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EMMA'S BLOG

  • A Look at “Back Story”

    The text that appeals to me the most as a subject of analysis would be the opening paragraphs of “Back Story”, the first chapter of The Blind Side. There are many elements that contribute to its effectiveness, however, I have decided to focus on three specific elements. The three elements I chose are dialogue, the ebay the author displays the scene to us instead of explaining it, and the figurative language used. 

    The dialogue used in these paragraphs is a very effective element to the writing because it adds important insights into what is going on inside the narrator’s head. We get to know what the narrator is really thinking as the events play out in real time. This is a powerful technique on the author’s part, as it adds depth to the story. An example of this from the text would be, “Three mississippi: Carson now sees that Theismann has the ball.” Another element that contributes to the text’s effectiveness is the way the author displays the scene to us instead of explaining it. There is lots of imagery and it makes the reader feel like they are experiencing what is going on for themselves, rather than just being told what is going on. I believe this technique makes the writing very successful and very interesting for the reader, as not many works use this technique.

    I feel as though when an author explains a scene in a story too much, instead of just showing us, the story loses depth, and becomes less grasping for us readers. This point definitely ties back to the author’s use of dialogue as well, and these two techniques work well together to form strong, quality writing. Another element that the author uses that contributes to the effectiveness of the text is the figurative language used. 

    Examples of this figurative language used are sound effects and sports related terms that the players comprehend. These sound effects that are used are very effective in the sense that they add more specific detail to the work, which is more than just an average explanation of what happened in the plot. When sound effects are used, we can infer that it’s what the narrator is really hearing in real time, which adds depth to the story and makes the reader more engaged. Another example of the figurative language used in the text is the frequent usage of sports related terms that the players comprehend. An Example of this from the text is, “Its what most people know as a “flea-kicker”, but the redskins call it a “throwback special.”This is very effective because there are “code words” used by the teammates throughout the football game, without any real explanation. Having no context or explanation of the particular language used is powerful, and adds much emphasis. An example from the text would be, “From the snap of the ball to the snap of the first bone is closer to four seconds than to five.” We truly feel, as readers, that we are in the players’ heads during the game. The communication between players is an extremely important aspect to the story as a whole. 

    Overall, in the opening paragraphs of “Back Story”, the first chapter in The Blind Side, there are many elements that contribute to its effectiveness. These elements include, but are not limited to: dialogue, the way the author displays the scene to us readers instead of explaining it, and the vast figurative language used. 

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  • A Class to Remember

    As a student, I see myself as responsible, committed, and always looking to grow in knowledge and improve. I believe that my identity as a college student says a lot about my character, as I am hard working and focused, even among many distractions. My role as a student has changed over time as I have gotten older, and ultimately my future is in my hands and my success equals the effort I decide to put in. The biggest learning experience as a student I have had so far was last semester when I really struggled in math class. I was not performing my best and was not happy with my grade in the class. This pushed me to work harder, put in more effort, and ask for help.  

    After taking these steps to improve, I can proudly say I got my grade up drastically and improved my study habits and learning methods. After going through this experience, I learned what to do and what not to do when faced with a challenge. I now know from experience that it is perfectly normal to ask for help and it is not something to be ashamed of, because at the end of the day, it only shows willingness to improve. I also learned that some things in life may not come easy to you, and you may have to work a little bit harder and put some extra effort into what you are doing in order to achieve success. As well as learning many new habits and skills, I know what does not work for me as a learner. From this experience, I have learned that there is no real benefit to waiting until the last minute to do anything, no matter what it is. This could mean waiting until the very last minute to study, ask for help, or to do any assignment or homework that may require more time and effort.  

    Learning what works for you, and what does not is such an important part of the learning process. Making mistakes and messing up along the way will only help you grow and improve. Going through this experience as a student has for sure enhanced my confidence and skills. Knowing that I overcame an obstacle with hard work and persistence gave me the confidence to know that if something like this experience ever came up again, I would know how to go about facing it and finding a solution. Even when it may seem like things are not going to get better, there is always a solution to every problem – that is – if you are willing to find it.  

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