Literary Analysis

I have read three short stories independently. The three are "Hills Like White Elephants," "Araby," and "The Sniper." I'm still trying to understand literary analysis exactly. I believe it's a short summary of how the author uses a certain topic in the story to express something. There are a few elements in each story that would be a great part of a literary analysis for each story.

My first read was "Hills Like White Elephants." The story consists of, mainly, a conversation between the two main characters with interruptions in it from other minor characters and the observation of setting. In this story, the author mirrors what the characters are talking about, but he doesn't directly explain it or put it all on the table. "Araby" was a really confusing story. The narrator first started talking about his general life, then he talked about his friend's sister, and then his crush on her. He was a bit of a creeper to her. Then, he went to some sort of convention that he really wanted to go to; then, at the end, he's at his event thing and the light goes out. I really didn't understand the story. Although, the the author did use memories and details and memories of details to explain the boy's crush on this girl. The next story made a little more sense. "The Sniper" was a sad short story. The main guy, in this story, was a sniper for Dublin, on one side, during the civil war. He was stationed on a roof so he could shoot down the "bad guys." There was another sniper on the roof across from him, who he killed. In between this happening, the sniper man killed a guy on a truck with his set of troops. Also, he was shot, in his arm, himself. A lot of tension builds up and throughout the story. Also, many gruesome events take place with people murdering each other. The author uses setting and tension in the story to set the action of the story. You don't know or expect what's going to happen, but you do know something will happen by the tension build throughout the plot of the short story.


Reading Times:

10/22/12="Hills Like White Elephants"; by Ernest Hemingway; 15 min; 3 pages (R&A)
10/24/12=City of Ashes; by Cassandra Clare; 34 min; 31 pages
10/25/12="The Sniper"; by Liam O'Flaherty; 17 min; 3 pages (R&A)
10/25/12="Araby"; by James Joyce; 20 min; 6 pages (R&A)
10/26/12=City of Ashes; by Cassandra Clare; 27 min; 26 pages
10/28/12=City of Ashes; by Cassandra Clare; 34 min; 31 pages
12/29/12=City of Ashes; by Cassandra Clare; 29 min; 27 pages

Reading Times of Week 10/15

Reading Times:

10/17/12= City of Ashes; by Cassandra Clare; 32 min.; 29 pages
10/18/12= City of Ashes; by Cassandra Clare; 49 min.; 47 pages
10/19/12= City of Ashes; by Cassandra Clare; 36 min.; 34 pages
10/20/12= City of Ashes; by Cassandra Clare; 25 min.; 24 pages
10/21/12= City of Ashes; by Cassandra Clare; 17 min.; 14 pages

"A & P" literary element

I think the main literary element in the short story "A & P" was setting. The three sizes of setting are Micro, Meso, and Macro. The Micro size consists of zoomed in all the way locations as in hte most specific location in the story. In the Meso size, the settings are a little less specific than the Micro size. As in, now, 2012 or Louisiana, if we were to talk about my life at the very moment. The Macro level are the locations that are the most general. In my life, that would include the United States or the modern world. Then, there are four parts of the three levels. The four are Physical, Temporal, Social, and Phycological. In the Physical part, that is the physical details of the setting. The Temporal setting is the duration or historical time. The Social setting is exactly as it sounds. The final, Phycological setting is the mood of the story.

In "A & P, "the Micro, Physical level consisted of the specific places in the A & P store, like the aisles or registers. The Micro, Temporal level is Thursday, the day that the story takes place, afternoon in a ten to fifteen minute duration. The Micro, Social level includes the rules of the store and the coworkers relationship, Sammy and his coworker friend Stokesie. Also, it includes Sammy to his boss relationship and Sammy and the girls' relationship to each other. The Micro, Phycological level explains the store, which is boring, empty, dull, plain, etc. The Meso, Physical level includes the A & P store and what's in it like the checkered floor, the fluorescent lights, and the products. The  Meso, Temporal level includes the summer. The  Meso, Social level explains the "sheep," Sammy's work and family, and the beach colony town. The  Meso, Phycological level includes how Sammy is optimistic, silly, a little inappropriate, and a bit creepy. The final level, the Macro, Physical includes the middle of town, five miles from the beach, and north of Boston, in New England, United States, is where the story generally takes place. The Macro, Temporal level shows the year, the late 50s, early 60s and (in the end) a big life perspective. The Macro, Social level says that in the story, it shows the life cycle of the town, the class conflict, classism, and the attitude towards women of that time. The Macro, Phycological level explains how hard the work would be in those times.

This is the make up of setting in the short story "A & P" by John Updike.

Evaluation of 1st Quarter

It's the end of the first quarter, and I believe I have done very well. English class was a lot of fun and I was quiet successful! Looking back at it overall, English class was the class that I did well in through the general procedures. I always came to class on time and had all the materials that were needed. Also, I was well prepared, for example putting all the materials I needed for class on my desk so I could have worked efficiently. Also, I tried my hardest to participate in class, even when people contradicted me. I would ask questions or answer them to the best of my ability. I worked well by myself during reading time or writing time. I also worked well with the group work such as the editing group for our literacy narrative. The partner work wasn't the best because I didn't like working with my partner all that much. Other than that, I worked efficiently on what I had to work on for class.

Next quarter there are three elements of class I would like to work on. Two are major, one is minor. The two major elements are strictly studying on my Worldly Wise vocabulary tests and shortening down my essay during class so I can leave at the time of the bell. Also, leaving at the time of the bell is the last element for class that I would like to work on. I leave class later than everyone else. This is because I pack up too slow causing me to be in no hurry, all though I should be so I can get to my next class on time. These three things I will work on and strive to do better for the second quarter.

Reading Times:
10/10/12="Dry September"; William Faulkner; 36 min; read & annotate11 pages
10/11/12="And of Clay Are We Created"; Isabel Allende (translated by Margaret Sayers Peden); 38 min; read & annotate 12 pages
10/12/12="Harrison Bergeron"; Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.; 29 min; read & annotate 7 pages
10/12/12=City of Ashes; Cassandra Clare; 28 min.; 25 pages
10/13/12=City of Ashes; Cassandra Clare; 32 min; 31 pages

Reading Times

Reading Times:

"To Da-Duh, In Memorium"; by Paule Marshal; 42 min.; read & annotate 9 pages
"A&P"; by John Updike; 38 min. read & annotate 5 pages
"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings"; by Gabriel Garcia Marquez; 34 min.; read & annoate 3 pgs.
City of Ashes; by Cassandra Clare; 45 min.; 42 pages

I Am a Writer Who...

I am a writer who puts thoughts into words.
I am a writer who has multiple drafts for just one assignment.
I am a writer who cannot work alone. Who seeks out everyone else's help for my own benefit.
I am a writer who will most likely not change the world through my words, yet I will influence myself to strive for the best writing.
I am a writer who second guesses ALL my work, no matter what.
I am a writer who cannot write perfectly. My words are wrong, as is my grammar and punctuation. The flow of my paper may not be like the flow of a river, but of the ocean. My ideas may be all over the place taking me time to organize and narrow it down until there is only one main idea.
I am a writer who takes my work in pride, even if it never delivers.
I am a writer who paints pictures in the minds of my readers, or attempts to.
I am a writer who needs to work on writing.
But through it all,...

I am a writer who writes!