The Power of Description
Choose a short story in part 3 of this book and analyze its use of description.
3. I chose to read Look on the Bright Side, by Dagoberto Gilb. It was written in first person perspective. The diction of the narrator sat the story's pace- slow and plodding- but not uninteresting. As you read his words it is obvious they are meant to be that of an under educated laborer. You are seeing this man's world, from his point of view. The surroundings are generally described as pretty dreary, his phrasing is colorful, as he speaks of roaches, rodents, and piss- and the way he feels about other humans. He has a lot of anger, resentment, and entitlement. This balanced by his optimism about life working out feels rather immature for someone who is married and has children. I felt the urine covered bench was symbolic of homelessness, along with the nap he decided to take there. This story shows how one misstep can really lead you down the road to homelessness. The character in this story wasn't wrong in not paying his rent when the landlady acted unreasonably, but he was wrong in how he mismanaged money during this period, after being laid off. Reading this story feels like watching an avalanche head down a mountain towards a village. This man's life could easily snow ball out of control .
2. Compare the use of point of view in 2 stories in this book.
The 2nd story I read was Everyday Use; For Your Grandmama, by Alice Walker. It was written in first person perspective, and although the narrator described herself as a strong, uneducated black woman, you do not get that impression as you are reading the story. Compared to the voice in Look On the Bright Side, Mama's voice seems quite educated indeed. I think that is because we are in fact hearing the author's voice, more than the character's. Walker's education and style leak into the story, and make her "uneducated" character seem rather intelligent. The father in Look On the Bright Side, is never said to be uneducated, but definitely reads that way. The contrast is startling. In Gilb's story, we are being told a tale seemingly in a past tense up till the end when the father is sitting on the bench. In Walker's story, we are immersed in the events as they are unfolding. The feeling created by these two stories are very different from each other. In Gilb's story, I was waiting for the "punchline", or the moral. Just the end, really. What happened? It clearly had already happened. Walker's story felt more interactive. Like you are in the room, watching these things as they happen. To me, that was more satisfying.
3. Compare the use of setting in 2 stories in this book.
In Dagoberto Gilb's story, Look On the Bright Side, we see many settings. A terrible apartment, the interior of a car, the beach, the courtroom, and outside on a park bench- for instance. These settings all have a way of showing how the family is just living above the poverty line. In Everyday Use, the only settings are the yard and home of this poor family, and a flashback of a previous home burning. It uses far fewer settings to tell an effective tale than Gilb's story.
3. I chose to read Look on the Bright Side, by Dagoberto Gilb. It was written in first person perspective. The diction of the narrator sat the story's pace- slow and plodding- but not uninteresting. As you read his words it is obvious they are meant to be that of an under educated laborer. You are seeing this man's world, from his point of view. The surroundings are generally described as pretty dreary, his phrasing is colorful, as he speaks of roaches, rodents, and piss- and the way he feels about other humans. He has a lot of anger, resentment, and entitlement. This balanced by his optimism about life working out feels rather immature for someone who is married and has children. I felt the urine covered bench was symbolic of homelessness, along with the nap he decided to take there. This story shows how one misstep can really lead you down the road to homelessness. The character in this story wasn't wrong in not paying his rent when the landlady acted unreasonably, but he was wrong in how he mismanaged money during this period, after being laid off. Reading this story feels like watching an avalanche head down a mountain towards a village. This man's life could easily snow ball out of control .
2. Compare the use of point of view in 2 stories in this book.
The 2nd story I read was Everyday Use; For Your Grandmama, by Alice Walker. It was written in first person perspective, and although the narrator described herself as a strong, uneducated black woman, you do not get that impression as you are reading the story. Compared to the voice in Look On the Bright Side, Mama's voice seems quite educated indeed. I think that is because we are in fact hearing the author's voice, more than the character's. Walker's education and style leak into the story, and make her "uneducated" character seem rather intelligent. The father in Look On the Bright Side, is never said to be uneducated, but definitely reads that way. The contrast is startling. In Gilb's story, we are being told a tale seemingly in a past tense up till the end when the father is sitting on the bench. In Walker's story, we are immersed in the events as they are unfolding. The feeling created by these two stories are very different from each other. In Gilb's story, I was waiting for the "punchline", or the moral. Just the end, really. What happened? It clearly had already happened. Walker's story felt more interactive. Like you are in the room, watching these things as they happen. To me, that was more satisfying.
3. Compare the use of setting in 2 stories in this book.
In Dagoberto Gilb's story, Look On the Bright Side, we see many settings. A terrible apartment, the interior of a car, the beach, the courtroom, and outside on a park bench- for instance. These settings all have a way of showing how the family is just living above the poverty line. In Everyday Use, the only settings are the yard and home of this poor family, and a flashback of a previous home burning. It uses far fewer settings to tell an effective tale than Gilb's story.
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