ENGL 2110 week 1 Assignment Essay
Short Story Project
Teen Sniper. The short story Teen Sniper is certainly not one of my favorites of the many that I have read. Although I thought that the plot of the story was unique and the idea intriguing, it seemed to me that the story failed to meet my expectations. It was cold and stark which made it very difficult for me to stay interested. I also feel that the story lacked any suspense.ENGL 2110 week 1 Assignment Essay I felt no urge to turn the next page, no eagerness to to read further. Although I did find that the main character, Tim, was relatable he also seemed to me to be the only character that was so. I think this may be due to the very large difference in the world that is presented in the story and the world that we live in. This story is set in the future, and although it is probably not more than fifty years, the story lacked too much information about this new world, which rendered the plot unrelatable and almost unbelievable. Also I didn’t find that I was particularly rooting for the character of Tim. His success or failure with his relationship with the character Seema, did not really have any effect on me, nor did his interactions with any of the other various characters in the story.
Another factor that affected my opinion of the story was the style that is was written in. Specifically there was nothing wrong with it. It was descriptive enough and the diction was adequate, but it failed to move me. it was just plain, like the author only chose words that were absolutely necessary to get the story out. it is only a matter of opinion, but my favorite books and stories are those with beautiful prose. Writing that flows off the page and brilliant metaphors. The style “Teen Sniper” was written in contained none of those elements and therefor failed to impress me.
Tapka
David Bezmozgs
I found the story “Tapka” by David Bezmozgs rather boring. I found that I could not really get into the story that was just about a little dog. I also thought that the plot was rather predictable, which further added to my dislike. However I did find that this story was quite believable and realistic, especially the personalities and actions of the children . Their obsession with the dog, their eagerness to swear and the fun they find in breaking that rule, and their silly little fight that led to the climax of the story. I also found the elderly couple who owned Tapka to be believable characters. Some people really are quite attached to their animals, especially dogs, and I though that the author did a good job of describing their reaction and making their grief believable. ENGL 2110 week 1 Assignment Essay
I also have to say that what mainly caused my dislike for this story was the writing style. It really did not appeal to me. It did not draw me in or make me want to continue reading. It relayed the story well enough but other then doing its main job it was nothing special. All of these features combined I found the story quite forgettable, and certainly not one I would like to read again.
Travis B
This is the first story that I have read so far that I actually have gotten into. The story, though simple, kept me interested with a socially awkward protagonist, funny scenes and a basic yet compelling writing style. The main character, Chet Moran, was a very compelling character, however I don’t feel as if his personality stayed consistent throughout the story.
In the beginning it was told that Chet rode wild ponies to prove to his mother that he was invincible. From this small bit of information I gained the impression that Chet was outgoing, fearless and somewhat of a risk taker. However, when it came to his meeting of Beth Travis his actions seemed to go completely against my original impression. He was shy and nervous and did not at all give off the impression of invincibility but rather that of fragility. I also was quite confused about his age when I found of he was only 22. From the way he was described before his meeting with Beth I was under the impression that he middle-aged so his youth was a bit shocking.ENGL 2110 week 1 Assignment Essay
Another element to the story I found a bit surprising and unrealistic was his immediate fervent liking for the teacher Beth Travis. I Understand infatuation can come on quite strongly and suddenly but somehow I felt as if it didn’t quite fit in this story. I Also thought that the ending was rather weak. His ten second encounter with her at her work was too short and therefore unconvincing. I think more dialogue was needed or more action from Chet’s end.
Overall I found this story entertaining and engaging. Though I think there were a few mistakes, as far as the stories I have read so far, this one is the best.
The Balm of the Gilead Tree
Robert Morgan
The first thing that struck me about this story is that it is highly unbelievable. The idea that people would loot dead bodies from a plane crash is disgusting and unrealistic. Of course there are those few despicable people who would do such a thing, but this story tells of almost an entire town looting the dead after a tragedy. Unless this story is meant to have been told from some sort of alternate world, I find this plot to be almost unacceptable. Another unbelievable element to the story was that of the actions of the cops and helicopters. Their actions in clearing the scene and arresting looters is believable, but their violence and quick decision to kill looters is incredibly unrealistic. Their focus would be almost 100 percent on locating and identifying the dead, and attempting to save anyone who may still be living, not using their resources such as helicopters to locate looters, if in fact there were any.
Despite the obvious realism downfalls of this story I was able to get into the mind of the protagonist and somewhat root for him. He still seemed human behind his horrible act of looting and I found myself hoping that he wouldn’t get caught. I also enjoyed the ending of the story. It left a sense of mystery, and the reader is allowed to create the ending that makes them happy. ENGL 2110 week 1 Assignment Essay
Altogether I did not like this story, mostly because it was simply too unrealistic to take seriously so I was unable to fully engage in what I was reading.
The Knife Thrower
This story was incredibly engaging and definitely my favourite so far. The plot was believable, the writing was good, and I especially like the narrator and how he was used in the story. I though the plot was unique and really played on the fascination that humans have with danger. The antagonist, Hensch, really reminded me of the protagonist in the movie “The Illusionist” who was a fanatic magician, obsessed with taking his magic to the next level and taking risks. In the end it was his downfall, and it seems to me that this is where the story was heading, for although Hensch entertained his audience, they all left with the same feelings of unease.
What made those feelings of the audience clear was the narrator of the story. What I really loved about him was that although he sat in the audience with everyone else he seemed like more of a floating entity, like what was going on wasn’t just coming from his head but he could pick up on the emotions and thoughts of the other audience members as well but relay them in a very subtle way. Through this the narrator was able to fully draw me into the story and kept me wanting to turn the page.
The writing in this story is also some of the best that I have read to far out of this booklet. The style was simple but very descriptive; it made me feel as if I was truly sitting in the audience with everyone else, applauding with everyone after each dangerous trick and cowering when the pale women swept the crowd for volunteers.
I thought this was a great short story. It was engaging, descriptive, unique and well written, and definitely the best of the bunch so far. ENGL 2110 week 1 Assignment Essay
Dispatch
Madeline Thien
I absolutely loved this story. The writing style was completely unique and not just the different point of view. The way the story was told completely drew me in. The juxtaposition between the illusion and reality was extremely intriguing, and I found it satisfying at the end when you are finally told that what you think is illusion really is. I also found that this story, though somewhat unbelievable, was also realistic. The ending with the husband and wife, both grieving over different people, still stay together because they both need each other to get through their loss. I feel like this was a beautiful and heartbreaking part of the story. You almost wanted both of them to be strong and just separate and move on with their lives but the fact that they stayed together was realistic, because sometimes love is not what you think it is, and this couple showcased that.
Altogether this is definitely my favourite story of all the ones I have read from out booklet so far, and probably one of the best short stories I have ever read. The writing that was beautiful, flowing and unique told a story that also had all of those qualities. It was very lovely to read. ENGL 2110 week 1 Assignment Essay