Once I picked up Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, reading was forever changed for me. At the time, I was confident that I would write my own novel some day and longed to possess the magic that Picoult’s work had. Her style for writing narratives is unique from almost anything else I’ve found to read with a mixed genre of contemporary, mystery, and crime. Elements in her writing that inspire me include topics that are realistic, relatable, and heavily researched, several different points of view that allow the reader to develop compelling opinions of each character, and emotions that tug the reader’s heart strings.
From school shootings and cancer to gay marriage and sexual assault, Picoult takes on very real situations. Several of her novels portray legal battles, and include court scenes demonstrating extensive insider research on each subject accounting for perspectives from lawyers, doctors, inmates, judges lieutenants, and detectives. A.J. Walkley, a writer for the Huffington Posts’ books section, talks about Picoult’s research for her latest book, The Storyteller. At a reading she discovered discovered, “there were Holocaust survivors in the audience whom Picoult had interviewed during her research for the book.” Sometimes her research is on a personal level. One of her latest reads, Sing You Home, is a sort of “coming out” story and the contemporary struggle of sexual orientation is close to her heart with her son’s coming out. Having no personal connection to the extremely brittle bone disease, osteogensis imperfecta, Picoult gave a clear account of it’s affect on family relationships as if it was a piece of her everyday life. Despite all the factual information and legalistics, Picoult always accomplishes an easy read wh...
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...do this and how to do it well by not only putting the reader’s feet in the story, but putting the reader’s heart in it.
Works Cited
Picoult, Jodi. Nineteen Minutes. New York: Atria, 2007. pg 66. Print.
Picoult, Jodi. "Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult (2006)." Jodi Picoult. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
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Picoult, Jodi. Preface. Perfect Match. New York: Atria, 2002. N. pag. Print.
Triska, Zoë. "EXCERPT: Jodi Picoult Advice To Writers, Why She Writes." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. .
Walkley, A.J. "Writing Idols: Jodi Picoult." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 14 Mar.
2013. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. .
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Show More...st or heart of the story is often compromised, losing the power to grip an audience with its strong emotional or tragic plot. Furthermore, in the
Chopin, Kate. ?The Story of an Hour.? Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. 2nd ed. Ed. John Schlib and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin?s, 2003. 862-63.
A good story is one that isn't demanding, that proceeds from A to B, and above all doesn't remind us of the bad times, the cardboard patches we used to wear in our shoes, the failed farms, the way people you love just up and die. It tells us instead that hard work and perseverance can overcome all obstacles; it tells lie after lie, and the happy ending is the happiest lie of all. (85)
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When writing literature, authors will adapt points of view to mold the perceptions of their readers. Three points of view that authors use to draw readers into their works of fiction are the limited perspective, the first-person perspective, and the objective perspective. Three stories will be examined and critiqued for their use of these narrative techniques. Of the three perspectives that will be examined, the first-person perspective is the most useful for sharing the authors’ vision.
...opin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." In Literature and Its Writers: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters, Eds. Boston: Bedford Books, 1997. 158-159.
As the top-selling buyer at Posh Style Studios, I know for a film to be exceedingly preferential, the audience’s interest is the key. Without the interest of your audience, you cannot achieve the primary goal: sales. In the best interests of Posh Style Studios, we are gratified to bring before you, your next immense sensation: “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. The beguiling title refers to the time period upon which the central character, Louise Mallard, perceives that her husband is dead and then learns that he is after all, alive. In "The Story of an Hour", there are a number of literary elements that influence the story, having the audience on their toes for what will transpire next. The story's structure is also constructed on tongue-in-cheek elements. Kate Chopin uses irony to make the story a tease to the audience. The audience is forced to assume about what little is known, what they want to know, and what really is happening. This film will appeal to countless audiences as they absorb the pros and cons of communication, time...
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. DiYanni Robert. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1986. 38-41. Print.
In conclusion, it is hard to grasp the true meaning of the story unless the story is read a second time because of the author's style of writing.
As people age they will often still recall a good childhood story. A well told, meaningful story can go a long way when attempting to argue a point or convey information. In the essays, ''The Myth of The Latin Women: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria" by Judith Ortiz Cofer, "Gains and Losses" by Richard Rodriquez, and "Piecing It All Together" by bell hooks, the authors connect to the reader and create a better audience through their writing. Through the portrayal of a story the authors help the reader understand their point of view, they transfer information to the reader with better ease, and keep the reader engaged the authors argue a point or convey information more efficiently.
When I first read Kate Chopin's "The Story Of An Hour", my instinctual response was to sympathize with the character of Mrs. Mallard. This seemed to me to have been intended by the author because the story follows her emotional path from the original shock upon hearing of her husband's supposed death to her gradual acceptance of the joy she feels in anticipating her new freedom to the irony of her own sudden death. However, one fact cannot be overlooked when judging my personal reaction to this piece. Because this story's theme is basically an issue of what a woman has the right to expect from her life, the fact that I am a woman living in a society where freedom and independence are valued above all else weighs heavily on the way I look upon the actions of Mrs. Mallard and also on the way I judge Chopin's message.
“In my estimation a good book first must contain little or no trace of the author unless the author himself is a character. That is, when I read the book I should not feel that someone is telling me the story but t...
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Eds. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 3rd ed. New York: Pearson, 2010. 261-263. Print.
The vision of a dream may be overpowered by a staggering truth, that of forcing a person to accept the exposed reality of destiny. In The Story of An Hour, author Kate Chopin gives the reader the story of Mrs. Louise Mallard. A widow who astonished by her husband’s death is paralyzed by the elusion of the future awaiting. Unwillingly, she is rejoiced as liberation comes into her life. Although Mrs. Mallard loved her husband, she couldn’t defeat the approaching feeling of freedom, the plea for a longer life of empowerment and the reality of a rumbled dream as she realizes her husband’s survival.
“The Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin, is a story that has been controversial since its publication in 1894, with reviews ranging from highly critical to great acclaim. The story follows Chopin’s character Mrs. Mallard who is introduced at the same time she is receiving news of her husband’s death. The story is largely a mixture of radical views for its time, subtle meanings, and symbolism. While modern day readers read this story with an open mind, many men - of the 1890’s and much of the 1900’s - would have been outraged at its surface meaning. However, even today Chopin’s story receives criticism for being a gross portrayal of a woman's loss. This is due to the fact that many individuals continue to view the story at face value. Nevertheless, readers of Chopin’s story will find themselves reacting either one extreme or the other. But it is this reader participation that is crucial in determining what the story will be. Despite all beliefs, Mrs. Mallard is a woman who is stuck in her time trying to escape society’s constraints, develop her own identity, all while “coping” with the loss of her husband.