Response to Course Material #5

Ceremony.... I like it. I just feel a little over my head right now. I'm having a hard time distinguishing all her layers of meaning. Its also difficult to depart from the western literature view point that has been sort of ingrained in my head since the day I first stepped into a "Language Arts" class. But the emphasis on colors and the new meanings, or at least meanings that I was never aware of, make the arduous process of dissecting this book well worth it. I think its somewhat ironic that we are reading this book in the midst of this silly controversy at our school. Those articles we read really did nothing but confuse me, and its sort of hard to absorb thousands of years of culture that is required for a complete understanding and appreciation of this novel. Silko in those interviews annoyed me. I think she takes herself a little bit to seriously, but who can blame her when she has those other two women laughing at absolutely everything she says. Although thirty minutes of Youtube videos are hardly sufficient to judge a person's personality, its quite (un)safe to say the woman  has quite the ego, but her literary genius is undeniable.

Close Reading #5

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/11/opinion/sunday/americans-and-god.html?src=me&ref=general

     Eric Weiner (lolz)  utilizes syntax well in this article. He is constantly using commas to break down his sentences into easily digestible bits, especially in sentences that are critical to the meaning he is attempting to convey. For much the same reason as the commas, Weiner frequently utilizes very short sentences such as " He laughs, often and well." and "And for all of us." These short sentences come, by in large, at the end of paragraphs and thoughts in order to provide extra emphasis.
    Detail is used in this piece very well. The author mentions Steve Jobs, who is a mythic figure in America right now, as a way to describe what is needed in the religious world. This is an excellent detail, and it strengthens his piece because it strikes a chord with exactly the type of people his trying to reach out too. He is trying to appeal to the "Nones" who tend to be younger Americans, who are increasingly disillusioned with contemporary religious attitudes and politics. Another reason this was such a strong detail was that Jobs is known for being a pioneer of devices like the Ipod and other items near and dear to the hearts of the youngest generations. Weiner then balances his argument by mentioning the Dalia Lama, someone whose significance is well established among America's grey beards. The author's use of detail effectively endears him to all types of readers, especially his target audience, and strengthens his meaning.
     Weiner's diction matches the personality type of the people he seeks to describe and empower in his article. He uses words like "drifted" and "crisis" to describe the sort of disconnect a growing number of Americans feel for religious attitudes and institutions. He then makes excellent choices when he chooses words to describe a grudge some have religion, feeling that the focus is on "judging" and "smiting" from an "angry" God. But then he uses words like "celebrate" and "encourages", providing a youthful optimism. His diction excellently frames the opinion of the "Nones" and helps reinforce the intended message of his piece.
 

Open Prompt #6

2003. According to critic Northrop Frye, "Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divisive lightning." Select a novel or play in which a tragic figure functions as an instrument of the suffering of others. Then write an essay in which you explain how the suffering brought upon others by that figure contributes to the tragic vision of the work as a whole.

Close Reading #4

"Journey into Night" http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/12/17/071217fa_fact_sedaris?currentPage=all    


The beauty of "Journey Into Night" by David Sedaris is how he takes his plane trip and turns into a larger than life occurrence. Diction plays a large part in achieving his goals. On an overnight flight from JFK international airport to de Gualle in France, an experience many people have not had, Sedaris has the misfortune of sitting next to a sobbing polish man, who is grieving over the loss of his mother. However, the author creates a mystique around this man through his use of larger than life words, describing his hands as "king-size mitts" and his nose as "large and many faceted". This creates the idea that this man is almost a caricature in a fantasy of Sedaris' and adds to the depth of emotion that we perceive the polish man as experiencing. 
    Imagery is well utilized in this piece. The airplane is described as a hospital ward with passengers "slow footed padding" as they walk down " the dark aisles". The front of the plane bears even more resemblance to a hospital ward because there the "seats recline almost flat, like beds" and "the doted-on passengers lie under blankets and moan." This imagery is powerful because it creates a very dark mood, that is actually rather funny.  This sort of juxtaposition of the dark and the funny comes in later in the piece. Sedaris tries, in vain, to hide his amusement at the hilarity of Chris Rock in the in flight movie from his polish passed friend in an attempt not to offend him. Sedaris uses this to point out their is often more depth and complexity of emotion in situations, and sometimes we are ashamed to acknowledge that.
    Sedaris then recounts the first time someone who knew died. It was an acquaintance from junior high, who passed away from leukemia. Those who are really close to the person may experience genuine sadness but Sedaris had just been touched by it, so he "had been made special by it. By all appearances, I was devastated, but in fact I had never been so happy in my life." The author then talks about the first time someone genuinely close to him passes away and states that "My grief was genuine, yet still, no matter how hard I fought, there was an element of showmanship to it". His use of detail frames his argument very well. This author has the courage point out elements of human nature that we are somewhat ashamed of. Even our most genuine and selfless emotions are clouded with selfish or impure feelings. Without these details his argument would have been lacking and his point not well made.

Response to Course Material #4

   Recently we have done Prezi presentations of literary eras. My group's presentation was over Naturalism, Realism, and the Victorian era. It was nice to see the transition between the eras laid out, as well as gaining a more in depth understanding of each individual era. The most interesting part of it for me was seeing the way science and current events had a profound effect on the literature produced during these eras. I think its safe to say Darwin's The Origin of Species is one of the most influential pieces of literature ever written, and not just for its scientific impact. It was highly influential in both the naturalism and realism movements, and spurred the political movement known as Social Darwinism.
    Our most recent in-class essay was great practice. I'm more worried about closed prompts at this point because I'm confident that because we are spending so much time on works like Death of a Salesman  and Ceremony that the real challenge will lie in the closed prompt. I'm good at deriving meaning from the poems that are given to us. However I struggle when it comes time to show how they used literary techniques to enforce their meaning. I also miss most of the subtle points the author tries to make, most of my interpretations are begat through brute force.
    Ceremony has been a great book thus far. I have really enjoyed the imagery the author employs. I can already its chockful of motifs and themes. Can't wait to break it down during class!

Open Prompt #5

1981. The meaning of some literary works is often enhanced by sustained allusion to myths, the Bible, or other works of literature. Select a literary work that makes use of such a sustained reference. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain the allusion that predominates in the work and analyze how it enhances the work's meaning.

     The nature of humanity is intimately explored in the bible. In William Golding's Lord of the Flies his character Simon is an sustained reference to Jesus Christ. His actions, especially in comparison to the other children, make his presence obvious and figures greatly into Golding's message.

     Simon is by far the most benevolent of the boys stranded upon Golding's unnamed island. He is often helping the "littluns" by finding for them "fruit they could not reach, pulled off from the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands". This is strikingly similar to Jesus when he multiplies fish and loaves of bread for his multitudes of hungry followers. While Simon is acting with the concerns of the meek in mind, Golding's other characters are focused purely on themselves. They disregard the greater good and focus on pleasure, neglecting to do things that would improve their situation. Characters like Jack, the leader of the most primordial of the boys, highlight Simon's pure heart with their reckless and juvenile behavior that endangers others and focuses on unholy activities, like the slaughter of the island's native pigs(an animal considered filthy in the old testament) or the actions that lead Simon's death. Simon also enjoys wandering into the wilderness, a trait he shares with Jesus. On one of his solo forays into the depths the island, he encounters the Lord of The Flies, or the pig head that has been stabbed and displayed by Simon's peers. He has a delusional conversation with this head, whose English name translates to Beezlebub, which often means Satan. The LOTF taunts him, but is unable to steer him from his path. At one point, he also bashes his head against his tree, causing it to bleed, which could be a reference to the crown of thorns.

     Simon's death in the story has the most significance. He is accidentally killed by the boys while they performed their tribal dance, believed to be the very beast that he came to explain. While wandering the island alone, he happened on the body of a dead airmen, parachute and all. This is immediately explained the physical side of the "beast" that inhabited the island, however, Simon never got the opportunity to explain the truth. However, the real beast, the dark side of human nature, was also conquered by Simon and the example he set. His actions serves as a blueprint for the boys, adult world(that the island represents a microcosm of), to rescue themselves from this much more dangerous beast that is human nature.However, the most important element that Simon, being a Christ figure, incorporates is hope. With his death, there is hope that individuals will recognize his message and seek to reform society in a more positive way.

     Simon in the LOTF served as a Christ figure, who's action were exceptionally benevolent and closely mirrored that of Christ. Golding utilized him too explore the darker side of human nature, but right along with his death comes the hope that society will see its faults and search for a way to better itself.

Open Prompt #4

1973. An effective literary work does not merely stop or cease; it concludes. In the view of some critics, a work that does not provide the pleasure of significant closure has terminated with an artistic fault. A satisfactory ending is not, however, always conclusive in every sense; significant closure may require the reader to abide with or adjust to ambiguity and uncertainty. In an essay, discuss the ending of a novel or play of acknowledged literary merit. Explain precisely how and why the ending appropriately or inappropriately concludes the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

      The end of a literary work is often the most critical component of the piece, where the author attempts to leave their mark and crystallize their ideas in the mind of the reader. Its hard to imagine Romeo and Juliet without the fate of the star crossed lovers being realized or Harry Potter with a Voldemort still living. In the American Dream the author, Edward Albee, uses the ending to further the readers understanding of his message: the replacement of the old American Dream with a less substantive, more glamorous, newer one. 

     Albee's play uses few characters, each representing very broad things. Grandma, the physically unappealing elder that she is, represents traditional american values and is said to be of "pioneer stock." She is constantly at odds with Mommy, who represents the new breed of Americans who value aesthetics over function. Grandma is the oldest and wisest character in the novel, turns out to be somewhat omniscient. This is confirmed in the last lines of the play, in which she directly addresses the audience to inform them that the play was indeed "a comedy", and they shouldn't go any further because the characters had clearly reached satisfaction. However, its clear that Grandma knows they haven't and she was making quite a strong point. Albee's use of this ending  makes  Grandma's true function clear, Albee's puppet master. She alone shares the authors viewpoint and is by far the wittiest character. She is constantly manipulating the other characters, guiding to them to their places and making their shortcomings painfully obvious. In the beginning of the novel Grandma is someone to be pitied, but at the end she reveals some shred of dignity, something the other characters sorely lack. Albee made this all apparent with his ending, making it highly effective. 

      Albee's purpose for this piece was to make the public aware of what he saw as a shift from traditional values to newer ones that devalued genuine emotion and emphasized material wealth. He shows us the build up to the arrival of Young Man, the character who represents the new American Dream, and the immediate sense of "satisfaction" achieved by Mommy and Daddy, but fails to show us the aftermath. This was intentional, he leaves the audience to ponder the ramifications of a emotionless, superficial, status driven society. This is also appropriate for the play, which is very absurd, because nothing is clear in the play until all the loose ends are tied in the conclusion. Albee was trying to make the point that hindsight is twenty twenty, and if the fate of his messed up family is to be avoided, the Grandmas of the world need to recognize the problem before they are disregarded. 

     The ending to The American Dream by Edward Albee was highly appropriate because it shed new light on the mechanisms of the play and implores the audience to imagine the consequences of the abandonment of traditional values and challenges them to do something about it.

   

Response to Course Material #3

The past couple of weeks have been focused on Edward Albee's The American Dream. Its an amazing play. Albee layers meaning on meaning, without his message being overwhelming. On the surface it appears that he is just disillusioned with the new consumption based society. However the truth is much more complicated than that. Careful consideration of Mommy's characterization makes it plain to see that Albee is an anti-feminist.  He sees Mommy's domination of the relationship as toxic, it has robbed Daddy of his masculinity and made it impossible for him too achieve satisfaction. However, this also makes it impossible for Mommy to be content because she desires a firm, manly, figure in her life, and leads her to achieve satisfaction through superficial commercial means, like shopping. Albee makes this evident through sexually charged dialogue, something that your average american would quickly recognize the significance of. Everyone understands the feeling of being "frustrated".

Close Reading #3

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/hard-sell/?ref=opinion

      A brush with celebrity is often well remembered. However, substitute "celebrity" with "publicly adored, eccentric, genius" and the encounter would surely be locked in ones head forever. This is the case for the author of this article, Dick Cavett, when he works with Steve Jobs. His use of language, imagery, and syntax help establish his voice as he describes his relationship with the apple computers icon and the meaning he derived from it.
     Cavett starts the piece the kind of short, choppy, sentences that are oft used by authors to place emphasis on the sentence's subject. He simply states "The “guy” was named Steve Jobs. Turned out he was reasonably bright." While these were two short simple sentences, they also serve as a microcosm of the entire article. Everything that can be gleaned from this article can be seen in those sentences, and Cavett showed us that through his use of syntax. He also has a habit of putting his most important sentences at the end of his paragraphs,  like when he poses the rhetorical question " Could I have invented the apple computer?" while exploring the thought that maybe " the right stimulus awaken previously dormant skills in us all".
     The next literary technique that Cavett uses to breathe life into this piece is his language. He skillfully and simply uses rhyme in a detail to evoke the classic image of an Mac computer, describing it as "White, upright". His mix of conversation between him and Jobs, self reflection, and related details seamlessly blended together help establish his voice through language, even if he does strike me as someone seeking to ride Jobs' coattails, seeking to boost his own reputation through his association with Jobs.
     Detail is used superbly throughout this piece, especially in the form of anecdotes. He references his dream to live an arboreal life style in order to establish a perceived connection between himself and Apple's other found, Steve Wozniak. The whole article itself relies on details, little things that the author remembers about his now long passed encounters with the mythical man. He takes these details, including little bits of his conversation with Jobs, or Jobs sending him the newest apple product whenever it was released to, to support this argument that Jobs was a essentially good man, and doesn't deserved to be cast as a man who had a  "dark, nasty, tyrannical side." 
     Dick Cavett recalls his interactions with Steve Jobs, writing that he believed him to be a good man, using the literary techniques of diction, imagery, and language.

Open Prompt #3

1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.

     Often times the place a person comes from plays a significant role throughout their life. The life of Dunstan Ramsay in Robertson Davies' The Fifth Business is no exception.His upbringing in the small Canadian village of Deptford and its conservative society greatly influences his thoughts on religion and is a large part of his development into the "Fifth Business" from which the novel gets its name.
     Deptford is a place divided by five christian religions. The main character is a Presbyterian of hardy Scottish stock. His mother and father are both hardworking and honest, yet set in their ways. The people of Deptford look after their own, meaning the Catholics tend the Catholics and the Baptists mind to the affairs of other Baptists, and the town is rife for gossip. Every little event is heavily scrutinized by the townsfolk, and everyone who doesn't conform to the towns narrow standards are criticized. Dunny saw his idol, Mrs. Dempster, become "an exile from a world that saw things her way" when the people didn't understand her. Davies uses excellent imagery to describe Dempster's condition throughout the novel that shows the effect exile has had on her physical and mental condition.Even Mrs. Dempter's husband, Amasa, can't look past his fervent religiosity and ends up permanently damaging his beloved wife. The curious ways of the town of Deptford help explain Dunstan's development.
     Dunstan's experiences in Deptford lead him to develop a very human and personal form of faith. He manages to respect the faith of even the most despicable of human beings, including the man that convinced Mrs. Dempster to sleep with him, forever soiling her social standing and causing her to lose her mind. He also learns that letting people define how you believe is unwise, and his pursuit of hagiology, or the study of saints, a highly eccentric move for a protestant. Davies makes excellent use of detail when describing Dunstan's pursuit of saints, it helps the reader become familiar with a very unusual topic and adds dimension to Dunstan's character. Some of the saintliness he studies then rubs off on him, causing him to care very much about the people around him. His humanistic approach to faith is formed by the things he witnessed in his hometown.
     Dunstan's faith pushes him too be a very benevolent man, open to helping all those in need, contrary to the society in which he left in Deptford. He often actively sought to fix, such as the case of Mrs. Dempster, never leaving her side until her death in an insane asylum, although he didn't owe her nearly as much. He just thought it decent of him to look after her. However he often overlooked the needs of himself for others, and the major turning point in his life comes when he realizes that he was "fifth business" told to him by an atrociously ugly women named Liesl, who seems to represent the ugly truth. "Fifth business" is a clever metaphor used by Davies, relating Dunstan's life to that of a play, with the character being played by Dunstan being of very minor importance, in the play only to assist in someone else's problem. Dunstan realizes that in order to find some sense of fulfillment, he must become a self advocate.
   Dunny's experiences in his hometown set the tone for his feelings on religion and the development of his character later in the novel. His societal norms have a decidedly negative effect on his childhood, and he spends the rest of his life attempting to understand faith and step out of the shadow of Deptford.

response to course material #2

      Put simply, Edward Albee is the man. I had never truly enjoyed a play until we read "The American Dream". His ability to convey message with a small number of characters, simple sentences, and most impressively, comedy, is exceptional. This brings me to comedy. All those packets that were handed out were sort of overwhelming but once I read them they made sense. I've always been curious as to the mechanics of humor, whether in literature or in everyday life. I gathered from the packets that humor created when something or someone defies societal norms in a way that is laughable. For instance, it would be funny if I wore super short shorts to school that revealed my pasty white thighs to all passersby, because society expects me to wear pants to a certain length, one that it is considerably longer than my booty shorts. This leaves the door wide open for comedy, making it a powerful tool to analyze every societal norm. It also tends to give most comedy an expiration date, you must know societal norms in order to get the joke, so most of the humor from the 1940's wouldn't appeal much to me. But comedy is something I look forward to continually exploring.

     Everything else in class we discussed wasn't nearly as interesting. I appreciated learning more about syntax though, and I think the more I learn about one of the DIDLS techniques the better I get with the rest. It really just takes practice. These prompts are flying right over my head, especially the ones involving plays, I really need to get familiar with "The American Dream" because I'm gonna make it my go to for theatrical open prompts, in case one appears on the AP.

Close Reading #2

Starting Again After a Brain Injury - Jane Rosett

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/opinion/sunday/brain-injury-and-building-a-new-life-afterwards.html?pagewanted=1&ref=opinion

     It's hard to imagine having all of your experiences, memories, and thoughts being stolen from you. Jane Rosett experiences this after receiving a traumatic brain injury due to a car crash. Her use of literary technique, namely syntax, imagery, and diction, ties her piece together and effectively conveys her message of loss, hope, and renewal. 

     "I didn’t know what she was talking about. 'It’s Trident.' It was delicious." This quote from the beginning of the piece is a good example of how Rosett takes advantage of syntax. The sentences are simple, short, and fragmented. Her syntax compares favorably to her thought processes at the time. She was incapable of complex thought, her memories were broken and lacked continuity. This was excellent syntax for the start of the piece because it shows were she started, and as the syntax gains complexity and flow it clearly shows mental growth and increasing capability. This is important because the author is seeking to show her slow progression from a unsteady, broken existence to a more whole one.
     Diction in this piece is used in an attempt to explain to the reader what having a lifetime of memories erased is like. The Rosett makes use of words like "melting", "evaporation", and "vanished", which are all much stronger than words like "gone" and "lost". It gives you the feeling of something precious just slipping through your fingers, like fine white sand on the beach. However she also uses very strong words to describe her recovery. She needs to "forge neuronal pathways", rather than just "creating" or "making" them. It hints at the tremendous effort required to recover and helps us connect with the author better.
     The use of this detail by Rosett in this piece is tremendous. She utilizes it to bring to light certain elements of herself that show the stark differences between her present and former self. "One woman whom I still don’t recognize told me I used to shred beets into my chocolate cake batter." This detail is great because it is a little whimsical, but in the next sentence Rosett states that she dosen't even remember liking to bake. It frames the harsh reality of her situation nicely and helps us to truly understand the impact of her loss upon her. But the lightness of the detail demonstrates an undercurrent of hope, she seems to have discovered new passions.
      The Jane Rosett expertly utilizes syntax, imagery, and diction in an attempt to describe the impact of losing all of ones memory, and the tremendous emotion and effort it involves.

Open Prompt #2 - The Grapes of Wrath

2006. Many writers use a country setting to establish values within a work of literature. For example, the country may be a place of virtue and peace or one of primitivism and ignorance. Choose a novel or play in which such a setting plays a significant role. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the country setting functions in the work as a whole.

     "Thank god I'm a country boy". These words from John Denver reflect the soft spot that the countryside holds in our collective american heart. In the novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck the country functions as a reflection of the human condition, specifically the lush valleys of California represent hope and dust ravaged plains of Oklahoma represent both the greed that causes people harm as well as the goodness Steinbeck believed was inherent in all people.

     The Joads are Oklahoman farmers who migrate west, forced from there longtime home by economic conditions that are no fault of their own. They had to sell almost all their worldly possessions and leave behind the lifestyle enjoyed by Joads generations before them. They are drawn to California in hopes of getting good jobs picking fruit, spurred on by handbills promising jobs for all comers. This hope is evident in the family throughout the novel and represented by the Cali' countryside. The famously fertile valleys causes everything to be green, and seems to offer prosperity to all those who reach out for it. The imagery Steinbeck uses to describe it echoes of the american dream, the ideal that if you work hard, you won't be left wanting. The California countryside serves as a beacon of hope for Steinbeck's characters.

     The Oklahoman countryside represents two contrasting elements of the human condition in the novel. First and foremost it represents the goodness that resides in the hearts of all of us. Throughout the novel the Joads are stripped of every human dignity, yet even in the end of the novel, after a crushing birth of a still born baby, the fragment of the Joad family that still remains donates some food to a homeless man who has even less than them.This goodness was always a part of the Joads, and every other "Okie" who inhabited that Oklahoma country. So, in that way it represents the goodness inherent in human beings. But during the book the landscape is undergoing a crisis. Farmers have stripped the soil of nutrients and drought has created massive dust storms. At the same time farmers are being pushed off their land by banks, who seek to consolidate their land holdings and make their farming operations more profitable. This represented a degradation of human character, greed driving good people away from their homes and land. This was represented in easily by the land, look at what had happened to it in the novel, and that is what Steinbeck suggests has happened to the moral integrity of those who take advantage of others. 

     The Oklahoman country represents both sides of humanity, the good and the bad, while the Californian countryside represents the hope that is necessary to persevere in our less than ideal world. 

     

(An awful) Response to Course Material #1

The first couple weeks of class has focused mainly on DIDLS. Detail is the simplest technique that authors use to create meaning. The area where I have seen the most improvement in myself, even in the first couple weeks, is noticing the connections between the details the author chooses and the meaning created by said detail. A good example of this is the use of details that evoke thoughts of war and the author's use of them to comment on his relationship in the article we discussed in class. Prior to this class I wouldn't know to look for connections or get any meaning from them.
Imagery is language used to create complete pictures within the readers mind, utilizing all the senses. Its far and above my favorite technique because at its best it is easily "seen" but has the potential to have several layers of meaning. Its what really makes literature fun for me.
Diction is another thing I was relatively unexposed to before starting this class. I didn't understand its ability to effect meaning. Its only now that I'm beginning to look past the obvious things, like don't use the word "stuff" or "things". I'm still confused as to whether a sentence fragment consisting of 2 or 3 words is language or diction... but what a great segue into my next topic.
My concept of language hasn't changed since I began taking the class. Its been the sole focus of most of English  education up to this point so I think I have it down.
Syntax is the most confusing element of DIDLS. However,  I can see how important it is, especially in poetry( by the way,the definition of poetry that was given to us the other day was concise and helpful, I like it.). I feel like I'm clueless to the nuance of syntax though. I'm likely to notice the obvious, like a short, choppy sentences use to create a feeling of intensity or speed, but any complicated or subtle use of syntax is likely to fly right over my head.
We have also covered poetry. I appreciate the inherent ambiguity of poetry, less words used to describe something leaves more in doubt and thus more room for interpretation. Unfortunately I'm awful at that interpretation. Finding meaning in poetry can sometimes be like finding the needle in a haystack for me. It was interesting to see Foster's philosophy of "If its square its a sonnet" be applicable though. It certainly helps in identification, although I suppose I could just count the lines, but that would be too easy.

Open Prompt #1- The Jungle

1987. Some novels and plays seem to advocate changes in social or political attitudes or in traditions. Choose such a novel or play and note briefly the particular attitudes or traditions that the author apparently wishes to modify. Then analyze the techniques the author uses to influence the reader's or audience's views. Avoid plot summary.

     Literature is a powerful tool that often has significant effects on those who read it . Upton Sinclair's The Jungle was written specifically to create political change. Sinclair, who had extensive knowledge of the Chicago meat packing industry, put his main character, Jurgis, and his family through a variety of trials designed to illustrate the evils of capitalism. He relies on intense imagery in an attempt to show people the effect the capitalist system was having on the working class and the american public as a whole. His language is very clear and easy to read, as well as his intentions being straight forward. He only hopes that, ending the book with a socialist manifest of sorts, the common man will understand and initiate the change he hopes to see.

     The author of the novel is deeply opposed to the american capitalist system. He saw the working class being exploited by the beef barons in Chicago's stockyards during his time there. With his novel, he intended to be the catalyst for a socialist revolution he saw as inevitable. More equitable distribution of wealth was his main goal, and while he never achieved that goal, his book did have a significant impact on the american awareness of the worker's plight and the horrific conditions in which their food was produced.

     Sinclair uses graphic imagery to sway his audience throughout the novel. In order to bring about the change he desires it was necessary for him to convince his audience, and the best way to do that was through gruesome depictions of his characters living and working conditions. His descriptions of the awful sights and sounds of living and working conditions were many, whole human bodies being incorporated into lard and rats crawling among the meat that was destine for the public's plate. Even worse were the horrors that visited the Jurgis Rudkus' family, including a mother's death during child birth, a child drowning in a street, and even a young boy being eaten alive by rats. Sinclair effectively uses details and imagery of horrific scenes to sway the public's opinion and motivate change.

     Throughout the novel Sinclair's language remains relatively simplistic. It makes sense when you consider his goals. He sought to inspire socialist change, and in the people in favor of that would most likely in the lower to middle class and likely not highly educated. So in order to effectively reach out to them, keep in mind that the novel was published in 1905, he needed to be as clear and straight forward as possible. There was relatively little ambiguity, Jurgis was a good man being destroyed by the environment he lived in, an environment created by capitalists, who were, beyond a shadow of a doubt, evil.The single mindedness of his purpose and the simplicity of his language help him to accomplish his goals.

      Upton Sinclair sought a more equitable America. In writing The Jungle he used intense imagery and clear language that showed his intentions to purvey a message to the american public. Sinclair is quoted as saying " I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach." Nonetheless, Sinclair used language effectively enough to have a long lasting effect on the common people.

     

Close Reading #1 -Letting Go - David Sedaris

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/05/05/080505fa_fact_sedaris

STOP. Please read the piece if you haven't, because I don't want my shoddy analysis to ruin your first impression.

Diction- Cigarettes, cigarette paraphernalia, and the people with cigs between their fingers are constantly described using short, negative adjectives. He talks about his "garish disposable lighter and the crudded-up aluminum ashtray" and the "foul little congress" he formed with several smoking internationals in an airport. He uses these adjectives in a self-deprecating way that helps establish the tone.It also helps us understand Sedaris' attitude at the conclusion.The author also jams this piece full of "technical" cigarette terms. I don't know the difference between light, ultra-light, menthol and regulars. These words might fly right over my head, but they establish his credibility with me, and make me more likely to accept what he has to say.




Details- David masterfully incorporates details in this piece. It shows that one point, cigarettes were his second nature. He references at  least 17 brands, "Carltons, Kents, Alpines", but there were probably more, I got tired of counting. His obvious experience validates what he has to say. He also uses detail to explain his primal connection to nicotine. Sedaris starts the piece with a personal anecdote informing us that he grew up in North Carolina. North Carolina is in the heart of tobacco country, so his inclusion of geography adds one more piece of supporting detail. He also uses detail to lock his audience in. A school trip to a cigarette plant in the aforementioned North Carolina ended in him being "given free packs to take home to our parents". As the product of countless D.A.R.E programs and a sterile school environment, this use of detail made for an absolutely entrancing introduction, and guaranteed that I read the remainder of the piece.


Imagery- "If a character smoked on a TV show, it did not necessarily mean that he was weak or evil". A character with a cigarette in hand instantly brings to mind a mobster or a homeless man. Sedaris uses this image to clearly show the differences in the attitude towards smoking in the 1980's than now. It helps to explain part of how the author justified his smoking habit despite claiming to hate it as a child and admitting that he always knew it was unhealthy. At points throughout the piece it may seem as if Sedaris is glorifying smoking, but he uses powerful imagery that would make one think twice about it, even if it didn't have quite the same effect on him. He describes a man whose "sternum had been sawed through, and the way his chest cavity was opened, the unearthed fat like so much sour cream, made me think of a baked potato.". This leaves a jarring image in ones head and no doubt about what the author is trying to get across.


P.S I didn't really know where to fit it in, or possibly I was too lazy, but I noticed an abundance of references to god and death in the piece.