Sarah   Wagner

This week we were assigned to read two stories , An Encounter by James Joyce and Paris to the Moon by Gopnik. As we read each piece we were suppose to keep an eye out for the use of "place". The overarching theme I found with this sense of place is extreme detail for the reader. Throughout both pieces the author's created a detailed atmosphere in which I could visualize myself being in either a wide field alone with a strange man or Paris, a place I have only seen in pictures. 

James Joyce’s An Encounter, is about two young boys who skip school to seek an adventure. The sense of place shaped the story based on the extent of the detail. It seemed to me that wherever the young boys ventured to there would be a great use of detail of the places they went whether it was the bridge, field or just walking through town. This detail has the reader visualize and even feel what the boys are seeing. 

As I read Gopnik’s Paris to the Moon, I notice place everywhere throughout this piece of writing. In order to tell his story, Gopnik, uses the description of place in Paris to grasp the reader’s attention. When you read the description of the gardens or the streets, you find yourself visualizing what Paris looks like. Gopnik also brings a comparison between Paris and places in America such as New York and Philadelphia which are two places I have been to more than one time. 

As I read Maxwell Street Days, I agree with the author’s essential idea of living a life of a narrative because that is a way to preserve your past, sensitize yourself to the stories of others and obtain ability to focus your understanding of the world from a personal vantage point. (81) I would love to use this idea during my Twitterive assignment but I am unsure I have the creativity and “experiences” to fulfill such requirement. 

I found it interesting and creative how the author could categorize his entire life revolving around comic books. He made every aspect of his life flow continuously through this idea of villains and superheroes.  It made me wonder about my life. Do I have one specific object, idea, or memory that plays a role through my elementary years through my collegiate years? 

Similar to Maxwell Street Days, A Native Hill is narrative based on a man’s heritage along the Kentucky River (instead of comic books) and the ways where he grew up have shaped his life and America’s own history. He used this sense of place to examine different parts of history that have happened along the Kentucky River. 

It’s interesting how someone can use one specific idea throughout an entire narrative to pull out different key points whether it is talking to a boy in the hospital over comic books or hearing hunter’s stories of bloody scenes of the Indian War. I understand that the authors main focus was to express towards the reader that we all have these memories and experiences that we should share and write down but I do not think I have any substantial experiences. I know I am not beginning my blog off on a positive note but one of my goals this semester is to experience new writing styles. Hopefully this upcoming assignment will break me out of my shell.