Jerome: “The narrative voice currently does not contribute to the atmosphere. Modify the sentence structure to this end.” I think that Jerome’s suggestion is thought-provoking as it does lead me to question my voice in this piece. When I was writing this piece, I did not think much about the atmosphere and how my voice directly impacts it, which I will admit is a force of a bad habit. Now, the atmosphere I believe contributes to the showing aspect of “show, don’t tell,” and establishing it through tone is a wonderful skill to have. However, I am also thankful that Jerome managed to spot this and lead me to this direction which will greatly help me improve my writing. One thing I can do to improve my voice is to incorporate more figurative languages such as personification and metaphors. Because I am aiming for a tense atmosphere, especially near the end, perhaps I can personify the sirens. In the last paragraph, instead of simply stating “the sound of sirens,” I can change the “sound” to “screech,” thus making it “the screech of sirens.” This will make the sirens more “rabid” and threatening to Mary, thus contributing to the tense atmosphere. Jerome: “Vocabulary could possibly …show more content…
Vocabulary is an essential part of “show, don’t tell,” as it provides the reader with a clearer picture of what is actually going on in the scene. Some of my vocabulary are indeed out of place for the mood, such as word “breathed” in the last paragraph. To add to the suspense, I feel that the word “gasped” can be substituted as it better suits the situation, that is the shocked Mary responding to the nearby sirens. Furthermore, when describing the grass, the word “concealed” can be changed to “shrouded” as I believe that the word shrouded provides a more mysterious feel. The word concealed simply reminds me of makeup, and that is not what I am going for in this
In Wendy Mass’ novel, A Mango Shaped Space, the main character Mia Winchell is very secretive. Mia Winchell appears to be a typical kid, but she's keeping a big secret, her ability, called synesthesia. Sounds, numbers, and words all have color for her. No one knows, and Mia wants to keep it that way. While Mia was in the principal's office she thought, “I wanted to tell the principal that his name was the color of freshly piled hay. I quickly thought better of it. Even at eighty years old, I was smart enough to realize that something was very wrong and until I figured out what it was, I’d better not get myself in deeper trouble. So I pretended I made everything up,” (4).
The story of Odysseus' encounter with the Sirens and their enchanting but deadly song appears in Greek epic poetry in Homers Odyssey. The Sirens in the ‘Siren Song’ by Margaret Atwood,are portrayed in a variety of ways. The Sirens are lethal,underprivileged and deluding.
Humans are capable of many expressions of emotion, but holding this ability also allows for many people to hide what they are truly feeling within their own minds. Those who shield their emotions from others around them frequently do so in order to protect either themselves or their loved ones from the pains that may occur in life, both in a society and in a family. In Pamela Painter’s Toasters, Jose Padua’s poem Barbie, Utahna Faith’s short story All Girl Band, and George the Poet’s One Number, the recurring theme of outward appearances not reflecting the mindset of the speakers is illustrated.
In an Amazon.co.uk interview titled “Magic, Mystery and Mayhem: An Interview with J.K. Rowling,” when asked about the way she came up with the names of characters in her books, she replied, “I invented some of the names in the Harry books, but I also collect strange names. I've gotten them from medieval saints, maps, dictionaries, plants, war memorials, and people I've met!” J.K. Rowling chose these names for a reason based on the deeper meanings behind every character's name and the way they relate to their roles and personalities. In Octavia E. Butler's short story “Speech Sounds”, Rye and Obsidian were the names she chose for her characters. Rye, the name of the main protagonist which symbolizes home and earth yearns to reconnect with her family and to rebuild a family of her own while Obsidian, the supporting character, is named after a type of lava stone, which is believed to contain magical properties that “absorbs and destroys negative energy such as anger, criticism, and fear” (Zagata). The names of the characters have two purposes: to describe the character's role and personality, and to give them an identity.
The Sirens of Titan Marek Vit "It took us that long to realize that a purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved." (Vonnegut:220) The Sirens of Titan is Kurt Vonnegut's second novel. He has written it in 1959, seven years after his previous Player Piano. It has been described as a pure science fiction novel and, after only one reading, it really can be considered to be one. The intricate plot and fascinating detail may obscure the serious intent of the novel.
...mother realize the identity of her daughter's rapist before the Marquise, establishing irony and advancing engagement between reader and text. It is also clear to the reader that by the conclusion of The Yellow Wallpaper, the narrator has become maniacal.
It was a sunny day with a sweet aroma of blooming tulips. The sunlight glittered on their faces as the breeze rattled the chestnut tree above. There was an occasional giggle as they talked, but there was also a hint of discomfort and awkwardness between them as they peeked at each other’s face and recoiled when the other looked up. When the bell rang twice, I saw them say goodbye and walk away from each other. In the darkness of the crowd, a glimmer flashed into my eyes from Hannah’s cheeks.
by time and its criticisms. Thus, his critics recognize his faults, but do not throw
In contrast, syntax provides a new perspective to the narrator s behavior as sentence structure draws attention to her erratic behavior. By her last entry, the narrator s sentences have become short and simple. Paragraphs 227 through 238 contain few adjectives resulting in limited descriptions yet her short sentences emphasize her actions providing plenty of imagery. The syntax quickly pulls the reader through the end as the narrator reaches an end to her madness.
The fragment we were given is a three paragraph narration that has longer sentences at the beginning and little by little begins shortening them until by the final paragraph they are very short. The long sentences being used to slow down the time that will be very important in the passage and hence to build up the suspense and tension in the ambience until the sentences become short and speed up the time in the story, building the tension more and more to a point where it seems like something is coming or something will occur. The story is also told by a protagonist narrator which we know thanks to the use of the first person and the direct access to the character’s mind along with his feelings and thoughts. This narrator is retelling us the story (“I have naturally no wish to enlarge on this phase of my story. (…) I would have passed it over if I didn’t think that some account of it was necessary for a full understanding of what follows”[line 19-20]) of his trip over to Ransom’s house, a path which will trigger his paranoia and fear. The style of the writing is very direct as the narrator is practically in a one-sided dialogue with his readers.
W. Jacobs' short story, "The Tell Tale Heart" to depict suspense is repetition. In “The Landlady”, the Dahl writes, “…small notice that was there. BED AND BREAKFAST, it said. BED AND BREAKFAST, BED AND BREAKFAST, BED AND BREAKFAST.” As a result of having the phrase “bed and breakfast” repeated, the reader can uncover the fact that author wanted to emphasize that Billy was drawn to the notice, for a peculiar reason, therefore depicting suspense. To illustrate, in “The Tell Tale Heart”, Poe chooses to write, “I felt that I must scream or die!--and now--again!--hark! louder! louder! louder!” Subsequent to the repetition used when the narrator says “louder” multiple times, the reader can identify that the author is accentuating how the narrator can not handle his own guilt anymore and does not know how to deal with, thus creating tension that leads to suspense. Despite the many ways to depict suspense, in Dahl’s and Poe’s short stories the most prominent are foreshadowing and
The Sound and the Fury is a compelling story that shows different aspects of a family that is slowly deteriorating. William Faulkner made it clear that one of the most important aspects of this novel is the theme of loss. Faulkner gave the views of four different individuals who all had one main obsession, their sister Caddy, who in a way symbolizes the loss that each person endures and the deterioration of the south. Caddy, who did not have a part in the novel to tell her side of the story, was viewed very differently by each of her brothers. This novel tells a story of the Compson family on their way of distinction.
The narrator’s paranoia of the heartbeat’s growing volume exemplifies the power of syntax. “It grew louder! louder! louder!... Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! No, no! They heard!” (Poe). The emphasis of this phrase gives the sense that the narrator is screaming on the inside. The repetition of the word, insanity puts the heart beat in the readers mind, almost making seem as if they can hear it too. Then the finial italics on the last louder creates the sense that the narrator has climaxed to the sounds and is about to break under the pressure of the noise. Poe uses self—doubt to capture the mental thought of the narrator, taking away all his reliability. If we are to believe the police could hear a heartbeat we would befools. The narrator himself doubts himself when he says “no! no!” (Poe), but his paranoia forces him to believe the worse. The narrator crumbles to his fear of the police officer’s mockery. The beginning of this phrase is used again (with an extra louder) creating even more tension than before and concluding to a larger climax, the confession to the murder of the old man. Without syntactical devices, the phrase would say “It grew louder… was it possible they heard not? No. They heard.”(Brett). The syntactical devises used help the reader become fully engaged in the insanity of the narrator and leads to a deeper sense of connection with the reader and the
Whom The Bell Tolls “The killing is necessary, I know, but still the doing of it is very bad for a man…” (Hemingway). Robert Jordan and m...
It might be pertinent and helpful here to first discuss the structure of the narrative itself, for there are several elements in the sequencing of the discourse that contribute in no small way to the overall effect of the narration/narrator. The narrative begins in media res (beginning in the midst of the action at a crucial junct...