Katie Diehm, the author of “‘Paddlers Sit Ready!’ The Enduring Sport of Dragon Boating,” is a participant-observer. Towards the beginning of the profile, it is easier to determine the author’s role, but further into the profile, her role is more distant. In the first sentence, the author makes it clear to us that she is a participant-observer; she says, “As we bob up and down in the river, our arms begin to shake in anticipation,” (paragraph 1). By saying “we” it points out that she is not spectating the event. She gives details about what she feels during the race, which clearly shows that she is participating in the event. However, in paragraph 9, the author says, “Instantly the teams spring into action,” which made it seem as if she were watching it. In paragraph eleven, she does this again by saying, “As arms begin to go numb, the paddlers …show more content…
Diehm gives clear and understandable explanations about what it is like to be in the race. I learned many new things about Dragon Boat Racing that I never thought I would learn. In paragraph eleven through fourteen, she explains how it felt throughout the race. She uses specific details such as “ninety strokes per second” and “one collective heart beat”. These details help the reader picture the race in their mind. One quote that I feel really gives a good view of the aftermath of the race is, “With now-shaking arms and pounding hears we slowly make our way back, where we unload and trade places with the next team waiting to go out,” (paragraph 13). It helps the reader understand how she was feeling after the race. Throughout most of profile, she gives extremely vivid detailing about the race. However, in paragraph three, I feel as if she could have added details about the ceremony and festival. She is not very descriptive with the details about it, which could make the reader lose interest when