Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Discussion Question 7-The Grapes of Wrath

The author uses many techniques to engage the reader in the story. The author first starts off by using mystery. The beginning of the story makes you wonder who the people are, why the truck driver picks up the straggler, and what significance the turtle has on the plot of the story. The mystery of the beginning sets up the rest of the plot and soon the pieces start to fall into place. As the story continues, the author starts to use more suspense. He makes you wonder if the family is going to survive, if the people are going to starve, if they are going to die, or if they will be able to continue when the have troubles along the way. Through the rain in some towns and hot sun through the desert, the suspense keeps you on the edge to see if the family will make it out alive. Later in the book, the author uses action. When fights start to break out at some of the camps and when the cops try to force the citizens out of the camps, you wonder if someone will take action against the cops and if Tommy will be sent back to jail for crossing the border. Then the author starts to use power in his words. When you read paragraphs that the mother speaks, you can hear the power and tone of her voice. When you read those paragraphs, you feel as if you are right there listening to her, and you can feel her wisdom and her concern in her words. Towards the end of the book the author uses more suspense. You wonder if Tommy is going to be found in his hiding spot and whether or not the family will survive through the flood. You also wonder if Rose of Sharon will go into labor and will have a healthy baby. Then finally at the end of the book, the author uses humor. At the very end when they are taking Rose of Sharon to the red shed on the hill, she finally finds her purpose. Even though she does not have her child, she is able to use the milk to help others and that passage was humorous in a kinky sort of way.

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