Thursday, February 26, 2009

Show, Don't Tell


Helmets are the protectors of brains. The faded green paint tells an exciting story of valor, honor, loyalty, and courage. Not long ago, hot, fast-moving pieces of lead sliced through its shell and into whatever unfortunate material may be inside. One soldier must only hope that the metal was just a bit thicker. The pungent  scent of sweat, gunpowder, and blood emanates the struggle this soldier went through. This piece of metal is out of commission, but will always remind those who see it, the conflict one soldier endured.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Cathedral

In my opinion, "Cathedral" was a better short story than "Every Day Use." I believe this is so for a couple reasons. Firstly, "Cathedral" had a captivating plot. It kept the reader interested in where the story was going. On the other hand, "Every Day Use" was more of a biography of a family than a story. The narrator simply told the reader about her children, which I found to be very boring. The purpose of "Every Day Use," it seems, is to convey its theme. Granted, it does fulfill its purpose well. However, "Cathedral" is the better story, overall.
Another reason "Cathedral" is a better story is its quality of artistic ability. The author of "Cathedral" is evidently a more talented writer than the author of "Every Day Use." The author of "Cathedral" made the background information very clear which made the rest of the story easy to understand. The second short story was less clear. Also, the elements of the first story came together to complement the moral of the story better than the second. "Every Day Use" contained too much extraneous information that was not necessary to the story.