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Poem Analysis : ' Surrogating While Storytelling '

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Fleming 1
Heather Fleming
Professor Drobney
Structure
Oct 28, 2016
Surrogating while Storytelling

Surrogating while storytelling is quite common in the Deaf world. It is when you take on the role of someone else in a story. A big part of storytelling is role shifting; now known as surrogating. When you surrogate; you are taking on the personality of the character. When you surrogate you take the story from a narrative perspective to first person perspective, as if you were actually there to witness what happened. The function of space and the story’s perspective can change how the audience understands it.
The use of role shifting in American Sign Language plays a critical part. It 's highly important and necessary. To make sure you accurately take on the role of your character these requirements are needed. Body shifting, eye gaze, facial expressions, and mannerisms. Body shifting is one of the crucial parts in role shifting because that is setting where your taking upon your character. You’re either looking "(right/left/center/up/down) and you have to remember to remain there constantly while you’re taking on that specific character”. (administrator, 1970) Meaning if you continue to look sight of that location for your character we will lose sense of what you’re saying in your story. Eye gazes will let the audience know where, and what you’re looking at in your signing
Fleming 2 space. Facial expressions are going to be the second most important requirement because

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