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Kristen Pewar ELA 9D Ms. Conway September 16, 2015 “Saturday Climbing” Short Paragraph Answer In W. D. Valgardson’s short story, “Saturday Climbing”, the author uses the cliff that Barry and Moira are climbing as a metaphor for the relationship between father and daughter. The real meaning of the story is encased in the description of the problems they face as they ascend the cliff. When Barry describes the chosen cliff, he tells us it is at first easy with many handholds but that later on it becomes smooth and difficult to climb. This can also be said about his current situation. During Moira’s childhood everything was simple and easy but now that she is a teenager, it is becoming harder to hold on to her and protect her. “Then, unexpectedly,
the surfaces smoothed; the places where he could get a secure hold were spread farther and farther apart,” (Valgardson 52). At the end of the story, in the last paragraph, the author uses the cliff again to describe the change in the relationship between him and Moira. Barry’s thoughts are revealed, showing us that he is determined to keep his daughter safe but also to let her be independent. He is a little afraid because he knows that one mistake could create a fall hence the end of the relationship he is trying hard to keep together. Overall, it is telling us the pure and unconditional love a parent has for their child. It is showing the relentless effort a parent puts in each day to keep the bonds that attach parent and child strong.
The author uses different points of view to create tension in the story. The mom acts in a way that neglects the daughters interests. This makes them both feel less connected and leaves the daughter feeling hopeless. In paragraph 9, “‘It’s strange actually. I wasn’t expecting it, but then at the last minute the funding came through.’ She folded her arms across her waist. ‘I’m going to Costa Rica to finish my research.” This made the narrator/daughter angry and flustered with her mom’s actions. She has trouble remaining connected with her parent because they both want different things which leaves on character feeling betrayed. “Opportunity? For me? Or for you?” (34). Both of their actions and responses create tension in this story. Their communication lacks and this results in pressure on both
Many people have life changing revelations in their lives, but very few people are as young as Jared when he realizes what he does about his life. Ron Rash wrote the short story, "The Ascent," about a young boy's journey that brought him to have a significant revelation about his life. In the story, Rash uses a naive narrator, foreshadowing, and imagery to show the setting of the story that led to Jared's revelation about his life.
Throughout life people encounter a numerous amount of obstacles, some of these obstacles can be tougher than others. These obstacles don’t define who you are, how the situation is handled does. In the book The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen, Jessica encounters a tremendous obstacle that life could throw at her. Jessica has had to learn to adjust her life from the way that she used to live. Her life is changing and she has to decide if this accident defines who she is going to be while being surrounded by the love and comfort of her family.
It is commonly believed that the only way to overcome difficult situations is by taking initiative in making a positive change, although this is not always the case. The theme of the memoir the Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is that the changes made in children’s lives when living under desperate circumstances do not always yield positive results. In the book, Jeannette desperately tries to improve her life and her family’s life as a child, but she is unable to do so despite her best efforts. This theme is portrayed through three significant literary devices in the book: irony, symbolism and allusion.
Jeannette Walls, the author of the memoir, The Glass Castle, was raised by parents whose relentless nonconformity and radical ideals were both positive and negative aspects to their wellbeing. Their names were Rex and Rosemary Walls, and they were the parents of four children. While the kids were still young, the family moved from town to town, camping in the wilderness and sleeping in the car, and sometimes even had a small place to stay. Rose Mary, who was both an artist and an author, identified herself as an “excitement addict”. As a mother who despised the responsibility of caring for her family, Rose Mary preferred making a painting that will last forever over making meals for her hungry children. Rex was an alcoholic who, when sober, was a charming and intelligent man that educated his children through geology, physics, mathematics, and how to live life fearlessly.
While growing up in life children need their parents to teach them and lead them on the path to a successful future. In the Glass Castle Rex Walls, Jeannette’s father, neglects to take care of his duties as a father figure in Jeannette’s life. In the same way he teaches her to be strong and independent at a very young age. As we read through the story we see the special relationship that Jeannette shares with her father. Even though he, in many instances, failed to protect his children, refused to take responsibility for them, and even stole from them, Jeannette still loved him until his death for two reasons: one, for his ability to make her feel special, and two, because he is a never-ending source of inspiration.
Book Critique of The Longest Day Cornelius Ryan, born in Dublin, Ireland in 1920, worked as a reporter covering the battles in Europe from 1941-1945 and then the final months of the Pacific Campaign. His articles were printed in both Reuters and the London Daily Telegraph. His first book was The Longest Day, published in 1959, selling over 4 million copies in 27 different editions. In 1962, a director named Darryl Zannuck made the book into a movie. Ryan's next book was The Last Battle, published in 1966.
“A person who pulls himself up from a low environment via the boot-strap route has two choices. Having risen above his environment, he can forget it; or, he can rise above it and never forget it and keep compassion in his heart for those has left behind him in the cruel up climb.” (pg 129)
With the son’s fear amongst the possibility of death being near McCarthy focuses deeply in the father’s frustration as well. “If only my heart were stone” are words McCarthy uses this as a way illustrate the emotional worries the characters had. ( McCarthy pg.11). Overall, the journey of isolation affected the boy just as the man both outward and innerly. The boys’ journey through the road made him weak and without a chance of any hope. McCarthy states, “Ever is a long time. But the boy knew what he knew. That ever is no time at all” (McCarthy pg. 28). The years of journey had got the best of both, where they no longer had much expectation for
In “Half Broke Horses”, Jeannette Walls not only tells the story of her grandmother, but also introduces the reader to multiple themes.One of the most prominent themes that occours in this novel is that no matter what life throws at you, you have to be strong and keep going. Throughout the book, this theme is implicitly used many times, especially when Lily is faced with many struggles and hardships; such as finding out her husband’s married to someone else, or her sister’s
In Saturday Climbing, W.D. Valgardson uses the setting of the story to represent the relationship between Moira and Barry. Early in the story, Barry begins to struggle climbing the cliff. Valgardson describes Barry as suffering from vertigo and the cliff feeling like it's swaying as in an earthquake and just like his relationship with his daughter Moira, Barry is afraid of not knowing what to do and failing. Being right frightened him even more. If she said that’s right I’m smoking dope, six joints a day, and sniffing coke and participant in orgies,” he wouldn’t know what to do. Barry suffering from vertigo, the cliff swaying demonstrates Barry’s fear failing with climbing and with his relationship with his daughter Moira.
The famous French playwright Moliere once said, “The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” Throughout our lives, we often are faced with hardships that cause us to change ourselves, the people around us, and the situation itself. Because of this, it may reveal our true characteristics to show who we truly are. In the memoirs “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls and “Warriors Don't Cry” by Melba Patillo, they vividly illustrate the story of how they faced their struggles. They both prevailed because of their tenacious mind sets, but handled the situations in both different and similar ways. The characteristics of the characters Jeannette and Melba show the similarities and differences between the characters.
...ndurance of poverty, as we witness how Walls has turned her life around and told her inspiring story with the use of pathos, imagery, and narrative coherence to inspire others around her (that if she can do it, so can others). Jeannette made a huge impact to her life once she took matters into her own hands and left her parents to find out what life has in store for her and to prove to herself that she is a better individual and that anything is possible. Despite the harsh words and wrongful actions of Walls’ appalling parents who engage her through arduous experiences, she remained optimistic and made it through the most roughest and traumatic obstacles of her life at the age of three. Walls had always kept her head held high and survived the hardships God put upon her to get to where she is today; an author with a best selling novel to tell her bittersweet story.
The author uses imagery, contrasting diction, tones, and symbols in the poem to show two very different sides of the parent-child relationship. The poem’s theme is that even though parents and teenagers may have their disagreements, there is still an underlying love that binds the family together and helps them bridge their gap that is between them.
One specific story is called “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner. While we are on the subject of hills signifying one’s life, let us look at the dad in the story. He starts out by burning a barn all due to a pig, forcing him and his family to travel for jobs, almost like Jig and the man in Hemingway’s story. The life for the dad in Faulkner’s story is making the life for his family quite a crazy one. He is making it near impossible to remain stable. His rage and constant moving around for a job is the climb up a hill to reach a stable point in his life. We finally see a point of stability when he and his family settle at a rich farm. He still has “rage fits,” but it is not to the point where he burns down a barn. The family is starting to talk to him to try to calm him, and the work seems to be going well. However, the readers still know that his desire to burn things is still inside him. His family wishes his lifestyle would change, but his desire to change is nowhere in sight. This relates to Jig and the man in Hemingway’s story. One wants change, but the other one