In any book you read you will find out that it is filled with imagery. Some images are more visible than others. In the Liars Club I feel as though Mary Karr didn't want her imagery to be as visible and blatant as others make it. She likes to make her images small but very strong by using repetition. The way she uses her images she makes you feel a certain way, either happy or sad. Two images I felt that Karr used that she wanted to have a big impact would be the relationship Mary has with her dad and another would be the time she spends at the liars club.
"If Daddy's past was more intricate to me than my own present, Mothers was as blank as the West Texas desert she came from."(Pg22 Ch3) Mary's relationship whether it be strong or weak, I think it symbolizes her connection to the real world and a real friend. Though he might not be around as much as Mary would like, he is her best friend and keeps her "sane" from all the chaos that is going on around her. You can tell that her dad plays the role/image of her sanity because most of her memories are about him or involve him. Mary can remember very vivid details about her father, especially when he is telling his lies to the men in the liars club. It is at the liars club that Mary's dad becomes her true friend. No one else in the liars clubs brings their child but Mary gets to go, and if some one tries to say something bad towards Mary, her dad is right there behind here sticking up for her.
" I hear about daddy doing this kind of meanness, and I see guys shy away when he strolls over to a pool table, but he handles me like I'm something glass. Even his spankings are mild enough to seem symbolic." (Pg 169) This line shows that even when Mary's dad may be trying to discipline her he is still doing it in a loving way. Not only is her dad symbolic but the things he does are symbolic(punishments)
I feel that Karr wants the liars club to symbolize the only steady/normal thing in Mary's life. When Mary is there she feels safe and can just let go and relax. It is here that her dad really shows his love for her too, and this is why Mary loves it so much, because she can make that connection with her father. You can tell that she loves being there because the details that she remembers are down to a tee. Like a turn of the head or the smell of the air. She knows almost every word that is said by everyone.
"My father comes into focus for me on a Liar's Club afternoon. He sits at a wobbly card table weighed down by a bottle. Even now the scene seems so real to me that I can't but write about it in the present tense." (pg15 Ch1) This shows just how much of an impact the Liars Club has on her life and how much she remembers from it. Most all the stories that she tells about it are happy in her mind. It's the little things that have a big impact on Mary's life and stand for an image in her bizarre life.
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1. Thesis statement: Two images I fell that Karr used that she wanted to have a big impact would be the relationship Mary has with her dad and another would be the time she spends at the liars club. Try to narrow to just one thing, and use the images to support what you say. It seems like the images are your thesis in this case. She really dictates how Mary acts. You do keep on topic of these two images. You also identified the book and author quickly.
ReplyDelete2. You throw the quotes out before letting the reader know what is going to be said. There should be an introduction to what you say. Your support after the quotes are good and connect to your thesis images.
3. You don't seem to summarize too much, but you use a lot of quotes compared to your writing. "Not only is her dad symbolic but the things he does are symbolic(punishments)" Try to expand this thought, it seems like it just is ended.
4. I think I could argue the book is about her mom more then it is the dad. Her relationship with her mother plays a big part in her staying in Colorado instead of going back with her dad.
5. "Mary's relationship weather it be strong or weak" You should have whether, instead of weather. Check your capitalizing.
6. Your 4th paragraph does not seem to have a lot of fact, more of an opinion paragraph. "I" and "You" is more opinion rather then fact.
7. I dont think you get too far off topic, but it does seem like you have 2 topics. (the liars club and marys father).
OK, So after looking more into it, I think your thesis would be good if they were images. What you talk about is more broad events that happen rather then specific images.
ReplyDelete1) Your thesis makes sense but just condense it. After all isn't part of the time she spends with her father time at the liars' club? The imagery part to me just doesn't stand out well either.
ReplyDelete1b)You named the author and title just make sure the title is capitalized, italicized, and don't forget that apostrophe. :)
2)Your quotes are good for your thesis and you do a good job of not leaving them hanging. But, maybe a bit more before the quote relating to it.
3)I don't think there is a problem with summaries but make sure you're not sounding repetitive of earlier arguments or the quote itself.
4)I guess the only argument I could think of would be that these images are meant to stand out rather than blend in with a big impact but I don't think that's much of an issue here.
5)Paragraph one: "in any book YOU read" not your, "two images I FELT" not fell. Paragraph two:it's whether not weather, reword that sentence, "plays the ROLE" not roll, "some one try's" should be "someone tries". Paragraph three: Capitalize I in that first sentence.Redo that last sentence maybe, sounds repetitive of the quote. Include the period whether you change it or not. Overall: Go look at quoting rules and just make sure everything is done right. :)
6) Make sure you're being more supportive and less opinionated. Make it seem like less of your thoughts and more of fact. Take out some "I" and "you" statements.
7) I think you stay on topic well!
1. There is a clear thesis that says Mary likes to use small images, lots of repetition as well as images that may be hidden to conjure images in the reader's mind. You write clearly about several images to make your point obvious and to support it. The thesis does make sense, even if the reader does not agree with it. The name of the author and the book are in the thesis.
ReplyDelete2. I like the examples used because they directly correlated to the liars' club and to her father which is central to what you are writing. To some of the quotes you may want to add what Mary is doing or thinking or introduce it more than just going right into the quote.
3. None of it seems to much like a summary. When you are not using quotes, you are mostly speaking about them, and explaining more how the quote may tie in, and your feelings on it.
4. While I think that you did a great job I don't really agree at all. Mary uses all the reader's senses to involve them in almost everything that she is talking about. She tells how the men act, what they look like and where they cam from. She does use repetition, but I think that the strong and abundant imagery that she uses is what makes the book so enjoyable. Throughout most of the book, when Karr describes something she is doing or some place she is at, I feel like I am there.
5. In the first paragraph you said 'your read' instead of 'you read'. Also later you said weather instead of whether when comparing two things.
6. Although you support the quotes with opinions you use quotes and explain what you think about them, I don't think that the opinion gets in the way of the evidence.
7. You stayed with the topic the whole time.
Todd,
ReplyDeleteThe images you bring up in your thesis paragraph are not exactly images. You'll need to get more specific right off the bat.
You want to focus on her father, clearly. Identify small things about him and let us know what those small things signify.
Good luck. Let me know when you reformulate your thesis so that we can see if it works well.