Monday, December 20, 2010
THEME #8: Which writer had the most effective method to communicate his/her message?
Enriched by our reading experiences, sharing specific examples from the novel and the short stories provides the chance to internalize key themes. Dig deep. Provide an example from one work that reflects the theme listed. Establish the context of your example. Quotes are ecouraged. Be sure to read through the entire post; do not use the same examples as classmates.
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I have never heard of Meridel Le Sueur before Acdec, and I must say, reading Women on the Breadlines makes me want to read Le Sueur's other works. She has a way of descirbing the women that gives the reader an image of a particular person, yet you could find this person anywhere. Le Sueur writes paragraphs upon paragraphs listing small, minscule details that may seem unimportant, but without those details, such a clear character cannot be made. Bernice is one of those characters. There are litteraly 5 paragraphs about Bernice, and these details form a solid woman vividly pictured in your mind. Le Sueuer tells the reader Bernice learned from men in the park "what she could get for nothing, to count her change, to go back if she found herself cheated, and demand her rights. " Le Sueur's descriptions provide clarity, and understanding these women's hardships isn't so difficult to understand.
ReplyDeleteHistorians and literature critics have all tried to classify “The Grapes of Wrath” into numerous groups. Many argue that the work is of art. Others say it is a documentary. Lastly, some claim Steinbeck’s novel is propaganda. I believe that “The Grapes of Wrath” can be classified as any of these three. Obviously, it is a great piece of literature making it an outstanding piece of art. Also, Steinbeck litters his novel with facts, making it a documentary. After all, it is historical fiction. Finally, Steinbeck strove to get a message across with the book. He wanted to show everyone the suffering of the “Okies” and give readers an insight into the lives of thousands of migrant farmers.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most effective ways to relay a message to another is through a meaningful story. This is just what John Steinbeck did in his novel the Grapes of Wrath. He uses the personal story of the Joads struggle to survive during the Great Depression. He effectively used the odd and even interim chapters to convey the meaningful story of the Joads while also telling about the Great Depression on a broader sense. For example in the Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck could convey the message of human connectivity by telling the part of the Joads story when Rose of Sheron gave her breast milk to save a dying man. With the use of the interim chapters, Steinbeck could also tell about the time period of the Great Depression by showing the corruption of big business like when the bank foreclosed on the Joads farm and the shady business associated with the car dealership where Pa Joad went to buy his truck to travel to California. Steinbeck did an excellent job of conveying a meaningful message to the readers in his novel the Grapes of Wrath by using the interim chapters.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone want to compare/contrast Steinbeck's story telling with Hurston's? Granted, Hurston's "Gilded Six Bits" is a short story and Steinbeck's Grapes is a lengthy novel! Are their styles similar? Both tell compelling stories designed to educate, right?
ReplyDeleteResponding to mrs. Nelsons question, the strongest connection between hurston's style and Steinbeck's style is their use of vernacular language. Hurston is very effective when it comes to characterizing the African-American's in her story. Dialect is preserved in a very true state, especially between Joe and Missy mae. Their speech is translated nearly perfectly onto te pages of the story. Steinbeck is just as good, but he uses the "okie" language. "I never inlets they was anything like her" is a great example of simple changes in diction that result in a totally different style. Hurston's best example comes when she describes Slemmons as "Dat heavyset man wid his mouth full of gold teeths." this incredibly improper English only heightens the story and the effectiveness of the story teller, and is seen in two of the greats in this years Academic Decathlon.
ReplyDeleteAll of the authors have their own way of getting their point across, but I think the most effective was John Steinbeck. Because he used a combination of a story line of the Joads and the interim chapters which give great detail about how the U.S was out side the family unit in America. I think that this get his point across because he did not just want to show the family life but he wanted to show the big picture during the depression.
ReplyDeleteI fell that of all the stories covered in this unit, the poem "Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes was the story with the most identifiable and direct message.
ReplyDelete---Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.---
This section of the poem clearly states the symbolism and message concisely and with adequate delivery. Langston Hughes is stating that America has lost its once great social splendor and just, moral society. He is basically reflecting on the way America Should be as it formerly was.