Based on your reading thus far, which literary device used by Guterson most impresses you: Setting, Characterization, or Flashbacks. Explore this device and include textual examples (quotes or paraphrases) to support your answer.
Respond in a minimum of 5 sentences. Blog due Thursday, January 13
I think Guterson's use of characterization impresses me the most. The way he characterizes and describes each character influences the story. In the beginning, at the courtroom, Guterson describes Kabuo, saying he "sat with his dark eyes trained straight ahead and did not appear moved at all" (3). Guterson reveals Kabuo's personality, which is based on his Japanese culture.
ReplyDeleteAlso, he explains Carl Heine as "courteous but not friendly" and "stout and thick muscled" (15,49). Guterson is able to describe characteristics of Carl and allow the readers to get a clearer image of the character.
David Guterson's use of characterization is very impressive. He uses it on mostly all of the characters and it is a very good technique he has used in this novel. For example when he introduces Ishmael Chambers, "He was a man of thirty-one with a harden face, a tall man with they eyes of a war veteran" (7). Even when characters are not in the center of a situation or plot, he still tells the audience what that character is thinking or doing, "Now, in the courtroom, with the sweat on his temples, Ishmael felt embarrassed to be sitting among the reporters...In the meantime he sat facing the wind driven snowfall" (8). While Ishmael was in the crowd of people who were dealing with the case Guterson made a better image of the scene describing the side characters and what they were doing. The technique Guterson uses while writing his novels gives the reader a better image and the story, and makes it a more pleasant reading.
ReplyDeleteGuterson most impresses me by his use of flashbacks. So far throughout the novel he has done an excellent job of using flashbacks to fill the reader in on what they do not know. For example, in chapter seven he is able to adjust from the present day courtroom to the history of the Japanese in the city. Guterson writes, “Their parents and grandparents had come to San Piedro as far back as 1883” (75).
ReplyDeleteAlso in chapter seven he uses a flashback to vividly explain and introduce Kabuo’s wife, Hatsue Miyamoto. Without this flashback, or one of this much detail one would not feel as though they know Kabuo and Hatsue on a personal level. His flashbacks give detail and explanation to what is currently happening and add much to the novel.
I think Guterson impressed me the most with his use of characterization. He describes each character very well and helps you get to know and understand each person. You learn about their life and personality. In the beginning, Guterson describes Kabuo when he was sitting in the courtroom. "Kabuo's features were smooth and angular; his hair had been cropped close to his skull in a manner that made its musculature prominent...he sat with his dark eyes trained straight ahead and did not appear moved at all" (3). Guterson shows Kabuo's personality and looks, which are based on his Japanese culture. When he introduces Ishmael Chambers, he mentions that "He was a man of thirty-one with a hardened face, a tall man with the eyes of a war veteran. He had only one arm, the left having been amputated ten inches below the shoulder joint, so that he wore the sleeve of his coat pinned up with the cuff fastened to the elbow" (7). This lets the reader know that Ishmael was a brave man, having served in the war and he was serious about what he was doing. Guterson describes each of the characters very well, even if they aren't the center of attention at the moment, and lets the reader understand them better.
ReplyDeleteI think the setting is what impresses me the most. I say this because he is very good at writing in vivid detail, and is excellent in creating imagery. An example of this is when he describes the scene in the courtroom, and how the snow was hitting the windows and sliding down. He also described the boat where Carl’s body was found very vividly. I also think he is good with his characters. An example of this is again in the courtroom where the coroner is being questioned by the defendant. The coroner gets irritated when questioned about his work, while he remained calm and respective with all the other questions. This shows the certain things that get under his skin, and make the character more real.
ReplyDeleteBased on what I have read so far, Guterson most impresses me with his Characterization. Guterson has the ability to explain each character so vividly that we can visualize exactly what they are doing. For example, in chapter one Guterson describes the character Kabuo Miyamoto in such detal that the reader can develop a personality to the character. "...his hair had been cropped close to his skull in a manner that made its musculature prominent. In the face of the charge that had been leveled against him he sat with his dark eyes trained..." (3). Guterson also describes Carl Heine in chapter two. "... Carl's blond hair had gone russet colored. He weighed two hundred and thirty-five pounds. much of it carried in his chest and shoulders" (15) In the description of Carl we are able to visualize him. Guterson's characterization is impressive because it gives the readers a chance to develop their own views on the characters and precieve the story how they want.
ReplyDeleteGuterson's use of characterization impressed me the most. He gives intimate details about every person the reader meets in the story. Though his setting descriptions seem long-winded, the character development does not. Each small trait which he describes is important to understanding the characters in full and providing clues and insights into their personalities. Ishmael's thoughts on his missing arm and Horace remembering Carl with his son give the reader a source for empathy. Whereas, Nels' body language shows the reader proof that he is aging without specifically stating so. Guterson expertly allows the reader to deduce certain things on their own about his characters while still giving an abundance of information.
ReplyDeleteI think Gutersons use of flashbacks impress me the most. The flashbacks are very important to the characters' current personalities. It gives a back story that further exemplifies the character to whom it is about. For example the description of the Japanese and others' views of them help the reader better understand Kabuo and Hatsue's behavior. It also helps the reader to further personalize the events happening in the novel. Without the flashbacks the story would be dry and incomplete with less explenation for the occurances in the book.
ReplyDeleteThe use of flashbacks is the literary device used by Guterson that impresses me the most. Flashbacks reel you in to the history of the island and its people. For example, in Chapter 5, the history of Carl and his family is detailed. We learn so much more about Carl from what Horace says about Carl's interaction with his son than if Guterson just told us exactly what happened. The flashbacks make the story more clear and vivid, and allow the reader to relate to it more than anything else could.
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