Writing exercise - page 41

As I started to read the first short story, Orientation, I noticed that the narration was a very strong element. The story is entirely monologue; every word printed is spoken by a single character, an employee at the office that is the focus of the story. The narrator describes the unusual and bizarre lives of the office workers to the new hire in a very offhanded manner, which is an exaggeration of typically casual inter-office gossip. The person being given the tour remains in an almost stunned silence through most of the story, speaking up only once or twice to clarify a mundane concept. The interjection is not included in the text, and the new hire keeps quiet during the odder moments, particularly when it is stated that the office is haunted by the ghost of an employee's late wife. I was reminded somewhat of Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho, in that it's left a bit ambiguous to the reader whether or not all the events that have occurred are true, or if they have just been imagined by a bored worker.

The second story, Girl, was also told nearly entirely as a speech from one person to another. This time, the speaker is a woman giving an almost uninterrupted stream of advice to a younger girl. Both stories seem to be given in an almost deadpan delivery, without any indication of tone of voice. The two stories share a theme of educating a character, but Girl is very instructional, whereas I would say Orientation is more informative.

The textbook asks that, if told in a different order, would each story still make sense, or have the same effect? The order in the first story is seemingly more important, as many of the seeming non sequiturs end up intertwined together. I believe that the second story's order is significant for a different reason; small rebukes and major advice are listed back to back to give them both equal weight.

Explain what you value in literature by focusing on why you like a particular literary work.

Thanks to my mother, I have held an appreciation for the written word from practically the beginning of my childhood. My early start and immediate love of reading may account for the fact that one of my most cherished books is still Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie. I have read many books in my life, but the Little House series, with this book in particular, remains one of my most frequented.

I am sure one of the more simplistic elements that initially drew me to it was that the main character, Laura, and I were both little girls at the time, as I think that most readers on a very basic level want to read about people they can relate to. As the series progresses, Laura grows older, so I always had a parallel to my own age. I continued to reread the books, and I came to realize the memoir aspects of it. I was amazed and delighted that this was an actual, albeit somewhat fictionalized, account of a real person, in a specific time and place.

Engaging historical novels like this are a strong part of why I decided to major in History. Once it became clear to me that the past contained an unimaginably vast quantity of stories, I could think of nothing I would like better than to spend as much time as possible learning them. It seems a little silly to credit a children's book for helping me discover one of my passions, but I think that is where it all started.

Test post

This is my first entry into my daily reading response journal.

Hi, Professor Camplin!