“Who Will Light Incense When Mother’s Gone?” is a nonfiction text written by Andrew Lam, and published on the Huffington Post. With Lam as the narrator, he tells the story of his Vietnamese-American identity, which often clashed with his mother’s traditional identity. Lam’s narrative utilized the themes of filial love and the quest for identity. He expressed his love and the formerly tense bond between he and his mother, while searching for his own identity as a Vietnamese child in America.
In her article, “The Undercurrent”, Kellie Young recalls tales of her childhood and growing up with her worrisome mother and reflects on how this personal background ultimately influenced her own thoughts and actions. From surfing in the early morning, to public restrooms, to leaving home for M.I.T, Young expresses her mother’s incessant and often irrational worries about every possible thing that could go wrong. After examining her past, Young recognizes that her mother’s voice followed her even when she wasn’t around, and unconsciously Young’s voice and her mother’s began to mesh together. As she matures, Young becomes cognizant that her mother’s nagging is not oppressive or confining, but rather a safeguard meant to pull her in from danger
At the beginning of Joyce Carol Oates’ short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” (1938) introduces Connie a fifteen-year-old girl that is merely in adulthood. Always concerned with her physical appearance and sappy love songs Connie has trouble bonding with her parents. Connie’s mother is on a constant scolding with her. Connie’s father travels for his work and rarely around. When he is home, he rarely comments anything to Connie or her sister, June who is the opposite of Connie.
Comparing and contrasting Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy” and Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz”, one finds the two poems are similar with their themes of abuse, yet contrasting with how the themes are portrayed. Furthermore, the speaker 's feelings toward their fathers’ in each poem contrast. One speaker was hurt by the father and the other speaker was indifferent about how he was treated by his father. The fathers’ feelings toward the children are also different despite how each treated the child. Both poems accurately portray the parent-child relationships within an abusive home, even if they have different
In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the protagonist, Offred, expresses her wish that her “story [is] different,” that it is “happier,” or at least “more active, less hesitant, less distracted” than it is ultimately portrayed (267). However, as her story is told, these characteristics are evident in the way she talks and acts, especially around those with authority. Hesitant to express her true thoughts and feelings, and distracted by memories from her previous life, Offred attempts to piece together her role in the society that has taken her freedom. The result is a compilation of moments, of memories, both from her present, her past, and even speculation about her future.
The novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian( Alexie S.J., Jr, 2007), written by Sherman Alexie, describes a story about a brave Indian boy called Arnold Spirit Jr. who finds out his potential and always go ahead towards his dream. Read throughout the book, comedy and tragedy always accompany with Arnold`s life. The 14-year-old Indian boy was born with illness and sneer. On the way he grew up, he suffered from various violence from different people. The tragedies in Arnold`s teenage life such as poverty, violence and death give readers deep impression.
Importance of Writing Rob Lowe wrote his book, Love Life, to inform and entertain the reader. He talks about the struggles he had faced: drugs, alcohol, sex, and how he overcame them with the help of his wife and children. Lowe uses rhetorical devices, such as diction, imagery and syntax, in Love Life, to show the shifts in tone from the fallout of drug abuse to letting go of his oldest son to go to college. Diction helps shape the thoughts and perception of the reader. The author's word choice shows the shift from seriousness, sadness, and happiness.
In “The Chase” by Annie Dillard she contrasts the energy and idealism youths have with the loss of hope and enthusiasm as adults. Dillard uses energetic and religious diction to keep the reader entranced throughout her story. The vivid diction is used in metaphors to show the contrast between vivacious kids and serious adults. Dillard also uses a variety of sentence structures to keep the story upbeat and exciting and then to collapse at the end with her reflection as an adult.
Rhetorical Analysis of Shooting Dad The story “Shooting Dad” by Sarah Vowell discusses a story about a teenage girl and her relationship with her father and how they are constantly clashing with each other because they are almost exact opposites. The author develops her story by creating images in the reader 's mind to describe events that happened in her life, the use hyperbole for comedic relief, and irony for emotional effect. The use of these emotional strategies is effective because Vowell is able to use these strategies to help the readers understand the relationship between her and her father. Overall by the use of strategies like imagery, hyperbole, and irony the author creates a piece of writing that shows the relationship between the main character and her father.
Memory and imagination are central to story telling. Janet Burroway’s non-fiction piece, Embalming Mom, juxtaposes between the present, in which the author is writing, and into the realm of memory and imagination. This short work of creative non-fiction, utilizes memory and imagination from the author’s past in order to cope with the memory of her mother’s death. The author starts out speaking to her mother that she is going to write her into a story. Janet and her mother argue about her role in the story.
In ¨The Chase¨ from the memoir An American Childhood, Annie Dillard recalls a memorable incident from her childhood, which remained throughout her life, even till the present day. She narrates the adventurous incident where she had voluntarily instigated a strange man -thinking he wouldn’t react- into chasing after her on one particular day. It persisted with Dillard still to this existent, in spite of occurring eons ago, because the pursuit presented her the sheer thrill she later valued and a life-changing experience. Annie Dillard begins the narrative by presenting herself as a tomboy, as she states how she only prefers to hang out with boys for girls are no match for her hobbies. Annie, who was notably different than most girls
Death; one of the strongest words in the english language next to love. Death is always seen as a terrible thing, that bring darkness and sorrow to those around it; however, the way the author Annie Dillard has used in the amazing essay of “Death Of A Moth” gives Death a whole different meaning. As Dillard writes about the death of this moth her use of description, her changing tone, and her purpose for this essay brings life to the essay and changes the meaning of death forever.
Rhetorical Analysis of “Stop Googling. Let’s Talk.” In the article “Stop Googling. Let’s Talk.” by Sherry Turkle, a lack of empathy and face to face interaction skills in students today is argued to be caused by the large presence of phones in the way we interact.
Another way familial corruption is caused by the absence of fathers is portrayed by Shakespeare and Williams is through the characterization of the family members left behind. In The Glass Menagerie, Amanda Wingfield lives in the shadow of her past and is obsessed with the idea of gentlemen callers for her daughter. This concern for her daughter is rooted more in Amanda’s own interest, however, and has a detrimental effect on their relationship. “Once we analyse how Amanda manipulates maternity, a factor more fundamental than nostalgia will begin to emerge. This principle is self-consciousness.”
Don’t judge people because you never know what people could be going through. In ELA expectations that we have is coming to class on time, finishing to do now quietly, and come prepared for class. Some things that we have done in class are read a book called Night about the Holocaust and a boy named Elie who had to experience his time in the concentration camp with his father. We also learned about the bystander effect. It was about the Kitty Genovese case when she was attacked outside of her apartment and her neighbors heard her and didn’t do anything; they ignored her cries.
