Writing+Technique

Writing Techniques

An Educated Conversation

(they are south african penguins mrs. ruu) Yeah, but they have nothing to do with the writing style of the book....... How does this thing work? I can't figure out how to make it look perty.

Obviously, the book lacks American grammar, but, hey, it's a foreign book, and foreign books are good. I mean, yeah, personally the total lack of quotation marks get on my nerves to no end, but that's just a facet of our society. It seems to me that the whole book is about looking at other societies anyway. I dunno, maybe I'm just ranting about nothing, but that's the way it seems to me. I haven't really gotten that far in to the book to where I can tell stuff about the author, but so far it's fairly obvious when it was written. The man is a priest-- a chauvinistic priest. Somehow. And isn't it just a little strange that he tells his wife to do something and she does it without a question? Yeah, let's think about that for a minute. Just imagine if someone tried to do it to you. Would you listen? I wouldn't.
 * Dory**:Ok, let me try to get serious now.

Then there's that part with the grass. That's pretty deeply symbolic, wouldn't you say? Unlike a lot of the symbols I've heard about-- water being a cleansing agent, crows foretelling bad luck-- I've personally never heard of the symbol of grass. Honestly, I'm not altogether sure of what it meant but I'm sure it was very deep, and having something to do with cultural differences across Africa of this time.

The imagery is more vivid than I expected out of the book, as well. I don't know about most people, but when I hear that we're reading an African book, I figure it's going to be all about tribes and the evil of the Christian people-- I guess that's just because I read "Things Fall Apart" My freshman year. Writing is a form of art, and Alan Paton has some talent.


 * Beca:** from what i read, the author tries to stress the importance of their language and culture. he expresses it by explaining their ways and using strong symbols of respect such as umfundisi. he continued to use umfundisi throughout the text to reinforce the image of the man, showing his importance as well. i also don't like how his wife does everything he tells her to do, but it was a different time, the author wrote this book in the 1940s. america was in the middle of the women's rights movements, but it was very different in other countries. no other country is like america, which is probably a good thing. his wife obeys him because she respects him. he has proven himself a respectable man so far, he hasn't laid a hand on her, or spoken ill of her. it is a mutual respect that is comfortable for them. if that makes him chauvinistic then oh well.


 * Cherita:** I think this book, when we talked about the river being the color of blood, made me

"If there is mist here, you will see nothing of the great valley. The mist will swirl about and below you, and the train and the people make a small world of their own. Some people do not like it, and find it cold and gloomy. But others like it, and find in it mystery and fascination, and prelude to adventure, and an intimation of the unknown. The train passes through a world of fancy, and you can look through the misty panes at green shadowy banks of grass and bracken. Here in their season grow the blue agapanthus, the wild watsonia, and the red-hot poker, and now and then it happens that one may glimpse an arum in a dell. And always behind them the dim wall of the wattles, like ghosts in the mist." i love this paragraph. paton did his research, and did it well. kudos to him. the paragraph, at the beginning of chapter 3, is my faavorite so far, and i beleive they'll just keep getting better, which makes me want to keep reading.
 * Beca:**i love the symbolism and the imagery from when he is on the train. the vivid imagery from the part about looking down at the valley was beautiful, and i felt like i was there.

peace out, a-town
 * Beca:**i liked the story today. it was very interesting how paton used the biblical reference.


 * Dory:** Insightful. (< Sarcasm) The imagery and symbolism is starting to get annoying in my oppinion. As someone who fancies herself a writer, I understand the importance of it-- but also as someone who fancies herself a writer, I can confidently say: Just tell us the story! It's getting harder and harder to understand, especially with the descriptions of the things without their names. I'm all for descriptions, but at least tell us what it is afterwards. I'm not sure what chapter it's in (I apologize, my mind doesn't organize things in to chapters when it comes to stories) But who remembers the water... bottle... things? I can't even begin to imagine what they were talking about!

Now, the thing with his sister was a little bit... "Um... okay?" The woman went to the slums looking for her husband, and... what... didn't come back? Being a prostitute and a liquor sales-woman was so much better than home? And don't give me the "She didn't have money" Bit, because if you read it does state that she was rich at one point. She could've used that money to get home, so why didn't she? Obviously she didn't want to until her brother showed up, and then it was all about saving face.

I dunno, maybe I'm being too harsh.

page 2 Writing Techniques A-4 page 3
 * if you are going to add something add it on page two. i moved the stuff keona wrote to page two to keep it in chrono order**