Agenda:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40MuUx60ykE
Click on this link and read (saving paper):
adlibris.com/se/images/UntilGwen.pdf
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=76576
An interview with Dennis Lehane
theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2004/05/hookers-guns-and-money/3125/
Until Gwen Response
What about "Until Gwen" sticks out the most to you? You could focus on a scene, an image, a character, the style, the point of view, a theme--anything really. Write a perfect paragraph of 5-7 sentences in response.
Also:
"Until Gwen"
Use the title "Until Gwen" in a sentence about the main character of this story: "Until Gwen, he ______. During Gwen, he ______. After Gwen, he ______." Do the same with the main character's father: "Until Gwen, his father ______. During Gwen, his father ______. After Gwen, his father ______." Describe the lasting impact Gwen had on these two men. Are there similarities?
At the story's end, the main character has all the means to completely re-invent himself. Financially he is secure. On paper he has no past. He is able to completely start somewhere new where no one knows him. If you could write an epilogue to this story, one year later, where would he be?
https://prezi.com/r1sge_1scfof/until-gwen/
https://prezi.com/crdywghclmvp/until-gwen/
http://emilysimplicity.blogspot.com/2011/12/until-gwen-by-dennis-lehane.html
Post your comments!
Continue reading A Prayer for the Dying.
Current Contests: Scholastic
Sokol--a poem and/or story
Gannon--1-3 poems
Before Gwen the main character didn't truly know who he was. During Gwen he found himself, then after Gwen he realized who he was and paved a new path for his future. Gwen showed him the meaning of love and who he really was inside.
ReplyDeleteIf I wrote an epilogue to the story I would imagine him living in a big city and living out his dreams, finding peace within himself and his surroundings.
“Until Gwen”, a story told in the second person perspective shows the theme of identity. Bobby the ‘you’ narrator doesn’t have an identity, in the sense of he doesn’t have a social security, a birth certificate, and probably a real name. It is even shown in the form of when Bobby’s name is finally revealed the author doesn’t use his name anymore in the story; which tells me that even though the narrator thinks his name is Bobby it is really not. Even the narrators father doesn’t know who Bobby is due to him finding him abandoned in a barrel as a baby. The story concludes when Bobby finds himself at Gwen’s grave thinking about how his life is nothing because he barely knows anything about himself.
ReplyDelete"Until Gwen" focuses on Bobby's struggle with identity following his release from prison and the eventual news of his girlfriend's death. The short story is set within the days following his release, giving little time for the audience to see him develop a sense of self. The epilogue, however, would describe Bobby's journey to find out who he is without his father's negative influence and dependence on Gwen. I believe without his father in his life, Bobby will be able to grow as a person outside of the criminal war. A year following his release, Bobby would have found stability and a secure job, slowly but surely going up in the world and hopefully finding joy in doing so.
ReplyDelete"Until Gwen" Is a short story about Bobby trying to find out his true identity. He goes on a journey of literal self discovery trying to find out who is. it is a short story told in second person which gives the reader a chance to put themselves in bobby's shoes. readers have empathy for bobby during his journey of trying to identify himself throughout the story.
ReplyDeleteIn "Until Gwen", the biggest thing that sticks out to me is Bobby's struggle with who he is and who he has around him. Not knowing much of where he came from, he finds solace in Gwen, his girlfriend, but she, like many other things, was taken from him. His struggle to find who he is is a prominent theme throughout the story. Also, obviously, the second person point of view stuck out as well, allowing the reader to see things from Bobby's perspective.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe short story, "Until Gwen" follows Bobby, a young man who has just been released from prison and receives the news that his girlfriend, Gwen, the girl who had led him down a path of self discovery, was dead. He was then left with his father, a negative influence who forced him into situations and conflicts he wanted no part of. The author's choice to write the story in second person enhances the tone as it makes the plot and theme more universal, as if you are the one having the experience. Bobby's struggle to find himself is a feeling that everyone has felt at one time or another, and the author's craft completely fleshes this concept. Gwen can signify any person, object, or idea that gives a person identity or importance. In this way, the story touches the audience in a direct manner.
ReplyDeleteIn "Until Gwen" the you in the story represents Bobby. Bobby starts a journey to self discovery. Gwen becomes like everyone else and is taken away from Bobby too soon. Booby is still trying to grasp the concept of being free and out of jail, since Gwen is dead, he has to find his own identify and be able to believe in himself.
ReplyDeleteIn "Until Gwen", the "you" in the story is trying to find out who he is after the double tragedy whammy of having to be in prison and finding out that his girlfriend is dead. The story itself is a few days after his release from prison, and he's developing the sense of being a "free man". Though the epilogue most likely would detail his lasting thoughts with Gwen, his almost codependency, and what he will go as he turns his fortune for the better.
ReplyDeleteIn The short story "until Gwen" the "you "in the second story represents the character Bobby. Bobby starts a long journey of self discovery after being lead by a girl. The author creates a better understand of the story because it is being told in second person ,making the plot more precise.
ReplyDeleteIn "Until Gwen", the "you" in the story is finding out who he is after a two tragedies, including the death of his girlfriend and spending some time in prison. The story takes place not too long after he's released from prison and he's starting to readjust and become a free man again. The epilogue would consist of him learning to not depend on Gwen anymore and clearing negative influences from his life as his fortune turns for the better.
ReplyDelete"Until Gwen" was a story about a father and a son who were both criminals. The father picks up his son after getting out of prison and they seem to be looking for a diamond that they stole previous to the son going into prison. At first it was hard to understand but Gwen seemed to be a girl that Bobby the son had used to love. The father had killed Gwen and after three years in prison Bobby still seemed to think about her constantly. Gwen helped Bobby realize who he was as a person and when Bobby lost her he lost himself once again.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"Until Gwen" was a story about a man named Bobby who was just released from prison and then decides to go and let his girlfriend know. But to his surprise, she is dead. He is then only left with his father, whom is a very negative influence on him. Luckily near the end of the story, Bobby learns to remove all the negative influence from his life. But throughout this story the "you" is used for Bobby so that the reader can try to understand through Bobby's eyes the things he experiences throughout the story.
ReplyDelete"Until Gwen" follows Bobby, recently released from prison, who learns that his girlfriend Gwen is dead and he is only left with his father, who has a very negative effect on his as opposed to Gwen's positive one. His father leads him into situations Bobby doesn't want to be a part of, but learns near the end to remove the negative influences in his life. The story is written in second person so it seems more universal and can be applied to anyone and many more people can relate with Bobby's journey.
ReplyDelete‘’Until Gwen’’ tells of a man named Bobby who was recently released from prison and reveals his struggle when out. With his father being a major negative influence on his life, Bobby tends to tell of his past and scamming with him, and of the time he got shot, due to his father’s expense. When he talks of Gwen, the love of his life, it seems to put a positive effect on his riskiest journeys. Eventually, the audience finds out that his father killed Gwen when he entered jail. The second person formatting provides a personal effect on the reader and creates a great structure for the struggling main character.
ReplyDelete