What A Pain In My Son Analysis

She writes, "First there's the vinegar-lipped Reader lady…And then the emaciated German male…and there are your parents…and there's William Burroughs" who all criticize her work (Lamott 72). By using these satirized characters, it connects the reader as they feel that Lamott is thinking of them while writing. Lamott also uses pathos to capture the reader's feelings and emotions. She allows the reader to feel as if they are not alone, and that she can relate. Also she uses cursing, to make it more informal and allows the reader relate more. She finds it difficult to write a first draft, and knows many others feel the same way, too.

The book is written from the author’s perspective. The author uses words such as I, you, he, and she. Pinning down the exact point of

By portraying himself as an editor for the novel, Goldman interjects his personal thoughts into the novel. In the very beginning of the novel he adds parentheses and tells the reader that he will continue to include parenthetical references throughout the novel (46). Even though this is taboo, Goldman gives little regard to the literary industry’s rigid limitations, implying the belief that the writing process should not be serious and structured; it should in fact be free-flowing and enjoyable. Lastly, Goldman goes on to criticize the literary process by having the ability to step outside of the fairy tale as the editor and comment in a critical perspective. When Goldman removes a soliloquy that S. Morgenstern had to put in this fairy tale he explains that the “previous book was bombed by the critics [because it did not include this soliloquy] and didn’t [sell] beans” (223). Goldman, through his writing, implies that the literary industry is so narrow-minded that they constantly attack those who disagree with the accepted writing style. This mockery implies that the literary industry rules reflect its inability to adjust to a changing society. By acting as both the writer and the editor, William Goldman creates a satirical work that implicitly critiques the literary industry.

“Pity me, and pardon me, O virtuous reader! You never knew what it is to be a slave; to be entirely unprotected by law or custom…entirely subject to the will of another.” Jacobs’ story conveyed pathos, or emotional appeal, as she spoke directly to her readers several times throughout the narrative. Her language choice affected the audience's emotional response, especially when they became aware that she was telling the truth. Jacobs was willing to share her personal, and in some ways shameful, past for the greater good. She wanted her readers to understand the perils of enslavement, and try to relate to what it feels like to be owned by another human being. Only then could they sympathize with the antislavery movement.

Whether while writing an essay or a birthday card, we have all struggled to find the proper words to illustrate our thoughts or feelings from time to time. Upholding the occupation of a writer would multiply that struggle tenfold. An occupation that depends on interesting, fluid pieces of writing every submission requires an adequate number of attempts and patience. Lamott expresses that writers “all often feel like we are pulling teeth” (Lamott), which proves the difficulty of writing is still there no matter the level of writer behind the work. Lamott also emphasizes that a writer “has to start somewhere” and shares her friend’s ideas in her writing to simply “get something - anything - down on paper” (Lamott). Lamott, and the other writers mentioned in this piece, carry incredible track records, while still admitting that perfection did not come initially, or even easily. Thus, proving that the Shitty First Draft has a place in any writer’s notebook or Word document. Lamott’s admission to struggling to properly begin a piece of writing surprised me, given of her success. I could not imagine a woman of her accomplishments stressing out over a food review, yet I felt relieved that someone of Lamott’s title relates to an amateur writer like myself. I often put off my writing as well when I cannot articulate a proper introduction. I do every other possible homework, or shy away from homework in general because the

Imagine yourself shipwrecked upon an uninhabited island. The experience of being stranded will cause you to pose many questions, with the possibility of only one of those questions to being answered. One answered question is: what is the purpose of literature? Northrop Frye, within “Motive for Metaphor”, uses the analogy of being within an uninhabited island to examines the purpose of literature by connecting it to the purposes of language and their use within the different worlds and levels of the mind Frye sees present.

The most significant part of the entire text is that most of the readers will never feel the pain of author. The ability not to be able to relate and understand someone’s struggle is very impactful.

Graff then goes on to establish his ethos in the first few paragraphs while continuing to expand the thoughts and ideas on pathos throughout his essay. He begins to build his community and trust by recognizing his own credentials and sharing his personal background in writing. One of the first things noticed from the footnote about Gerald Graff’s professional career is that he has vast experience in the writing department. He is an English professor at a prestigious university, a past president of the Modern Language Association, and part of the professional association of scholars and teachers of English and other languages (198). But, since his background only assists his argument and does not define it, it is crucial to also look at his word choice, mood, language, and ideology in order to fully claim Graff a credible author.

Miller writes the story in a very unique way. He gives his readers a chance to explore the words written on his pages, with the hope that the reader is able to draw their own conclusions from his work. His unparalleled approach to the essay forces the reader to use critical thinking in order to make since of the essay. Miller’s feelings about reading, writing and the

Many times the writing style of the book at time felt distracting, confusing, and even frustrating. For example, whenever Rediker would refer to a quote

The constant repetition of certain words throughout the entire piece of writing by Williams allows the audience to instantly connect with the narrator, which, in turn, allows the reader to create a more personal relationship with the narrator. The author begins each sentence in the essay with the words: “I write.” The narrator’s extreme passion towards writing resonates through the abundant use of a single but powerful phrase, “I write…” which causes the audience to interpret her tone as forceful and ardent toward the subject at hand. Not only does repetition assist in offering the audience a deep connection with the narrator, but it also reiterates the various reasons

He makes sure that it is interesting and fun for the young generation to read his essay, he is doing this by the personal stories and fun comparisons, but also by using words and phenomena the young readers can relate to, for an example he uses words as “liking” and “friending”, “Liking, in general, is commercial culture’s substitute for loving” (p.9, l. 83-85)- phenomena’s from facebook. On the other hand Jonathan Franzen also uses some foreign words as “carbon foodprint”, “anesthetized dream” – by using these foreign words he makes sure to seem “smart”, so we get the feeling of a person who knows what he is talking about, and on the other hand also a fun and interesting person. This is again something that strengthens his ethos appeal, so it is easier for him to convince and engage the young readers. If he was writing in a way with no humor, only foreign words, and maybe used a lot of statistics facts, instead of personal stories, he would not engage the young readers. So by writing in this very specific way, he knows that the youngster will find his essay fun and interesting. So as you see Jonathan Franzen uses a lot of different methods to convince and engage the young readers.

This book is written in a heightened style, with everything seeming emotionally amplified. The author’s use of sarcasm makes it more interesting to read and keeps the reader engaged for a longer amount of time. Klosterman uses intelligent vocabulary in the book, but not to the point of being incomprehensible. For the most part, unfamiliar words are rarely used. Swears are often used, and this gives the book a more laidback and conversational tone.

narrative styles in Melville’s Bartleby, Poe’s Arthur Gordon Pym, and Hawthorne’s The House of Seven Gables. How all three authors utilize a “conversational” tone for the function of their work.

Ken says there are more things he likes about than things he does not. “ A challenge of being a trampoline coach is working hours on evenings and hours”