Blogpost #2: Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful so far? What kind of language does the writer use? Give three examples from the text to support your analysis. Completed by Tuesday, May 20
21 Comments
Chris Rosing
5/19/2014 02:01:50 am
Book: Why Smart Executives Fail and what you can learn from their mistakes.
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Leah Bodenstein
5/19/2014 12:00:59 pm
The Glass Castle starts off with an immediate tone of boldness and sympathy. The author tells a childhood story in the second chapter beginning with, "I was on fire." Her simple and bold statements while describing her memories are very powerful. As the book moves through, the author uses detail to explain how wild her childhood really was. Though while she explains it without showing pity, there is a tone that gives off the feeling that her early years weren't how she wanted them to be. She tells of her father swifting her family off to the desert, but having, "no pillows to sleep with." Her language is deep and effective through her tales so far of life roaming the country with her crazy family. As she moves through the telling of her stories, she also provides emotion for readers. One touching example was when she told of her parents, "never letting us believe in Santa Claus." The book thus far is interesting, yet powerful because of how she writes it.
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Molly Turner
5/20/2014 05:53:23 am
The writing of the book is very conversational and casual. The author starts out by saying that he is "not an author or a journalist." His lack of qualifications allow the audience to relate to him and the writing makes it seem more realistic. The author uses dialogue often in the book. Interactions such as "'Sup?' he asked rhetorically. 'Sup?' I replied...." let the readers auditory imagination go to work to create a picture of the characters. While his writing isn't exceptional, it does the job. Shepard is able to achieve his purpose while creating an enjoyable story. Simple writing like, "I had money in my pocket and a smile on my face" illustrates the straightforwardness of his purpose. Shepard doesn't want to hide his experience in frills, but wants to highlight the adventures he endeavored.
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Abbie Holt
5/20/2014 07:28:45 am
Into The Wild starts off with a casual introduction about Christopher McCandless. It tells us who McCandless is and what he plans on doing for his journey to Alaska. The tone in the beginning is direct because it tell us right away that McCandless passes away. Through out the book the author Jon Krakauer explains McCandless journey and the people he has encountered with. When describing his journey Krakauer he uses words like "hegira"(pg.48) which means Muhammad's departure from Mecca to Medina in AD 622, prompted by the opposition of the merchants of Mecca and marking the consolidation of the first Muslim community. Krakauer is comparing McCandless adventure to Muhammad's. Krakauer also uses the word "Bajada"(pg. 49) which is referring to a mountain. Krakauer uses specific language when explaining where McCandless was and what he experienced. For example when he explains where McCandless was sleeping he uses words like "steep-walled arroyos," and "low, sun scorched rise." Krakauer writing is effective because he describes McCandless journey by going into deep detail on what he experienced. You feel that you are with McCandless throughout his journey and know what he is going through.
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Katie Lincoln
5/20/2014 11:50:13 am
In the book Blink the writing is very formal. The author uses informative language, showing that he is educated. He goes into subjects like the powers of the subconscious mind, and real examples, along with ideas of Sigmund Freud. His first example of this in the book is in the introduction, "The Statue That Didn't Look Right," when he explains that in a split second, a trained eye could note that a statue was a fake on a subconscious level, but it took a little longer for that observation to surface into the conscious mind. Gladwell also references the mind as an "internal computer," and can make split second decision without even knowing that we thought about it. He even uses his education and knowledge of psychology to dissect the readers thoughts, saying that our adaptive subconscious was working "When [we] first picked up this book." he then goes into the topic of how the cover art, his name, and the first few sentences influenced us to either read it or not, just within the first few seconds of holding the book.
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Lauren Sprague
5/20/2014 12:11:00 pm
I've been surprised to find that so far I've enjoyed the book, The Devil in the White City much more than I anticipated. I picked it up knowing it would be a more difficult read than others because this is what my friends who read it had told me, but I actually find it quite readable. The writing so far is very sophisticated and at some points there is an added tinge of mystery and darkness in tone. Two examples of an ominous tone seeping into the writing of this book are as follow. Page XI, "...others in the manufacture of sorrow," and page 34, "Only Poe could have dreamed the rest." An example of the authors sophisticated and factual tone is best shown through his description of the various architecture related struggles. For example on page 24, "avoid the issue, or drive caissons down to bedrock." Overall I do find the read to be a bit dry at times but the undercurrent of something dark brewing has kept the book interesting so far. I do hope though that the story and the writing continue fulfill my expectations.
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Andrew Dupont
5/20/2014 12:17:41 pm
Freakonomics has a very educational and well researched tone to it. The authors frequently cite sources to help prove their point, citing an Israeli day-care study about the incentive of coming to pick up their kids late. It describes the parents paying a late fee of "$3 worth of pain for each late pickup", this emphasizes the moral that arises and solves it economically. The authors uses this as a focal point in their chapter "Sumo wrestlers and teachers", Teachers often find themselves having intensive for their students performance on tests, either positive or negetive, "having added reason to cheat". They cite that in a certain Chicago school, certain teachers would cheat in order to have their kids pass, and to possibly rewarded economically too.
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Brett
5/20/2014 12:22:12 pm
The writing of The Prince is different. It is effective in every sense as Machiavelli quite clearly but what he is saying about government goes against the basics of western culture. Our culture. Basically saying that we all need to submit to some all powerful leader is a strange concept to a modern day American but how he says it makes sense in a weird way. "People are by nature changeable. It is easy to persuade them about some particular matter, but it is hard to hold them to that persuasion. Hence it is necessary to provide that when they no longer believe, they can be forced to believe." So this quote basically sum up what I am saying. How something I know to be wrong can be in a way correct. His writing may suggest a certain calmness but with words like," A prince must have no other objective, no other thought, nor take up any profession but that of war, its methods and its discipline, for that is the only art expected of a ruler." I start to rethink his words of wisdom. No wonder why the world is constantly under the threat of destruction with ideologies like that. He treats something so serious as war like a simple decision when it is incredibly complex and its repercussions felt everywhere. "At this point one may note that men must be either pampered or annihilated." By the end of this reading I feel I will either greatly respect this man for his writings or delve into thought whether he helped create the terrible warlords throughout history.
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Kristina Wilzbach
5/20/2014 12:38:50 pm
Carlotta Walls LaNier speaks very powerful and strong about her experiences at Central High School. She is very connected to her words in describing what she went through. She begins her prologue by describing how she feels at the all of the reward dinners following her graduation. Her tone is very serious, she does not try to receive sympathy from her readers she just tells her story. She describes that her house was burned down during her time at the new high schools. She explains that her friends and father were accused for it just because they were black, however she does not push for sympathy while describing this. She shows her will power is the very first sentence of the prologue by stating "All week, I managed to keep my composure". She is referring to all of the anniversary and reward dinners that she had to keep calm for the other eight who attended the school with her. She shows her power by reinforcing how everyone felt that she was the mother hen of the nine. She describes that she was the youngest but was often the one handling everything for everyone.
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Zach Hulsman
5/20/2014 12:47:33 pm
In Columbine, Dave Cullen takes on a straightforward and literal tone. He tells of the events like a story, for example the principal's speech before prom, the boys' social interactions with their peers, and their actions of preparations for the shooting. In telling the events in this straightforward, story-like way, Cullen elicits a feeling of being there in his readers, making it easy for them to picture the events as they are described.
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Austin vail
5/20/2014 01:10:33 pm
In Friday Night Lights, H. G. Bissinger writes in a skeptical time. He knows the real reason the parents are so interested in their kids' sports is they want to relive it through them. This makes the mood sadder because the players only want to make their parents proud but really deserve their unconditional love. The players also know that their time at Permian will be the best of their lives and must face the reality of life after highschool
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Nina Henderson
5/20/2014 01:17:52 pm
The book the child called it I feel is written ver powerfully the detailed discriptions of things that happens to the young boy really gives the reader an image and I think that is why the book is emotional and powerful. Ex in parts of the book like when the mother locks him in the bathroom with all of the cleaning supplies and the smell and chemicals could have killed him. Also parts when he had a conversation with the principal about why he wore the same clothes and why he didn't want him to call his mom you could really feel the emotions he felt and also at the times when he went back to his memories to his mother before she was abusive
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Brooke Holt
5/20/2014 01:24:56 pm
Regina Calcaterra's writing in etched in sand is powerful in a way that she does not hold back when explaining the awful events that have happened to her. She remains straightforward and to the point. By being descriptive in her writing it gives readers an idea and image to picture while reading. This technique is effective in a way that it lets the readers automatically know what kind of life Calcaterra has lived in as a child . For example, the first sentence of the book states, " where we live sits the shadows of the cocaine filled, glitzy hamptons estates and new yours gritty, disco party culture." This intro to the book makes people get an idea how the book will be and the environment Regina and her siblings are living in. Her writing is also effective in ways that it helps give off emotion. It makes readers feel the hurt she has felt "Blood flows out of my nose, and i can feel it seeping from my back from the broken glass, I roll over on my slide into a ball...its a short opportunity to catch my breath."(50) This descriptiveness give off details to exactly had happened to her. Regina's straightforwardness also give readers an idea of what her life was like and how she was treated, making it seem real and as if they were actually there experiencing it with her. An example of this is on page 50 when Reginas mom is yelling and beating her. " You should've never been born, slut!" (50) This boldness give off emotion to connect and understand the awful lifestyle she had to live in as a child.
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Anna Makris
5/20/2014 01:28:52 pm
Diane Ackerman wrtiesin a very casual and informational way in The Zookeepers Wife. The first couple chapters she is describing the zoo and the various types of animals within it. She is very informal while doing so with the multiple run on sentences, "Jan knew he did't mean Hitler... a nickname given to the ringleader of the rhesus monkeys... whose son Adolf had stolen and given too his mate....who had a baby of her own" (29). Ackerman also includes Antoninas journal throughout various detailed scenes to help capture the image that Ackerman is trying to relive, "What a subject to be broached by the innocent lips of children" (42). While including these journal entries, Ackerman also uses Polish language throughout which at first made the novel slightly difficult to read, but she later on goes to define what each word means, "Poles called a puszcza, a word evoking ancient woodlands undefiled by human hands" (26).
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Jordan Krauser
5/20/2014 01:32:03 pm
The writing in Orange is The New Black is very effective. From the very beginning the reader is drawn in to see how the girl is going to get out of a bad situation. The introduction is exciting and powerful, “ Had my bag been Detected? I knew that carrying more than $10,000 undeclared was illegal,” the author starts the book with her experience bringing money from a drug dealer back to the U.S. illegally. Further through the book she is very open about her life and why she has avoided settling down to have a family, “...Fall out of my my parents’ divorce was something I wanted to avoid.” This memoir is easy to read because she leaves nothing unsaid she tells every thought that passes through her mind, “I was completely floored.” These thoughts allow the reader to connect to what she is going through.
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Kaellie Korman
5/20/2014 01:44:50 pm
In this book, Capote makes it clear that before writing this he did extensive research and that this is journalism. So far I enjoy the writing style, it is easy to read and understand the emotion of the characters. Capote begins the story with a description of the landscape which seems so quiet and peaceful, "The land is flat and the views are awesomely extensive. . .". The author does this to show how shocking it is for a murder like that to happen. Capote has a strong theme relating to family, in the beginning he describes the back story of the Clutter family. While describing the family he is also describing the murders and what they were doing before the murders took place.
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Andrew Schille
5/20/2014 01:50:57 pm
The writing in Tuesdays with Morrie is charged with an enormous amount of displays of affection for sentimental value, making the writing in itself effective in provoking emotion in the reader. An example being, when Morrie has a “living funeral” for himself to hear what everyone has to say about him, strikes the reader with an interesting concept while making the reader feel both sympathy and happy for Morrie. Also when Mitch flashes back to when he first met Morrie, Morrie states, “I hope that one day you will think of me as your friend” (pg.25). Shows that since day one Morrie has been a relatable person helping convey to the reader how warm of a person Morrie was. Furthermore, on page 51 when Morrie states, “ I cry all the time now” in response to killings in Bosnia, the author is trying to show not only sentimental value in his writing but philosophical as well in displaying how being on the doorstep of death can enhance sympathy felt for others. Overall the author is effective in making the reader feel emotion through his real life examples of Morrie on the brink of death.
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Leland Hoffman
5/20/2014 01:53:47 pm
The book From Baghdad With Love is written by a marine with real stories of his service. The book is very easy to read and contains a significant amount of dialogue. Because there is a lot of dialogue and the setting is in a war-filled city in Baghdad, the tone is constantly shifting. "A sudden flash of something rolls toward me out of nowhere, shooting so much adrenaline into my wiring that I jump back." This excerpt demonstrates a stress and tension filled tone; whereas on the following page he shows care and compassion: "I liked not caring about getting home or staying alive... just him wiggling around in my hands." His writing is very effective and keeps me reading because of the constant shifts in tone and storyline. Shortly after finding the puppy he is back in a stress-filled environment: "They keep jerking their eyes one way and their rifles another way". These constant changes keep the reader interested and allow the author to go into much more detail about how finding this puppy has physically and emotionally affected him and his team.
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Jared Meyer
5/21/2014 12:26:33 am
In Friday Night Lights, the writing has been pretty effective. The parents of the players get so into the sports because they want to relive their love of the game, through them. That is effective to me because that relates to my life. When they talk about the "Friday Night Fix" that relates to how some of us act, as we always want to go to every game, and its like a tradition for some students to attend all games. Then the quote about life not being worth living, without a high school football team to support, was interesting. Most people would never agree with that statement here.
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5/21/2014 02:55:41 am
The writing in A Patriot's Calling is simple and easy to read. The writer, since he is a veteran of the Iraq war and a golfer, and not a professor or big time author does not use sophisticated language or sentence structure. With the beginning of the book Maj. Dan Rooney explains his past as golfer and a geography major in college. His writing preaches hard work and dedication to be able to reach goals and to achieve "quintessence" which as he explains is "the perfect embodiment of ourselves" and that each day is an opportunity to work towards that goal. He explains that he wouldn't have been able to become a pro golfer if he hadn't pushed himself to better his abilities since his first day on the golf course. Maj. Rooney is inspirational in the way that he explains the experience that led to his founding of an organization to help veterans and their families. He explains his part as a witness to a ceremony of returning the body of a young soldier killed in combat to his hometown and his family there to witness his final return to his hometown.
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Eric west
5/22/2014 12:10:22 am
In "Endurance" the author Alfred uses very strong language. In the first chapter, "Ordinarily, any activity of the sort would have drive the dogs mad with excitement, but somehow they seemed to sense that something extraordinary was going on. Not one fight broke out...". Another example is his use of " She...she...she." He referred to the ship as a she and when ever there was a sound it was "She moaned" or "She retched in a series of convulsive jerks accompanied by anguished outcries".
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