Authorial Comments in A Squatter’s Tale
According to Charles Bohner and Dean Dougherty authorial comment is:
An explanatory remark obviously put into the narration by the author.
Authorial commentary tells us what to think instead of showing us. (1212)
Authorial comment, as clearly defined above, is an artistic device used by authors to paint a vivid picture of a point they are trying to make. This gives the reader of a text the opportunity to deduce the point. Comments made in literary works such as fictional novels usually guide the reader into thinking in a certain way, which depending on the level of understanding of the reader can have various analyses. But in order for authors to prevent their being misunderstood by their readers, the use of authorial comment is added in their works. It is interesting to see how Ike Oguine uses authorial comments in A Squatter’s Tale to drive points home. His placement of the the comments and the depth of those comments add a lot of creativity to this literal work of art. Although he uses other artistic devices such as sarcastic humor and symbolism, the qualities of these devices are enhanced by authorial comments as exemplified by the following analyses.
In the beginning, Obi has just arrived in the United States in pursuit of the American dream. Upon arrival at the airport though, Obi realizes that “ America turns your world upside down” (Oguine 15). In fact, this is true to the majority of characters in the text, as well as, real immigrants who enter the country. The truth in this statement is usually realized once an individual arrives in the country. Most people have hopes of coming and making enough money to go back to their homeland and establish themselves, but once the disappointment of having no one to rely on and reality of coping with the standard of living in the country hit them, they lose hope of going back home in the next couple of years. Some give up their dreams totally and try to live out in their children. The author realistically portrays this in his text with Obi. At first, Obi is a big shot in Nigeria, but once he arrives into this country, his life is clearly turned upside down starting with Hook, his friend, not picking him up at the airport.
Diction plays a critical role in the development of the tone in a story. The type of words the author uses directly leads to the tone of the entire literary work. If ...
"Unit 2: Reading & Writing About Short Fiction." ENGL200: Composition and Literature. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 49-219. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
Juvenile delinquency is a relatively new phenomenon. For this reason, society’s reactions and solutions to the problem of delinquency are also modern developments. The United States developed the first youth court in 1899 and is now home to many new and formerly untested methods of juvenile rehabilitation and correction. One of many unique programs within the Juvenile Justice system, boot camps are institutions designed to keep delinquent juveniles out of traditional incarceration facilities and still provide a structured method of punishment and rehabilitation. Boot camps developed in the early 1990s and quickly proliferated throughout the nation. Specifically, they are “…short-term residential programs modeled after military basic training facilities” (Meade & Steiner, 2010). Designed with the goal of reducing recidivism and preventing violent offenses, boot camps target non-violent individuals under the age of 18 and typically exclude already violent offenders. In theory, boot camps apprehend juveniles while they are committing minor delinquency and prevent more-serious crime by “giving the juvenile offender a more optimistic, community oriented outlook” (Ravenell, 2002). Fundamentally, boot camps have four central purposes; rehabilitation, punishment, deterrence, and cost control (Muscar, 2008).
Short stories have particular settings to supplement their themes. The eerie catacombs during a carnival in “The Cask of Amontillado” supplement the themes of revenge, and deception, which the protagonist takes responsibility in; whereas in “Hills Like White Elephants”, the atmosphere around the Spanish train station emphasizes the themes of miscommunication between characters and their evasion of responsibilities.
The two major components of Medicare, the Hospital Insurance Program (Part A of Medicare) and the supplementary Medical Insurance program (Part B) may be exhausted by the year 2025, another sad fact of the Medicare situation at hand (“Medicare’s Future”). The burden brought about by the unfair dealings of HMO’s is having an adverse affect on the Medicare system. With the incredibly large burden brought about by the large amount of patients that Medicare is handed, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fund the system in the way that is necessary for it to function effectively. Most elderly people over the age of 65 are eligible for Medicare, but for a quite disturbing reason they are not able to reap the benefits of the taxes they have paid. Medicare is a national health plan covering 40 mi...
The Book Thief Short Essay: The Use of Foreshadowing, Irony, and Symbolism in The Book Thief
In the short story, "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator named Montresor seeks revenge on a character named Fortunato for hurting and insulting him. The author uses many different types of literary devices to give off a careless and hateful tone. Some of the main literary devices he uses are irony and foreshadowing.
Medicare was designed for beneficiaries sixty five years and older and enrollees who are permanently disabled and are unable to work. Medicare benefits are applied for at the Social Security office, where proof of eligibility is required. Medicaid however is health care benefits for those who are low income and do not have insurance through their job (Medicare.gov, 2008).
Medicare has been providing health insurance to people since the signing of the social security act in 1965. Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson as an amendment to the social security legislature, Medicare became one of the biggest health programs to help people aged 65 and over and to those 65 and under with disabilities. The program has helped these people significantly with their health requirements. Today our economy is under financial stress having a debt accumulation of around 54 trillion dollars, eighty trillion being Medicare liability alone. This debt effects Medicare beneficiaries financial funding, this is bad for many people who have a poverty level income. Now the only way we can accommodate these cuts in Medicare is by paying out of our pockets. The younger generation has a duty to the elderly and our disabled brothers. Although it seems unfair for us to pay for Medicare, it is up to us to keep the program going for these people.
Medicare is a national social insurance program in the United States. It is administered by the federal government. It provides health insurance for citizens aged 65 years and above. These citizens must have initially worked, and paid into trust funds. Moreover, Medicare covers dialysis patients, or those with an end-stage renal disease. This program was established in 1966. Medicaid, on the other hand, is a social health program for both families and individuals, who are low income earners in the United States. It covers citizens of all ages, whose salaries are not enough to cater for healthcare. Those eligible must be U.S. citizens, who are of low income, and also the disabled.
“Make them laugh, make them cry, make them wait.” These are three demands for the writing of fiction. By following these demands, an author sparks interest in his/her work. “Make them wait” is a signifigant in creating the interest in the novels The Catcher in the Rye and Lord of the Flies. This essay will explain how making the reader wait creates interest in the two novels stated earlier.
Medicare is a federally governed insurance program, primarily serving Americans over the age of 65, younger disabled meeting specific disability criteria, and dialysis patients having permanent kidney failure. Medicare is linked to Social Security, is not income based, and is available to every American meeting the requirements of the program. Those entitled to Medicare can select Original Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) paying co-insurance and deductibles or opt to add Part C (Medicare Advantage Plans) paying a monthly premium and co-payments normally less than the out-of-pocket expenses for Original Medicare.
Various authors use rhetorical devices to emphasize the plot or theme in their writings. Many use symbols to convey ideas or meanings. Others use irony to make the reader analyze or paint a vivid picture of the unexpected. We see symbols in our everyday lives. For example, in religion, the cross symbolizes hope and faith to the Christians. In astrology, there are numerous of symbols, called zodiacs that identify one’s destiny and are used to determine one’s horoscope. Furthermore, in ancient times, Egyptians used symbols to communicate with one other or for religious rituals; the scriptures were called hieroglyphics. On the other hand, irony can best be described when the unexpected happens. For instance, it’s strange when a police man gets arrested or when a firehouse catches on fire.
There are billions of books in the world, all with different plots and styles. However, the one thing they all have in common is that they all have literary devices. A literary device is any technique a writer uses to help the reader understand and appreciate the meaning of the work. Due to the use of these devices, books that would otherwise have nothing in common can be compared. For instance, the books Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, and If I Stay by Gayle Forman have different plots and themes. But when both are examined closely, it is evident that they utilize many different and similar literary devices.
The small African village in this story has being taken over by the western culture. Westernization is shown in the beginning of the story. “Julius Obi sat gazing at his typewriter.” “There was an empty basket on the giant weighing machine.” In these two quotes the typewriter and the weighing machine, odd objects for the African native of this village show perfectly how this town has being westernized. “Julius Obi was not a native of Umuru. He had come like countless others from some bush village island. Having passed his Standard Six in a mission school he had come to Umuru to work as a clerk in the offices of the powerful European trading company …”This quote shows how Julius has himself being westernized. Westernization wasn’t welcomed by many of the Umuru natives. The natives had long prayed for their town to prosper and grow. “The strangers who came to Umuru came for the trade and money, not in search of duties to perform…” This shows that people who now came to town, came strictly for business and money, which tells the reader how the town isn’t what it used to be. “And as if it did not suffice, the young sons and daughters of Umuru soil, encouraged by schools and churches were behaving no better than the strangers. They neglected all their old tasks and kept only the revelries.” This show how even the young ones of this village have being westernized to the point, where they completely neglect their own traditions and beliefs.