An initial response to Fitzgerald story can likely leave today’s audience stunned and confused. However, upon further research of the time period it can be seen as an accurate depiction of people of the 1920s. This was about a rich girl named Bernice who visited her cousin. She soon found out that everyone there saw her as dull and the men didn’t want to dance with her. After threatening to leave she decides to stay and make herself better with her cousin Marjorie’s help. From this point, Marjorie told her what to do to make herself more attractive and she did it. All was working well, until Warren, a boy that Marjorie was with but never really embraced, began to fall for Bernice. Out of jealousy, Marjorie urges Bernice to take up on her constant plan to bob her hair. This was a haircut that was known for rebellious women of the age and was unattractive on Bernice. Warren loses interest and goes back to Marjorie, and Bernice is given much less attention. That night she packs her stuff and as she is leaving Bernice cuts her cousin’s pigtails and throws them on Warren’s porch, bobbing her hair as well.
Fitzgerald told this story using striking detail to capture the audience’s attention. Strong adjective use was apparent throughout the story. From the very beginning Fitzgerald establishes the attitude characters had, and the attitudes they had towards each other. He did this with a narration style that wasn’t first person. We were told of no one’s exact thoughts, instead we had to make inferences. I feel this would keep the reader more interested. It could be seen from an early time that Bernice would be the dynamic character, the one who made a change throughout the story. This was a situation that would not have been uncommon happening today. Of course there would be different speech, but the events that took place are not out of place. The reader can easily relate to the story in this way, and now it has a sort of pathos. For women reading the story, they would likely know how it is being in a situation that Bernice was in. They could possibly know the relationship between Bernice and Marjorie from first-hand experience.
The story had symbolism in it. I feel that hair symbolized the pride of a woman, and how much she cared about herself. Bernice’s constant threat to “bob her hair” brought guys closer because they really wanted to see if she would. Her hair was very long and obviously a source of pride for her. And by cutting it she had lost all attractiveness that had been seen by men before. This showed that men didn’t like her for her attitude change alone, they genuinely thought that she looked good. She had been fooled by Marjorie into cutting her hair to try to prove herself. This could show ethos, for women it is a matter of respect for oneself. Since she didn’t take care of herself, men figured that she really had little self confidence. Readers knew this ahead of time because she was pressured by Marjorie throughout. Once again, pride was symbolized in hair when Bernice cut her cousin’s hair as she was leaving. She threw her cousin’s “pride” on Warren’s doorstep. It is very easy to guess how Warren would feel towards Marjorie from then on.
Fitzgerald’s story was well written, with much details and a greatly established setting. He used pathos and ethos very effectively, combining it with the details to entertain readers. Though this story was written in the 1920s, it can be read the same way today. In reality, there are still situations like these. That points to the timelessness of Fitzgerald’s story.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Salvation
Meaning
1. Hughes narrative explains why he no longer believed there was a Jesus. Because of this experience, he was changed as a person. He grew up without faith in God and felt as though he was lied to at a young age.
2. Hughes decides to stand up and be saved when he realizes that he is holding up everyone in church. He was also being pressured to go by the preacher and everyone else at the church, and he felt he would let everyone down if he did not.
3. The title of Salvation would describe that Hughes was being saved. But from what he was being saved was something other than sin. I believe he named it this because he was saved from the thought of there being a supreme being, saved from the pressure to live life perfectly. The first two sentences opposed each other. Though Hughes was saved, he really was not because in reality he did not believe it in his mind. His aunt told him that when he was saved he would see Jesus, but because he did not, he doesn’t believe he is saved.
Purpose and Audience
1. The purpose in naming the narration is to express feelings from a significant event. The word salvation likely had great significance in Hughes’ life, his life took a complete turn on the day he was saved. By naming it this and narrating the story, the reader can understand the powerful feelings that must go with the word for him. Though he doesn’t believe salvation exists, he has strong feelings with the word. In the text, it says that he waited longer than everyone else to see Jesus, he really wanted to be saved and really believed his aunt. Because nothing his aunt said would take place actually happened, he was heartbroken.
2. Hughes assumes many know of this type of service in the third paragraph. He describes the sermon as “rhythmical.” Many would know of this type of sermon as the average Sunday morning service. He describes the weekly action of the church-goers, and made it appear as though it were a regular church day.
3. Hughes had pressure coming from everywhere. His aunt, the preacher, everyone praying, and people waiting. It became apparent that no one would go anywhere until he stood and got saved. Knowing that he would possibly be looked down upon by not standing was even more pressure. Hughes was given no choice.
Method and Structure
1. Hughes wanted to narrate his own experience with salvation, he did not want to change anyone else’s beliefs or even argue against it. Hughes wants readers to make their own choices, like he made a choice by no longer believing. An argumentative essay would likely be titled: “Salvation, but from What?” I think this expresses Hughes’ thoughts about his experience.
2. Hughes explained how the children were gathered so the reader would know how he got into the situation. He quickly summarizes the sermon, because while he was there it probably seemed to have happened very quickly. However, he spent a lot of time describing the moment when he was asked to be saved. Several paragraphs were used to express his thoughts, feelings, and everyone’s actions. The reader could understand his predicament, and knew how long he felt he sat there. By managing time like this, Hughes exaggerates the important aspects of his experience and cuts out much of the unimportant information. This emphasizes his main point.
3. He used signals during the time salvation was offered to him.
4. A reader can never fully understand an author’s emotion’s unless the author explains every factor and aspect involved. Without knowing of the steps taken, and why they were taken, we don’t know of the experience fully. It is essential that the reader know everything Hughes went through, so the reader feels as though they were there, and learns what Hughes wants them to learn from his experience.
Language
1. More than anything, Hughes feels shame. As described in the last few paragraphs, he was ashamed that he lied to his aunt and everyone else in the church. Throughout the narration, the reader can sense the shame he felt, but could not sense any anger.
2. His child-like style was used because he was only a child at the time. He was going through an experience that was bigger than he first realized it was, making him feel smaller than he really was. Being the focus of attention made him feel as though he were little, and couldn’t do anything but hat everyone wanted him to do.
3. His aunt expected him to see Jesus’ blessings and wonderful things going on around him. Hughes believes that he is going to physically see Jesus. For Hughes, physically seeing Jesus would allow him to believe in Jesus, not just seeing his miracles.
Writing Topics
1. Reserved
2. Often when adults would comfort me as a child they would say ‘Everything is going to be okay.’ When at that time it feels as though nothing will be. A funeral for example, everything would not be okay because that person would never return. Nothing would be the way it was before when thinking about that person.
3. When I am being peer pressured, it is often about lying to my parents about something very small. Something they would never find out and was unimportant. I choose not to lie about these things, because it would help me very little and my conscious would hurt me a lot more.
1. Hughes narrative explains why he no longer believed there was a Jesus. Because of this experience, he was changed as a person. He grew up without faith in God and felt as though he was lied to at a young age.
2. Hughes decides to stand up and be saved when he realizes that he is holding up everyone in church. He was also being pressured to go by the preacher and everyone else at the church, and he felt he would let everyone down if he did not.
3. The title of Salvation would describe that Hughes was being saved. But from what he was being saved was something other than sin. I believe he named it this because he was saved from the thought of there being a supreme being, saved from the pressure to live life perfectly. The first two sentences opposed each other. Though Hughes was saved, he really was not because in reality he did not believe it in his mind. His aunt told him that when he was saved he would see Jesus, but because he did not, he doesn’t believe he is saved.
Purpose and Audience
1. The purpose in naming the narration is to express feelings from a significant event. The word salvation likely had great significance in Hughes’ life, his life took a complete turn on the day he was saved. By naming it this and narrating the story, the reader can understand the powerful feelings that must go with the word for him. Though he doesn’t believe salvation exists, he has strong feelings with the word. In the text, it says that he waited longer than everyone else to see Jesus, he really wanted to be saved and really believed his aunt. Because nothing his aunt said would take place actually happened, he was heartbroken.
2. Hughes assumes many know of this type of service in the third paragraph. He describes the sermon as “rhythmical.” Many would know of this type of sermon as the average Sunday morning service. He describes the weekly action of the church-goers, and made it appear as though it were a regular church day.
3. Hughes had pressure coming from everywhere. His aunt, the preacher, everyone praying, and people waiting. It became apparent that no one would go anywhere until he stood and got saved. Knowing that he would possibly be looked down upon by not standing was even more pressure. Hughes was given no choice.
Method and Structure
1. Hughes wanted to narrate his own experience with salvation, he did not want to change anyone else’s beliefs or even argue against it. Hughes wants readers to make their own choices, like he made a choice by no longer believing. An argumentative essay would likely be titled: “Salvation, but from What?” I think this expresses Hughes’ thoughts about his experience.
2. Hughes explained how the children were gathered so the reader would know how he got into the situation. He quickly summarizes the sermon, because while he was there it probably seemed to have happened very quickly. However, he spent a lot of time describing the moment when he was asked to be saved. Several paragraphs were used to express his thoughts, feelings, and everyone’s actions. The reader could understand his predicament, and knew how long he felt he sat there. By managing time like this, Hughes exaggerates the important aspects of his experience and cuts out much of the unimportant information. This emphasizes his main point.
3. He used signals during the time salvation was offered to him.
4. A reader can never fully understand an author’s emotion’s unless the author explains every factor and aspect involved. Without knowing of the steps taken, and why they were taken, we don’t know of the experience fully. It is essential that the reader know everything Hughes went through, so the reader feels as though they were there, and learns what Hughes wants them to learn from his experience.
Language
1. More than anything, Hughes feels shame. As described in the last few paragraphs, he was ashamed that he lied to his aunt and everyone else in the church. Throughout the narration, the reader can sense the shame he felt, but could not sense any anger.
2. His child-like style was used because he was only a child at the time. He was going through an experience that was bigger than he first realized it was, making him feel smaller than he really was. Being the focus of attention made him feel as though he were little, and couldn’t do anything but hat everyone wanted him to do.
3. His aunt expected him to see Jesus’ blessings and wonderful things going on around him. Hughes believes that he is going to physically see Jesus. For Hughes, physically seeing Jesus would allow him to believe in Jesus, not just seeing his miracles.
Writing Topics
1. Reserved
2. Often when adults would comfort me as a child they would say ‘Everything is going to be okay.’ When at that time it feels as though nothing will be. A funeral for example, everything would not be okay because that person would never return. Nothing would be the way it was before when thinking about that person.
3. When I am being peer pressured, it is often about lying to my parents about something very small. Something they would never find out and was unimportant. I choose not to lie about these things, because it would help me very little and my conscious would hurt me a lot more.
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