Upload
Browse

Library
Upload

P. 1Compare/Contrast: Dillard and Rodriguez
Compare/Contrast: Dillard and Rodriguez
Ratings: (0)|Views: 498|Likes: 0
Published by lostthorn
This is a compare and contrast between the two essays:Dillard’s “An American Childhood” and Rodriquez’s “Always Running” .
See more Sanchez 1John SanchezLori BrownEnglish IV 5th Period17 September 2009Compare/Contrast: Dillard and RodriguezDillard’s “An American Childhood” and Rodriquez’s “Always Running” both on theoutside seem to be autobiographies about an experience when both writers were being chased.Both writers include cultural influences on the setting to make it more clear what life was reallylike for them in their autobiographies. They also both dramatize the chase to make the story moreexciting. Yet, the two writers differ in what cultural setting their autobiographies are in and whatstyle they use to dramatize the chase.While these two autobiographies are rooted in culture, they both differ in what exactcultures the autobiographies nestle in. Rodriguez writes about life in a prominently poor Mexicanneighborhood. He describes many of its various aspects such as the “people … on the metalchairs … and beer” (paragraph 1), the “stucco and wood-frame homes” (paragraph 2), and the“neighborhood consisting mostly of Mexicans” (Paragraph 2). This poverty enriched land is sucha clash when viewed against the presumably middle class white community that Dillarddescribes. Her description of the suburbs in Pittsburgh seem less poverty stricken such as withthem leaving from houses (paragraph 4) and the clothes that the man that chases them wears(paragraph 10). She attaches no greatness or inadequacy about the homes which makes them justregular homes. She also addresses the man’s clothes that’s chases them as city clothes consistingof a suit and tire, which would stick out in Rodriguez’s autobiography.These two writers, though, don’t differentiate so much about the writing techniques thatthey employ on the chasing scenes. Dillard uses short choppy sentences as well as Rodriguezwhen they both want to push the action forward. Such as like when Dillard in paragraph 11 with Sanchez 2“Wordless, we split up. We were on our turf, we could lose ourselves…” The shorter breaks in- between punctuation creates a faster paced tempo and quick beat to the chase. Rodriguez doesthe same thing like in paragraph 26, “It never stopped, this running. We were constant prey, andthe hunters soon became big blurs…” He too includes those lost of breaks and puts shorter wordsto make the story flow more quickly. The two writers also employ another technique with thechase to dramatize it by adding differently structured sentences to emphasize differenttechniques. Dillard does this in paragraph 13 with her describing how the man “knew what Ithought only children who trained at football knew: that you have to fling yourself at whatyou’re doing…” This longer sentence helps emphasize the theme that Dillard is pushing about perseverance and passion. Rodriguez also emphasizes a certain topic, but instead, he does so bymaking the sentences even quicker and he blurs the words together by making them all repeatwith almost the same style of speaking. He does this in paragraph 26 when he describes how the police chasing them become “big blurs: the police, the gang, the junkies, the dudes on GarveyBoulevard who took our money, all smudged into one.” This helps Rodriguez help emphasize histheme on how repressed Mexican people are.While both writers may seem both the same, and seem to talk about the same scenario of kids being chased, Dillard puts hers in a more joyful community, while Rodriquez chooses theculture of the repressed Mexicans in poverty stricken neighborhoods to put his in. Yet, they seemmore in tune on writing techniques to dramatize the chase, even though Dillard differentiates bymaking her theme more visible by lengthening her sentences, while Rodriguez blurs his sentenceto emphasize the theme. Overall, Dillard and Rodriguez are two different writers talking abouttwo different settings with two different themes.
Activity (2)
FILTERSAdd to collectionReviewAdd NoteLike
1 thousand reads
1 hundred reads
More From This User
Socialist Manifesto
LOSTTHORN
Socialist Manifesto
LOSTTHORN
Socialist Manifesto
LOSTTHORN
Self
LOSTTHORN
Allegory of a Cave
LOSTTHORN
We are the Future
LOSTTHORN
Four Idols of Modern Society
LOSTTHORN
Poetry Assignment 1
LOSTTHORN
Night with Dionysus
LOSTTHORN
Poetry Assignment
LOSTTHORN
America's Prince
LOSTTHORN
PTSD in Lord of the Flies
LOSTTHORN
Skin Deep Perfection
LOSTTHORN
happy anniversary
LOSTTHORN
A Song of Hope for Ireland Zombie,
LOSTTHORN
ABOUT
Browse books
Browse documents
About Scribd
Team
Blog
Join our team!
Contact Us
MEMBERSHIPS
Join today
Invite Friends
Gifts
ADVERTISE WITH US
AdChoices
SUPPORT
Help
FAQ
Press
Purchase help
PARTNERS
Publishers
Developers / API
LEGAL
Terms
Privacy
Copyright
Scribd on AppstoreScribd on Google Play
© Copyright 2015 Scribd Inc.Mobile SiteLanguageEnglish