6.08 : Writers on Writing

In "Why I Write", George Orwell expresses his belief that one who is truly meant to be a writer cannot resist the urge to write. Which evidence from the text best supports this?

"One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom can neither resist nor understand."

In "Interview with Simon Ortiz," Ortiz agrees that a writer has a responsibility not only to himself or herself, but to the people of his or her culture. Which evidence from the text supports this idea?

"So your voice is their voice in a sense, in terms of a collective communal spirit."

Which sentence from the article best supports the idea that the dangers of lead poisoning are appreciated more today than in the past?

"Until 1978, lead paint was commonly used on the interior and exterior of homes."

Which statement best explains the meaning of the oxymoron "joyful sorrow" as used in this quotation. "My only child left for college today," said Mrs. Kim. "I felt a joyful sorrow as I watched him board the plane."

Mrs. Kim is happy her son is going to college but sad he won't be living at home anymore

What is the phrase "a little thin on top" a euphemism for in this sentence? My aging uncle first got wrinkles all over his face, then he needed glasses to read, and now he's getting a little thin on top

bald

In "Interview with Simon Ortiz," Ortiz describes his work: "My latest book, Fightin', prose short fiction, is a combination. There's nothing about being Indian in there. Just stories of people. Why shouldn't I write about non-Indians? I don't have to dress anybody in feathers." How does Ortiz's use of language in this excerpt set an informal tone?

by using contractions and sentence fragments, Ortiz makes this part of the interview feel more familiar and casual

How does the simile in the line "The words leapt like a leaping sword" in Stanza 4 affect the poem?

it brings life to the energetic affect these words have on the sailors

Read this excerpt from "Why I Write" by George Orwell. But there is also the minority of gifted, willful people who are determined to live their own lives to the end, and writers belong in this class. Serious writers, I should say, are on the whole more vain and self-centered than journalists, though less interested in money. How does Orwell's use of language affect the tone of the text?

it creates a formal and genuine tone

Read this sentence from "Why I Write" by George Orwell. It is bound to be a failure, every book is a failure, but I know with some clarity what kind of book I want to write. How does the author's use of the phrase "every book is a failure" affect the tone?

it creates a humble tone

How does Twain's use of amplification - the use of more words than necessary to convey an idea - in this excerpt affect the passage? The animals out in the woods heard of this through the house cat, who was greatly admired by them because he was so learned, and so refined and civilized, and so polite and high-bred, and could tell them so much which they didn't know before, and were not certain about afterward

it creates a humorous or lighthearted tone

In "Interview with Simon Ortiz," Ortiz speaks about Native American people before and after the European colonization of North America: Native American people, before the European colonization of this country, were multilingual. They spoke not only their mother tongue but that of sister nations and cultures next to them. In the same sense Native American people speaking French, English, and Spanish after European colonization simply were another addition of other languages. Of course, that colonialism was in process makes a difference, obviously. Essentially, writing today is, in a sense, an acquisition of a language, extending the multilanguage ability-facility of Native American people. How does Ortiz's word choice in this passage affect the text?

it formally conveys his view that Native Americans were always particularly adept at learning new languages

In "Interview with Simon Ortiz," Ortiz describes exploitation and cultural appropriation: So it's a rip-off and, of course, Indian writers are not immune from doing some of the same things non-Indian writers do - maybe they do it less, or maybe they are more excused when they do it. How does Ortiz's use of informal language in this excerpt affect the text?

it gives the interview a more personal, familiar tone

Read this sentence from "Why I Write" by George Orwell. So long as I remain alive and well I shall continue to feel strongly about prose style, to love the surface of the earth, and to take pleasure in solid objects and scraps of useless information. How does the author's use of the phrase "scraps of useless information" affect the tone?

it highlights the critical tone of the essay

How does the metaphor in verse 4, "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love," affect this excerpt?i

it implies that the couple boldly proclaim their love for each other

How does Twain's use of characterization affect the story?

the association of each animal with a quality, such as the cat with refinement, enables the reader to think clearly about those qualities

"I want to get a summer job so I can buy a pre-owned car," said Amala to her father. How does the euphemism "pre-owned" affect the sentence?

the euphemism makes the car seem more appealing

Ursula glanced at her boss with a smug look on her face. Ursula glanced at her boss with an assured look on her face. How are the meanings of these two sentences different?

the first sentence implies that Ursula looks conceited; the second implies that she looks confident

Magda was known for being a stubborn young woman. Magda was known for being a determined young woman. How are the meanings of these two sentences different?

the first sentence suggests that Magda is disagreeable; the second suggests that she is resolute

How do the repeated words, "Sail on! sail on! sail on! sail on!" affect the poem?

they stress Columbus's determination and fearlessness

Read this excerpt from the passage. Then the animals assailed the ass for spoiling what could possibly have been a pleasure to them, on a mere suspicion that the picture was not beautiful, without any evidence that such was the case. The ass was not troubled; he was calm, and said there was one way to find out who was in the right, himself or the cat: he would go and look in that hole, and come back and tell what he found there. The animals felt relieved and grateful, and asked him to go at once - which he did. What is the effect of Twain's use of "telling language" and indirect dialogue, rather than "showing language" and direct dialogue, in this part of the fable?

this technique allows Twain to compress the conversation into fewer words and move on to a more interesting part of the story