Read Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Haunted Mind"
http://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/nh/hmind.html
Read Italo Calvino's "If on a winter's night a traveler...""
http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/00/pwillen1/lit/winter.htm
Another example:
They are coming for you, to take you to the firing squad, the gallows, the stake, the electric chair, the gas chamber. You have to stand up; but you can't. Your body, gorged with fear, is too heavy$to move. You'd like to be able to rise and walk between them out the open door of your cell with dignity; but you can't. So they have to drag you away.
Or, it is coming, it is upon you and the others; bells or sirens have gone off (air raid, hurricane, rising flood), and you've taken shelter in this cell-like space, as out of harm's way as you can be, and out of the way of those trained to cope with the emergency. But you don't feel safer; you feel trapped. There's no place to run, and even if there were, fear has made your limbs too heavy, you can barely move. It's an alien weight that you shift from the bed to the chair, the chair to the floor. And you are shivering with fear or cold; and there is absolutely nothing you can do except try not to be any more terrified than you already are. If you remain very still, you pretend that this is what you have decided to do.
(Susan Sontag,
The Volcano Lover 2.4.217; original emphasis(1))
Homework:
Continue to work on your 2nd person narrative and read Ch. 5 in Prayer for the Dying for Friday
In the short story " if on a winter's night a traveler" begin with art and nature , and then to be calm and concentrate . It had a lot of imagery in the short story . The genre is unique there all broke down and understanding . The ending shows a hidden element and i found that interesting .
ReplyDeleteThe story If on a winters night a traveler was more enjoyable then The haunted mind. It seems like it was easier to write because it had a lot of direction in it like put your legs up and stuff. The haunted mind seemed more complex and like the author thought more about it. I think im going to write something more like Italo Calvino's story. It's funner and simpler.
ReplyDeleteIf On A Winter's Night A Traveler-Italo Calvino
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this first chapter of this novel. The part I liked the best the part when one is standing in the bookstore looking for a new book. Everyone experiences the same problem of trying to find a new book to read. The use of second person within this part made me think about how I'm in Borders or Barnes and Nobel trying to pick a new book, decided whether to pick a book I've been "planning to read for ages" or a book that will "go with the other book on your shelves".
The Haunted Mind-Nathaniel Hawthorne
I didn't like this story as much as Calvino, but I liked the way the author used second person. It really brought out how one would feel during the middle of the night and how ones mind races and ponders dark thoughts. It reminds me of the times where I wake up and think about random things, such as how the day might go, people who have passed, how life can change, etc.
The story if on a winters dream was more easier to read because it was very comical but the short story The Haunted Mind was more enjoyable to read because it was easier to relate to due to me having had sleep insomnia in the past. In the Haunted Mind i liked how he described about the how a person would usually feel when waking up so late at night and not being able to fall back t sleep.
ReplyDeleteUsually if you are woken up at night from a restless sleep most likely you will not be thinking about good thoughts.He talks about a woman and how "Her influence is over you, though she have no existence but in that momentary image."
I loved how well written, "the haunted mind" was. I believe, In my opinion it was more beautiful and descriptive than, "If on a winter's night a traveler."
ReplyDeleteAlthough "If on s winter's night a traveler" grabbed my attention with the abrupt second person narrative, I felt it was somewhat annoying and mildly humorous.
"The Haunted mind" which was more enjoyable, was more reflective, thought provoking and engaging.
I did not enjoy the story "If On a Winter Night a Traveler" because it was awful. There was no creative process and it was therefor not enjoyable for me.
ReplyDeleteThe excerpt "If on a winter's night a traveler" by Italo Calvino exemplifies a story in the second person point of view. I thought that this story was very good. some of my favorite parts was when he was telling me how to get into that perfect position when you are about to start reading a novel. with all of the details it really helps me get into the story. i liked how he didn't make his story like most of the other second person stores that there mind is hunting them. His point of view of the story was lighter and more humorous. He showed me that not all second person stores have to be scary and serious. i like the lighter way of writing in second person point of view. I also like the story "The Hunted Mind" takes a more serious view of the second person. It is more of a hunting story. Most stories that are written in the second person are mainly serious and scary. Even though the second person is not used often, it will be a challenge to write a story in second person. Now that i know that you can write in the second person with it being funny or talking with the reader it seems like it would be more easy.
ReplyDeleteIt was a nice change to see an example of second person perspective that was a light-hearted address to the reader as opposed to an attempt to draw the reader into the psychological turmoil of main character. So far both A Prayer for the Dying and A Haunted Mind want to draw you into the character a wring you through their troubled minds. A Luminous Dial is similar to Italo Cavino's opening in that there is no defined character to transpose the reader into. The reader is the character. However, it was refreshing to see Cavino take a humorous approach. He sketches up real life in so much detail, with different scenarios and quirks, that pull you in and often, there is at least something the reader can identify with. He does a good job of puling you into the second person, and really talking to the reader.
ReplyDeleteThe Haunted Mind was more enjoyable because it seemed to have more of a creative process to it than If On a Winter's Night a Traveler. The Haunted mind had more of a story to follow which was intriguing. However, If On a Winter's Night a Traveler was a little more humorous and easy to follow, i just couldn't see the point in it.
ReplyDeleteI like how Italo Calvino wrote directly to the reader trying to prepare them to read the novel. The way he suggested different positions to begin reading his novel and his little check list was very creative and funny. I think this was a good way to get the reader into the story. The Haunted Mind was a more serious story and i personally find funny pieces way more interesting. I like how second person point of view delivers the story to the reader so i'm going to TRY to use this technique to make an entertaining story.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Haunted Mind" there is so much descriptive writing that, in my opinion, takes away from the meaning of the story. It's message gets lost because there is so much unnecessary descriptive language. For example in the second paragraph it says "Yesterday has already vanished among the shadows of the past; to-morrow has not yet emerged from the future." Even though this is nice language it's still unnecessary. Simplicity to a reader can be useful in this passage. In addition, the second person point of view in this section adds on to the confusion.
ReplyDeleteI like the Haunted mind, because its more interesting talking about consciousness rather than someone just talking to me. That's why I didn't really care for If on a winter's night a traveler. The Haunted mind was deeper than the other short story.
ReplyDeleteIf On A Winter's Night A Traveler was a very descriptive approach to one's experience of being in a book store. However it seems a bit much for me if I were to go in a bookstore especially since I never went in without knowing what I wanted.
ReplyDeleteThe Haunted Mind was true to my form because I know what it's like to wake up in the middle of the night from anxiety, sometimes out of fear that my nightmares will come to life. Unfortunately I can't relate to the fear of ending up alone. A fear like that just means that I need to spend time strengthening my relationship with myself.