Although working on this new style of writing was quite fascinating, it was the most difficult challenging essay I've ever written. Before even I started the essay, I had spent so much time trying to fully grasp Wallace's writing styles. Furthermore, it was difficult for me to choose a subject to dig deeply and debate about because I had to imitate Wallace's writing style and he wouldn't choose a subject that I would normally choose. While I was researching his biography to get a better idea of him, I found something interesting fact in his life; he committed suicide by hanging himself in 2008 because of bipolar disorder. Due to the fact that the last book I read was "the old man and the sea," written by Ernest Hemmingway and he also committed
Through use of pathos, both authors are able to make deep connections with their readers. David Foster Wallace is able to amplify his ability to persuade by making lobsters appear pitiful. He demonstrates this by saying, “If
O’Connor himself wasn’t partially physically intimidating. This fact became abundantly clear once he stepped off his chair and approached me. While not necessarily short in stature, his seat gave him an extra few inches compared to his natural stance.
I found Wallace’s Tense Present article quite confusing. It was hard to read and it took me a lot of time to get to the end. This was probably because the audience of this article is intended to be adults of high education and academics; or someone intelligent enough that wanted to analyze the origin of words, when to use them, and why. Anyway, as I read along, I came across some things, which I thought made no sense, others that I agreed to and finally others that I did not agree with.
The one author whose style I could appreciate most and who I could connect with best in “Doubletakes” was David Foster Wallace. His ability to capture one moment that most people would normally take for granted and to freeze this moment like it is occurring in slow motion, taking into account all five human senses (touch, sight, smell, taste and hearing), color imagery, similes, metaphors and all of his unique description of the scenes surrounding the actions of the main character really make him stand out in my mind. By taking an event so seemingly trivial (for example the act of climbing up and jumping off of a diving board in Forever Overhead), Wallace forces his readers to appreciate all aspects of life, especially the minor details. This is what appeals most to me about Wallace because I too like to point out small, seemingly insignificant events in my writing and put them under a microscope so to force the reader to think more seriously about mundane actions.
The commencement speech given by David Foster Wallace in the autumn of 2005, is a very deep speech that examines the whole idea of a Liberal Arts education at an extremely deep and intellectual level. In the 22 minute long speech Wallace talks about how higher education not only teaches you to think but “how to exercise some control over how and what you think.” (Wallace). Wallace later in his speech stresses the importance of this level of thinking by saying “if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed” (Wallace) What he means by saying this is that if you cannot think at a higher level and make sense of real world problems your life will become meaningless and you will become dead inside your head.
When a writer starts his work, most often than not, they think of ways they can catch their reader’s attention, but more importantly, how to awake emotions within them. They want to stand out from the rest and to do so, they must swim against the social trend that marks a specific society. That will make them significant; the way they write, how they make a reader feel, the specific way they write, and the devotion they have for their work. Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgard Allan Poe influenced significantly the American literary canon with their styles, themes, and forms, making them three important writers in America.
How can I humble myself? I can write about Raymond Chandler's style. I am amazed that someone can write with a style that appears to be almost effortless. No, it seems completely effortless. Breezing through this book is very easy. There are no seams. Chandler's "no buts about it," "hard-boiled" style, characters and story are completely cohesive. All elements seem perfectly placed. The narrator and interesting use of figurative language contribute to the unity in the text.
William’s Stafford’s view when he wrote “A Way of Writing” was very informative. Even though, I always question my abilities as a writer, while reading Stafford’s work it made me feel like I was not alone in my insecurities and it arose confidence in me. He gave me some wonderful ideas that I will implement in my writing, for example, receptivity, face, book, die,.
While reading the letter written to Andrew from G.B. Wallace many things ran through my head. There were three main thoughts though, a difference in society and acceptance and a different language and form of writing, and the way some of the words and terms were used. I found all three of the topics very interesting when I further looked into them.
Stemming from World War II, a period full of death and uncertainty, post-modernist literature sought to deviate from the past and create something new. David Foster Wallace exemplified these ideas through his unique style. His writing contained jumbled ideas with copious footnotes and acronyms that he invented. The use of dark irony in his work parallels his psychological troubles, which are also echoed in this image. A dark eerie background surrounds Wallace with his only company being the singular light source to his left. Looking away from the viewer, he appears in a solitary state and disconnected from the rest of the world. By creating this mysterious façade, Wallace personifies his writing style, being unusual and different. His audience
Ernest Hemingway is today known as one of the most influential American authors of the 20th century. This man, with immense repute in the worlds of not only literature, but also in sportsmanship, has cast a shadow of control and impact over the works and lifestyles of enumerable modern authors and journalists. To deny his clear mastery over the English language would be a malign comparable to that of discrediting Orwell or Faulkner. The influence of the enigma that is Ernest Hemingway will continue to be shown in works emulating his punctual, blunt writing style for years to come.
The only real way to truly understand a story is to understand all aspects of a story and their meanings. The same goes for movies, as they are all just stories being acted out. In Thomas Foster's book, “How to Read Literature Like a Professor”, Foster explains in detail the numerous ingredients of a story. He discusses almost everything that can be found in any given piece of literature. The devices discussed in Foster's book can be found in most movies as well, including in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic, “Pulp Fiction”. This movie is a complicated tale that follows numerous characters involved in intertwining stories. Tarantino utilizes many devices to make “Pulp Fiction” into an excellent film. In this essay, I will demonstrate how several literary devices described in Foster's book are put to use in Tarantino’s film, “Pulp Fiction”, including quests, archetypes, food, and violence.
James Baldwin is highly regarded as one of the great writers of his time. In the “Notes of a Native Son” he describes a very influential moment in his life. The essay’s setting takes place during the Harlem riots in New York City and Detroit. The riot in New York all began due the fatal shooting of a young African American boy by a white police officer. Protesters began to protest the police brutality, but then fights and looting broke out when some protesters became unruly. Baldwin’s essay reflects upon his interactions and feelings with and about his father. He analyzes how his father affected him and talks about what kind of person his father was. He also reflects on the impact of his father’s death. All the while, within the essay, Baldwin uses different techniques in order to obtain and intrigue his readers. He primarily makes his essay a narrative. However, he also incorporates his analysis, which usually stem from his use of binaries and contrasts. His use of repetitive words also plays a big part in his style. All of those techniques all intertwined in a way that will help the reader understand Baldwin and his ideas a lot clearer. His combination of both narrative and analysis can be viewed in the very first paragraph.
What is writing style? I started out thinking that writing style is a personal thing and that all writers have their own style. But, this way of thinking is really just a simple way to answer the question. After more careful thought, I realized that style is actually quite the opposite of personal and original. Style is a form of standardization. As writers, we all follow certain rules and guidelines to make our point. Style is these rules and guidelines.
...ugh, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them.’ Hemingway was not big on self-analysis; he said upon receiving his Nobel Prize that "a writer should write what he has to say and not speak it." But the facts of his life are important, for Hemingway he believed that a good writer ought to draw always upon personal experience for his material. He wrecked his body in pursuit of a macho ideal. He wrecked his relationships in pursuit of… well, who knows what exactly he was after. After a lifetime of celebrating striving and stoicism, Hemingway ended his life wracked in mental and physical pain. Whatever his personal challenges, Hemingway's professional legacy is clear. American prose is different because of him, and his unique style has influenced art, film and countless other writers. We can only imagine that Papa would be proud