”The Summer People” by the American editor and author of short stories, Kelly Link, was originally published in 2015 as a part of Link´s collection, Get in Trouble. The story is written in third person. It is an all-knowing, nonparticipant Narrator who clearly sees into the mind of the main characters. In that way, the reader gets more information about the characters: what their thoughts are, and why they act like they do. Although the readers get a lot of information of what the characters are thinking, the readers get most of the information through the characters dialogs. The plot is about a teenage girl named Fran, from North Carolina. As the story opens, Fran has come down with the flu. She bullies her wealthy classmate, Ophelia,
into driving her home from school. Increasingly ill and with no other options, Fran sends Ophelia to get help from a group of fairy-like “summer people” who make magical toys and live in a surreal and vaguely dangerous house. Fran and her father earn their living by tending the homes of this group of magical creatures. When Ophelia meets the “summer people” she becomes enchanted by what she sees, and as a result, Fran spies an opportunity for her own escape. The themes in this story are about obligation, escape and friendship. Fran and her father are both living with the feeling of being beholden to the summer people. Her father obviously has done some mistakes in his life by drinking and getting himself into trouble. “I hear your pappy got himself into trouble the other night”, Andy (a friend) said. Later Ophelia asks Fran about her illness: “What should I do? Should I take you down to the emergency?” and Fran answers: “No doctor”, (…) “They´ll want to know where my daddy is”. Clearly Fran sees no other option than to get help from the summer people, and since Ophelia wants to have a friend in her life, she offers Fran help by visiting the summer people to get medicine for her, although Fran warns Ophelia about the summer people. “Whoever takes care of them has to stay her. You can´t leave. They don´t let you.” Ophelia genuinely wants to help her but sadly, she is not realizing that she´s heading for servitude. Perhaps it is because of her kindness or gratitude she is so willing to help Fran, but she doesn´t understand the logic of debt that governs the relationship between Fran´s family and the summer people.
The whole book is written as a first person narrative except for one short part that Rahim Khan is narrating. The book is told in first person by the main character Amir. The example shows that the story is told in first person because the author uses the word “I” and explains what Amir is thinking in his own mind which can only be done in first person narrative.
It is often said that the setting of the story can change the character’s mentality and personality. In the classic vignette, A Summer Life, Gary Soto addresses his childhood to adulthood in Fresno in the course of a short vivid chapters. Born on April 12, 1952, a year before the Korean War ended, Gary experiences his life in Fresno of what he describes “what I knew best was at ground level,” and learns what is going on around the neighborhood with his religious background behind him. Later, when he realizes his father passes away, he undergoes hardships which cause his family to be miserable. Growing up in the heart of Fresno, Gary Soto, the author, explains his journey as a young man to adolescence through his use of figurative language and other adventures. The settings of this book revise Gary’s action and feelings around his surroundings.
One Fat Summer by Robert Lipsyte, is a very good book for teenagers that feel insecure about themselves and have low self-esteem. In the book they will read about a young boy name, Bobby who overcomes his fears of being fat and being bullied by Willie, one that is much stronger then him physically, but not emotionally. The basic theme of this story is to stand up for yourself no matter the situation.
When writing literature, authors will adapt points of view to mold the perceptions of their readers. Three points of view that authors use to draw readers into their works of fiction are the limited perspective, the first-person perspective, and the objective perspective. Three stories will be examined and critiqued for their use of these narrative techniques. Of the three perspectives that will be examined, the first-person perspective is the most useful for sharing the authors’ vision.
The story of Summer, by David Updike, is set during that idyllic time in life when responsibility is the last word on anyone's mind. And yet, as with all human affairs, responsibility is an ever-present and ever-necessary aspect to life. What happens when the protagonist, Homer, loses his awareness of a certain personal responsibility to maintain self-control? Homer's actions increasingly make him act foolishly, internally and externally. Also, how does Homer return to a sense of sanity and responsibility? To a degree, I would say that he does.
One Crazy Summer deserves to be read more than once. The novel revolves around the tale of three young girls who are put on a plane from Brooklyn to Oakland, where they are to stay with the “mother” who abandoned them. The story takes place in 1968 when the American society is changing due to racism and Black Panthers carrying guns while roaming around and shouting about Black Power. But it's also a
...st person. The narrator is looking back on this story and remembering things from a child’s point of view. The reader only sees the narrator’s opinion in the story, but that allows the reader to have his own opinions as well, questioning the literary work constantly. This makes the story more complex and permits the reader to wonder what is going on inside each of the characters’ heads.
“All summer in a day” by Ray Bradbury, is a story about jealousy, this is shown through this quote: “When people hate on you, it's because you’ve got something they want.” All Summer in a day is set sometime in the future, maybe soon or maybe far, and the earth is overpopulated. Margot was sent from Earth to Venus at the age of four. Margot remembers the sun, and for that she is constantly bullied and harassed, since the other school children don’t remember the sun like she does, because they were just two years old. “All Summer in a Day” has some very good themes, like jealousy, regret, and bullying. Jealousy can cause people to do things to the victim who has, or is something the bully desires. William was jealous of Margot for seeing the sun, so he locks her in a closet where she will miss out on one of the most
Similar to first person is the limited omniscient point of view in that the narrator
Having this written in the first person allows the audience to have a more understanding. It also makes the reader feel like they are in the book. Although if this book were to be written in the third person the text would carry on forever and you also would not understand to its full potential.
Through the omniscient narrator, readers are able to see the full story behind what the characters tell each
This book is first person, although it is a little different that most books. Instead of there being only one person telling the story, it is two people. Tris and Four. The two switch point of view almost every other chapter. Even though there are two people telling the story, it is still in first person. This next quote is from chapter 34 and Tris is speaking. ““I didn’t know you would be ...
It is written in first person, which assists in figuring out the psychology of the main character, Mare Barrow. I had found the characters likeable, since they always had a story behind themselves and none were random. One would remember the character throughout the story because of the impact they had. The plot of the novel was also intriguing, giving twists and turns that one would expect in the slightest. The bold message of the story is repeated and proven several times, and it is that anyone can betray anyone. As the story continues, this becomes more
First of all the third person narrative is used in literature to present a narration from a completely neutral point of view. Common with most fictional entries, this narration style gives the author of a piece of writing an individual voice in the work he creates. Such an author does not just rely on what he /her characters say, he/she actively becomes instrumental to them actually saying or doing them.
In July’s People, Nadine Gordimer gives a very detailed and knowledgeable explanation of the political turmoil within South Africa. By expressing the emotions of a family involved in the deteriorating situation and the misunderstandings between blacks and whites, she adds a very personal and emotional touch, which allows the reader to understand the true horror and terror these people experienced. Gordimer writes of how the Smales family reacts, survives, and adjusts to this life altering experience. She makes obvious throughout the book that prejudice plays a major role in uncovering the reactions of Bamford and Maureen Smales.