Post by margarets on Mar 11, 2009 21:56:39 GMT -5
Purpose and Meaning
1. What does learning about Annie Dillard's mother tell us about Annie Dillard? What influences can you detect in Dillard's writing that may have come from her mother's curious sense of humor and excellent ear?
As a child the people to have the biggest impact in your life are your parents. Every child looks up to their parent hoping to be just like them. Often times a child will take on similar traits as their parents, this is true with Annie Dillard and her mother. Dillard has adopted her mothers slick talking smart remark making personality. A glimpse of this comes to the attention when she talks about the Tamiami Trail and mentions “Then, capping it all, some genius thought of the word Tamiami..”
2. In paragraph 2, Dillard recounts how her mother repeated the phrase "Terwilliger bunts one" for years after she first heard it, and at the most outrageous moments. In paragraphs 7 and 8, she discusses the names of a road and the effect they had on her and others. In paragraph 9, she writes about various "Pittsburghisms." How do these examples characterize the power of language to amuse, place, and even separate people? How is this essay in some ways more about language than about Dillard's mother?
Through this whole essay Dillard talks about her mother and the strange things she says. In many ways this essay reflects the topic of language and how it separates people more then just the subject of Dillard’s mother. The examples used throughout the essay like “Terwilliger bunts one” and “Pittsburghisms” characterize the power of language. These examples show how language can differ from person to person and even by location.
3. What is the thesis of this essay?
In this essay there is no clear thesis sentence. A thesis can more be uncovered after reading the essay and pulling thoughts together.
Language and Style
1. What is phonetically appealing about "Terwilliger bunts one"; "royal poinciana" (paragraph b); "Tamiami Trail" (paragraph 7)? Read the phrases out loud as you consider sound here.
The phrases “Terwilleger bunts one”, "royal poinciana", and "Tamiami Trail” all appear phonetically appealing. This is due to the fact the way these words sounds once read aloud, they flow together creating a smooth sound.
2. Note the powerful mixing of nouns and verbs in this series of sentences; "men stood sunk in muck to their armpits .... They blasted muck with dynamite, cut jungle with machetes; they laid logs, dragged drilling machines, hauled dredges, heaped limestone" (paragraph 7). How does the mixing of contrasting sounds, hard images, active verbs, and one- or two-syllable words invigorate the writing? Find other examples of this stylistic method.
The playing of contrasting sounds, hard images, and active verbs in writing makes a piece more appealing to a reader. This type of writing helps create mental images and works to play off the readers senses. When the reader comes across words such as “heaped” and “dragged” the reader visualizes a man struggling in harsh working conditions.
3. Another feature of Dillard's writing is its specificity. The men weren't using an explosive; they used dynamite. The machines were drilling machines. The rock was limestone. Choose any paragraph in the essay and notice how specific her references are. Why is Dillard so careful to be specific?
4. What stylistic devices does Dillard employ to create a humorous tone in this essay?
Strategy and Structure
1. While Dillard is interested in characterizing her mother, her subject is an American childhood, her childhood. Still, she focuses on her mother for many pages. We learn indirectly about Dillard's interest in language, her "know-it-all" attitude, her conditioning toward intellectual rigor and a questioning mind, as well as some of her politics. How effective is this approach? Why is her mother such a good model for Dillard's self-revelations?
2. Why doesn't Dillard ever tell us her mother's name? Is she failing to see her mother as an individual? What effect does it have on the readers' point of view?
3. It is often said the people tend to remember best what comes first or last-in a poem, a movie, or a story. Since Dillard ends her essay with an account of her mother's insistence on a questioning, think-for-yourself kind of mind, she probably wants her readers particularly to remember this. Why? What is its significance to Dillard the writer?
1. What does learning about Annie Dillard's mother tell us about Annie Dillard? What influences can you detect in Dillard's writing that may have come from her mother's curious sense of humor and excellent ear?
As a child the people to have the biggest impact in your life are your parents. Every child looks up to their parent hoping to be just like them. Often times a child will take on similar traits as their parents, this is true with Annie Dillard and her mother. Dillard has adopted her mothers slick talking smart remark making personality. A glimpse of this comes to the attention when she talks about the Tamiami Trail and mentions “Then, capping it all, some genius thought of the word Tamiami..”
2. In paragraph 2, Dillard recounts how her mother repeated the phrase "Terwilliger bunts one" for years after she first heard it, and at the most outrageous moments. In paragraphs 7 and 8, she discusses the names of a road and the effect they had on her and others. In paragraph 9, she writes about various "Pittsburghisms." How do these examples characterize the power of language to amuse, place, and even separate people? How is this essay in some ways more about language than about Dillard's mother?
Through this whole essay Dillard talks about her mother and the strange things she says. In many ways this essay reflects the topic of language and how it separates people more then just the subject of Dillard’s mother. The examples used throughout the essay like “Terwilliger bunts one” and “Pittsburghisms” characterize the power of language. These examples show how language can differ from person to person and even by location.
3. What is the thesis of this essay?
In this essay there is no clear thesis sentence. A thesis can more be uncovered after reading the essay and pulling thoughts together.
Language and Style
1. What is phonetically appealing about "Terwilliger bunts one"; "royal poinciana" (paragraph b); "Tamiami Trail" (paragraph 7)? Read the phrases out loud as you consider sound here.
The phrases “Terwilleger bunts one”, "royal poinciana", and "Tamiami Trail” all appear phonetically appealing. This is due to the fact the way these words sounds once read aloud, they flow together creating a smooth sound.
2. Note the powerful mixing of nouns and verbs in this series of sentences; "men stood sunk in muck to their armpits .... They blasted muck with dynamite, cut jungle with machetes; they laid logs, dragged drilling machines, hauled dredges, heaped limestone" (paragraph 7). How does the mixing of contrasting sounds, hard images, active verbs, and one- or two-syllable words invigorate the writing? Find other examples of this stylistic method.
The playing of contrasting sounds, hard images, and active verbs in writing makes a piece more appealing to a reader. This type of writing helps create mental images and works to play off the readers senses. When the reader comes across words such as “heaped” and “dragged” the reader visualizes a man struggling in harsh working conditions.
3. Another feature of Dillard's writing is its specificity. The men weren't using an explosive; they used dynamite. The machines were drilling machines. The rock was limestone. Choose any paragraph in the essay and notice how specific her references are. Why is Dillard so careful to be specific?
4. What stylistic devices does Dillard employ to create a humorous tone in this essay?
Strategy and Structure
1. While Dillard is interested in characterizing her mother, her subject is an American childhood, her childhood. Still, she focuses on her mother for many pages. We learn indirectly about Dillard's interest in language, her "know-it-all" attitude, her conditioning toward intellectual rigor and a questioning mind, as well as some of her politics. How effective is this approach? Why is her mother such a good model for Dillard's self-revelations?
2. Why doesn't Dillard ever tell us her mother's name? Is she failing to see her mother as an individual? What effect does it have on the readers' point of view?
3. It is often said the people tend to remember best what comes first or last-in a poem, a movie, or a story. Since Dillard ends her essay with an account of her mother's insistence on a questioning, think-for-yourself kind of mind, she probably wants her readers particularly to remember this. Why? What is its significance to Dillard the writer?