Let's try something new. Instead of emailing me, could you please declare your writer, primary source, note-taking method, first sentence or line and your first impressions?
[Two men com around the corner, Stanley Kowalski and Mitch. They are about twenty-eight or thirty years old, roughly dressed in blue denim work clothes. Stanley carries his bowling jacket and a red-stained package from a butcher's. They stop at the foot of the steps.]
Stanley: [bellowing]: Hey, there! Stella, baby!
Reactions:
The scene is set in a city. Because I read the intro, I know that it is New Orleans. These men are relatively young, and Stella seams to be Stanley's wife. He must be bringing her a slab of meat for dinner. The two probably are stopping by on their way to go bowl. Since Stanley used the expression "Hey there," Readers can assume that the story doesn't take place in modern day because that language is outdated.
Primary Source: Variety of Short Stories (Found on LitFinder)
Notes: taken on Microsoft Word Notes
1st couple sentences from "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge": A MAN stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feet below. The man's hands were behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord.
Impression: The text so far seems pretty digestible and to the point. The second sentence has no adjectives. Bierce has a unique way of building anticipation by creating a frightening and disturbing scene. The man in the text is bound by a cord and set at a remarkable height, which comes across as a bit precarious.
First Sentences: Victoria's world shook for the first time on the day Ciatlin Somers sashayed up to her desk, plunked herself down on the edge, and said, "Vix.." It came out sounding like the name of a beautiful flower, velvety and smooth, not like a decongestant.
Impression: This novel so far seems to be very exciting and drama filled! As two girls, sisters, share their summer together.
First Line: “The village of Holcomb stand on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call “out there.” Some seventy miles easy of the Colorado border, the countryside, with its hard blue skies and desert-clear air, has an atmosphere that is rather more Far West than Middle West.
Reaction: I feel like Capote writes in a style that is complex but not as difficult to read as Hawthorne. I feel like the rich language and sentence structure makes it very readable but still keeps me engaged. From reading this first passage I really like the way Capote writes and I am actually excited to read this book.
Note taking Strategy: I will use a notebook document to type out notes as well as take notes in a personal copy of the novel.
Opening Passage (primary source): I first met Deal not long after my wife and I split up. I had just gotten over a serious illness that I won’t bother to talk about, except that it had something to do with the miserably weary split-up and my feeling that everything was dead. With the coming of Dean Moriarty began the part of my life you could call my life on the road.
First Impression: I think that this novel is going to be pretty entertaining and honest. My first impression of Kerouac as a person is that he seems very open and perhaps a bit outspoken. My thought is that he has had his share of hard times and through his readings, I will learn about how he moved on and experienced a whole new aspect of life through tragedy and loss.
Author: Tom Wolfe Book: The Electric Kool-Aid Test Noting Style: Microsoft Word First Line: That’s good thinking there, cool breeze. Reaction: Definitely will keep me interested and seems pretty easy to understand.
First Sentences: My father has asked me to be the fourth corner at the Joy Luck Club. I am to replace my mother, whose seat at the mah jong table has been empty since she died two months ago. My father thinks she was killed by her own thoughts.
First Impressions: The Joy Luck Club seems like something that's symbolically important because the narrarator's father makes the effort to ask his daughter to take his wife's place. Amy Tan notes that the narrarator will be filling the fourth seat, which makes it seem like the Joy Luck Club might fill a missing piece in the lives of its members.
First Line: It was reliably reported by several persons that a rain of stones fell from a clear blue sky on Carlin Street in the town of Chamberlain on August 17th.
Reaction: It is apparent that something bad happened to this house, but it is not possible for a "rain of stones" to fall from the sky.
If you didn't receive full credit on your post (which was a 97) go back to the directions and make sure you have all the parts. Also, post your first impressions of the writing, the language, the implications, the opening conflicts, not whether you are going to like the novel or not.
Writer: Sylvia Plath Primary Source(s): The Bell Jar, Collected Poems
Notetaking Method: I plan on marking up The Bell Jar with stickies, commenting on Plath's writing style as well as the statements she makes. I will also make note of important passages.
First line: "Doreen wasn't saying a word, she only toyed with her cork placemat and eventually lit a cigarette but the man didn't seem to mind. He kept staring at her the way people stare at the great white macaw in the zoo, waiting for it to say something."
I like how chooses to describe Doreen in this unconventional way, granting her character a somewhat exotic quality. It's also obvious that Esther is captivated and intrigued by Doreen. Im interested to see what role Doreen will play in the rest of the novel.
Note Taking: since it is a short story found online, i will print it out, highlight and mark notes in the margins
First Line: TRUE! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them.
Reactions: After reading this first passage, I get the impression that this unknown narrator is about to do something bad...he has some kind of "disease"-- I think the disease is some kind of mental issue. The language is almost cryptic, as i read more I feel like it can be interpreted in many ways. The first part of the story is pretty dark and mysterious, it will be interesting to see why the narrator talks the way he does and what caused him to be nervous.
First Line: The backyard of the KELLER home in the outskirts of an American town. August of our era.
Reactions: A general supposition - the picturesque description of this backyard is blunt, letting the reader/director take their own subjective view of what this could look like. Green grass, doghouse, etc. could all be first impressions of this.
Note taking device: I will leave stickes in the book in order to use the texts marked in future research and analysis.
First line: The scene of this chronicle is the town of Dawson’s Landing, on the Missouri side of the Mississippi, half a day’s journey, per steamboat, below St. Louis.
First Impression: My first impression of the setting was that this town was a small town. This description also shows it’s probably a fishing town also considering its location.
First Line: "When I wrote the following pages,or rather the bulk of them, I lived alone, in the woods, a mile from any neighbor, in a house I had built myself, on the shore of Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts, and earned my living by the labor of my hands only."
First Impression: The opening line of Walden gives the impression that the book will be somewhat analytical. However, this line also shows that the pages that follow will be that of intense self-reflection.
Author: Tennessee Williams
ReplyDeletePrimary Source: A Streetcar Named Desire
Note Taking Method: on the computer- outline form
1st Line:
[Two men com around the corner, Stanley Kowalski and Mitch. They are about twenty-eight or thirty years old, roughly dressed in blue denim work clothes. Stanley carries his bowling jacket and a red-stained package from a butcher's. They stop at the foot of the steps.]
Stanley: [bellowing]:
Hey, there! Stella, baby!
Reactions:
The scene is set in a city. Because I read the intro, I know that it is New Orleans. These men are relatively young, and Stella seams to be Stanley's wife. He must be bringing her a slab of meat for dinner. The two probably are stopping by on their way to go bowl. Since Stanley used the expression "Hey there," Readers can assume that the story doesn't take place in modern day because that language is outdated.
It's a good first line (the dialogue, I mean). Certainly gives impression of a very manly, aggressive person in Stanley.
ReplyDeleteEllie H.-
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Ambrose Bierce
Primary Source: Variety of Short Stories (Found on LitFinder)
Notes: taken on Microsoft Word Notes
1st couple sentences from "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge": A MAN stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feet below. The man's hands were behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord.
Impression: The text so far seems pretty digestible and to the point. The second sentence has no adjectives. Bierce has a unique way of building anticipation by creating a frightening and disturbing scene. The man in the text is bound by a cord and set at a remarkable height, which comes across as a bit precarious.
Ayn Rand
ReplyDeleteAnthem
I still have to get the book from the library
Marion
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Judy Blume
Primary Source: Summer Sisters
First Sentences: Victoria's world shook for the first time on the day Ciatlin Somers sashayed up to her desk, plunked herself down on the edge, and said, "Vix.." It came out sounding like the name of a beautiful flower, velvety and smooth, not like a decongestant.
Impression: This novel so far seems to be very exciting and drama filled! As two girls, sisters, share their summer together.
Author: Truman Capote
ReplyDeleteBook: In Cold Blood
Noting Style: Microsoft Word
First Line: “The village of Holcomb stand on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call “out there.” Some seventy miles easy of the Colorado border, the countryside, with its hard blue skies and desert-clear air, has an atmosphere that is rather more Far West than Middle West.
Reaction: I feel like Capote writes in a style that is complex but not as difficult to read as Hawthorne. I feel like the rich language and sentence structure makes it very readable but still keeps me engaged. From reading this first passage I really like the way Capote writes and I am actually excited to read this book.
Author: Jack Kerouac
ReplyDeletePrimary Source: On the Road
Note taking Strategy: I will use a notebook document to type out notes as well as take notes in a personal copy of the novel.
Opening Passage (primary source): I first met Deal not long after my wife and I split up. I had just gotten over a serious illness that I won’t bother to talk about, except that it had something to do with the miserably weary split-up and my feeling that everything was dead. With the coming of Dean Moriarty began the part of my life you could call my life on the road.
First Impression: I think that this novel is going to be pretty entertaining and honest. My first impression of Kerouac as a person is that he seems very open and perhaps a bit outspoken. My thought is that he has had his share of hard times and through his readings, I will learn about how he moved on and experienced a whole new aspect of life through tragedy and loss.
Author: Ken Kesey
ReplyDeleteBook: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Notes: Using Microsoft Word
First Line: “They’re out there.
Black boys in white suits up before me to commit sex acts in the hall and get it mopped up before I can catch them.”
Reaction: The book seems a bit odd based off the first line, I’m not quite sure what to expect but I like Kesey’s writing stlye.
Author: Tom Wolfe
ReplyDeleteBook: The Electric Kool-Aid Test
Noting Style: Microsoft Word
First Line: That’s good thinking there, cool breeze.
Reaction: Definitely will keep me interested and seems pretty easy to understand.
Sara M.
ReplyDeleteWriter: Amy Tan
Primary Source: "The Joy Luck Club"
Note-Taking Method: document with chart
First Sentences: My father has asked me to be the fourth corner at the Joy Luck Club. I am to replace my mother, whose seat at the mah jong table has been empty since she died two months ago. My father thinks she was killed by her own thoughts.
First Impressions: The Joy Luck Club seems like something that's symbolically important because the narrarator's father makes the effort to ask his daughter to take his wife's place. Amy Tan notes that the narrarator will be filling the fourth seat, which makes it seem like the Joy Luck Club might fill a missing piece in the lives of its members.
Author: Stephen King
ReplyDeletePrimary Source: Carrie
Noting Style: Microsoft Word
First Line: It was reliably reported by several persons that a rain of stones fell from a clear blue sky on Carlin Street in the town of Chamberlain on August 17th.
Reaction: It is apparent that something bad happened to this house, but it is not possible for a "rain of stones" to fall from the sky.
If you didn't receive full credit on your post (which was a 97) go back to the directions and make sure you have all the parts. Also, post your first impressions of the writing, the language, the implications, the opening conflicts, not whether you are going to like the novel or not.
ReplyDeleteWriter: Sylvia Plath
ReplyDeletePrimary Source(s): The Bell Jar, Collected Poems
Notetaking Method: I plan on marking up The Bell Jar with stickies, commenting on Plath's writing style as well as the statements she makes. I will also make note of important passages.
First line: "Doreen wasn't saying a word, she only toyed with her cork placemat and eventually lit a cigarette but the man didn't seem to mind. He kept staring at her the way people stare at the great white macaw in the zoo, waiting for it to say something."
I like how chooses to describe Doreen in this unconventional way, granting her character a somewhat exotic quality. It's also obvious that Esther is captivated and intrigued by Doreen. Im interested to see what role Doreen will play in the rest of the novel.
Author: Edgar Allen Poe
ReplyDeletePrimary Source: Tell Tale Heart
Note Taking: since it is a short story found online, i will print it out, highlight and mark notes in the margins
First Line: TRUE! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them.
Reactions: After reading this first passage, I get the impression that this unknown narrator is about to do something bad...he has some kind of "disease"-- I think the disease is some kind of mental issue. The language is almost cryptic, as i read more I feel like it can be interpreted in many ways. The first part of the story is pretty dark and mysterious, it will be interesting to see why the narrator talks the way he does and what caused him to be nervous.
initial questions/comments: narrator remains anonymous
Author: Arthur Miller.
ReplyDeletePrimary Source: All My Sons
First Line: The backyard of the KELLER home in the outskirts of an American town. August of our era.
Reactions: A general supposition - the picturesque description of this backyard is blunt, letting the reader/director take their own subjective view of what this could look like. Green grass, doghouse, etc. could all be first impressions of this.
Author: Mark Twain
ReplyDeleteBook: Pudd’nhead Wilson
Note taking device: I will leave stickes in the book in order to use the texts marked in future research and analysis.
First line: The scene of this chronicle is the town of Dawson’s Landing, on the Missouri side of the Mississippi, half a day’s journey, per steamboat, below St. Louis.
First Impression:
My first impression of the setting was that this town was a small town. This description also shows it’s probably a fishing town also considering its location.
Author: Henry David Thoreau
ReplyDeleteBook: Walden
Note Taking Device: Word
First Line: "When I wrote the following pages,or rather the bulk of them, I lived alone, in the woods, a mile from any neighbor, in a house I had built myself, on the shore of Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts, and earned my living by the labor of my hands only."
First Impression: The opening line of Walden gives the impression that the book will be somewhat analytical. However, this line also shows that the pages that follow will be that of intense self-reflection.