Keen, poignant agonies seemed to shoot from his neck downward through every fiber of his body and limbs….They seemed like streams of pulsating fire heating him to an intolerable temperature. As to his head, he was conscious of nothing but a feeling of fullness--of congestion. These sensations were unaccompanied by thought. The intellectual part of his nature was already effaced; he had power only to feel, and feeling was torment.
“Keen, poignant agonies” – The words keen and poignant are associated with knives and pointy objects.So I can determine from this that the character of this story is being hurt somehow.And these agonies are shooting through his whole body.
“Pulsating Fire” The words pulsating fire strikes me as something that is hurting this man and is causing him extreme pain and suffering that feels like fire at an intolerable temperature.
“Intolerable” – Means that this person cant stand this feeling of pain that is flowing throughout his body.
"Effaced"- Means that this man’s intellectual part of his nature has been destroyed that it no longer exists and that he now only has the power to feel, and him feeling right now is causing him torment. The man can also no longer think he can only feel the pain that is being inflicted upon him.
"Feeling was torment":Showing that the man can feel but it was torment for him because feeling was causing him unimaginable pain.
This quotation is saying that war is full of pain and suffering.The quotation shows that war is full of pain and suffering by choosing words like intolerable and agonies.The quote is also saying that war causes so much pain for a man and that is becoming intolerable and too painful for him to bear. It also shows that a person is causing the pain but the pain is just too unbearable and painful that it feels that he is being consumed by fiber. Also he is in so much pain that he cannot think or feel about anything else but the pain that is being inflicted upon him.This quote is saying that war causes pain and suffering on a man and that he cannot bear it.
In the quotation the author shows that war is majestic.
In the quotation the author portrays war as something majestic.
In the text, the heroic image of a general on a horse is described. In the quotation the author describes such image as an “historical image.” Usually, pictures of war are heroic and show the honorable and impressive image of a soldier. Therefore, Ambrose Bierce uses this term to describe the heroic image of the General saluting his aide. The word “gazing” is used when describing a very serious and steady look. In this case, the gazing from the general is a determined looked. The term used to describe the General’s look is usually seen in paintings or photographs; therefore, the author is portraying the resplendent and picture like side of war. The words “galloped furiously” show war as something honorable and impressive. When a horse is galloping it reaches its top speed. When linked with furiously the term shows that the aide is galloping with energy and violent passion. In the text the aide “gallops furiously” to perform his job showing the aide’s heroism during war.
It is said that in war soldiers lose their belief of equality.
Every human being is “imbued from infancy” that everyone is “born equal.” This is believed so young because no other child is of higher rank than another. If two kids get into a disagreement they handle it themselves and do not act like they were better by telling an adult. Most men are incapable of “unquestioning submission to authority.” As a soldier, the soldier must have this quality. As a recruit these morals are constantly said to a soldier. All soldiers dislike the submission to authority, but are forced to abide by it. Private Greene forgot these morals by “striking his officer.” These two men did grow up together and were equal as civilians, but in the military, they were far from equal in the eyes of the officer. Since the officer had loosed his sense of equality due to his shiny lieutenant stripe, he believed it was necessary to get his childhood friend executed. When a man gets authority over another, he will usually believe he is better than the lower men.
The authors in the short stories say war is indiscriminate.
The words “infancy,” “equal,”“authority,” “known,” and “indiscretion” depicts how war is indiscriminate. Babies during their infancy happen to be innocent since they have done nothing yet in their lives.This innocence shows how war is indiscriminate because it does not care if you are a good guy or a bad guy. The idea of being equal shows how everything is the same. In war though their people of higher ranks. This idea of authority shows that war is indiscriminate because people who actually fight the war do not choose who their leaders are. However people in the war must obey them. This idea of being known shows how war does not care whether you are good or not. It also shows how war is indiscriminate because it shows that even if you do a good thing and are a good hard working soldier and break the rules once you could get in trouble. The indiscretion he commits shows how in war one can’t go against his leader. It does not matter how wrong the leader was because he is still the leader and so private Greene will get in trouble for striking him.
The authors in the short stories say war is indiscriminate
The words “infancy,” “equal,”“authority,” “known,” and “indiscretion” depicts how war is indiscriminate. Babies during their infancy happen to be innocent since they have done nothing yet in their lives.This innocence shows how war is indiscriminate because it does not care if you are a good guy or a bad guy. The idea of being equal shows how everything is the same. In war though their people of higher ranks. This idea of authority shows that war is indiscriminate because people who actually fight the war do not choose who their leaders are. However people in the war must obey them. This idea of being known shows how war does not care whether you are good or not. It also shows how war is indiscriminate because it shows that even if you do a good thing and are a good hard working soldier and break the rules once you could get in trouble. The indiscretion he commits shows how in war one can’t go against his leader. It does not matter how wrong the leader was because he is still the leader and so private Greene will get in trouble for striking him.
The Paragraph in the episode war shows that war is glorious. The author uses the word “gazing,” “furiously,” and “historical painting”. The author used the word gazed, which shows that the General uses thought and makes calculated decisions before battle, which shows that all the deaths that happen in the battle will be glorious because no death was useless. The word furiously, which shows the aid works to the best of his abilities to get something done, which show that men in war never stop working for the cause, which is honorable. An historical painting shows something glorious and something that makes people proud to be in the army.
In this specific quote, the author is saying that war turns a man into a narcissistic character. The author writes that Lieutenant Brayle was “ Vain of his courage”.These words show that men can become so prideful and proud about themselves that they forget what their duties are as soldiers and as men. As a soldier you are supposed to support your unit and your men, but Lieutenant Brayle only cared about supporting himself and how he would be remembered after the war. This example mainly shows that Brayle has lost the idea of being honorable. Another example is when the author writes “ He did not once take cover except when sternly commanded to do so by the general”. This quote shows that men can become so prideful that they forget about listening to their commanders or leaders. This quote also shows that Lieutenant Brayle thought that his authority was higher than that of the commander because of his actions in the field.Also, the author writes the words “ Hideous encounters” in line four of the paragraph also shows that war can change a man into a narcissistic character. These words show that by being a narcissistic character, he has lost the trust of his troops.
In this quotation, the author views Lieutenant Herman Brayle’s courage as being extreme. This is shown when the author says he is “one most objectionable and unsoldierly quality: he was vain in his courage.” When the narrator says that he is “vain of his courage,” he means that Brayle’s acts of courage are extreme.He is conceited and wants to do anything to prove his bravery and courage to the other soldiers. Brayle will stand his ground, even in the most suicidal or deadly places on the battlefield. The quote, “he did not once take cover,” shows that whenever he is in a situation that is deadly, he would choose the most risky path. Brayle’s survival had more to do with luck that his extreme courage.
English 1/27/10 In the story “An Episode of War,” war is portrayed as something wonderful. War to Stephen Crane is something highly respectable and glorious. In the story there is one part that mentions a general on a black horse, gazing over the lines.
He saw a general on a black horse gazing over the lines of blue infantry at the green woods, which veiled his problems. An aide galloped furiously, dragged his horse suddenly to a halt, saluted, and presented a paper. It was, for a wonder, precisely like an historical painting.
The general was on his black horse gazing over the lines of blue infantry. Gazing means to be looking at with astonishment. He wouldn’t be gazing at anything if it weren’t anything glorious or amazing. The green woods veiled his problems shows that war is not all that dangerous. Things could come and go but nothing would happen. It also has many places that veil your problems and keep you safe and warm. When the author of this story uses the word galloped, he uses it to show how amazing, and well-respected war is. It isn’t all blood and gore, but there are nice parts of it that make it look like a wonder, or an historical painting. Describing war as a wonder says that it isn’t all bad, a wonder is something that you would enjoy to be in. This scenario describes war as in a beautiful and peaceful environment. It shows it as an historical painting. A historical painting is a painting that shows war pictures of glorious leaders in victory. A lot of paintings usually show the good in war instead of showing all of the bad in it. Stephen Crane is trying to show war as glorious by using the words that he did. He says that not all war is bad, that most of war is glorious and deserves respect.
This quotation shows that war is terrifying. For example, when Bierce writes that “nature was already effaced” and “he had power only to feel and the feeling was torment” show that war is terrifying because they show that war has taken away all humanity for him. This also shows all the power that he had left in the world was torturing him. This shows that he had nothing left to do but die. Also, the words “agonies” and “fires heating him to an intolerable temperature” also show how scared and terrified he was. They show how war can affect your body as well as your mind. These words also show what goes through the mind of a man who knows he is going to die. The word “agonies” show how painful war is and how much misery he was suffering that he had to go through while being hanged.
This quote expresses both the author’s point of view on war, and on Brayle. The quote tells partially about Brayle’s vein and courage, which is not how his wife viewed him, clearly illustrated by the letter written to him by her. In fact the quote clearly tells that Brayle was not a coward when he hid behind the cover, but rather taking orders, that he didn’t want to follow. Also the quote shows how much Brayle meant to the general. The general obviously has respect for Brayle because of his mutations, which Brayle was able to do. Mutation is the process of changing, in this case, for war and killing. Also his vicissitude attitude means that he is able to change under certain circumstances just like his moral attitude. Brayle was not cowardly, but rather courageous and following orders.
In the quotation from Killed at Resaca, war is repetitive. Brayle's fellow soldiers say that he was "vain of his courage." This shows that he doesn't take war seriously enough since he never ducks and has to be ordered by the general myself to do so. For every battle, he simply puts his life on the line for no reason other than proving his fiance wrong. While he could be a true hero saving others, even at a cost, he still is looking out for number one. It is possible that he thinks that he is superior or greater than the other soldiers from his sense of bravery he sees in his mind.The author mentions the "vicissitudes and mutations of that hideous encounter". Vicissitudes and mutations are two words that mean change, so in the quotation, the author is saying that no matter the variation of the same battle, Brayle always does the same thing. In the quotation, Brayle "did not once take cover", meaning that he is indifferent to his own safety because of a few words from a harpie. He has taken them to heart, and is taking any possible situation to prove himself.
This quotation shows that one is brought up or,influenced from a small child with the false belief that all men are equal. This quotation also shows that agreeing with society is not easy to accept or master. A "volunteer in his green and salad days is among the worst known" shows that a volunteer that is a rookie has not yet understood that all men are not equal because they have not been around people with ranks their whole lifetime. When a rookie is told orders they think are unethical and harsh because they do not understand authority, they could blow up and attack the officer who gave him the orders and be sentenced to be executed like Bennett Story Greene.
Keen, poignant agonies seemed to shoot from his neck downward through every fiber of his body and limbs….They seemed like streams of pulsating fire heating him to an intolerable temperature. As to his head, he was conscious of nothing but a feeling of fullness--of congestion. These sensations were unaccompanied by thought. The intellectual part of his nature was already effaced; he had power only to feel, and feeling was torment.
The author is saying that war causes pain to an extent where a man loses all senses, except pain.In this quotation, the man is waking up after being captured at Owl Creek Bridge.When he first wakes up he notices “agonies” on “every fiber of his body.”He woke up and he doesn’t even have enough time to comprehend where he is, all he can think about is the sheer pain.The pain is described as a “pulsating fire” and as “intolerable.”There are dozens of words to describe the pain, but the author uses words like intolerable.This shows that the pain is truly excruciating, and even though it is being caused by a man, it is as intolerable as a fire.The author describes that the man only has to power to fell and that feeling was torment.This proves that the man, at that moment, loses all other senses.He can’t think about anything else that is going on in the world.The pain is an issue on top of many other issues on his life.That particular issue is so over-dominating to all other issues.He went into battle thinking of destroying the bridge, when all along, he never could have known that the pain caused by war would be capable of letting him completely forget about his main objective.The pain swallows his emotions and thought until there is nothing left but a weak man, suffering unimaginably.
In the viewpoint of the author Ambrose Bierce through his story Killed at Resaca, Bierce explains that war can change the way a man’s character is viewed. Bierce writes how Brayle was “vain of his courage” meaning he was unaware that he would ride straight at the enemy without cover or thought. In regular life, this quality might not serve you well, but on a battlefield this can be heroic. The “vicissitudes and mutations” explain how awful the battlefield was. The battlefield was covered in bodies and limbs with people shooting at each other. Through all this Brayle was still courageous and able to react heroically in the face of chaos. This paragraph shows how in the face of war, war can change a man.
In this quotation, the authors believe that war makes one be egotistical.In the quotation when the author describes an act made by Brayle as “objectionable and unsoldierly quality.” “Unsoldierly quality” shows that Brayle was not listening to commands and did an act that made himself look better and more superior than the group to just benefit himself. A honorable and respectful soldier is one that doesn’t make himself be better and listens to his commanders that probably know more than he does. This is why the authors believe that war makes a man be egotistical.In line four of the quotation, the author uses the word “vain” to describe Brayle’s actions.The word vain shows that Brayle did not care about any one else their fighting, he only cared about himself and how he would fight.Also, the word vain shows that Brayle showed offin an improper and irrelevant manner.By being vain, Brayle thought that he would look more superior or greater than the other soldiers, but unfortunately being vain makes a soldier look weak according to the author. This is another example why the author believes that war makes one be egotistical. In line five of the quotation, the author uses the word “hideous encounter.” When the author uses this word “hideous encounter” he is saying that being self-centered and trying to be the best is a horrible way to be honorable and be respected as a soldier. “Hideous” really gives a negative connotation to how Brayle is acting too and the author really shows that war really changes a man to become egotistical.In the third to last line, the author states that “he did not once take cover, except when sternly commanded to do so by the general.”This shows that Brayle wanted to be seen indifferently to the other soldiers there fighting. It also shows that Brayle wanted to be seen as a brave heroic and looked boastful which shows that the author believes that war makes a man be egotistical. Also when the author says “of than the lives of his staff officers” shows that even though Brayle was trying to look great and brave, the general did not really care. This also shows that war makes a man be egotistical.
If you grow up in America, you are taught from a young age that all men are created equal. You are “imbued” with this fact. It is very difficult for a young and “green” recruit from the army to put that aside when they join the military. “Green” suggests that you are naive to the army and have a lot to learn before you fully understand the army’s ways of life. The “fallacy” of the army is that all men are equal. There is rank that is earned and respected by all. It takes time to learn that there are different rules that contradict what you were taught to believe in the real world. Bennett made this mistake when he saw his friend from home. He should have treated his commanding officer as his superior instead of his buddy. This mistake cost him his life. If you don’t “unquestionably submit” to the system of ranks, there is a price to pay. Private Bennett Story Green learned this the hard way and was an example for all.
In this quotation, the author displays that war is honorable and magnificent. For example, when Bierce writes, “precisely like an historical painting,” he clearly wants to portray the honor and the authenticity of war. The quotation shows that a scene from a historical painting is not just made up, it is something that actually happens. This quotation also shows the seriousness of war. The general on the horse gazes at the woods, thinking about how he plans on fighting this battle. Also, the aide gallops furiously with determination to deliver the message to the general.
He saw a general on a black horse gazing over the lines of blue infantry at the green woods which veiled his problems. An aide galloped furiously, dragged his horse suddenly to a halt, saluted, and presented a paper. It was, for a wonder, precisely like a historical painting.
This quotation is describing war as honorable. "He saw a general on a black horse gazing over the lines of blue infantry at the green woods which veiled his problems." The general was described as an honorable figure on a black horse gazing over the battle field. The general is also described as a strategist, trying to find the problems that are happening and sending reinforcements. Also when the aide presented the paper, the author described it as an honor to get the paper. "An aide galloped furiously, dragged his horse suddenly to a halt, saluted, and presented a paper. It was, for a wonder, precisely like a historical painting." The aide and paper were honorable. The paper was described as a historical painting and the aide rushed it here as fast as he could.
In the beginning of the quote the authors portrays Henry Flemming as a war hero. Through out the quotation the fear factor starts to rise. It was the first time Henry had told what it really was like being in battle. At first he says, well I guess I was scared. The people who were attentively listening to the story started the listen even harder. Henry then says that he was pretty scared in the first battle. Then he follows with the sky falling down comment. The author is trying to say that being in war isn't orderly and heroic. Henry says that it was chaos and he thought that the sky was falling down upon him. Then he says, well of course I was scared. The author is trying to say that in your first battle most people aren't war heroes that heroically raise the flag upon the mountain top but instead they are terribly frightened. Henry's words described it all, "I thought the world was coming to an end."
"Mr. Fleming," said the grocer--his deferential voice expressed somehow the old man's exact social weight--"Mr. Fleming, you never was frightened much in them battles, was you?"
The veteran looked down and grinned. Observing his manner, the entire group tittered. "Well, I guess I was," he answered finally. "Pretty well scared, sometimes. Why, in my first battle I thought the sky was falling down. I thought the world was coming to an end. You bet I was scared."
Stephen Crane's character, Mr. Fleming says that he was very afraid. This quote is saying that war is chaos. Chaos is complete and utter pandemonium to the point where it may seem as if "the sky was falling down." The sky falling down would signify the end of our world entirely and the destruction of our species. So when the author said that war is like the sky falling down, he is saying that war is destruction.
The thing being said about war is that war consumes your emotions.
Poignant means touching one's emotions. In the sentence Poignant agonies are within Peter. This would be like feeling that the world wants to stop him getting what he wants most. Every step would be battered against with more force than the one before. He feels like their is no point, but knows there is one deep down.
Streams of pulsating fire are fuelling him onward. Fire consumes things to keep going, so this fire is consuming his will which he must fight against.
The fact that he was feeling torment means that he is suffering greatly. Everything that is happening is crushing down on him and making him lose control over himself.
War makes men feel like they are superior to eachother.
The quote means by born equal, is everyone is equal no one superior or inferior to eachother. When it says Private Bennets full name its meaning that he is only a Private. It also says his officer, meaning his superior. This shows how men on the outside aren't treated differently by their rank, but in war they are.
"Mr. Fleming, you never was frightened much in them battles, was you?" The veteran looked down and grinned. Observing his manner, the entire group tittered. "Well, I guess I was," he answered finally. "Pretty well scared, sometimes. Why, in my first battle I thought the sky was falling down. I thought the world was coming to an end. You bet I was scared."
The above paragraph says a lot about the authors opinion on war, which is indirectly what this paragraph is saying about war. A word that really showed opinion and stuck out to me was scared, that word shows that the author has a fear of war, it also shows that he is not a supporter of war, and also that he wouldn't be on to fight in war. The other thing that really stuck out to me was the group of sentences that reads, I thought the sky was falling down. I thought the world was coming to an end. You bet I was scared." This is supporting my earlier of fact of war being scary along with the fact that Mr.Crane thinks that war is so chaotic that someeone fighting in battle would think that the world is coming to an end.
In this quotation from "The Veteran," war is both a source of honor and shame. The men gathered around Old Mr. Fleming seem to treat him as a hero. They ask him to tell stories from the war. The questioner assumes that OMF "never was frightened much." The syntax of his question-- negating the possibility of OMF's fear, rather than asking if he were ever afraid-- shows that these younger men see OMF as someone whose service in war automatically makes him heroic and honorable. It seems as if Mr. Fleming has never told his story before, and has allowed the men of the town to assume that he was brave and heroic in battle. From other parts of the story, we learn that OMF's war service also makes him a hero to his grandson. On the other hand, this quotation also shows that war can cause shame. When OMF "finally" answers the question, taking time to decide whether or not to tell the truth, he admits to having been afraid. He "grinned" as he admitted it, maybe hoping that if he made it seem like no big deal, maybe the men would see it that way, too. As the quotation continues, OMF admits the depth of his fear. While no battle is ever a good thing, he uses very cowardly language to describe his experience. Instead of talking about guns, bullets, and battle, he uses almost hyper-exaggerated language, "the sky was falling" and "the world was coming to an end," to show just how scared he was. He was so fearful, that it seems like he didn't even know where he was and what was happening. Certainly, he was incapacitated by his fear and was not heroic. Having been to war is a source of honor for OMF. Telling the truth about his experiences, seems to cause shame.
--"Mr. Fleming, you never was frightened much in them battles, was you?" The veteran looked down and grinned. Observing his manner, the entire group tittered. "Well, I guess I was," he answered finally. "Pretty well scared, sometimes. Why, in my first battle I thought the sky was falling down. I thought the world was coming to an end. You bet I was scared."
In this quotation from "The Veteran," the author suggests that war is traumatic. Despite the fact that Old Fleming's service in the military took decades ago, he has vivid memories of the fear and horror he felt during his first battle. One gets the sense that when he admits to having been, "pretty well scared, sometimes," he is using understatement and irony. The pause between the question and when the veteran "finally" gives his answer suggests that this is not an easy topic for him to discuss and that he is choosing his words carefully. He wants to admit to having been afraid, but he does not want to revisit those memories. Thus, he seems to be consoling himself with the word "sometimes." War was scary, and even remembering it causes discomfort. He "grinned" as he talks about his fear to soften the blow of the admission that he had been a coward. Although the phrase," the sky was falling down" alludes to the child's nursery tale of Chicken Little, there is nothing childish about the experience. The phrase suggests an upheaval and failure of the natural order of things; the sky is up, it is not supposed to fall down. The phrase also suggests constant bombardment and being showered with debris. If not the actual sky, then certainly something fell on the troops. Finally, he speaks about the "world... coming to an end." This apocalyptic phrase borrows from the Biblical idea of Judgment Day, when the world as we know it ceases to exist. On the day of his first battle, Mr. Fleming's world of peace and security ended and he was plunged into hell. This quotation shows that war is traumatic. Even dozens of years later, Mr. Fleming speaks of it with fear.
Veil means to cover, and a man is covering his problems. If he has problems, than war is problematic. The man wishes that he wasn’t in war, and doesn’t have these problems. Galloped furiously, means in a rush. It means that he doesn’t have a choice, but to accomplish his missions. It doesn’t seem that he wants to do that. Wonder, and historical painting mean dramatic. It is moving, inspiring, and dangerous. Paintings are usually dramatic. This shows that war is dramatic.
"Keen, poignant agonies seemed to shoot from his neck downward through every fiber of his body and limbs….They seemed like streams of pulsating fire heating him to an intolerable temperature. As to his head, he was conscious of nothing but a feeling of fullness--of congestion. These sensations were unaccompanied by thought. The intellectual part of his nature was already effaced; he had power only to feel, and feeling was torment."
This quotation is saying that war causes hardship.
This quotation is saying that war is not pleasurable and causes great suffering. The author uses words like " poignant" and "agonies" to show how much Peyton Farquahr regrets his decision to attempt to become a hero. The author also uses words like "intolerable" to show how unable someone is to stand such unbearable pain. The author uses the phrase "conscious of nothing" as a way of showing that Farquahr is confused and is not aware of anything around him. The author also uses the phrase " unaccompanied by thoughts" to show that Farquahr has lost all sense of time and a sense of direction. The word hardship is used best in this quotation because it expressing such agony and confusion which Farquahr portrays greatly.
Truman Capote's Analytical Paragraph
In this quotation war is said to be a fight between the higher and lower ranks. In the beginning of this quotation it says, “Imbued from Infancy” to be imbued from infancy means that we are all created the same. From the beginning until the end we are all the same, But then it says “the fascinating fallacy,” the amusing belief of which we are not created the same. By having the belief of being better there is some egotistical feeling’s that the higher ranking officers create in their mind. Then in the quotation it again says “all men are created equal,” stating that every one is the same even when there is belief that the officers are better. At the end of the quotation it says, “the indiscretion of striking his officer” the imprudence of hitting a higher ranking officer. This was a big offence against the bigger man or his officer.
Today's mission asks that you practice, hone, refine, and perfect your quotation-analysis skills.
Each of you will be assigned to analyze one of the following quotations. The question you should use to guide your analysis is, "What does the quotation say about war?" Sound familiar? I hope so.
Post your analyses to the blog by 10 pm this evening.
The Veteran: Blake, Browning, Eliot, Dinesen, Forster, and Muldoon Episode of War: Carroll, Coleridge, Shelley, Nabokov, Miller, and Kerouac Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge: Dickens, Keats, Hawthorne, Hardy, Hughes, and Frost Killed at Resaca: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Whitman, Twain, Albee, and Dreiser Two Military Executions: James, Conrad, Baldwin, Anderson, Achebe, and Capote
Here are your quotations:
TV --"Mr. Fleming, you never was frightened much in them battles, was you?" The veteran looked down and grinned. Observing his manner, the entire group tittered. "Well, I guess I was," he answered finally. "Pretty well scared, sometimes. Why, in my first battle I thought the sky was falling down. I thought the world was coming to an end. You bet I was scared."
EoW
He saw a general on a black horse gazing over the lines of blue infantry at the green woods which veiled his problems. An aide galloped furiously, dragged his horse suddenly to a halt, saluted, and presented a paper. It was, for a wonder, precisely like an historical painting.
OOCB Keen, poignant agonies seemed to shoot from his neck downward through every fiber of his body and limbs….They seemed like streams of pulsating fire heating him to an intolerable temperature. As to his head, he was conscious of nothing but a feeling of fullness--of congestion. These sensations were unaccompanied by thought. The intellectual part of his nature was already effaced; he had power only to feel, and feeling was torment.
KaR We all soon came to like Brayle as much as we admired him, and it was with sincere concern that in the engagement at Stone's River--our first action after he joined us--we observed that he had one most objectionable and unsoldierly quality: he was vain of his courage. During all the vicissitudes and mutations of that hideous encounter, whether our troops were fighting in the open cotton fields, in the cedar thickets, or behind the railway embankment, he did not once take cover, except when sternly commanded to do so by the general, who usually had other things to think of than the lives of his staff officers--or those of his men, for that matter.
TME
To one imbued from infancy with the fascinating fallacy that all men are born equal, unquestioning submission to authority is not easily mastered, and the American volunteer in his "green and salad days" is among the worst known. That is how it happened that one of Buell's men, Private Bennett Story Greene, committed the indiscretion of striking his officer.
Your outlines are WONDERFUL. I can tell how hard you worked.
Looking forward to taking the next step: practicing quotation analysis via the blog.
Good times, adc
PS: My mum is following our progress, and she thinks you are all amazing. Your parents can follow along, too, as long as you keep your secret identities secret (even from them!).
1) People die or cause death in war because they think they know best. 2) Mistakes are made in war because of a personal agenda. 3) Death is a result of people not knowing when to get out of harms way.
Thesis: War is said to make people do inhuman acts. Topic Sentences: 1. War makes people do inhuman acts by making people become fearless machines. 2. War makes people do inhuman acts by making people become desperate and weak. 3. War makes people do inhuman acts by making people become blinded by their desires to be heroic. 4. War makes people do inhuman acts by making people act mercilessly.
In the stories "Killed at Resaka", "An Episode of War", and "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", foolishness is the reason for death instead of bullets.
The way war is being viewed from the inside is very different from the was outsiders see it because of a superficial appearance of nobility, strength, and courage.
Now that we've read five short stories about various war experiences, it's time to do some synthesis. Looking across the stories, what is being said about war?
To answer this question, you'll have a chance to do some group work, draft a thesis statement, gather evidence, etc. Along the way we'll do peer editing, writing conferences, and workshops.Essentially, we'll go through the process of writing this paper together.The goal is for you to get feedback at every step of the way.I think you're going to learn as much (if not more) about the writing process as you are about the authors' ideas about war.
A few quick thoughts:
This is NOT a compare/contrast paper. It is a synthesis paper. The questions you're asking are, "What unifies these stories? What ideas about war do they all share?" The stories were chosen with this purpose in mind, so saying, "they don't have anything in common," is not an option.
There will be a series of due dates along the way towards the completion of this essay.Here's how the grading is going to work: on the day of one of those intermediate due dates (say, for your thesis statement), you MUST post the required portion of the essay on our class blog. In my grade book, meeting that deadline is worth 1 point.If you have the assignment uploaded to the blog by the deadline, you get the point.If you don't, you get a zero.It's going to be that simple, that clear, and that rigid.Just this once.
It's been a while since we've done analytical writing, but you've worked on a significant amount of expository prose.The lessons you learned about clarity, organization, and word choice will be very useful to you in writing this paper.
Step One: Gaaaaaahhhh, analytical writing....
Write a few paragraphs on everything you remember about writing an analytical essay.Obviously, there are two goals here: one is to review analytical writing, but the other more important goal is to think about how you're going to organize your paragraphs so that there is a logical progression of ideas.
Step Two: I have no idea how to start this paper...
So, how do you start a paper? Well, the first step absolutely must be making sure that you've read and understood the material. And then thought about it all in relation to the paper topic. For example, you might know a million things about narrative structure, but that's not really going to help you for this paper. For all you B.S.ers out there, I promise you that it is much easier to write a good paper about material you've read. Emphasis there is on good paper.It's probably pretty easy to write a crummy paper about a book you haven't read...
We'll do some group work to accomplish this step.
Step Three: I'm still a little lost...
That's okay. We're about to bring some direction to your paper-writing efforts. It's time to craft a thesis statement. You know me-- I like a nice, broad, umbrella idea to give the paper a thematic thread. If you can pull that off, great!If not, then continuing to work on a three part thesis statement is all right.
Here are some things to think about that might help you make your way to BIG IDEAS about war:
The soldiers in these stories are…
The battles in these stories are…
Could the stories be describing any war?Why or why not?
Here is a model thesis statement:
In the short stories by Stephen Crane and Ambrose Bierce, war is…
Step Four: The Road Map to Paper Paradise
An outline can be a critical component of writing a successful paper.The outline is your opportunity to see if your ideas hold up under the pressure of finding textual analysis.If you can’t find a quotation to support your idea, then you can’t write about that idea.The outline is also where you figure out how your ideas fit together logically.
Putting together a thorough outline is 60% of the effort of writing a solid paper. Don’t fool around with this—it can be the make or break component of your writing process.
Here’s the outline form that I find most useful.Yes, it’s a personal preference, but try it my way at least once to see if it can also work for you.
I.Thesis Statement
a.Topic Sentence #1
i.Quotation (with bolded words)
1.Analysis of one bolded word in relation to your t.s.
2.Analysis of a second bolded word in relation to your t.s.
3.Analysis, etc.
a.An answer to this question: How does the analysis presented in this paragraph support your thesis?
Step Five: Words, words, words…
By now all of the work you’ve done should have helped alleviate much of the blank-page anxiety that’s part of writing a first draft.The cold, hard truth is that you still have to sit down at the computer and put together an essay that is clear, coherent, and carefully written.BUT you’ve already done all of the brain work—the thinking part is basically over.What happens now is the artistic part of writing—sharing your ideas in a way that makes them resonate with other people.
Rough Draft Writing Pointers:
1.Turn off your cell phone.
2.Quit AIM, Facebook, and MySpace.
3.Get a snack, go to the bathroom, whatever whatever whatever BEFORE you sit down at your computer.
4.Gather your materials—copies of the short story, notes from group work, outline—before you sit down at your computer.Have the HARD COPIES of these things in front of you—they are the ones on which I’ll have written feedback.
5.Set a timer (on your watch, on the microwave) for 20 minutes.During those 20 minutes, write.Put words on paper.If you get stuck, either skip ahead or simply rephrase the last sentence you just wrote.Don’t delete anything.
6.Give yourself a 10 minute break.
7.Repeat as necessary.
Step Six: Git ‘er Done
As always, you will have feedback from me on your rough draft. BUT I don’t mark every single error and I don’t give you every single correction.You need to take final responsibility for the quality of your work, and part of learning to write is learning to recognize your own mistakes.
At the same time, if my feedback does not make sense to you, please ASK ME about it. If you are struggling to implement that feedback, please ASK ME about it.
A few tips:
1.The same rules about “toys” apply during revision, not just during the rough draft.
2.Give yourself plenty of time to revise.For many, many of you this stage might more accurately be called “rewriting,” and will take a few days of work.
3.Read your paper out loud.Every place you pause or stumble is a place that needs some revision.
4.Have someone read your paper out loud to you.Every place he or she pauses or stumbles is a place that needs some revision.
