Post by chriskeating on Mar 11, 2009 23:21:31 GMT -5
The expression, “the apple does not fall far from the tree” seems very appropriate when it comes to Ann Dillard and her mother. Dillard’s mother was not afraid to take a stand that was contrary to the status quo, and although she took some things such as equal rights and social injustice as serious matters, she made light of and treated frivolously things, such as, instructions on bureaucratic forms, cards, board games and young couples at the zoo, that others took seriously. Her mother was a very articulate woman and from Dillard’s writing; one can see that she also possesses this trait. In addition, Dillard definitely inherited her mother’s outlook on life and sense of humor.
Dillard’s mother undeniably enjoyed the sound of words, phrases and their combinations. When she would recite “Terwilliger bunts one” it is obvious that she was not interested in the content of what she was saying, but the pleasure it gave her to both feel the words roll off of her tongue and to hear their sound. She realized that due to population diversity, certain words and phrases can have entirely different meaning when used in different geographic areas of the country and that phenomenon can both amuse and separate people.
The thesis of the essay can be found in Dillard’s quest to be her own person, to formulate her own opinions, to test the veracity of all commonly held beliefs, while still maintaining a sense of humor linked with the ability of not taking anything – including herself – too seriously. Her philosophy in life seemed to be, “Do I want truth more than I want to be right.”
The words and phrases, Terwilliger bunts one, royal poinciana and Tamiami Trail are phonetically appealing because they roll so easily off the tongue, they are soft, almost melodic in a sing-song way.
The use of one- or two-syllable words keeps the passage moving and prevents it from becoming bogged down or drug out. The language is very active and creates word pictures for the reader helping to transport them from his or her living room to the very setting of the scene in the memoir. In her style of writing, the author makes sure that all of your sense are involved in reading her work. The reader hears the sounds, experiences the intensity, and feels the fatigue of the hard labor described in the selection describing the building of the Tamiami Trail. She established a definite contrast between the laborious task of building the trail with the light-hearted name it carries.
Dillard is very careful to be specific in her descriptions and recitations because her memories are poignant and vividly clear. She does not want the reader to form their own interpretation of these memories; she wants them to receive an exact carbon-copy image of them. In order to create a humorous tone in the essay, Dillard utilizes sarcasm and humorous anecdotes.
Dillard focuses on her mother for many pages because in an effort to NOT influence her daughter to one stereotype or another, her mother did influence her to think freely and formulate her own opinions and that is what her childhood was comprised of. Therefore, it would be impossible to write about “an American childhood, her childhood” without devoting sufficient space to them greatest influencing factor in that childhood. In addition, learning indirectly about Dillard is consistent with the self-discover that marked her life. Instead of giving us the end product, she takes us down her “Memory Lane” and allows us to develop our own inevitable opinions regarding her.
Dillard’s failure to refer to her mother by name enhanced the “bigger than life image” that she created of her mother for the reader. If she were to name her mother, she would have immediately confined her to time and space, thus limiting her. By remaining only “mother”, she became boundless and infinite. Invariably, when you hear someone’s name, you formulate opinions and judgements of the person based on the name and your prior experience with people who had the same name. By remaining nameless, the mother possessed more of an individual identity than she would have had if she had carried a label. And finally, Dillard did not tell us her mother’s name because no matter what she was to anyone else, she was “Mother” to Dillard and she was NOT mother to anyone other than her offspring. Mother embodied her identity.
As a speed reading technique, people often only read the beginning, middle and end of a literary piece. Therefore, it was important for Dillard to restate her most important point in closing her memoir. As a writer, Dillard has the ability to influence people who read her work. In closing, she is emphasizing the need to challenge everything you hear and read and to not just accept information as valid without proof because she realizes her responsibility as an author. In addition no matter what happened in the neighborhood around her or in the country at large, she had come to recognize her responsibility to take a stand for truth.
Dillard’s mastery of the English language, her precise, deliberate choices of words and the light-hearted manner in which she delivers her important message to “be your own person and know who that is” are all literary gains she would have received from her mother.
Dillard’s mother undeniably enjoyed the sound of words, phrases and their combinations. When she would recite “Terwilliger bunts one” it is obvious that she was not interested in the content of what she was saying, but the pleasure it gave her to both feel the words roll off of her tongue and to hear their sound. She realized that due to population diversity, certain words and phrases can have entirely different meaning when used in different geographic areas of the country and that phenomenon can both amuse and separate people.
The thesis of the essay can be found in Dillard’s quest to be her own person, to formulate her own opinions, to test the veracity of all commonly held beliefs, while still maintaining a sense of humor linked with the ability of not taking anything – including herself – too seriously. Her philosophy in life seemed to be, “Do I want truth more than I want to be right.”
The words and phrases, Terwilliger bunts one, royal poinciana and Tamiami Trail are phonetically appealing because they roll so easily off the tongue, they are soft, almost melodic in a sing-song way.
The use of one- or two-syllable words keeps the passage moving and prevents it from becoming bogged down or drug out. The language is very active and creates word pictures for the reader helping to transport them from his or her living room to the very setting of the scene in the memoir. In her style of writing, the author makes sure that all of your sense are involved in reading her work. The reader hears the sounds, experiences the intensity, and feels the fatigue of the hard labor described in the selection describing the building of the Tamiami Trail. She established a definite contrast between the laborious task of building the trail with the light-hearted name it carries.
Dillard is very careful to be specific in her descriptions and recitations because her memories are poignant and vividly clear. She does not want the reader to form their own interpretation of these memories; she wants them to receive an exact carbon-copy image of them. In order to create a humorous tone in the essay, Dillard utilizes sarcasm and humorous anecdotes.
Dillard focuses on her mother for many pages because in an effort to NOT influence her daughter to one stereotype or another, her mother did influence her to think freely and formulate her own opinions and that is what her childhood was comprised of. Therefore, it would be impossible to write about “an American childhood, her childhood” without devoting sufficient space to them greatest influencing factor in that childhood. In addition, learning indirectly about Dillard is consistent with the self-discover that marked her life. Instead of giving us the end product, she takes us down her “Memory Lane” and allows us to develop our own inevitable opinions regarding her.
Dillard’s failure to refer to her mother by name enhanced the “bigger than life image” that she created of her mother for the reader. If she were to name her mother, she would have immediately confined her to time and space, thus limiting her. By remaining only “mother”, she became boundless and infinite. Invariably, when you hear someone’s name, you formulate opinions and judgements of the person based on the name and your prior experience with people who had the same name. By remaining nameless, the mother possessed more of an individual identity than she would have had if she had carried a label. And finally, Dillard did not tell us her mother’s name because no matter what she was to anyone else, she was “Mother” to Dillard and she was NOT mother to anyone other than her offspring. Mother embodied her identity.
As a speed reading technique, people often only read the beginning, middle and end of a literary piece. Therefore, it was important for Dillard to restate her most important point in closing her memoir. As a writer, Dillard has the ability to influence people who read her work. In closing, she is emphasizing the need to challenge everything you hear and read and to not just accept information as valid without proof because she realizes her responsibility as an author. In addition no matter what happened in the neighborhood around her or in the country at large, she had come to recognize her responsibility to take a stand for truth.
Dillard’s mastery of the English language, her precise, deliberate choices of words and the light-hearted manner in which she delivers her important message to “be your own person and know who that is” are all literary gains she would have received from her mother.