Elements that make for the best literary short story are character, meaning, tone and tension. These four literary elements make your story have a plot. These elements also contribute to your story’s purpose and ambition. The short stories we have read this semester integrate these elements, making successful and literary filled works. It is important to create complex, progressive characters. Characters should speak with intent and purpose. You can establish who a character is through tone and what they say. You can also reveal character through thoughts and background information. Not all characters have to have an origin; they can just be there. You should have conflicting traits between the characters. Challenging your characters adds …show more content…
Social issues are difficult to write about because they are simplistic and problematic. Johnson doesn’t say the homeless issue in Los Angeles is good or bad. The story describes the characters leaning more towards bad, but never directly states this. Johnson explores the characters reactions to the issue. From this story, we learn it is easier for this particular family and society to ignore an issue rather than address it. The next element that is important to literary fiction is tone. With tone, you want to ask yourself, are you writing the story and want the reader to feel a certain way. Remember to use intentional tone, don’t worry about being ambitious. Remember to rely on dialogue, not dialogue tags. Be sure to indent so you can control the reader’s focus. Dialogue gets around the narrator; it is a more direct way of showing other characters. The scene will capture the tone you are going for. Lastly, the literary element tension. Tensions should appear and progress in relation to their importance. Have lower tension symptomatic of an issue. Also, the bigger the problem (to you, the author) the more it should appear and progress. Be aware and ready to add a transition between the narration and the action. One last final piece of tension is that each event doesn’t have to be massive; use small, common situations to reveal the story’s
The most important thing any writer can do is to give their characters a feel of
Today's world is filled with both great tragedy and abundant joy. In a densely populated metropolis like New York City, on a quick walk down a street you encounter homeless people walking among the most prosperous. Unfortunately, nine times out of ten the prosperous person will trudge straight past the one in need without a second thought. A serious problem arises when this happens continually. The problem worsens when you enter a different neighborhood and the well-to-do are far from sight. Many neighborhoods are inhabited only by the most hopeless of poverty - ridden people while others downtown or across the park do not care, or are glad to be separated from them. Such is the problem in New York City today and in Mott Haven in Jonathan Kozol's Amazing Grace. I have lived in New York City all my life and I had no idea that these problems were going on so close to home. If I live about three miles away from Mott Haven and I am not aware of the situation there, then who is?
“Untouchables” by Jonathan Kozol goes on a journey to discover the mistreatment of homeless Americans. The story is very well detailed in explaining how society does not accept these individuals and how they are literally “untouchable.” Kozol shows characters and tells stories of how they life got affected by homelessness and the treatment that came along with it. The author also explains how easy it is to be prune to homelessness by making one little mistake. Not only does Kozol show society thoughts about the homeless are bad, but he also shows the homeless people thoughts of how society responds to them being “low class.” In Jonathan Kozol’s short story “Untouchables,” he exhibits this by explaining how they are misunderstood, stereotyped,
Characterization is an essential component in a short story. Characterization is based on two things , indirect or direct characterization. Indirect Characterization shows the audience what the personality of the character is , and Direct tells the audience what the personality of the character is. Authors make characters be presented by means of description,through their actions,speech,thoughts and interactions with other characters. Authors frequently apply characterization to their stories to develop a theme or moral to the stories. Practically every novel that was made in the history of literature has a theme.This means any kind of short story like The Whistle by Anne Estevis and Marigold by Eugenia Collier has characterization.
Principally, to a homeless person, if there was only one thing they hated, it would be pity. The only way society at this point knows how to deal with the homeless is by pitying them. They take the individuals and they put them in a group basically labeled “displaced”, then it is expected that it is up to the state to help them. Many say they try, but because homelessness deals on such a personal level, many don’t get helped because they are grouped. On the personal level, when one sees a homeless person, many, if not most people, shy away thinking that “someone else will help them”. In most cases, they are ignored. Because everyone is thinking this way, not many local homeless people get assistance. In this country, homelessness is one of the last issues to be thought of, which is why the homeless population is now flooding into small cities and towns. Homelessness should be combatted one person at a time and not as a group. I agree that everyone needs to pitch in and help rehumanize these lifeless souls, and with everyone’s help, it can be done on a personal level.
four paragraph to fully invoke the mood of the story. The biggest trap a reader falls into while
Take a drive down town and the problem will be apparent, take a look to the left and there one stands, take a look to the right and there’s another. Homelessness is a term used to define a person who does not have a home to go to at the end of the day. Homelessness does not discriminate against age, sex or gender. What is startling to many people is that reasons why so many people succumb to homeless ness in their life; people assume that when someone is homeless it’s because of bad choices that that individual made in their life, which might be true but not for all, “approximately 1 and 5 Phoenix residents live below the poverty line” and that in itself has a lot to do with the current
Statistically, over 670,000 Americans are homeless with a growing number. 48 million people go to bed hungry every night. Although we do provide shelters and opportunities in America, millions of people are homeless worldwide. Even on a more minor level there are still hundreds homeless within hometowns. Everyday we encounter the homeless whether by seeing them holding their personal signs at stoplights, confronts with beggars, or viewing them from afar under bridges. In her essay titled “On Compassion”, writer Barbara Ascher uses rhetorical techniques detailing some of her personal homeless experiences within the city life, Asher does effectively use logos, pathos,
...is to understand the factors that lead people into homelessness, that keep them homeless, and how they can recover from homelessness. Advocates for the homeless have proposed policies range from taking preventative measures, such as making housing and health care affordable, to policies that deal with individuals that are already homeless, such as rapid rehousing and redefining what it means to be homeless. Although many of the experts disagree on how the homeless epidemic should be handled, many acknowledge that the federal government plays an inexpendable role in helping the homeless. Homelessness is, obviously, a complex issue, but like all difficult issues it must be undertaken. It has become clear that homelessness is not something that will eradicate itself given time, homelessness will continue to grow and evolve unless an outside force stops it in its tracks.
At any given time, approximately 600,000 homeless survive at the front door of America. They are sleeping in parks, living in cardboard boxes, sitting on street corners, and resting under bridges. Terrible hunger gnaws at their stomachs as they search for food. Society labels the homeless as useless and worthless, but they are not. They are children, grandmothers, grandfathers, mothers, and fathers that need a place to sleep, eat, and live. What does society do to help? Nothing. Society hurries home from work, shopping, and leisure, worrying about who will win the next football game. Society is not worried about where their next meal will come from, where they will sleep, or where they will be tomorrow. Although it is difficult for society not to feel discomfort at seeing homeless people, it is the homeless who pay for the way people feel about them. Alienation of the homeless in America is a direct result of injustice, health issues, and societal attitudes; however, solutions are available to society as they are obligated to all of their citizenry, including the homeless.
Homelessness is increasing more every year. In fact, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, over 640,000 people experience homelessness every night. (Hunger and Homelessness in North America) By definition, the homeless are groups of people that do not have a home. They can be people who are mentally ill, unemployed, veterans, or even children born into unfortunate families. Since they have nowhere to go, the homeless usually live inside abandoned buildings, in the streets, or in makeshift homes, such as a cardboard box or homemade tent. Although some work to find a decent home, many still suffer from depression or are psychically disabled and cannot work. (Overview of Homelessness in America) These people do not choose to be homeless, instead they become homeless due to a series of unfortunate events; namely losing their source of income or becoming homeless by birth. One instance of this occurred in the life of Hazel Washington. Hazel was fleeing an abusive relationship when she moved in with her relative and his girlfriend, but she was not told about their impending eviction. Because of this, her roommates took everything she owned an...
People in America tend to think that a shelter is best for the homeless, but most of these people do not go to shelters for a reason. For example, in paragraph 7, on page 191, Anna says, “certainly some prefer to do so because they are emotionally ill, because they have been locked in before and they are damned if they will be locked in again.” These homeless people can have emotional or physical problems preventing them from going. Also, people will criticize the homeless and not look at these people as humans. People do not see the homeless as regular humans, instead they just criticize them. Even if they do not know the situation. I also look at these people differently. I feel sorrow for them and think they should find a shelter to live in like most Americans. This is the stereotype of the homeless people. We all think that they aren’t normal and should find a shelter to get help. Finally, Americans always look over the fact that they need help, but we shouldn’t go to drastic measures to help them. I will pass hundreds of homeless people, and helping them will never even cross my mind. Sometimes I won’t even notice them when I walk past where they are sleeping. A lot of people are too selfish to help a person in need. Even if that person is begging for help, most people still won’t help them. People should just put the
A narrative is specified to amuse, to attract, and grasp a reader’s attention. The types of narratives are fictitious, real or unification or both. However, they may consist of folk tale stories, mysteries, science fiction; romances, horror stories, adventure stories, fables, myths and legends, historical narratives, ballads, slice of life, and personal experience (“Narrative,” 2008). Therefore, narrative text has five shared elements. These are setting, characters, plot, theme, and vocabulary (“Narrative and Informational Text,” 2008). Narrative literature is originally written to communicate a story. Therefore, narrative literature that is written in an excellent way will have conflicts and can discuss shared aspects of human occurrence.
What elements are needed to create a good short story? As John Dufrense quoted "A good story has a visionary quality, a personal voice, a signature gesture(1969). The elements used should be used so strongly that it pulls you in; forcing you to connect to the people in the story. Not every story is written well enough to be capable of doing this. This also creates a connection with the reader; leaving some type of effect or impacting the reader along with the characters’ lives. Although there are many elements in writing but one of the greatest things of writing is the ability to make the reader empathize with the characters. This goes beyond than just a connection with the characters; when the reader is able to apprehend with the characters he or she is truly relating and reaching out to them. The author has accomplished something truly special when the reader has the ability to feel the agony that a character is feeling.
Many homeless people do not have access to healthcare and they go many years without seeing a doctor. According to Fitzpatrick, “there is a clear and defined need for healthcare for homeless people and their families.” She is right, it todays society homelessness is just ignored by many people and has became a serious problem. Most of society does not know about the organizations that help the homeless. For example, Fitapatrick believes in a organization called The Opening Doors Project it is a group of nurses and other health professionals that look at substance abuse within the homeless community. Due to not seeing a doctor and the common knowledge of homeless people abusing drugs and alcohol, “homeless people can have complex and multiple health problems” (Who quoted it). Not everyone agrees with Fitzpatrick, “I am convinced that handouts are basically wrongheaded,” says Sherman. She believes giving anything to the homeless will not help change the homeless persons situation (Sherman). Sherman's advice does not make sence, ignoring the problem will not help either and without proper medical care there is no way to improve homeless health which will cause many people to die a unessary death. According to Hopper, “generative forces behind widespread homelessness runs deep and their correction will req...