Italo Calvino's Intentions in "If on a Winter's Night a Traveller"

In this passage Enzo witnesses a horrific sight, but if told by through a different point of view, the scene would seem very different. In reality Enzo was seeing illusions but what was really happening was Enzo tearing up a little girl's stuffed animal. Because this scene was told through the point of view of Enzo the scene really enticed the reader and pulled in their attention. Stein used word choice such as “molester zebra” and “gelded groin” to simulate a nightmarish scene. Stein also writes his sentences in a way that makes the audience read in a rapid yet fearful way by using syntax. Examples of this are the excessive use of commas and short/easy pronounceable words. “The now living-zebra said nothing to me at all….into the face of an innocent Barbie doll”. Because of Enzo’s genuine fear and anxiety, this scene is transformed into an exciting, fearful scene because it is told through the point of view of Enzo.

Stories give people new ideas and experiences along with lessons that they are unable to realize in their own lives. The narrator feels as though he is in the land of Balzac’s Ursule Mirouёt even though he has never before seen France. He is so fascinated with the story that he does not put the book down until he has finished the last page (Sijie 57). This allows him to experience life in an entirely different manner from which he is accustomed. From these stories, the boys gain insights into thoughts and emotions that are completely foreign to them. While Luo visits the Little Seamstress telling her of the stories he as read, the narrator feels one of these unfamiliar emotions. He states, “Suddenly I felt a stab of jealousy, a bitter wrenching emotion I had never felt before” (58). Although jealousy is not usually seen as a good feature and while this emotional awakening may seem like a negative effect of storytelling to some readers, it is actually an amazing accomplishment. Stories provide their readers with a new perception of life. They are able to feel what they have never felt, to see what they have never seen, and to be what they have never been. While these experiences may not be the most enjoyable, all experiences leave people with a more extensive idea of what life really is.

Ever since he bought his first book he said it changed his life. According to the passage he viewed the books as,”...a chance to see the world without leaving home.” He says that reading a book is not the same as reading a text. He thinks not enough people read books and too many read and use social media. “Books, to me, were powerful and transformational.”is another of his views in the text.

The writing style gave you a choice on what interesting subject you wanted to read, and also it gave you a preview of what the chapter was going to be about. The style of how it was written could also be a struggle for people. This book would not be recommended for people who wanted to stick to one specific subject; it would be a book for people who wanted an array of subjects. He does stick to one specific concept, which was bias. He has this subject scattered through the book, and they all mean different things. The experiments could be seen in positive light or negative, it depends on the type of reader you are. They can come out to be confusing but when you are able to play out the experiment it may be fun. The presentation of the book itself is an eye catcher, and maybe even the reading style will intrigue you to read it. This book is very intricate but you will not know if the information that is given will

The shocked and flabbergasted diction of this section lends itself to a similar purpose. The surprise that the narrator shows when Luo initially begins the procedure is indicative to the fear within the protagonists and the absurdity of the situation as a whole. When the narrator says: “what the devil had got into him?” (Sijie 142) it shows the reader that the strangeness of the scene had not escaped the notice of those involved. The befuddled diction continues when the narrator says: “even today it confounds me” (Sijie 142) showing that the situation his oddness was not reduced with time. Overall, this section sets the scene for an intense and decisively odd situation.

There is a line of thinking out there that would lead a person to believe that everything is always as it appears – everything is on a nice straight plane. Look at the surface of the ocean, and all that needs to be seen is seen. This admittedly shallow line of thinking can lead to multitudes of problems, especially in the case of this class when looking at something like literature. That especially rings true when observing a novel like Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Parton, where a deeper meaning seethes out of every word in what originally looks to be a straightforward tale. This is particularly true in the all-important intercalary chapters of the book, as they provide a break from the main plot and an aside into something different

Along in with the author’s use of metaphors is the frequent use of imagery. In this reading, it is simple to envision the scenes as the different scenarios are explained and the audience can easily picture Staples in the places he is describing and also the people he comes across. Perhaps the most powerful and memorable imagery is provided in the author’s description of people’s different reactions and faces when they come into contact with him. Actions speak volumes and an immediate change of facial expression is possibly one of the

In the second section of the passage, in the first two thirds of page 31, the narrator shows that he is understanding of the situation that he and Luo are in, despite the aforementioned conditions mentioned earlier. One instance of this can be found in the use of the selection of detail where it says: “Luo would often help me work my cargo to the top and out of the tunnel”. The reason why this is important is because it shows that Luo and the narrator were able to work together to get through the situation, despite the noticeably awful conditions they were in at the time. Instead of panicking, they understood how to get through the situation effectively and carried it out. Another example in this passage is when it says, “In olden times the Phoenix of the sky was famed for its copper mines”. Despite his personal experiences in the mine, the narrator’s mind does not wander to self pity and fear, and he instead is able to assess his situation and the reason for his existence in

All literature is created by themes, without themes, they would simply be stories, and within those themes are patterns; constantly repeating throughout the work. Throughout the novel, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, the use of themes and repeating patterns are seen through four different families. Some of the most prominent themes or patterns are family, specifically mother-daughter relationships, women and femininity, and growth in characters.

To start off, this technique is one of the mainstream characteristics of this book. Right from the first page, the reader is subtly warned of the fact that the narrator is an unreliable person and can’t be trusted. So, the

This instance is so emotionally charged, but to the average reader these lines of text would be so repulsive and absurd. This is another one of Swift’s strategies, you’re so drawn into the ridiculous claims that the reader is drawn to keeping reading until you get to Swift’s actual

The approach Danielewski took on writing the book by some pages having a few words and the usage of a mirror, and all the turning comes together like trying to solve a puzzle. Nevertheless, I found this book to be interesting on the way I had to work my way to the conclusion and the interpretation of the

The narrator says, ¡§By the end of the day I was feeling quite at home in Nemours, imagining myself posted by the smoking hearth of her parlour in the company of doctors and curates.¡¨ (Sijie p. 60) This allows him to escape the hardships of mountain life on a mental level by imagining that he is taking part in the experiences and situations in the story. After stealing a suitcase full of western novels from their friend four-eyes, the narrator becomes infatuated by book one of Jean-Christophe. As he put it, ¡§To me it was the ultimate book: once you read it, neither your own life nor the world you lived in would ever look the same.¡¨ (Sijie p. 117) The narrator takes the words of Jean-Christophe to heart and is filled with the desire to live through this re-education in order to experience love, sex and a free individual action against the world. In a way, the narrator and Luo envied the characters in the western novels that they read daily. They wanted to escape the reality of the conditions they were living under to experience the same freedoms as their favorite characters, and not be burdened by the controlling power of Mao and his communist ways.

Indeed, reading starts with an initial idea spawned by the author, but it is the reader’s responsibility to interpret, ponder, and absorb this idea in a beautiful and meaningful way. For example, a quote from one book could be lackluster to one reader and have little to no effect on them; however that same quote can move another reader to tears.

As the story opens up, Silko makes it a point for the reader to realize the