ipl-logo

Jean Dominique Bauby's The Diving Bell And The Butterfly

297 Words2 Pages

A mere fraction of a second. This narrow duration of time suffices to awaken the mind with inspiration and thought; This precise frame of time has the ability to set ablaze an intricate network of neurons within the depths of the human brain.

With such an immediacy of ideas, how much thought can writers place behind the construction of every word, the placement of each syllable? Although this level of awareness may appear implausible, certain authors have managed to attain such incredible mastery and control over the art of writing. A prime example is Jean Dominique Bauby, a former editor of “Elle” magazine who owed his meticulous dedication to his words to circumstance. After suffering from a massive stroke that left him entirely speechless and paralyzed, Bauby found that the only things he could control were his mind and his left eyelid. Despite the tremendous barriers this presented, Bauby still wrote a memoir, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, by blinking his left eye each time his assistant read the correct letter aloud within the entire alphabet. As a result of this painstaking process, Bauby had to plan each of his words with the greatest care and precision. His unique situation make down slow down his thought process and contemplate every decision in his writing. …show more content…

Like many other writers, I often find myself guilty of including the occasional redundancies in my writing; however, Bauby’s writing has taught me that power exists in brevity. Often the most crucial ideas are the simplest, and as writers, we must learn to slow the stream of our thoughts to achieve such impactful

Show More
Related
1564 Words | 7 Pages

Butterflies are exceedingly beautiful. They gracefully fly as the sun beams on them endlessly. Their delicate wings allow them to be “free”. In Julia Alvarez’s novel “In The Time of The Butterflies”, four sisters (The Mirabals) from the Dominican Republic, encounter many obstacles. The novel takes place during Rafael Trujillo’s rule.

Read More
1379 Words | 6 Pages

Brian Jacques first started in a very different way than you would think an author would start. He first realized he was good at writing was when he was in elementary school, while enrolled there, an experience marked his potential as a writer. After he had been assigned to write an essay about the unusual characteristics of animals, Jacques wrote about a bird that cleaned the teeth of a crocodile. Brian’s teacher refused to believe that a boy his age could write as well as he did. Brian refused to say that he had copied the story, he was called a liar.

Read More
1353 Words | 6 Pages

One of the strongest traits to possess is not courage nor intellect, but rather love for one another. The novel, In the time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez, perfectly illustrates the capabilities love can accomplish. Love is shown to bond families like the Mirabel sisters together and evoke emotion that encourage others to sympathize with them. The stories about the Mirabel sister’s children, husbands, and themselves, paved a path to ending Trujillo’s regime. The emphasis of love that the sisters and their families share is prevalent throughout the novel In the Time of the Butterflies, as it influences them to protect and sacrifice for one another, which ultimately inspires a revolt to successfully end Trujillo’s regime.

Read More
800 Words | 4 Pages

”― Patrick Rothfuss. There is power in words, power in the way they can bring new ideas and opinions to the people who perceive them. The people who understand this the most, are the people who use them to weave stories for their audience. It stands to reason that these practitioners might draw from each other, as a student who cannot help but to glance over at another student's work with the purpose of improvement.

Read More
512 Words | 3 Pages

In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Golding vividly illustrates the descent of the deceased pilot in the middle of the night. Golding does this by intertwining several rhetorical terms to add depth to the writing and imagery, so the reader could picture every sentence in their minds, making it come alive. Golding also incorporates different styles of syntax to enhance the overall effect of the writing. The combination of these techniques allows Golding to recount the pilots flight with immense detail and depth, which not only amplifies the events occurring, but also creates a detailed images in the audience’s head. Golding is able to incorporate life into his writing, despite the focus of the piece being a deceased pilot, by continuously using rhetorical terms, specifically personification and juxtaposition.

Read More
204 Words | 1 Pages

At a time when the British Monarchy was establishing itself as the cornerstone of the emerging and dynamic British Constitution, and all British subjects, including those in the North American Colonies, were subjects of the Crown, Price provided the theoretical foundation to justify, and even advocate, the actions of the colonists in severing their ties with Britain. This was a very dangerous thing to do, he was after all lending support to those who were seen by most people as treacherous. However, although he was heavily criticized and was, at one time, fearful of his life, Price resolutely supported the colonists believing that their cause was justified and that the British Government, and the King no less, were guilty of denying these

Read More
522 Words | 3 Pages

Alexie's repetition also evokes emotion from the reader. The reader immediately becomes interested in Alexie's life. When he uses the same phrase he used to relate to his life and talk about the Native American children, the reader feels

Read More
886 Words | 4 Pages

Baron claims that, “...not everyone should write because not everyone has something to say”(Baron 707). Not everyone’s material is worth to reading so why create pieces that will be neglected to readers. If profound literature is created, readers will gain excitement and therefore writers will also gain success. When writing is overdone, the meaning of literature and its logic minimizes. Baron’s purpose is to clear up the issue of why not everyone should write and the public can easily gain an insight into why

Read More
644 Words | 3 Pages

Courage is defined as the ability to do something that frightens one. All children dream of finding themselves in dangerous situations and rising above everyone else in the situation to become a hero. Heroes can be defined a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In 1982, Roger Rosenblatt, an award-winning journalist, wrote an article for Time Magazine about a man who risked his life in order to save his fellow passengers from the icy waters of the Potomac River. In the end, this man lost his own life in the process of saving others.

Read More
765 Words | 4 Pages

Anne Lamott 's essay, “Shitty First Drafts” explains to its readers that all writers, even the best, can have “shitty first drafts.” The essay presents the proper writing process from the first draft to the final piece of work. Her essay is intended to encourage writers who are in need of direction when it comes to writing and to teach inexperienced writers ways to become more successful in writing. Anne Lamott uses her personal experiences to build credibility, figurative language to engage the reader and provides the reader with logical steps for the writing process. To build credibility on her processes success, Lamott uses her own personal experiences.

Read More
1141 Words | 5 Pages

This sentence style shows the author’s thinking process at the moment, rather than tells a story. Besides fragmented sentences, sections are also unchronological and seem irrelative to each other, attracting readers to read

Read More
775 Words | 4 Pages

I am now able to see the areas in which I lack in but I also recognize my strengths as well. To become a precise writer, you have to take the initiatives that will help you do so. These initiatives consist of working on different academic genres, planning and organizing material, identifying purpose and audience and for revising intentionally. It is also includes reading different types of texts and learning how to understand a writer’s argument and respond to the ideas of others.

Read More
1108 Words | 5 Pages

Men are from Mars; women are from Venus; this statement best describes Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills are Like White Elephants.” Although not directly implied, the short story gives insight as to how a man and a woman, who are going through a crisis together, have a very different outlook on how to communicate, remedy the situation and discuss what they want and need from one another. “While giving the words, metaphors, writers execute ‘concept plan learning’ to shape significant words games called the iceberg theory. The iceberg theory shares another name called the theory of omission”, in which noticeable meanings of words are missing and hidden (Wu and Hong 210). The goal of this paper is to examine Hemingway’s theory of omission writing style to demonstrate how using symbolisms, motifs, and metaphors, the

Read More
1799 Words | 8 Pages

Tawney Nodland – As I look back over the past semester of English Composition, I realize that I have grown as a writer. Not onlyhas my understanding of the writing process changed, my whole attitude towards composition has too. This composition course has made a significant impact on my learning experience and has given me tools to take forward into my future educational and professional goals. Throughout this course, I have discovered things about myself as a writer and know some of my strengths and weaknesses. I now feel more prepared for future writing assignments, whether for work or for school.

Read More
1021 Words | 5 Pages

I continued to type; I added in unnecessary symbolism and metaphors to give the illusion of a well-written paper. I was making good time, I had almost a page and a half done already, but suddenly I stopped writing. “ What next?” I had a case of writer's block, and it was bad.

Read More

More about Jean Dominique Bauby's The Diving Bell And The Butterfly

Related Topics

Open Document