...lyrical musical expression and tone in the beginning of the short story. This writing also has a symbolic meaning for the African American culture. It describes the fight for freedom and cultural equality. “The Welcome Place” is written about the slavery time period and how African Americans were treated. According to Clugston, 2010, “The point of view is called "omniscient" when the story is being told by someone who is not a character but knows the thoughts and feelings of the characters in the story. The omniscient technique is used in this story and is particularly effective in allowing the reader to understand the old woman's predicament and how she, and the others, dealt with it.” (sec.3.1) This short story pulls the reader in, engages them and allows them to imagine themselves at the church. The story captured my imagination, drawing me into the slavery time period. It was curiosity and emotion that drew me into the character. It provided me with a desire to escape a present association. This literary piece motivated me to continue to understand the heartache, pain and torment African American slaves endured. The connections I make to the characters are to change how the elderly and seniors are cared for, thought of and treated by society in general. Additional comparisons are made to current ambiguous societal racial tendencies. The analytical approach used to analyze this short story will be the reader-response methodology. There are two analytical theories that can...
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...influenced by the American culture. "Response to Executive Order 9066" by Dwight Okita, and "Mericans" by Sandra Cisneros both authors establish the topic of American identity. In Okita's poem, American identity has more to do with how you experience culture than with where your family came from. Both Okita's poem and Cisneros's short story show that cultural heritage and physical appearances do not determine what it means to be American. In response to "Mericans", the first sign of American identity that is noticed by this short story is the classification of relatives in the style of traditional American names such as "Auntie" and "Uncle". The next thing that is noticeable relates to the young American identity, regarding childhood. As part of the American culture a couple of ideas that could be experienced in childhood that the narrator tries to avoid being a victim of. For example, the grandmother prays for family members. The narrator imagines that the grandmother is worried because many of her children and grandchildren live in "that barbaric country with its barbaric ways". This refers to the grandmother's dislike of the United States, which contrast with the narrator's view. Despite her Mexican heritage, the narrator feels a stronger connection to the United States than to Mexico. By stating that "We have promised to stay right where the awful grandmother left us until she returns". In this short story, the biggest topic that relates to the...
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..."Neighbours" by Tim Winton is an intriguing insight into the lives of a young couple who had moved into a Melbournian suburb. The challenges and ordeals faced by them place the reader in a position to observe varying values and attitudes which are connected with many aspects of Australian multi-cultural life. The text deals with the different lifestyles of Australia's ethnic minorities to Australians and we can see from the text how an author creates a good reader response. Examples wich contribute to the vast reading experience can be the cultural backgrounds, our own lifestyles, morals and values and the significance of the characters of the text. People who come from second world countries like Poland and Macedonia are renown for being hard workers and love cultural activities, and the characters in Neighbours proved to be no excep-tion. The text indulges in the view of cultural hard working ethnic family's, who surround the two couples who had just moved into the new neighborhood. At first the couples were having a hard time fitting in as they saw their neighbors to be a bit odd. A quote wich demonstrates this can be "It took six months for the newcomers to comprehend the fact that their neighbors were not murdering each other, merely talking" (pg 83). This quote demonstrates that the couple who had just moved from a quite and peaceful suburb are tormented and agonized with the level of noise they make. The way the neighbors lived their lives were also a shock to the couple...
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...Setting Analysis – A Soldier’s Home by Ernest Hemingway The short story Soldier's Home by Ernest Hemingway is a thought-provoking look into a man life that becomes a soldier, goes off to war and returns an entirely different man. There is much that is identifiable in this story, especially those who have served in the military. This story however leaves much to interpretation but it is written in such a way that the author allows you to really experience his emotions well throughout. My own interpretation; being a person who served in the military is that his experiences coming home are not all that uncommon, especially in the Vietnam era. The military changes many things about a person. Primarily it served to allow me to grow up and be accountable, amongst other things. The young man who entered the military was nothing like the man who returned home. I felt truly sorry for Krebs many times through this story. The young man enlisted in the Marines to help his country; in this process he became a man as he was subjected to the horrors of World War I. His life was changed so drastically that upon his return to this small town, his life no longer fits as it once did. Although there is no narration to suggest his life before or during the war, the symbols in the beginning chapters give some idea as to perhaps what life was like for Krebs. He goes from a Methodist college student, which suggests conformity to " [having] been at Belleau Wood, Soissons, the Champagne...
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...Raymond Carver’s short story “Popular Mechanics”, a couple has an argument while the husband is packing to leave. The argument escalates and gets physical with a “tug of war” with their baby. The couple became so persistent to keep their baby away from one another that this fight results into a tragic situation that they can never take back. Because Carver made this short story vague, he makes you use your imaginations to fill in the blanks of this story. The story begins with the lines, “Early that day the weather turned and the snow was melting into dirty water” (Carver 228). This gloomy setting is used and described in the beginning of this story to get the reader ready for the argument that’s about to come. Usually, snow can be seen as fresh and beautiful or at least pleasant to look at, but in this story, Carver creates this dark, depressing atmosphere when he describes the snow melting into “dirty water”, and having only faint lighting in the house that’s coming from the outside, through a small window. It seems like Carver used the snow...
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...White Elephants” In the fictional writing, theme refers to a broad message the writer wishes to deliver buried deep within his story. A theme therefore cannot be picked directly from the storyline but only after identifying the underlying idea. Looking beyond the general plot will be the only way one can arrive at any stories intended theme. In the story hills white like elephants, the writer has used irony and satirical techniques of writing to create theme in his work. The saddening story of a young misfortunate couple has been used to portray the theme of hopeless love in a vague world that has no concept or morality. The setting of the story is vague and without any kind of personal emotion. The young couple seems to be caught in the crossroads faced by the challenge of abortion or keeping their unborn baby. While Jig seems ready and willing to have the baby, she is pushed by her ruthless boyfriend to abort. He seems more concerned about ideals of travelling, fun and merrymaking even when making a decision involving his unborn baby. Jig is pushed by her love for him to make a decision that will affect her and murder their unborn baby. He is a hypocrite and not kind to women willing to keep his own baby. By exploiting their love, he gets Jig to consent to an abortion even if she knows it is harmful. The use of irony and symbolism in the story are used to pronounce the theme. At the beginning, the hills appear like white elephants which are symbolic to the impending dangers...
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...[pic] JPPSS ELA COURSE GUIDE 2011-2012 ENGLISH I The JPPSS Instructional Sequence Guides are aligned with the LA Comprehensive Curriculum. JPPSS Implementation of Activities in the Classroom Incorporation of activities into lesson plans is critical to the successful implementation of the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum. The Comprehensive Curriculum indicates one way to align instruction with Louisiana standards, benchmarks, and grade-level expectations. The curriculum is aligned with state content standards, as defined by grade-level expectations (GLEs), and organized into coherent, time-bound units with sample activities and classroom assessments to guide teaching and learning. The units in the curriculum have been arranged so that the content to be assessed will be taught before the state testing dates. While teachers may substitute equivalent activities and assessments based on the instructional needs, learning styles, and interests of their students, the Comprehensive Curriculum should be a primary resource when planning instruction. Grade level expectations—not the textbook—should determine the content to be taught. Textbooks and other instructional materials should be used as resource in teaching the grade level expectations...
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...selection (not poetry) by that author to develop and present in class to a small group. Provide the website or make one copy of the story if it is not in our textbook so I can make copies available for the class. B. Critically read your story (more than once) and the background information from the text. Take notes over important information. Include information about plot, character, setting, theme, any other literary technique that your author uses as well as historical and literary information from the time period. C. Research information about your author. Use the Biography sections of the textbook and appropriate resources from the Internet and library such as American Writers, Current Biography, Contemporary Authors, Encyclopedia of World Biography, Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Who’s Who in America, Readers Guide to Biography and Criticism, Readers Encyclopedia of American Literature, Cambridge History of American Literature, Black Women Writers at Work, etc. Use a variety of reputable sources. Limit general encyclopedia references to one. Keep track of resource information. You will need to show evidence of research and include parenthetical citations in your work. You will also need a complete, correct annotated bibliography. D. Prepare a 40-minute presentation for a group of other students who will also have read your story. You may present the material any way you wish considering the limitations we have for class. Let me know if you have special...
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...Charles. Oryema Question: Worlds within texts often prompt us to question the worlds outside texts. Write an essay in response to this statement with reference to at least one short story you have studied. “Rhinoceros Beetle” by Susan Hawthorne is a story about a boy’s childhood obsession which becomes a reality when he grows into a man. The story presents ideas and assumptions which viewers can relate to real life. The writer first presents an image of a boy with a destructive nature which is normal in young males, but then challenges this idea by showing a more menacing side of some men. Women are portrayed as the victims and misunderstood by the males in the story. The writer positions readers to relate events in the story to the real world through the use of narrative conventions of characterisation, point of view and descriptive language. The short story uses the narrative convention of descriptive language which details the events of the boy’s life and position readers to question the worlds outside texts. In the beginning of the story the boy is present as destructive with an obsession for insects. “In the spring he added to his large collection of eggs; raiding nest……. and covering the boxes later with non-reflective glass”. The evidence clearly shows that the boy has an interest in bugs and insects which is normal in young boys. However as the story progresses the readers are exposed to a much more sinister side of the boy who is now a man. “He had treated women as...
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...of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” The theme is one of the most involved elements of a short story. The themes job is to give the readers the over-all idea that is fabricated behind a story. A short story is marked as portraying broad ideas and elements into small pieces. In short, the theme in a story reflects or serves as the presentation of its ideas. (Clugston, 2010) The objective of this essay is to reveal the ways in which the literary elements tone and character contribute to the larger narrative theme by analyzing the short story by James Thurber titled The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. James Thurber created the character of Walter Mitty whose life seems so ordinary and boring. Walter Mittys imagination (daydreams) helps him to escape his dull life. His imagination places him in heroic situations such as a commander in the Navy steering his crew though bad weather in an 8-engine Navy hydroplane, or thinks he's a famous surgeon who is asked to help a rich Englishman, who is a friend of President Roosevelt. James Thurber set the tone for Character Walter Mitty by his actions of day dreaming, escaping reality Tone is more than merely an author’s attitude toward his/her audience and characters; it is the stylistic means by which an author conveys his/her Attitudes in a work of literature. Tone is an integral part of a work’s meaning because it controls the reader’s response which is essential to fully experiencing literature. (banner, n.d.) The tone the narrators...
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...about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box” (p. 2) b. “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon” (p. 4) c. “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones” (p. 6) 2. Themes – what are the central themes in “The Lottery” and why? Your arguments must be well documented. 3. Symbolism – find important symbols (like the title, names of characters etc) in the short story and interpret them. Support your arguments with examples from the text. 4. Foreshadowing – how is the violent ending foreshadowed in the short story? Give examples from the short story. 5. Suspense – how does Shirley Jackson build suspense in the short story? Support your arguments with examples from the short story 6. Response to the short story and interpretations of “The Lottery” a. Go online and find out why response to the short story was extremely negative and why outraged readers canceled subscriptions and sent hate mail to the author and the magazine The New Yorker throughout 1948. Visit this site first:...
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...Reaction Paper Nonfiction readings take some imagination to fully grasp the concept that the author is portraying. The short stories, “Salvation”, by Langston Hughes (Literature for Composition pp 343-344) and “Who Will Light Incense When Mothers Gone?” by Andrew Lam, (Literature for Composition pp 1115-1116), are no different where imagination is concerned. These two readings differ tremendously, having few similarities, although, they are both personal nonfiction readings. In, “Salvation”, the author uses two different strategies to convey his idea. In opinion, he uses Reader’s Response and Formalist strategies. The opening line reads: “I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen. But not really saved,” (Literature for Composition pg. 343). This line brings about the rest of the story. He is looking for a readers response by telling the story of how he was “saved from sin”, when he was going on thirteen. He does not detail his entire life up to this point or much thereafter. This leads it to be believed that the other strategy is formalist. Meaning that it can stand independently. One can personally relate to the story of, “Salvation”, because they have been through this type of situation. They have been attending church during their youth, feeling as if the spot light was aimed at them. Also knowing that something is expected of them, wondering if they should follow the crowd or go on their own. The author wants to help other young ladies and gentlemen to know they...
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...reader response from me. Everything from the description of the old woman's appearance to the old woman being thrown out of church made me feel sad for this woman, followed by happy at the way it ended for her. With the aid of Walker's use of vivid descriptions, I was able to envision the story as it unfolded in my mind. From the beginning, this short story really captured my imagination. Alice Walker was blessed with a way of taking words and weaving them into what I can only describe as a movie only I can see. The vast descriptions of the old woman made me feel as if I were standing right next to her. Walker doesn't go too in depth describing the other church goers, but what little she does provide gives one the impression that these were well-to-do people and it was obvious they felt she didn't belong in "their" church. As Walker laid out the events taking place, I found myself having an emotional response. Comparing the time I live in, the way I was raised, and how I treat people on am every day basis, the neglect and horrible treatment of the old woman made me empathetic toward her. It made me question where her family was and why weren't they taking care of her? When the husbands picked her up and placed her outside, it made me feel a little anger toward their actions. When the old woman was back on the church steps after being removed, she was surprised at being cut off from the song she was singing in her head. I am not sure if this response was...
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...The Story Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury uses the science fiction genre much better compared to Gloris Skurzynskis's “Nethergrave” because of it's characterization, setting, detail in writing, and the theme of how little things can make a big impact on others. It also contains time travel which always has great potential with paradoxes and the butterfly effect. In this critical response I will be comparing and contrasting both stories and making points such as how the stories fit into the science fiction genre, the characterization between Eckles and Jeremy, the theme/message of the short story, dialogue, and writing style and detail. [1] The science fiction genre fits into both of the stories because of the technology and events that take place in the short stories, for example, in sound of thunder the time travel machine, the dinosaurs, the chaos theory and paradox concepts, and it clearly states it futuristic with the building in the first scene. In Nethergrave it's the virtual world realm dimension controlled and presented by Magus who seems to know everything, and the “video game” seems to be very good graphics if not realistic and that fact that the main character entered the world of Nethergrave. The stories both fit into the category of science fiction proudly but I feel sound of thunder pulls it off better and has a greater climax that really pulls...
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...of kindness centrality, separate, and permanence. Within these three failures of kindness, Saunders expresses centrality in two unique ways. Centrality is the concept that our story is the only story that matters. Centrality is a main element of both Saunders commencement speech and “Girl”. The authors have chosen to represent centrality differently. Kincaid displays centrality in “Girl” by having the mother act as if her opinion is the only one that matters. Having the short story centered around the mother and daughter’s relationship is another way to display centrality. Saunders on the other hand, portrays centrality by telling his audience a story about a girl named Ellen, and how he didn’t make an effort to be friendly with her. Saunders also depicted centrality by making the theme of kindness the focal point of his speech. In addition to centrality both of these authors alluded to success as a major theme in their pieces. Kincaid wrote about materialistic success while...
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