Good Will, by Smiley, and Train Dreams, by Dennis Johnson, are two adventure packed novellas, each unique in the way the authors tell the story. “Good Will” is a story about the Miller family and their life on their self-sufficient farm. Robert, Elizabeth, and Tommy all do their part to ensure the farm is running in tip-top shape. “Train Dreams” is the adventure of Robert Grainier and his life in the tough northwest. Smiley and Johnson wrote their novellas using two distinct writing techniques to engage and hook the reader; beginning the novella with an attention-getter and using writing perspective to emphasize with the characters in the story. It’s important for a writer to gain the reader’s attention in the first chapters in a story and …show more content…
Johnson uses third person omniscient therefore creating important viewpoints from different characters. As a result, Johnson is in the minds of all of the characters. This also helps the novella flow from one person perspective to the next, and the reader can move through the novella from one time period to the next quickly. Being able to flow from one part of the novella to the next is important to the story because Johnson uses many plot lines to navigate through his novella. His writing strategy helps develop irony throughout the story. After Grainier describes the Hobo, “He was bearded and streaked with dust, and bits of the woods clung to him everywhere,” (30) the reader engages the story through the eyes of William Coswell, the hobo along the river: “That’s right, I have been cut behind my knee and I have to say, I know he killed me” (31). The reader is engaged by Grainier’s description of William Coswell, but the reader also learns how the Hobo got in his predicament without the single view of Grainier. Grainier never told anyone about the Hobo along the river. His actions resulted in the cruel irony Grainier thought the Hobo deserved. Johnson writing perspective also helps the reader empathize with Peterson when he was talking with Grainier about how his own dog shot him. After Grainier asked Peterson multiple times how a dog could shoot a person, Peterson tells his story. “My dog shot me in self-defense. He knew I had his end in mind.” By writing in third person omniscient the reader gets to look into the minds of both characters and create a strong relationship and bond with them. The reader can empathize with why Robert Grainier was so curious about the incident, and how embarrassing this was to Peterson. Readers can see the reactions of the characters which helps interpret the plot of the
The most important thing any writer can do is to give their characters a feel of
The first line of a novel needs to capture the reader. In the novel Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls the author tries to hook the reader with an interesting first sentence: “When I left my office that beautiful spring day, I had no idea what was in store for me.” (pg. 1). I feel that this sentence does bring the reader in and created a sense of curiosity of what would
Ambrose Bierce chose to write this story in third person limited omniscient point of view to help the reader understand the story from the main character’s mind, Peyton Farquar. During the story you only see what happens through Peyton’s eyes. Therefore, you do not realize that most of the narrative reflects Peyton’s imagination. Choosing this type of view also lets the author focus more on the emotions and thoughts of the main character. The author does not let the reader see into the eyes of the men hanging him, but after reading the story one will understand that their point of view was not needed and would have actually taken away from the story if done so. His creative way of inventing this story would not have affected me and many other readers if written any other way.
“A Wall of Fire Rising,” by Edwidge Danticat is a story of dreamers. In this story are three characters, Lili, Little guy, and guy. This small family lives in a run-down town where work is hard to come by, leading to their poor life style. Lili is a hard worker, always doing what it takes to make sure there is food on the table. Her only hope is that her son will have a better life than the one they are currently living. Little Guy is like many young children; he loves his mother and father and is oblivious to his family’s circumstances. He is a hard worker and wants to succeed in school. Guy, a father who is struggling to create a life for his family, is also trying to find a meaning for his life. After a series of events in the story, Guy comes to the decision to commit suicide. Following his death are the reactions from his family, and ultimately, the end of the story. In “A Wall of Fire Rising,” we learn that man’s ability to dream, often takes an important role in their realities. We see this demonstrated by the thoughts, and actions of Lili, Little Guy, and Guy.
First and perhaps most essential to any story is the plot. The plot is defined as,
Point of view is an aspect of every work of literature that determines how one’s story will unfold. Burns’ and Steinbeck’s works completely differ in this aspect. “To a Mouse” is written in first person, giving the reader a restricted view of the setting, as only one side of the story is told. It is not told from the mouse’s perspective, but from the destructive man’s point of view, which becomes apparent when the man refers to himself in one line of the poem, stating, “But oh! I backward cast my eye.” When a work of literature is told in first person, the reader does not get to see the whole story. The view is very limited. Steinbeck, on the other hand, used third person omniscient when writing his novel. This gives the reader the full story! The reader is aware ...
Capote presents alternating perspectives, the four members of the Clutter family Nancy, Kenyon, Mrs. Clutter and Mr. Clutter, being victims, and the two murderers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. These different perspectives allow the reader to relive each side of the story for example, “Good grief, Kenyon” (Capote 17). Then the next part begins "Dick was driving a black 1949 Chevrolet sedan” (Capote 22). The alternating views help to control each section of thoughts and help prevent the reader from misinterpreting the thoughts. I found it easier to read since so many characters were involved. By using this perspective the reader gathers pieces of the puzzle leading up to an awful Clutter family murder.
Had he told the same story from any other character's point of view, the reader would most certainly be reading a different story. I. M. His point of view is essential to the message Ellison is trying to get across, and he does so in a way that allows the reader to be fully immersed in the situations that occur. Work Cited Ellison, Ralph. A. A.
Each narrator brings a different viewpoint to the story in which it is helpful giving us different insights of the era that the book is set in, can also enable us to view the story in different ways. To kill a mockingbird is told through the
During the first few chapters, the reader begins to examine the plot, absorb the characters lives and take in the setting. One would never guess what terrible tragic events would occur as each page is turned and more information is gathered. As the reader continues, each page dramatically changes the plot. Othello and Gatsby both commence as outsiders, unaware of their surroundings. Disorder initiates when other characters begin to take action, influencing madness, eventually leading to the climax, where everything turns into turmoil. In the end, consequence leads to every character’s boundless downfall.
Lennie dreamed about tending the rabbits on the farm with George, but Lennie doesn’t have a chance to do that anymore. Curly’s wife wanted to be an actress in Hollywood for a show, but she never got the call that she’s in. Crooks never got to be a free slave. But this story at least talked about the characters trying to reach those dreams, which shows they have dignity and pride within themselves. But in reality, dreams are something we stride for, dreams will never be perfectly perfect nor perfectly
The theme of a novel can change the complete meaning of the story for each individual reader. If one person reads a book and he/she thinks that the book's main them...
This style of point of view adds a new feeling while reading the novel. The reader will be looking through the eyes of someone shadowing Jennifer Government and seeing it in one style, but then on the next page, the reader will see what's happening through the eyes of someone shadowing Billy NRA. Even though the narrator may change, the story will progress. You can compare the technique to a basketball game. One moment, the person is in the audience watching the game. The next moment the person is a player on the bench. Then the person becomes a player on the court taking shots. After that, the person changes into a referee calling the game. At the end, the person becomes the coach and calls the shots of the game.
Having Christopher narrating the book in first person is important because it is easier for the reader to understand his written account of the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Sheers dog (Wellington); A step by step investigation is projected and shown to the reader when narrated in first person.
By using the third person omniscient point of view, the narrator is able to render the characters with information related both from direct description and from the other character's revelations. This way, the description remains unbiased, but at the same time coherent with how the various characters see it. For example, after the narrator tells us that "He was an only child, eleven years old. She was a widow. She was determined to be neither possessive nor lacking in devotion.", we are able to understand why the boy is so emotionally attached to his mother and, at the beginning, unwilling to ask her for permission to go to his beach and, later in the story, unwilling to let her know about his adventure through the tunnel. This also explains why the mother let him go without questions, even if she was very worried about him.