Guided Exercise for An American Childhood
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Kirkwood Community College *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
103
Subject
Arts Humanities
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
2
Uploaded by CommodoreSeaLion3956
1. Autobiographies generally use 1st person point of view. Consider how Dillard uses her
point of view (I and we) in the middle of the action to dramatize the narrative. How would Dillard's story would be different if we saw the chase from an outsider's point of view watching from a distance?
If Dillard’s story was from an outsider’s point of view that was watching from a distance, it would not show the intensity of the event which was occurring. The 1
st
person point of view illustrates the exhilaration and dismay Dillard felt and the stamina she had as the man chased Mikey and her. 2.
Find an example where Dillard uses naming and detailing to make her description especially vivid and informative. Do the names she gives to the objects in the example you chose
concrete
or
abstract
, and what attributes or sense impressions do the details convey? What is the dominant impression you get from this description of the scene? The
example I chose where Dillard uses naming and detailing to make her description especially vivid and informative is from paragraph 4. “The oldest two Fahey boys were there- Mikey and
Peter- polite blond boys…” The details mentioned are concrete, they give us a brief description of who the Fahey children were, what they look like, and how they act towards Dillard. From this description of the scene, my dominant impression is that Dillard tends to hang out with boys that older than her and that are kind to her, even though she is a girl. This impression I have allows me to presume she looks up to them and most likely doesn’t get along with other children her age very well. 3. Reread paragraphs 19-21. Choose one or two examples that convey Dillard's present perspective as she looks back and reflects on her childhood experience. Also choose one or two examples that seem to be Dillard's remembered feelings and thoughts, how she
felt at the time the even occurred. How can you tell the difference?
In paragraph 19, Dillard says, “My lips felt swollen; I couldn’t see out of the sides of my eyes; I kept coughing.” This sentence is an example of Dillard’s remembered feelings and thoughts during
which the event occurred. In paragraph 21, Dillard exclaims, “We listened perfunctorily indeed, if we listened at all, for the chewing out was redundant, a mere formality, and beside the point,” and “I wanted the glory to last forever.” These sentences are an example of Dillard’s perspective as she looks back and reflects on her childhood experience. Dillard’s use
of language and the view she speaks from determines whether she is looking back and reflecting on her childhood experience or if she is remembering thoughts and feelings. When she describes what took place, she is describing the past, also known as the remembered. 4. Even though the young Dillard admires the man's persistence, why might some readers question the man's decision to chase and reprimand the kids? Do you think he was right? Why or why not?
Readers may question the man’s decision to chase and reprimand the kids because readers know the kids were throwing snowballs at cars for innocent fun, not to target the man specifically. Readers may also believe the kids do not deserve to be reprimanded/punished for just enjoy themselves and being kids. I do not believe the man was in the right for chasing the kids through practically the whole town and reprimanding them when he doesn’t know them nor their parents. I believe the man acted out of anger and had an inappropriate reaction toward the children. The man instead could have approached them kindly and explain to them why they shouldn’t be throwing snowballs at passing cars.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help