Sunday, October 11, 2009

Sentence Twelve

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

My sentence: Tonight for a little while in the bright hall folks were almost free, almost free of dust, almost free of debt, almost free of fields of withered wheat.

My thoughts: The author used repetition to bring more meaning to the sentence and to further make the statement more memorable. She seemed to build upon the first phrase to continue to add more description. She also used asyndeton to make the list seem to continue on.

My sentence: Now the lady felt ashamed, ashamed of the mistakes, ashamed of her past, ashamed of the reputation she had made for herself.

Sentence Eleven

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Her sentence: Now he smells of dust and coffe, tobacco and cows.

My thoughts: I think the author used asyndeton to make the list seem unfinished, as if he smelled of a variety of things. Also, he placed random things that don't resemble beside eachother, maybe to create juxtaposition.

My sentence: She tasted eggs and corn, dirt and soap.

Sentence Ten

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Her sentence: I think I should just let them rest, let the dust rest, let the world rest.

My thoughts: Hesse used repetition and parallelism to show similarity and further draw attention to the point of the sentence. She also uses asyndeton to make it seem that the list is incomplete.

My sentence: I will simply make a plan, make a change, make a stand.

Sentence Nine

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Her sentence: Imagine.

My thoughts: Hesse used a one word sentence here to cause the reader to take notice of the sentence and think deeply on it. Many say big things come in small packages and this is an example. The word 'imagine' also has a strong diction which emphasized meaning on its own, without unnecessary fluff to help it out.

My sentence: Dream.

Sentence Eight

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Her sentence: In my closet are two boxes, the gatherings of my life, school drawings, a broken hairpin, a dress from my baby days, my first lock of hair, a tiny basket woven from prarie grass, a doll with a China head, a pink ball, three dozen marbles, a fan from Baxter's funeral home, my baby teeth in a glass jar, a torn map of the world, two candy wrappers, a thousand things I haven't looked at in years.

My thoughts: Hesse used asyndeton, meaning she left out conjunctions, to make the list seem like it went on and on and on- never ending.

My sentence: In the trunk of my car are six bags, three shoes, a black dress, a bottle of lotion, school books, a phone charger, things that I've collected over the days.

Sentence Seven

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

His sentence: Real men didn't read poetry- and God forbid if they should ever write it!

My thoughts: Hosseini used the dash to create more enthusiasm in the two things he was saying- to further explain.

My sentence: City girls don't like farms- and for Heaven's sake, they should never work on one.

Sentence Six

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hoesseini

His sentence: Ofcourse, marrying a poet was one thing, but fathering a son who preferred burying his face in poetry books to hunting... well, that wasn't how Baba had envisioned it, I suppose.

My thoughts: Hoesseini used alot of loose technique in this sentence. He used ellipses to create a dramatic pause in the sentence. He made it seem as if the speaker was sort of 'beating around the bush'. He used phrases like "ofcourse" and "I suppose" and "well" to make it seem even more as if the sentence was directly from his thought process.

My sentence: Indeed, dating a singer was one thing, but having a roommate who preferred blasting loud music over doing homework... well, that wasn't how Davie had planned it, I guess.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Sentence Five

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hoesseini

His sentence: Cancer.

My thoughts: Hosseini used a powerful rhetorical fragment for the pupose of stating a very direct point that catches the readers attention suddenly and is not quickly forgotten.

My sentence: Death.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Sentence Four

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

His sentence: He was preparing his speech for the next day, flipping through a havoc of handwritten pages, making notes here and there with a pencil.

My thoughts: He was using parallel phrases to emphasize the tasks that were being completed. He used verbs ending in -ing to cause similar format which made the sentence more organized and powerful. Also, he used asyndeton, which is purposely removing conjunctions. That helps make the list more memorable.

My sentence: She was running through the park, laughing at the birds, singing a happy song.

Sentence Three

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

His sentence: The water was a deep blue and sunlight glittered on its looking glass- clear surface.

My thoughts: I think that the way the author used the dash to end the sentence that contained a great deal of imagery was very successful in making his claim. He used details throughout the sentence of how the water looked but ended in a nice and to the point statement.

My sentence: The child's eyes were a soft teal and a twinkle shone in their waters- endless sea.