Most recent public comments by Yasmin Noor https://nowcomment.com/users/13055 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330977 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330977 The dream house that she finds has a symbolic "doorstep" that she is standing on. The doorstep is the antsy, exciting location before getting to what you want, which in this case is the home. But, the doorstep is also a reflection of her death because it is the gap between the life she leaves when she commits suicide and a different dimension. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:50 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330976 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330976 Even though he's not close enough to them, the reader still gets an outsider's viewpoint on the problems they looked like they were having. I think that having multiple angles of the main character gives the subject more depth. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:50 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330975 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330975 Quotations literally put words in characters' mouths! So, it gives development and personality to the speaker, while also bringing focus to the problems that exist in the specific character's life. The inside look into the mind of a character helps the reader develop their own opinion on who Sylvia was. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:50 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330974 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330974 Testimonies bring validation to how Plath sees her own life and her own problems. Because there were other characters who experienced each situation differently, the reader starts to trust that the existing problems were not just made up in Sylvia's mind. It gives the problem more truth. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:50 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330973 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330973 Background shouldn't bore a reader, but the narrative needs context clues as to what the story is actually about. When we have too little background knowledge, the writing becomes confusing and frustrating because we don't enough about the characters or situation. Background information needs to be evenly spread. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:49 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330970 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330970 The characters here seem to be introduced with an internal perspective that complements the reader's interpretation of Plath's character. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:49 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330969 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=330969 Chronology acts as Sylvia's timeline, telling her story in steps so that the reader can understand each detail leading to Plath's death. By seeing each event, the reader can more easily understand where she was going to end up. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:49 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=325520 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=325520 Well, I feel that the author is creating Sontag's character here by saying "what she wants to tell us." When I read this part, although I feel curious as to why Sontag feels this way, I feel skeptical because there is no direct quote or information from Sontag saying that this is what she was trying to tell us. The only relation the reader receives to confirm that this is "what Sontag wants to tell us" is a "claim" she had from age four, which I am also skeptical of. To me, I feel that this paragraph is shaping Sontag's character without legitimate evidence. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:44 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=325426 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=325426 The credibility is coming directly from Sontag's own voice, so the reader knows that the information provided is coming directly from her. It's not only the author's words anymore. At this point, readers experience Sontag's own expression. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:44 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324318 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324318 Not only does this describe the world around her, but it gives texture to what her life had been until that point. It was a blur, a fog that was difficult to be in and see through. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:43 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324317 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324317 Perhaps is more of a "maybe," saying we might know or not know, therefore it's pointless to put in the story in the first place. There is no trust in "perhaps" or "maybe". Writing "likely" points the reader's attention in a certain direction and makes them follow the story through that likeliness, whether the reader realizes they are interpreting it that way or not, they end up following the author's view. It is a much stronger word. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:43 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324315 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324315 This simply gives credibility and allows the reader to trust the author more. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:43 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324314 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324314 The paragraph reflects the content of the story itself. Her father's death was short and brief, as is the paragraph. There is no need to discuss the details of her father's death here, so the author follows through with that idea by keeping this just as short. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:43 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324313 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324313 I truly think that it is a way to shift the spotlight on to her parents, who are crucial characters to how Sontag became who she is. By using a question, the reader goes straight to pondering where her parents were. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:43 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324311 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324311 When the author says that this is what Sontag wants to tell us, the author is putting words into Sontag's mouth. So, what she wants to tell us is in accordance to the author's interpretation. As the reader, our interest is heightened and now we want to know WHY and HOW she feels alone. We are being reeled in. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:43 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324310 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324310 In my perspective, as a reader, I don't think she's actually remembering the event completely accurately. It is already difficult to remember things from such a young age, and humans tend to fill in memory gaps with what they think happened or imagined happening. It makes us question how true the memory is. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:43 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324309 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=324309 This prepares the reader for character development on who "she" is and whether or not she trusts her nanny's judgements of others. It shows how Sontag questions the world around her and doesn't automatically trust a caretaker or higher authority. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:43 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323441 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323441 John Belushi! Not only does this add to the comical sense, but I think it also adds an American edge to the author, who originally mentions NYC in the beginning of the diary. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:40 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323440 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323440 The phrase is not only comical, but down to earth and gives the reader a chance to pause and understand the images being shaped in their own minds. They get a moment to experience the description being formulated by the writer. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:40 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323334 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323334 "You" is the connection between author and reader, creating a bond over the subject. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:40 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323331 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323331 I think this is set up this way to later describe "American" and how it is viewed by those who are not American. Maybe the words used to describe her are what defines an American for these UK folks. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:39 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323327 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323327 The author is most likely trying to understand what it was like to be Plath at this specific time in her own life, while also discovering his current location on his own. I think this helps the reader understand that this author isn't only writing about Plath, but really attempts to connect to her surroundings. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:39 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323325 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323325 This paragraph establishes that the author is not from his current location. He is from New York, but whether he is a native or not is what we don't know. He's used to disorganization and a "survival of the fittest" thought process, such as the "free for all" that he mentions. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:39 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323324 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=323324 The sentences are shorter and more abrupt, more like a list of some sorts. Of course, there is also specific times mentioned, as well as the use of what day it is (yesterday or today) and a first person view. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:38 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30622?scroll_to=321625 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30622?scroll_to=321625 Some stories contain information where you have to go fish for outside context. I don't think you're "expected" to know per se, but it probably helps to give meaning to the story, of course. Thu, 05 Mar 2015 11:30:39 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30622?scroll_to=321624 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30622?scroll_to=321624 I think the feeling that he's mentioning is the feeling of unity and a meaningful connection to something in this life. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:33 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30622?scroll_to=321623 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30622?scroll_to=321623 Cato killed himself, so when Ishmael escapes out to sea, he's running away from land. But, this might be a foreshadowing way of saying that he's going to die at sea. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:36 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30622?scroll_to=321622 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30622?scroll_to=321622 I don't know much about Ishmael in the bible context, but I do know that the bible is technically a story of some ever-long journey, so I would expect that his name is actually not Ishmael, and he is creating a persona. Secondly, he will go through some kind of journey at sea, whether he survives or not is still questionable to the reader. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:33 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30622?scroll_to=321621 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30622?scroll_to=321621 He drops a few points that convey that he's depressed, such as "whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet" and "that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street." He's either undergoing some kind of self-loathing or extreme depression that makes him not want to exist on land anymore. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:33 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=319815 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=319815 Personally, I think "I wonder" is used as a tactic to remind the reader that the author is in control of the story and which direction it will take. I understand that it can be a protective tactic as well, but I see it as a subtle comment that tells the reader that they can only believe in as much as the author decides to share. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:32 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=319802 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=319802 The clash is actually a cross way where the biographer's view is taking the spotlight away from the subject. The narratives between the subject and the storyteller are merging when they are not supposed to be. The biographer needs to separate himself from the work. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:32 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=319799 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=319799 I agree. I think that the author always has the power to manipulate their words in any direction they'd like, this is heavily seen in news writing as well. Thu, 26 Feb 2015 12:54:37 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=319798 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=319798 The biographer has half of the power of the story because he is in complete control of how he perceives the life of his subject, and can tell the story in whichever way he/she would like to tell it. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:32 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30619?scroll_to=315518 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30619?scroll_to=315518 The contrast here to me is that the nature of the heath was and will always be as it has been, regardless of what civilization attempts to do to it. Whether civilization treats the area kindly or not ("in its venerable one coat lay a certain vein of satire on human vanity in clothes"), nature holds true originality and power, despite all of civilization's efforts. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:22 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30619?scroll_to=315492 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30619?scroll_to=315492 Without reading any further, the word "haggard" here is definitely describing how run down the heath is. Maybe it is an appropriate word for Hardy to use because he will unravel its change from a breathtaking location to this haggard, exhausted spot. He will probably break down the word and end up focusing on its transition into this washed out place. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:22 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30619?scroll_to=315408 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30619?scroll_to=315408 Before reading the piece, the title makes me think of a person who is returning to a place where he/she was raised or where he/she spent a long amount of time in. I'm expecting this person to be returning from some other place, perhaps from an adventure. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:22 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30619?scroll_to=315405 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30619?scroll_to=315405 I love the way you see interpret this, Hayley. I feel the same way. Both time and space are seemingly never ending, but Hardy captures the entire location in only a few sentences. In my opinion, he also seems to stretch out time ("the face of the heath by its mere complexion added half an hour to evening") by adding an exact number to deliver texture to the scene. Wed, 11 Feb 2015 19:36:50 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=313825 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=313825 1. Don't use passive voice. 2. Don’t worry about making other people happy. 3. Stick to your own style. 4. Turn off the TV. 5. Eliminate distraction. 6. First write for yourself, and then worry about the audience. 7. But don’t obsess over perfect grammar. 8.The research shouldn't overshadow the story. 9. Leave out the boring parts and kill your darlings. 10. Read, read, read. 11. Avoid adverbs. 12. Avoid adverbs, especially after “he said” and “she said.” 13. The magic is in you. 14. You become a writer simply by reading and writing. 15. Dig. 16. Write one word at a time. 17. Writing is about getting happy. 18. You have three months. 19. Take a break. 20. There are two secrets to success. I would add: - Emphasize discipline. - Define your characters. As a writer, you play God, you choose who has life and who is easily forgotten. - Set goals! Tell the people in your life (ex. your significant other) about these goals, as to when your book will be done or how many pages you plan to work on per day. - Talk to other writers to complain about writing because non-writers will never understand. - Do not combine writing and drinking/drugs. But if you're using, and come up with great ideas for writing, use a separate notebook and return when sober. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:19 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=313815 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=313815 This makes or breaks you as a writer. Today, we are bombarded with distractions. Iphones, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Netflix, the list goes on and on! "Eliminate distraction" is an understatement to me. It is absolutely necessary to emphasize discipline. Even writing on a laptop is difficult because the internet is one tab away! Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:19 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=313809 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=313809 Rule #8 makes me think about many of the autobiographies I've read. Even though they're nonfiction, it still relates to the rule. In a majority of them, the writer usually revealed personal information about him/herself and others. Writing isn't meant to be prim and offenseless, and when words are conformed to satisfying consumers or a certain "type" of audience, I believe that the reader can quickly tell. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:18 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=313806 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=313806 I like how King mentions that writers want to make the reader "forget, whenever possible, that he/she is reading a story at all." Grammar needs to tend to the flow of the story, not vice versa. Is a run-on sentence the end-all, be-all, because it doesn't satisfy the no run-on "rule"? Fragments? Ellipses? Not if the words are meshing together, running on a steady stream! Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:18 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=313793 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=313793 A story becomes mesmerizing to a reader when their own soul can relate to it. "Shy" writing, in my opinion, is never relatable. Through any student's plentiful career of English classes, we become brainwashed to cut out ideas that may be inappropriate, too complex, or not grammatically correct (hello, rule #5). But, everything mentioned above is what literature is craving! It's what makes words on a page come alive. Erasing all sense of self-consciousness, shame, and perhaps our innate timid nature is necessary in order to become a real writer. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:18 -0500