Jared Bauer

January 20, 2015

Jim Yardley’s Brave Dragons follows a Chinese basketball team as they rise up from the cellar of the league.  He first became interested in the Brave Dragons when former NBA coach Bob Weiss agreed to coach the team.   The Brave Dragons are owned by a quirky owner who constantly makes coaching changes, screams at his players for hours, and once even physically assaulted a player.  However, the story becomes about much more than this as it delves into Chinese culture.  Jim Yardley puts himself into the story as character using Literary Journalism.  Jim Yardley’s use of literary journalism puts you into the story Brave Dragons and gives you a realistic perspective into Chinese culture and how it differs from American culture.

One of the major features of literary journalism is storytelling.  You are thrust right into the clash of cultures in the first chapter.  Negotiating the Chinese culture is like a minefield.  Something as simple as eating your lunch can cause an explosion.  According to Tracey, Bob Weiss’ wife, “Bob should not leave his chopsticks planted like fence posts in a bowl of rice because this symbolized death.” (16)  Bob was not versed in American manners let alone Chinese.   This anecdote about eating lunch demonstrates the importance of storytelling, as this same information communicated in nonfiction would lack the sense of immediacy.   

Another major feature of literary journalism is the use of voice.  In Brave Dragons Yardley uses first person perspective to tell the story of Chinese culture.  Jim Yardley was invited to spend the Chinese New Year with the Brave Dragons’ DJ, Ren Hongbing.  The first day of the Chinese New Year is a highly celebrated occasion and is described by Yardley as, “The Chinese equivalent of Christmas and Thanksgiving blended together.” (225)   On the first day of the Chinese New Year celebration there was a fire in the building where Ren lives.  Jim Yardley wants to help the family put out the fire.  “‘Eat,’ Ren said.  ‘This is not a problem.’  I’ll go take a look.’  He closed the door.  I found myself wishing that Ren’s parents had also given birth to Ren Firefighter.  I ate a few dumplings and contemplated my predicament.  I was Ren’s guest, and I did not want to embarrass him or for him to lose face.” (228)  Yardley’s use of literary journalism puts you into his shoes as a character and puts you into his “predicament.”   In China it would be “embarrassing” for a guest to help.  The use of first person perspective was far more compelling to read than a factual story about how the Chinese honor their guests.  

Literary journalism allows the writer to describe scenes and characters in minute detail.  Yardley, when describing the utterances of the team’s African center, uses extreme description.  For instance, the author states, “It was as if they arrived a long moment after they left his mouth, as if the sound were lingering in the air, vibrating, deliberating whether it would coalesce itself into something recognizable.” (90)  Literary journalism is the only medium in which this kind of detail could be applied in a factual story.  The use of description enhances the character Olumide.  After Yardley portrays Olumide’s voice this way, it changes your perspective on him for the remainder of the story.  It gives you the back story for why Olumide’s quotes later in the story are a confusing jumble.  Also, one can now understand that the author at times had to interpret Olumide’s words when it put into the story.   

One of the hallmarks of journalism is the attempt to be objective.  Figurative language classically does not fit into journalism.  However, Yardley is freed from those handcuffs by using the conventions of literary journalism.  For example Yardley writes, “The Liaoning Pan Pan Dinosaurs’ basketball arena is shaped like a whiskey tumbler, squat with rounded glass walls, glowing on this night with intoxicating promise.” (64) Yardley does more than describe the shape of the arena.  He is able to paint a picture of the Chinese obsession for basketball and its promise.  Literary journalism allows Yardley to describe the arena with a metaphor instead of blandly stating it.  

Brave Dragons is more than a story about a Chinese basketball team.  It clearly depicts the interaction between the Chinese and American culture.  Literary journalism is the ideal medium to show this interaction.  It gives the writer the ability to paint a whole picture complete with nuances of character and personality.  Yardley has acknowledged his intent to reveal the conflicts within modern China.  Yardley was quoted by the New York Times stating, “Private entrepreneurship exists in perpetual tension with the state.”  You can see this throughout the story Brave Dragons.  The tension between the state and team is shown in many facets throughout the story.  For instance, the team DJ wants to play various types of music at the Brave Dragon's games.  However, the state sanctions what music is allowed.  Every team in the Chinese Basketball Association must play the same music.  This is microcosm of what happens throughout present day China.            

Prior to writing this story, Yardley was a journalist for many years. Yet, he chose to use the conventions of literary journalism to tell the story of evolving Chinese culture.  Shy of living it oneself, Yardley’s use of literary journalism gives us as realistic of a look into Chinese culture as possible.

Bibliography:

Zengerle, Jason. "China’s Basketball Culture." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Feb. 2012. Web. 18 Jan. 2015.

Yardley, Jim. Brave Dragons: A Chinese Basketball Team, an American Coach, and Two Cultures Clashing. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. Print.

In the book, Everyday By David Levithan,  the relationship between

the protagonist, A, and his object of his affection Rhiannon,  to make the reader feel emotionally attached. The book is written from the perspective of a “person” who never inhabits the same body for more than 24 hours. The interesting part about the way this book is that this person must somehow figure out how to stay in touch with the girl he loves while dealing with the problem of always having to switch bodies. The book’s overall theme is mystery, making the reader wonder what comes next, what body the protagonist will end up in the next day. The book appeals to a teenagers dream of being able to be in their ideal body for one day,but also shows the downside, even nightmarish disadvantage of maybe getting the worst possible body to live in as well. When the body switches, the author is creating a new setting, and the reader automatically tries to figure out why the author chose this body and how it will affect the protagonists’ story.

When you begin the story, the author immediately immerses you in the protagonist’s world, making even the most simplistic elements of a story, like the  backstory pop out. When the author says “sixteen years is a lot of time to practice. I don’t usually make mistakes. Not anymore.” The question that pops into the head of the reader is what kind of mistakes the protagonist has made, and practice for what? In my mind, I also ask the question, what kind of life do you lead when all of it is just “practice”? When you read further into the book, you notice the protagonist starts to talk more about his feelings and past experiences in other bodies when he opens up to Rhiannon. The first encounter between the two of them is by far the most meaningful and important part of the story, because this is where the love story begins.

“I am a drifter, and as lonely as that can be, it is also remarkably freeing. I will never define myself in terms of anyone else. I will never feel the pressure of peers or the burden of parental expectation. I can view everyone as pieces of a whole, and focus on the whole, not the pieces. I have learned how to observe, far better than most people observe. I’m not blinded by the past or motivated by the future. I focus on the present.”

Levithan uses the thoughts of the character to propel the reader into the head of the protagonist as he/she goes through his everyday routine with you. Right now, he is describing himself to the reader and the words he uses, like “drifter” draw the reader in because you never hear characters physical features being described as such. However this is a different story for this character because he is not just a human, he is just a being. This also supports the idea of using the relationship between the protagonist and Rhiannon to evoke feelings in the reader. This is what he’s like before he meets her, which is something I noticed evoked feelings of both interest and nervousness in me at every chapter.

“ He’s peripatetic and undependable, in as much as he pops up in a new town and a new flesh-and-blood vessel each morning. A. doesn’t have a real name, presumably because he doesn’t have a real existence: he’s not a person, at least not in any conventional sense, but a spirit, switching without choice from one teenage host to the next and, for just 24 hours, replacing its soul and consciousness with his own. Levithan’s novel asks: Can love possibly find a way around that?”

This shows the effect that the use of the main characters thought and their boundaries that they constantly try to push everyday. I chose this quote because it speaks about the emotions evoked when reading this book through the perspective of an ever changing protagonist.

The way the author uses the settings adds a deeper level to the book, not only making you want to know what happens with the protagonist and Rhiannon, but also makes you want to know whose body he’ll wake up in the next day. I think the one body that evoked the most emotion for me was when the author put the protagonist in a suicidal girl’s body.

“I flip to the end, past pages of dosages and special instructions. There are still blank pages at the back but before them is a page that reads DEADLINE, followed by a date thats only 6 days away.”

This is what I meant by change of setting. When David Levithan changes the body that the main character inhabits, he is essentially changing the physical background of the story. Everytime the protagonist goes to sleep he wakes up in a different body, and with each body brings a flood of different experiences which are meant to give the reader different emotions. In this particular body, the author puts the love story on hold and has the protagonist immerse himself in trying to save this body from doing what it wants to do. The girl wants to kill herself so the main character has to decide whether or not to break his golden rule which was not to tamper with other people’s bodies. The author purposely makes a character like this to make the reader feel torn and scared for the girl and what would happen to her after he left her body. The author also shows the reader that the protagonist truly isn’t in control of what bodie he/she inhabits to show in the end that being able to switch bodies all the time isn’t the best thing either.  

Levithan’s use of the protagonist’s emotions & relationships with other characters helps the reader get inside the protagonists head and feel exactly what the author wants you to feel. When A meets Rhiannon, the reader feels uncertain about whats to come. When the story picks up, and the reader starts to get a feel for the character’s life in that certain body, the author switches it immediately, ultimately keeping the reader on his/her toes and eager to read the next chapter. When Levithan decided to use the protagonist’s disposition in a love story themed book, it added a mood of mystery to the protagonist’s profile, because the reader would never know who he’d be next. This book truly challenged the very thoughts of every teenager about their love life, asking the questions of if they could find true love if they looked a certain way and how it would affect the people they loved. This book pulled all of these questions together and at the same time added a creative and different conflict for the main character and Rhiannon to endure, making for a very unique and interesting story. The author sends the reader a final message to the reader that nothing is perfect, especially the life the protagonist leads.

Short Chapters Are Better For A First Person Story

In the book, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time by Mark Haddon, he uses very small chapters to break up his work. Sometimes they range from being a paragraph to being more than 10 pages. He does not even use the usual format of how chapters break up the story. He will put the number with no title right below other writing. It doesn’t just use a blank page on the left, then a page on the right with the chapter number and title, then some words underneath going on to the next page. He might just put it in the middle, or bottom, or top. This book is in first person which is very key to using these short chapters. The effect that the chapters had on the first person story, really lets the character decide to break up his story, and it felt a lot more free flowing. It was better to read it like this because you lived each day with him, giving insight on what everything was going on. It made the book faster and I feel like this is a strong new tool for first person stories. The short chapters enhance the first person story, and should be used more.

Early off in the book, he gets to chapter five which was only on the third page. The previous chapter before the fifth one only lasted for five short paragraphs explaining his relationship with his neighbor Siobhan and how she treated him. He says that he likes her and how she takes care of him, and what she reads and draws for him. That is all what that chapter was about. Chapter five, was also very short. It only lasted for a paragraph but it made the book progress through a scene that could be very large. “5. I pulled the fork out of the dog and lifted him into my arms and hugged him. He was leaking blood from the fork holes. I like dogs. You always know what dog is thinking. It has four moods. Happy sad, cross and concentrating. Also, dogs are faithful and they do not tell lies because they cannot talk.” (End of chapter). This chapter was very concise. It had only a total of six sentences, and it made it very easy to understand what the character thought. This chapter could be a lot longer but it didn’t have to be. The writer captured everything you needed to know about Christopher helping out the dog. If it was a regular chapter that would be long, he would have gone on and on about the dogs blood, not necessary literary elements, and too much of a description.

The short chapters being used by Mark Haddon are very elaborate and enjoyed by many of other readers. In many reviews, they talk about how great of a first person story this is. Christopher is autistic, and many people picked up on this through out the book. It was really good to get the inside look of someone with autism and their inside thoughts. Making the chapters shorter was really well fitting. Also, with how the chapters are numbered which are all prime numbers. Christopher likes to solve puzzles and is very smart with numbers. In the beginning of the book he says “Prime numbers are what is left when you have taken all the patterns away. I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them.” This made the book very interesting on top of the short chapters. I only say first person because this is what comes straight out of a character's mouth and how he wants to tell the story, unlike a third person story where the narrator is only going into detail about the events that take place, and that they have to break it up in to different parts of the story.

Christopher’s chapter numbers were a great way to communicate how he felt about numbers and how much he likes to solve puzzles. He has a great knack for numbers and what they mean to him. The prime numbers really enhanced the story, and same with the way how they were short. It was a great way to really understand someone with autism because I know from friends that do have it, that they really like numbers and are good with them as well. Sometimes, they might talk about one thing extensively or keep it very short. Thats how the chapters were set up, and everything they did was a real masterpiece and put the story together so much better. An online source explains the chapters very well and how they work. “Equally, Christopher chooses to give his chapters prime numbers because he likes them: they mean something to him. He does not choose prime numbers because they have significance for someone else, like his name meaning carrying Christ. Also like him, prime numbers do not fit in with a typical or easy pattern - they are difficult to identify and they are a rule unto no one.” This describes very well of how the chapters play out. The chapters are a representation of him, not just a story. They hold a meaning that relates just to him and no one else. On top of them holding a meaning to what he likes and what he is good at, they are short too which makes it even better. If these went on for a while, the prime numbers wouldn’t be as powerful because he doesn’t get to show an abundance of them if he wrote long chapters which would mean there would be less. Short prime numbered chapters played out amazingly in this book.

David Levithan’s, Two Boys Kissing, is centered around two male peers attempting to break a Guinness World Record, by kissing each other for 32 hours straight. They were not to sit down, or break away at anytime; they were a couple at one point, but now they are just peers. They were taking a stand for those who could not stand for themselves. The more interesting aspect of the novel, is it is told from the perspective of a chorus of deceased men who passed due to AIDs; with this unorthodox narrative technique, Levithan creates a dynamic, relatable, heart-wrenching, and eye-opening powerhouse experience for the reader.

To begin with, two friends, Craig’s and Harry’s, along with others’, stories are being told by the chorus of deceased men. A chorus of men means that the immense group of narrators are all speaking in unison. In the novel, the various characters were being introduced, and parallels were being drawn between their story and the men's’ stories. On page 6, Levithan wrote, “We did not have the internet, but we had a network. We did not have websites, but we had sites where we wove our web. You could see it most in the cities. . . Spots in the park, and the bookstores where Wilde, Whitman and Baldwin reigned as bastard kings. These were are safe harbors, even when we feared that being too open meant we were opening ourselves up to attack. Our happiness had defiance, and our happiness had fear. . .” Here is an example of how the author creates the relatable aspect of the novel. They speak about the current state of gay people in society in comparison to when it was their time. The reader gets a sense of how intertwined we are with social media, and how they searched for a place to be accepted or created safe havens for themselves to get away. When the reading the last two sentences of this quote, the reader must immerse themselves in the words written. Levithan centralized the idea that gay people in the past had rarely any place to feel recognized as an equal, and how while they were free, they did not feel whole. The author centralized an exceptionally shocking truth that most readers may not have fully acknowledged until coming across this novel, and it makes their heart ache from seeing such hardships.

Secondly, on the first page of the novel the chorus of narrators introduce themselves, without stating exactly who they are. They invasively explain how they are the reader’s old family members or family friends, how they are everyone in a sense. The following quote stems from the invasive introduction. Levithan writes, on page on, “We are a spirit-burden you carry. . . We try to make it as light a burden as possible. At the same time, when we see you, we cannot help but think of ourselves. . . We were once the ones who were living, and then we were the ones who were dying. We sewed ourselves, a thread’s width, into your history.” Here, the reader is immediately launched into the unorthodox writing technique. Levithan could have just written the novel with multiple perspectives of the actual characters. Yet, by using the narrators as unique as these outside perspectives, sounding as one, the reader’s mind is more open to ideas from the beginning of the novel. Therefore, as the person keeps reading they are immersed in the ideas, such as the quote brings into view, and they will tear through the novel. The men’s wisdom and preachings capture the reader. The quote establishes how once they were us and then they were nothing; this can’t help but make the reader’s think of what comes next for them. In the next few pages, Levithan brings up the following point, “We wish we could offer you a creation myth, an exact reason why you are the way you are, why when you read this sentence, you will know it is about you. But we don’t know how it began. We barely understood the time we knew. We gather the things we learned, and they nearly add up to fill the space of life.” These quotes resonate with the reader. It creates a tugging feeling in their chest, and explosions of thoughts in their minds. This occurs, because they sound incredibly similar and perceptive to most of the reader’s lives, if not all. People desire for anyone to give them all the answers to their questions. Therefore, these are more examples of the realizations and the points Levithan brings into question by using this particular technique. Thus, creating points presented for the reader to remember and to acknowledge, just by using this specific, unique technique.

Lastly, Meredith Goldstein of the Boston Globe, writes for the Book section. She wrote a piece on two up and coming novels, being recognized for possible awards. One of them being, Two Boys Kissing. She writes, “. . .The story is an unexpected nail-biter; you’ll find yourself gasping when it seems that Craig and Harry might pass out before making their 32-hour goal. And you’ll fall in love with the supporting players in their orbit, such as their all-knowing friend Smita and the characters who watch them commit the act from afar, like Neil and Peter, a young couple in love who consider their own romance while watching the kiss online. . . In the beginning, the Greek Chorus feels heavy-handed — or maybe too dramatic — but soon it becomes clear that the tone is just right, because Craig and Harry are, in fact, changing the world.  Some younger readers might miss out on the cultural references, especially more subtle allusions to the AIDS epidemic. Like the best young adult books, this one should be discussed with grown-ups and read more than once.” This excerpt from her review correlates with the central idea of my thesis. Yet, also plays devil’s advocate to the writing technique Levithan chose. It also hones in on the focal point of the novel. Which is the two boys kissing for the lengthy amount of time, to make a statement and to take a stand for the gay community. It presents a synopsis of the characters’ stories focused on in the novel. Goldstein, while tearing the technique to pieces with love, eventually comes to the conclusion it sets the novel apart and creates a unique, note-worthy experience for readers.

To conclude, the narrators really set the tone and harmony of the entire book. And is what has the reader tare through each chapter. If there were to be any difference in the narrative perspectives, it brings into question how the reader could be interested without that unique aspect. Levithan chose to shape his story outside of the box. Thus, created a novel that stands on its own, and has readers captured and engulfed in every word the narrators preach, and immersed in every emotion felt.

In Christina Baker Kline’s book Orphan Train, she uses a variety of different writing styles and techniques to impact the reader’s experience. What makes this book special is how Kline uses point of view in her stories. She writes from two different points of views and switches back and forth between the two. In this story, there are two main characters. There is Vivian, who is in her early 90s and then Molly, who is a teenager. Vivian and Molly are orphans which allows them to connect on another level. Throughout the story, Molly agrees to help Vivian clean out her closet and the more they clean it out, the more Vivian remembers from her childhood and the deeper she travels back into her past. Kline’s unique use of the point of view in the story is very important to the experience of the reader because this allows them to encounter more than one character’s emotions and journey.

The first person point of view, which is written from a character in the story’s perspective using “I”, can be identified in the story when Vivian would talk about her childhood from the past. As she talks about her childhood and trials which she overcame, the reader is able to live through her experiences and know how it feels to lose her family at such a young age, jump from home to home, and have her dignity taken away from her as she got older and older. Although the reader might have not experienced the exact same issues, the point of view allows the reader to feel the character’s feelings because you are reading from their perspective. Having a story written in first person puts the reader in the shoes of the character who is speaking, which is the reason it affects the reader’s emotions so greatly.

The third person point of view, which is written from the outside looking in and when the narrator sees and knows the actions, thoughts and feelings of multiple characters, can be identified in the story when the time period shifts back to the present tense and is more focused on Molly’s feelings and actions. When the story is being told in third person, the reader has the ability to go through a journey with more than one character. Although the third person storytelling is more focused on Molly, the story isn’t based around the feelings of Molly individually. Both Molly and Vivian’s actions and feelings are both expressed in the present day storytelling. The reader is able to experience what the characters are experiencing, which allows the story to be more effective because multiple experiences of the same event are conveyed.

In the story, as Vivian is on the Orphan Train talking to her new friend Dutchy, he says to her “We are headed toward the unknown, and have no choice but to sit quietly in our hard seats and let ourselves be taken there.” Dutchy saying this has an influence on the reader because it makes them feel as if he is talking directly to them. He says “we are headed toward the unknown…”, which instantly places the reader in the shoes of the character from which the point of view is being told from. If Dutchy were to have said “they were headed toward the unknown”, this would have not been as emotional and involving because the reader would not have felt included in the story. Incorporating the reader in the story enables the chance for the reader to relate and connect to the characters.

Julie P, a fan of Kline’s, has read the Orphan Train and fell in love. She says “ I was very impressed with her storytelling abilities, especially how she went back and forth between the present day and the past,  still being able to link together Vivian and Molly's characters.” Julie’s experience while reading the story was also impacted due to the different uses of point of views. Although there was a change in the point of view, Kline still found a way to connect the character’s back to one another. If Kline did not connect Molly and Vivian back to each other, this could have caused confusion for the reader, thus the connections of the character’s was very important.

Another reason Vivian and Molly have such a strong connection is they share many of the same experiences in life. As the story is being told in the present tense and written from third person point of view, it states “When Vivian describes how it felt to be at the mercy of strangers, Molly nods. You’re grateful for the slightest hint of kindness, and then, as you get older, suspicious. Why would anyone do anything for you without expecting something in return?” As Vivian is talking to Molly about her past, Molly is able to understand how she feels. She knows how it feels to constantly be taken advantage of, but was oblivious to it because she was so young and naive, and as they both grew older they began seeing how greedy and evil people can really be. This connects back to Vivian’s past and because the story is written from her point of view, the reader is able to go through her life experience with her. So, because the reader knows how Vivian feels, they are also able to understand how Molly felt since they both have the same experiences.

In conclusion, Kline’s book was definitely unique and stood out to many of the readers of it. Without the point of view being written the way it was written, the reader may have only been able to relate to one of the characters. Also, having the point of views switched back and forth from the past to the present keeps the reader engaged and interested to what will happen next. The reader is able to be in one character’s shoes and seeing their views on life, while also viewing other’s point of views and still being able to relate to the other characters. Kline did an amazing job keeping the story entertaining and leaving the reader at the edge of their seat, all while still connecting the character’s to one another made the story effective.

Amanda Bolli

1/15/15

Gold Animal Farm

George Orwell’s book Animal Farm has two different point of views. There is the pigs side and the rest of the animals. It may be hard to understand what certain characters are doing, but there are characters in the book that are easy to understand, and you can follow what they are doing. One example is the horse’s. Boxer has a strong build and can carry a lot but that’s not always a good thing. Boxer doesn’t know he’s a slave. He does know that the pigs Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer are running the farm. You as a reader should see it in all perspectives or the majority of the characters points.

It all started with Old Major's speech. Old major was a prize winning pig. He was wise and thought of the rebellion. That was all in his dream. Well on page 25 the beginning of the 2nd paragraph it says “ During the next three months there was much secret activity.” This is the starting point of planning the rebellion. Every animal had a role to play in it. No one knows when it will happen. It could happen in 40 years or the next day. Point of view is important for this because this is the starting point of where the sides come in. The pigs or the other animals.

The rebellion started and all the animals worked together. They successfully ran out the humans. Now that the farmer is gone, the animals can live a life that they want. So they think. The pigs start to control the work the other animals do. Harder work and longer days.The very first sentence on page 63 it says “ All that year the animals worked like slaves.” The animals are being worked to hard not only are the horses but everyone else except for the pigs. The pigs pretty much rule the farm.

Boxer is being worked way too much. He has a strong build and is very broad. He works way too much and it’s because the pigs know he is strong enough to carry a lot. Everyone warns him but he doesn’t listen.  On page 104 it says,“ A horse’s lungs do not last forever.” Clover is trying to get Boxer to see that he is becoming a slave to the pigs. Also she is trying to get him to see that he is being overworked and that it’s not good for him. Boxer won’t listen to what she has to say.

On http://pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmAnimalFarm22.asp, it says “This point of view allows Orwell to see into the minds of the characters and understand their motivations. As a result, Orwell lets his readers know what the animals do not, for the animals do not understand anything more than they see or hear.” This quote effects the reader by giving them a little bit of a sense of what Orwell wants you to understand in the book. He shows this through the point of view. The point of view of “Animal Farm” is in the third person. Orwell uses a lot of symbolism too. That helps the reader  to understand the plot of the story. Also because it helps with understanding point of view.

On the same website Orwell says "was the first book in which I tried, with full consciousness of what I was doing to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into the whole."  He wants the reader to realize that everything in the book are represented by historical events. Orwell uses allegorical parallels with history. Some examples are; Animal Farm- History of russia,animalism- communism, and many more.   

The third person point of view helps the reader to see the difference between what is going through Orwell’s mind and through the characters of the book. The reader will realize that Boxer is meant to work all the time and when he is not need or use less he is to be killed. Now Orwell wants the reader to realize what Boxer feels about himself and what the pigs actually think about him.Orwell uses third person omniscient to help him to get the reader so see feel and focus on what he is writing. It’s a very good skill to have when writing a book.

The most important part of the story is the plot and it’s structure since it’s the very thing that gives the story purpose. It give the reader a reason to continue with the story in the first place. The plot also shows the reader what type of book they are going to be reading. Like a revenge plot for example. Average revenge plot structures create a storyline that has the main character betrayed or in some other way harmed by one or more individuals. After that, the main character then seeks justice on the the people that had wronged him or her. They succeed and they live a happy life in the end. However, with books like the Count of Monte Cristo, the author makes the plot a little more complicated. With the book, Count of Monte Cristo, written by Alexandre Dumas, the plot structure was so cleverly written, that it creates this storyline that shows how every character is related to one another,or brought because of the important parts they play in the protagonist's, Edmund dantes, quest for revenge, and how they are realistically affected by it .Thus, making the story very unique and the reader doesn’t know what to expect.

For instance, in the book, there is the character Andrea who the count of Monte Cristo , Edmond, had provided for financially, and there is no given reason as to why he would do this, especially when he knows that Andrea is an escaped convict that is just lying to him to get rich. However, he is finally caught and stands before the court, he makes a shocking revelation, that the count told him in disguise, to the court about who  his father is. He says to the judge  “ Yes and since you've asked me for his name I’ll tell it to you: his name is Villefort” (476). To the reader, he or she knows that the count wants revenge on Villefort because of the injustice that he had inflicted upon him. Throughout the the story, the reader find outs that Villefort had child with Madame Danglars, who was the wife of Danglars who also had wronged the count. Now that the purpose of Andrea is revealed, Villefort is now ruined because of his relation to his illegitimate son.

Another example would be Maximilian. In the book, Maximilian is the son of Morrel who was a dear friend to the Count of Monte Cristo and had tried to help the count when his enemies destroyed his life by framing him for something he did not do. The count loves Maximilian like he was his own son, and would never hurt him. However, when he is enacting his revenge on Villefort and his household, and Valentine is dying. Maximilian then runs to the count for help, and tells him “ I love Valentine de Villefort, who’s being murdered at this very moment, do you hear me? And I am asking you and God to tell me how I can save her!”(402). Villefort had put the Count in Prison for many years and now he is enacting his revenge. Now that he realizes that Maximilian has a connection with the Villefort family, he can’t hurt all of them without hurting one of people that he has grown to care for deeply. In the end, the reader sees that the main character is struggling on the journey of  getting justice and vengeance. The reader sees that  the storyline has gotten even more complex because of the Characters connections to one another. In a way both the reader and the protagonist slowly start to realize that revenge storyline is not meant to be simple especially when people who had nothing to do with a few characters past are involved and ultimately effective. Either negatively or positively.   

Lastly, the Nortier is an example because of his past. His granddaughter, Valentine, asks her grand father for help in getting out an arranged marriage her father, Villefort, had had with Franz and his son because she was in love with Maximilian. Her grandfather decides to help them both. On the day that the wedding is supposed to be finalized, Valentine’s grandfather tells Franz about his father and what past he and the Nortier had together. Now, the reader already knows that Franz’s father was mysteriously murdered. When the Nortier has Franz read a story, Franz then says to the Nortier   “You! cried Franz. You, Monsieur Noirtier! Was it you who killed my father?” Yes, said Nortier's eyes” (310). With this revelation, the author’s plot again shows and surprises the reader on how another group of characters are connected, but, this time, in such a tragic way. It  leaves the reader not knowing what to expect now.“A story to me means a plot where there is some surprise. Because that is how life is - full of surprises.” was what Isaac Bashevis Singer once said and Alexandre does such a wonderful job doing this, which is why it makes this such an interesting  revenge story.

In conclusion, a plot, especially one that has to do a lot with revenge, has to to be something that has to be created in such an interesting way,  in order for the reader to even take any interest, let alone pick up and read the book. And Alexandre Dumas does this throughout his book by using connection between unlikely characters . He does this by using death, Bringing Franz and the Nortier together. Love,bringing Valentine, Maximilian, and even the count together since he is the one who is seeking revenge on Valentine’s Family. And finally, family, bringing characters like Andrea and Villefort together. This is why the plot structure is so important. The plot structure for this book has details that are added, that brings a connection with every character on one level or another in such a creative way. It makes it more than just a revenge book and without it, it would just be a basic story about revenge. It still might keep the reader attention, but not like before.            

Susan Collins novel “The Hunger Games”  is written in a way that expresses symbolism. These symbols represent both good and bad things throughout the story. It makes the reader feel different types of emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, and many others because of the different symbols that are used and the way they used it. It influences the readers by giving them something they can look forward into seeing throughout this book and how it affects them.

The mockingjay pin which shows Katniss representing her district. In the book it states “ “Your pin?” I say. Wearing a token from my district is about the last thing on my mind. Here I’ll pin it on your dress, all right? She leans and fixes the bird to my dress. “Promise you’ll wear it into the arena, Katniss she asks. Promise? “Yes” I say. Page 38.” This is shown on page 38. The reader realizes that this symbol appears a lot in the book because in a way that the mockingjay pin does not only represent her district as in good but it also represents a rebellion to the capital because of the experiment with the jabberjays. Which causes the reader to feel power because it brings a dramatic sense of representation to the district.

Another symbol is the three finger salute which shows respect for when people die and tells them that god is in our favor. In the book it states “Every member in the crowd touches three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and holds it out to me. Page 24.” Which the reader can tell that it is used throughout the book right after it is first shown when Katniss first volunteers to be in the games and people stop when the games are over. It makes the reader feel  more comforted that the people in her district care about her and the symbol meaning god is in your favor.

Another symbol is killing for survival which shows that if they are in the games they are representing to win for their district. In this book Katniss is entered in the game and by her winning does not only mean she survives but it also means that her district survives as well. In the book it states “ All year the Capitol will show the winning district gifts of grain and oil and even delicacies like sugar while the rest of us battle starvation. Page 19.“ This causes the reader to feel anger and hope. Anger because the reader is mad how they are letting kids in this game to fight for their own survival which could cause them to die. Hope because it is the only thing the reader can think of as the game is going on. They are hoping for their favorite character wins. Also the reader has hope because they give the winning district great gifts.

The last major symbol in the hunger games is the poisonous berries which katniss and peeta were going to eat the poisonous berries to kill them both to create a rebellion against the Capitol to show them that they do not need one victor. Hungergames4b3.wordpress states “These symbolise power. They offer the power to kill and the power to persuade the game maker to let the two of them live. Poisonous berries- Night lock. (Represents deception, harsh, rebellion)” When They are about to eat the berries the readers feel mixed emotions because it is a good and bad thing that Katniss and Peeta are doing. It is good because they are going against the Capitol which they think would put an end to the Hunger games and showing them how powerful Katniss and Peeta care for eachother that they would die for each other. The bad thing is if they died then they would have been gone and that would have been the end of the books series and the readers would have gone crazy if they both died and no new book was created.  

Symbolism is shown in many different places without people even noticing them but their are others that are very clear of what and how they represent a certain thing. For example in the movie the Master of disguise it shows a triangle with an eye and designs in it that is a symbol of Pistachio being the master of disguise and it keeps reminding him that he is one even when he doesn’t think he is one throughout the movie. Every movie or book has its own symbol which gives you a great idea of the main idea of the movie or book. Symbolism can represent anything whether its a person or even an object that lets you understand the greater meaning of it.

          This structure is really important because to the readers these symbols represent different aspects of the book like how the mockingjay pin represents a token of the district and its rebellion.  Also The three finger salute which represents respect and means god is in our favor and the Killing for survival which they represent their district . Without the mockingjay their will be nothing showing what her district or the rebellion so the reader would feel as if they don’t have something to look forward to and it gives them the wrong impression of the district showing that what is their to represent when district12 is poor anyway so who cares, without the hand sign it would show that no one cares so the reader would have a outlook on people which would make the people of the districts look bad and look like cruel people, and without the killing for survival it would show how they don’t want to represent their district and stay alive when the reader would start expressing sad and angry emotions because the ones they wanted to win did not appear.  All three of these are shown throughout the entire book because they are what make the story unique.

Michelle Hodkins third installment on her Mara Dyer series, The Retribution of Mara Dyer, is a roller coaster of non linear literature. Michelle uses flashbacks which creates a story with many twists and turns. Michelle’s use of flashbacks is to intensify the reader’s understanding of the book by giving them comprehension of a character’s past while also making it non linear. This keeps the reader wondering throughout the book. This style of writing affects the content of the book because it constantly switches back and forth from past and present.

In The Retribution Of Mara Dyer, Michelle Hodkin has flashback chapters that are separated from the regular chapters. These flashback chapters are titled ‘Before’ and appear randomly throughout the book. In the story, readers begin to realize that the flashbacks are being slowly released. Readers think that this is a way to not overwhelm the readers with a huge chapter filled with just one giant flashback. So far in the flashback chapters, readers have read about a young girl who have traveled from India to London to live with her benefactor’s wife. In chapter 20, one of the many ‘before’ chapters, readers see the young girl having a conversation with her benefactors wife, whom the young girl called ‘Aunt’. There’s not much insight on who these people are which keeps the readers curious. One passage from the story that shows this is, “There is power in a name” Sister had said. I did not want to give out the one I’d shared only with her and Uncle, so I’d given anyone else who had asked a different one instead. The name I had given to my doll, before I’d known what it meant/ I decided to give Aunt Sarah the same one. “Mara,” I told her…” - Page 151.  This flashback leaves readers with shock and leaves them engrossed in the book. They are shocked to find out that this girl in the flashbacks is the main character, Mara, but they also want to know how her past correlates with her future. They also want to keep reading. Sure, the author could have released this information in the beginning, and it still would have contained the same information, but it would have taken away from the non linear trend as well as the nagging curiosity it leaves on the readers.

Flashback chapters are not only a way to keep a reader on a non linear roller coaster, but they are also a way to give the reader insight on a character’s past. Little by little, the reader gains more and more insight on who Mara is. Not only do they learn more about her, but with context clues the readers slowly begin to realize that these flashbacks seem to not happen in Mara’s time period. In chapter 43 (before), we read about how Mara has to leave the town she lives in with her professor due to some unexpected occurrences.

“It had been over a century since I fled London with the professor, and yet he still treated me like a child.” - Page 290. Flashbacks like these make the reader realize that maybe the main character has had past lives, or that she might be older than she seems. There could be endless possibilities, but without spoiling it, the two listed above are just a few things that could be possible in this book.

Since the book constantly switches from past and present, readers are always trying to make connections between the two; the readers feel a need to always put two and two together since the book is filled with many mysteries. The readers also begin to realize that all the flashback chapters create their own story within the book seeing as how they pick up where the other flashback is left off.  In chapter 24 (before), we read about Mara’s ‘Aunt’ setting her up with someone so that they could marry.

“But I was presented at court anyway, and engaged six months later. My fiance was sweet and shy, and he loved me. Our engagement lasted three months. He died on our wedding night, just before dawn.” - Page 179. With these flashbacks, readers will constantly try to find out how her past relates with her present. In the present, readers know that Mara has a long term boyfriend named Noah, who she loves very much; but when these chapters appear, readers try to figure out how any of this leads to Mara’s present. Readers also slowly realize that the flashbacks are their own story within the story which adds on to the non linear feel of this book.

In the end, readers acknowledge just how important these flashbacks are. They add onto the story as well as filling in detail. Other readers have noticed the importance of the flashbacks as well; a review from Vilma’s Book Blog shows that. “We see past (“before”) and present finally converge, as answers start to peek through the subtext of the story, making connections we never could’ve imagined. Mara’s quest for answers… for a solution… gets bloodier and more gruesome by the day as we inch towards the climactic end.” With flashbacks, readers can slowly find out how the main character became who they are. They can also find out more about other characters as well through flashbacks. Readers also stay hooked on the book through the flashbacks because of their random occurrences and the shock factor that they hold. Those random appearances keep the readers on their toes and they keep them wanting more. The flashbacks also cause the book to have an unusual feel due to it being non linear. Lastly, this writing style is a unique way to give readers insight without just simply stating it. The constant switch from past and present takes its toll on the reader the deeper they read into it.