PLOT:
The plot of this story is about a young farm girl working for a higher class family. The story begins when Chris Watters (a man with a NEW airplane) lands across the street and sets up flying services. Edie takes interest to him quickly. This simple layout leads the audience to assume that Chris is Edie's future "husband." It turns out that Chris is simply a detour to lead the readers to false assumptions, so the ending would be much more suprising. If I were adapting this story into a movie, I would most definitely leave the structure of the plot the way it is. Audiences always try to guess the outcome of a movie, and LOVE when the ending throws a curveball.
POINT OF VIEW:
The short story is told in first person point of view. Edie, the hired help, is the narrator. She is looking back, recalling how she met her husband. Although Edie does give some insight on how the other characters act, I think it would be more efficient if she was an omniscient narrator. Some of the things that happen are not fully explained. If it were a movie, all these events would be acted out and the people's reactions would be seen. I think making it into a movie would add much more depth to the story.
CHARACTERIZATION:
The characters in the story are all very unique. I would consider them all to be round as well. Edie plays a smart young farm girl who thinks the lives of her host family are unessecary. She also proves to be innocent. Loretta Bird, the nosy neighbor, also helps to progress the story with her gossip..always announcing everything she hears. The parents of Edie's host family are said to be trusting, but very proper, compared to Edie. If I were to make a movie, the characters would for sure have more depth than they do. It is hard to characterize people in a story only 3-4 pages in length.
SETTING:
The story is set in a rural area in the earlier days of "airplanes." Although this family lived in a farm area, they were consider proper city people. Edie suggested the silly stuff they did as this "high-end, high-educated" family. The rural setting is signifcant in that Chris Watters sets up his camp and flying services in the field across the street. I think the setting is essential to the flow and the plot of the short story. Also, the interactions between Edie (farm girl) and the proper family she worked for help to characterize all the characters and their motives.
THEME:
I believe the theme of the work is to never assume life is like a fairytale. In the end, Edie meets her true husband (the mailman) while waiting for a letter from Chris each day. It's easy for the audience to think the ending will be another sappy, unrealistic love story, but it takes a totally different turn. If this were a movie, I think people would appreciate this ending much better. Of course it isn't a romantic love story like most box office hits, but it shows a sense of reality in life. It send the message that life is mostly normal and it's common to be "average."
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
"Stand By Me"
---------> My favorite quote in the movie! These kids are sooo funny! :)
PLOT:
There are not many differences between plots, but a rather significant difference of structure. In the novella, the narrator stops the action to tell a small story describing the time period or discussing a character. In the film, less interruptions are made. This helps the movie to progress much faster than the story, allowing the audience to follow along more effectively. Other than this difference, the plot is kept almost identical to the story. As I watching, I realized that "Stand By Me" is nearly word-for-word "The Body." I enjoyed this because I picked up on little things in the dialogue that I had not before.
POINT OF VIEW:
The point of view of a story and a film always differ in that it's two different modes of viewing. Similar to the story, Gordie is the narrator reflecting on his childhood memory in the summer of 1959 (small difference: the story said it took place in 1960!) Since movies do not have the constant descriptive set aside to help move along the story, Gordie's point of view is needed much less than in "The Body." Due to this elimination, I think the point of view is allowed to be much broader. We get more insight on how the other characters feel and react just by seeing their facial expressions. Gordie's point of view is more convincing because the audience can "see" for themselves.
CHARACTERIZATION:
The two differences I found within the characterization have to do with Chris Chambers, and Ace and his "followers." In "The Body" Chris is characterized as a "tough guy" and a sort of rebel. In the movie, we are shown something much different. Chris IS in fact tough, but not to the extent the reader will most likely perceive. Chris shows himself as caring and smart...one of the best friends the guys have. He also seems extremely more mature than the other three in the gang. Ace and his "followers" are characterized in the film and not so much in the novella. We catch a glimpse of them at the end when they attempt to steal the fame and recover the body, but not in the beginning of the story. Throughout the movie, the scene switches to them and their activities.
SETTING:
In "Stand By Me" the setting is centrally located in Castle Rock, Oregon in the summer of 1959. In "The Body" the setting is centrally located in Castle Rock, MAINE in the summer of 1960. In my opinion, these minor differences are insignificant to the theme or plot of either story. Also, the setting moves from present (the narration of Gordie as a writer looking back) to past (the central part of the plot) less than in "The Body." One of my favorite things about the film was that the setting fit the description perfectly. The movie was exactly how I had pictured everything in my head while I read the short story.
THEME:
There is nothing different I can analyze between the story and the film in terms of the theme. In both occurrances, the theme lies within the friendships and connections made between the four that summer. Like in "The Body", the film depicts Gordie and Chris' friendship being prominently stronger. This lies within both stories because I believe it sums up the theme. I do believe, though, that the title "Stand By Me" illustrates the theme better than the title of the novella ("The Body"). "Stand By Me" is exactly how I would describe the bonds made between the boys throughout the course of that summer in 1959...(or 1960).
Thursday, December 2, 2010
You're Ugly, Too
The character of Zoe Hendricks is rather weird. I cannot understand some of the uncommon things she does..such as the plastic bags in her purse. My first impression of her was that she had some sort of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and could'nt help herself. Another thing I can't comprehend, is her nature to tell joke after joke after joke. Her sense of humor, intertwined with her anecdotes and flashbacks, charcterize her perfectly. Although the majority of the story is humorous, she can be described as a lonely, depressed, and somewhat cynical character. Her main source of relief from herself (that she seems to hate) is that of sarcasm and cynical humor.
The Drunkard - Questions #1, 4, and 6
The title, "The Drunkard", is not seriously meant because a "drunk" is someone who is drunk all the time. In this case, the title is referring to the young boy (I assume somewhere between 8-10 years old) and his one incident. The boy goes out with the father one night, and when he turns his back he takes and drinks the father's beer. The irony of the story lies not only within the title, but also the complete turn around of events. The father is described as an alcoholic in the beginning of the story; however, the son is the one who drinks the beer. It is usually the son taking care of the father on the way home, but this time it is the father taking care of his intoxicated son. Most of the humor in this story comes from how the little boy (intoxicated) interacts with the old woman, his father, and the other poeple. The funniest thing to me was that his mother actually PRAISED him for drinking, so that his father could not.
Popular Mechanics - question #4
Why is this couple splitting up? Do we know? Does it matter?
The style of this story is what is prevelant, obviously not the detail. The author sets up the work so that we (as readers) come into the picture AFTER the "fight" or whatever has caused this. The audience is not given any hint for the couple's separation besides that the argument must have been really significant to cause such violence. I've never personal witnessed a separation like this but I know it goes on everyday.. There are now more broken families in the US than married ones. From my common knowledge, gathered from movies/media and such, I believe the content of this story is extremely accurate. This stuff happens more than I realize. I do not think the reason for the split is signifcant to understand the story because the possibilities are endless. What we can take from this story lies beneath the reason. I think the theme is conveyed through the universality of the event and how the information given to us was portrayed.
The style of this story is what is prevelant, obviously not the detail. The author sets up the work so that we (as readers) come into the picture AFTER the "fight" or whatever has caused this. The audience is not given any hint for the couple's separation besides that the argument must have been really significant to cause such violence. I've never personal witnessed a separation like this but I know it goes on everyday.. There are now more broken families in the US than married ones. From my common knowledge, gathered from movies/media and such, I believe the content of this story is extremely accurate. This stuff happens more than I realize. I do not think the reason for the split is signifcant to understand the story because the possibilities are endless. What we can take from this story lies beneath the reason. I think the theme is conveyed through the universality of the event and how the information given to us was portrayed.
The Lottery - question #1
What is a "lottery"? How does this title lead you to expect something very different from what the story presents?
Throughout the entire story, I was under the assumption that this "lottery" was a positivie thing. Many reasons led me to believe this. First of all, the lottery is a common "game" people play to recieve money or rewards, ect. My simple knowledge of OUR lottery made me infere that this specific one would be similar, or at least positive. Secondly, the way the narrator addressed the event was, in a way, complacent. No negative diction or hints stood out to me towards the beginning when it was being described. Finally, the attitude of the characters through me off guard as well. There is no great sign of fear or worry in the crowd. The narrator merely mentions a sense of aniexty, which could be related to positive excitment. Because the author does this, the ending is truly a moment of surprise.
Throughout the entire story, I was under the assumption that this "lottery" was a positivie thing. Many reasons led me to believe this. First of all, the lottery is a common "game" people play to recieve money or rewards, ect. My simple knowledge of OUR lottery made me infere that this specific one would be similar, or at least positive. Secondly, the way the narrator addressed the event was, in a way, complacent. No negative diction or hints stood out to me towards the beginning when it was being described. Finally, the attitude of the characters through me off guard as well. There is no great sign of fear or worry in the crowd. The narrator merely mentions a sense of aniexty, which could be related to positive excitment. Because the author does this, the ending is truly a moment of surprise.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
"The Body" Analysis
PLOT:
The plot of "The Body" is complicated, and it progresses rather slowly. The narrator of the short story is actually one of the characters reflecting on their past experiences as a young boy. The bulk of the story is about the adventure that Gordie, the narrator, and his friends embark on in the summer of 1960. They set out to discover the dead body of a missing boy their age named Roy Brower; they do this to seek fame and media attention. I think the underlying purpose or message of the story is how the four boys grew in friendship through this journey. The structure of the plot is what makes it progress so slowly. Many times throughout the work, the narrator stops to tell a small story describing the time period or discussing a character. These anecdotes, although somewhat helpful for characterization, make the story seem slow moving and harder to follow.
Point of View:
This short story is told in the first person singular point of view. Gordon Lachance ("Gordie") is the narrator, reflecting on his summer adventure with his childhood best friends. The story is told in past tense, many years later when he is now a published author. Small side stories are often told in dialog by other characters, but most all of the events occur in the eyes of Gordie. I'm not sure if he is considered an omniscient narrator or not, but he does have some insight on how the other characters are feeling. Also, I think that Gordie perceives things differently than his three friends. We are told that he is the smartest of the four, and we can also assume he has a brighter outlook on life. The story would be changed greatly if it were told in the eyes of Chris, Vern, or Teddy.
CHARACTERIZATION:
Since the story is told in first person point of view, the characters are mostly characterized by Gordie. Towards the beginning of the story, the scene consists of the boys playing cards in their clubhouse. The scene progresses slowly due to the narrators interruptions. During this time, all four characters are introduced. On page 295, Teddy and his incident with his "looney" father indirectly characterize his physical appearance as well as his war-like emotions. On page 289 Gordie tells about his brother Dennis' death - which illustrates his "invisible child" lifestyle. Page 301 consists of Vern's story about the "buried pennies." The way him and his brother, Billy, interact help to indirectly characterize Vern's personality as well. All throughout the the story Chris suggests his father's "mean streak" or "drinking habits" which reveals his family life. Lastly, Gordie directly tells the audience that Chris is the "toughest guy in [their] group."
SETTING:
"The Body" has many different settings since the narrator is recalling previous events and skipping around from past to present to tell significant stories. The story begins in the summer of 1960, in the four young boys' clubhouse. The bulk of the story takes place in this time period (centralized in Castle Rock, Maine) within a time span of 2-3 days. The different settings are the drugstore, the dump, the railroad tracks, the crossing at the river, the site where the boys camp, and the site of Roy Brower's body. Each of these places is given a vividly detailed description so the reader can easily imagine the scene. A few anecdotes are told about the boys in which change the setting and time period. Gordie also tells two of his stories, which have different settings and time periods as well. I believe the time period in which the story takes place has a significant affect. In the 1960's things were much different in all aspects of society than they are now. One would not consider age 12 a proper age to smoke, drink, curse, or go out on their own. The way the kids interact with adults show a similarity between then and today. The kids had little respect for adults, illustrated the best in the scene between Milo and the boys at the dump.
THEME:
In my opinion, the story has a deeper meaning than a boys' adventure. Many connections are made between the four characters throughout the story. The strongest friendship is prominently illustrated between Chris and Gordie. The two have secrets that only they know about each other, leaving out the other two at times. The boys have much in common: intelligent, stubborn, strong leaders, and good people at heart. The interaction between these two show the strongest bond of friendship anyone can have with another. Another underlying message comes from the fact that the whole story is a reflection of Gordie's most significant memory. It is evident from how much he can remember from years and years ago, that the adventure has replayed in his head many times. This shows that one should never forget their childhood memories, whether they are good or bad. The end of the story, telling how each of the boys faded away and ended up, also reveals the narrators motive for writing these stories.
The plot of "The Body" is complicated, and it progresses rather slowly. The narrator of the short story is actually one of the characters reflecting on their past experiences as a young boy. The bulk of the story is about the adventure that Gordie, the narrator, and his friends embark on in the summer of 1960. They set out to discover the dead body of a missing boy their age named Roy Brower; they do this to seek fame and media attention. I think the underlying purpose or message of the story is how the four boys grew in friendship through this journey. The structure of the plot is what makes it progress so slowly. Many times throughout the work, the narrator stops to tell a small story describing the time period or discussing a character. These anecdotes, although somewhat helpful for characterization, make the story seem slow moving and harder to follow.
Point of View:
This short story is told in the first person singular point of view. Gordon Lachance ("Gordie") is the narrator, reflecting on his summer adventure with his childhood best friends. The story is told in past tense, many years later when he is now a published author. Small side stories are often told in dialog by other characters, but most all of the events occur in the eyes of Gordie. I'm not sure if he is considered an omniscient narrator or not, but he does have some insight on how the other characters are feeling. Also, I think that Gordie perceives things differently than his three friends. We are told that he is the smartest of the four, and we can also assume he has a brighter outlook on life. The story would be changed greatly if it were told in the eyes of Chris, Vern, or Teddy.
CHARACTERIZATION:
Since the story is told in first person point of view, the characters are mostly characterized by Gordie. Towards the beginning of the story, the scene consists of the boys playing cards in their clubhouse. The scene progresses slowly due to the narrators interruptions. During this time, all four characters are introduced. On page 295, Teddy and his incident with his "looney" father indirectly characterize his physical appearance as well as his war-like emotions. On page 289 Gordie tells about his brother Dennis' death - which illustrates his "invisible child" lifestyle. Page 301 consists of Vern's story about the "buried pennies." The way him and his brother, Billy, interact help to indirectly characterize Vern's personality as well. All throughout the the story Chris suggests his father's "mean streak" or "drinking habits" which reveals his family life. Lastly, Gordie directly tells the audience that Chris is the "toughest guy in [their] group."
SETTING:
"The Body" has many different settings since the narrator is recalling previous events and skipping around from past to present to tell significant stories. The story begins in the summer of 1960, in the four young boys' clubhouse. The bulk of the story takes place in this time period (centralized in Castle Rock, Maine) within a time span of 2-3 days. The different settings are the drugstore, the dump, the railroad tracks, the crossing at the river, the site where the boys camp, and the site of Roy Brower's body. Each of these places is given a vividly detailed description so the reader can easily imagine the scene. A few anecdotes are told about the boys in which change the setting and time period. Gordie also tells two of his stories, which have different settings and time periods as well. I believe the time period in which the story takes place has a significant affect. In the 1960's things were much different in all aspects of society than they are now. One would not consider age 12 a proper age to smoke, drink, curse, or go out on their own. The way the kids interact with adults show a similarity between then and today. The kids had little respect for adults, illustrated the best in the scene between Milo and the boys at the dump.
THEME:
In my opinion, the story has a deeper meaning than a boys' adventure. Many connections are made between the four characters throughout the story. The strongest friendship is prominently illustrated between Chris and Gordie. The two have secrets that only they know about each other, leaving out the other two at times. The boys have much in common: intelligent, stubborn, strong leaders, and good people at heart. The interaction between these two show the strongest bond of friendship anyone can have with another. Another underlying message comes from the fact that the whole story is a reflection of Gordie's most significant memory. It is evident from how much he can remember from years and years ago, that the adventure has replayed in his head many times. This shows that one should never forget their childhood memories, whether they are good or bad. The end of the story, telling how each of the boys faded away and ended up, also reveals the narrators motive for writing these stories.
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