Words for Periods One, Five, and Six
Writers have so many decisions to make. Should I use the phrase “give in” or the word “acquiesce”? Would a metaphor be effective here or should I keep it straight and simple? Is this paragraph necessary or is it superfluous to the plot? That last idea is of particular interest to me, and, as you will soon see, it is relevant to you as well.
Being able to identify why an author includes a sentence or an idea or a paragraph is an important step towards understanding the deeper points/messages/themes the author is trying to convey. You should see every word as a step toward the development of the sentence. Every sentence as a step toward the development of the paragraph. Every paragraph as a step toward the development of the story.
For instance, take a look at the decision director Josh Whedon made in this summer’s blockbuster film The Avengers. At one part of the story he pits Iron Man against Thor in an intergalactic battle of ego and strength. Visually, it was an amazing scene, but it also played a significant role in the development of the characters individually and of the Avengers as a team. Without that conflict between the two superheroes, their decisions to fight for each other, together, for the safety of the entire planet, would not have been dramatic. By adding the scene, Whedon shows that just because they are the “Good Guys” doesn’t mean that they are good guys who get along with other good guys automatically. It adds depth to their characters, tension to the plot, and a healthy dose of reality to the film. Type-A, big ego, competitive individuals often clash. Whedon showed that superheroes,at least in one way, are no different from regular humans.
Now we aren’t going to be examining The Avengers or The Dark Knight Rises or even Battleship, but we are going to take a closer look at What Toni Cade Bambara did in “Raymond’s Run”. Since dialogue is scarce, this 11 page story has only 26 paragraphs. Yet each one plays a significant role. Let’s take a look at paragraph two. Go ahead, open your Interactive Readers to page 5 and look at paragraph number two. I’ll wait. By the way, it begins with “Sometimes I slip and say...”
Paragraph two is pretty important. It has multiple roles in the development of the tale. In the most obvious way, it introduces us to Raymond, the title character. We learn that he’s “bigger” and “older” than the narrator, even though in the previous paragraph we had learned that she looks after him. We soon find out why when she says that “he’s not quite right” and has a “big head”.
Yet aside from offering clarity on Raymond, the paragraph might be even more significant for the length it goes towards establishing the narrator. We learn about her nickname, Squeaky, courtesy of her “squeaky voice”. Physically, she’s a “little girl” with “skinny arms” but her attitude towards herself and others is anything but tiny. She shows that she is super protective of her brother when she says that anyone who makes fun of him has to “come by me”. Tough? Squeaky doesn’t do “a lot of talking...{she’d} much rather just knock you down”. Her ego matches that of those superheroes I wrote about a few paragraphs ago when she claims “anybody can tell you, I’m the fastest thing on two feet”. This last line opens the door to her passion: running. This defensive, proud, tough, cocky persona is further supported throughout the rest of the story, demonstrating the importance of paragraph two in developing Raymond’s disability, Squeaky’s personality, and the running storyline.
You see what I did there? That’s what I want you to do now. Pick a paragraph from the story. Clearly identify it. Read it carefully. Once. Twice. A third time. Be sure you understand the relationship it has with the rest of the story. Then mimic the approach I took when I analyzed paragraph two. Make a claim or two about the paragraph. Support it with specific quotes from the paragraph. Close the idea.
Now I know you are wise enough to avoid the one or two or three line paragraphs, so I won’t bother telling you not to choose them. Instead focus on a larger paragraph and thoroughly explain the ways the paragraph is important to the development of the story.
Write this in the Writing Section of your notebooks. Bring it to class completed tomorrow. I’ll be back, and I’ll be looking for it. See you then.
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