17-18) The speedy “ONEtwothree ONEtwothree” of Judd’s heart shows how terrified he really is of the situation he is in as well as of the outcome. (Lines 20-21) The reoccurring thought, “Every heartbeat is past and gone” also indicates his increasing panic as he begins to think of death. (Lines 21-22) Judd saying that he could not see his face, “only the dark shape of a head that could be anybody’s head” shows how he thinks of himself as just another face in the crowd. (Lines 5-6) It confirms that he believes he is like the many others who are born “not even knowing that they are taking the places of those who have died” and one day he too will be replaced. (Lines 37-38) After he realizes that it was “not just that I would lose the people I loved, but they would lose me… and they knew nothing of it”, Judd decides that he does not want to share this thought, knowing that it means he “would have to pretend not to know what” he knew. (Lines 62-66)
Focusing on the awkwardness of seeing parents while on a date in the excerpt "Kiss and Tell", Alain de Botton uses humorous diction, situational irony, and descriptive metaphors to convey the comicalness of dysfunctional family encounters.
Humorous diction is used to portray how the speaker feels when he sees his girlfriend’s reaction to the unavoidable contact with her parents. The speaker uses light humor to make this situation seem a little less awkward. When stating, “Christopher stood up in the middle of the elegantly suited and scented audience, and began making vigorous hand gestures of a man waving off a departing cruise ship.” It shows how the reader can picture someone waving so hard that it’s actually embarrassing and funny at the same time.
At the end of the excerpt it is clear situational irony has been in affect. When Isabel states, “This is prime argument territory for them, Mum will be asking Dad where he put the car ticket and he’ll get flustered because he’ll just have dropped it into a bin by mistake.” It shows clear irony because at the end of the excerpt the father does indeed lose the ticket. Isabel knows her parents so well that she was able to predict exactly what would happen and how it embarrasses her.
-Golding
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