Poetry cycles DUE today.
Please be sure to read to pg. 72 in Prayer for the Dying.
Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Diphtheria causes a thick covering in the back of the throat. It can lead to difficulty breathing, heart failure, paralysis, and even death. CDC recommends vaccines for infants, children, teens and adults to prevent diphtheria.
Wisconsin Death Trip:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Death_Trip
THINK, PAIR, SHARE:
Discuss the following questions and post a response.
1. The book is narrated in the second person, addressing the main character, Jacob, as “you.” Who is speaking? Why do you think the author chose this mode to tell the story?
2. When Jacob is called to take care of Clytie, he has a very hard time pulling the trigger. Look at the passage (p. 49) in which he has to convince himself to kill her. Why does he agonize when he knows it’s the right thing? What does it mean that he’s “still clinging to some dream of innocence, blamelessness”? Does he continue to cling to that dream later in the story?
3. Why does Jacob elect to bleed and treat the bodies of some victims, even after Doc has told him not to, and even though he knows he’s putting himself in danger? Why is precision and diligence so important to him even when everyone around him is worried only about survival?
Begin working on 2nd person short story.
Some thoughts from enotes:
The novel opens, innocently enough, with a wide-angle view of a rural American town shortly after the Civil War (1861-1865). The author serves up the scene slowly, allowing the reader to steep gently in the steamy cup of summer. One notices workers in the field, small children and tiny streams giggling their way through a heavy summer day, insects annoying the requisite cows, people moving through their everyday lives. They love, laugh, and argue, kill their kin and tend their tomatoes, perform the pedestrian and not so pedestrian tasks of living and of dying.
Jacob Hansen, Civil War veteran, functions in the tiny community not only as constable and preacher but also as undertaker. He is a person of honor and humility. He is family man, gentle man, model citizen—almost too good to be true. He is devoted to his talented and lovely wife, Marta, and to his young daughter. His life is ordered and controlled, as he takes time for both the pleasures of the flesh and the prayers of faith. He accepts the townsfolk and himself as they are, fully appreciating their good qualities and overlooking their faults. “They’ll all come to you someday,” he remarks to himself, “and they know you’ll do right by them.” Jacob certainly does right for the town. He is the sturdy warp upon which the town weaves its successes and troubles. Its fabric is strong because he is strong; it is orderly and good because he is orderly and good; it keeps the patterns of family and social life intact because he does; it is able to absorb and cope with its problems because in his own psyche he sets the design for how to behave. Friendships are closely woven and richly ornamented; lapses are dealt with in orderly fashion. While readers may not be drawn to like him—a bit too Milquetoast perhaps—they cannot help but admire him.
O’Nan’s plan is to capture interest not so much in the living of the town, but in its dying. The sunny reality of Friendship becomes overcast when a local farmer discovers an itinerant soldier dead beside his campfire, presumably the victim of murder and robbery. As Jacob arrives to claim the body, he marks the physical resemblance of the dead soldier to himself: There is the same battle-worn and dirty uniform, the same tin drinking cup. A shadow from Jacob’s dark history as a soldier in the Civil War passes briefly, but its meaning is made clear to the reader only later in the novel. Jacob’s congruence to the corpse is deeper than physical likeness. The soldier functions as a kind of metaphor for the main character. The corruption of disease in the dead man foreshadows what the author will reveal later about the constable himself. Questions of why Jacob travels by bicycle and not by horse and what really happened in the war linger among the gathering clouds in the reader’s mind.
As constable and undertaker, Jacob has a duty to solve the mystery of the soldier’s death as well as to prepare his corpse for burial. Both tasks are undertaken with equanimity and seriousness. The reader sees...
1. Second person puts the reader into the skin of Jacob, or another main character. It makes them feel personally involved in the plague on this town. At least, that's the idea. Third person could be the completely wrong choice by distancing the audience from the trauma of this tale and first person might not be as effective because it doesn't assault the reader with "you." Second person offers a closer touch and the author could also have simply preferred to write in second person as well. 2. Jacob knows the "Ramsays" (O'Nan 48) and is momentarily stunned by the situation, wondering if Clytie's situation really is diphtheria. Clytie, plagued with disease is now a "massive deer" (O'Nan 49). She's an animal in pain and the right thing to do would be to shoot her and protect the town. However, Jacob is a civil war veteran who respects life and wants to honor the dead. He does agonize of killing her because after a job in killing, killing seems unjust and wrong even when it's merciful. Jacob says that he'll learn that it was merciful, but he's “still clinging to some dream of innocence, blamelessness” (O'Nan 49), which would be Clytie's living and his not having to fire. A perfect ideal world. 3. Doc doesn't want Jacob to bleed the victims because it will expose the bacteria. Jacob wants to honor the dead and give a decent burial, as he believes everyone deserves. This question, I feel relates a lot to the previous question as far as Jacob's reasoning goes. Jacob has a lot of responsibility in the town with his jobs and although the rest of the town has qualms about their own survival, Jacob has already fought a war once already and knows how to stick to himself in a crisis.
ReplyDeletejacob is the person speaking but i feel the author put it in second person because he knew that it would make his readers more interested in the book and it would make them feel like they are actually apart of the book. 2. He has such a hard time because he was surrounded by war when he served the country so he does not want to take the life of another but when he says he was clinging to a dream of being blameless he means he can hope he can find a way to somehow deal with the guilt.Doc didnt want him to bleed the victims because if jacob did then the bactiera would spread but jacob does it anyway because he moraly feels the dead should be respected.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was reading the story it gave me lots of things on why the author could've wrote in 2nd person. Sometimes when using "you" or "your" it can make you feel like that person is you it keeps the reader engaged in what is going on and could leave the reader with lots of thoughts and possibly wanting to read more we all knew that Jacob was the main character because of the details in the story throughout the story we find out that Jacob was surrounded around a very bad environment it was war we find out that Jacob is a caring person because he wants to honor the dead being Jacob comes with a lot of responsibility because he had jobs and he fought in a war and know what to do in a situation like that when Jacob says he was clinging to a dream of being blameless he meant he wants to find away to get through his situation
ReplyDeleteThe book is written in second person because of many reasons. By putting the reader into the story, and addressing them directly, the reader is confronted with the same choices that the main character is making in the text. It forces them to think about what they would have done in those situations and how hard it would be to be three crucial parts of a town, all in one man. There is no one individual person who is speaking, it is just an outside author is relaying the events of what is happening, and even though it can sound detached, the book is written with enough dialogue and imagery that the reader doesn't realize it is second person for most of the text.
ReplyDelete1. O´nan most likely chose for the story to be in second person so that the reader could visualize themselves as the main character to provide a much more personal connection between the reader and the story. If the writer were to have written the story in a different POV, It would most likely hindered the purpose of the writer; making it less personal.
ReplyDelete2. What makes it difficult for Jacob to kill Clytie is because he can see the pain in her eyes as hes about to do it. Since Jacob has this ideology of respecting life and the dead, it makes it harder for him to take the life of an innocent animal. Although its the right thing to do because she´s already suffering, and this would be just him taking mercy on her. The meaning of “still clinging to some dream of innocence, blamelessness”(O´Nan), means that Jacob is trying to make himself feel less guilty for killing Clytie due to the circumstances of her catching diphtheria.
3.Since Jacob and Doc are friends and he values their friendship; he´d rather risk the chances of him contracting the disease than letting Doc take that risk. His precision and diligence is important because coincides with his beliefs of respecting the dead and living; he wants to bleed out the dead and then give them a proper burial, which is his way of following his beliefs.
The novel is written in second person, and thus addresses the the main character as you. Although this is the case "you" in the story is not the reader themselves but the main protagonist Jacob, a man in the story is vastly important to the town of Friendship, with many of his jobs, such as undertaker,sheriff, and priest. I think that the author chose to write the story in second person to relate to Jacobs many jobs within the town of Friendship. This make the story much more interesting and we can see through the eyes of Jacob as he deals with people and problems.
ReplyDeleteStewart O'Nan uses second person to allow the reader to further see or experience the point of view of Jacob. Addressing the reader with second person allows for the reader to see the decisions and choices Jacob is faced with. Because second person is addressing the reader, there is no character that relay the events but just the author. With literary techniques like imagery the reader gets a good understanding through vivid description as well as dialogue.
ReplyDelete1) Jacob is the one speaking. He is the town’s preacher and the constable. The reason why the author uses the second person is to place the audience/reader in the story itself. He wants the us, as the audience, to have a very strong connection by putting in the omphalos of all the chaos going around in the story by putting us in the perspective of the narrator. The audience has stronger emotional reaction in the second POV compared to first, or third POV, which places the audience “outside” the story.
ReplyDelete2) Even though Jacob knows that it is the right thing to do, Jacob suffers over shooting Clytie. This is explained by Jacob being, of course, very selfless and troubled with ending someone else’s life. The quote “still clinging to some dream of innocence, blamelessness” refers to Jacob’s consciousness, which he tries to justify his actions in the story. As the story progresses he still “clings” to the idea of blamelessness as his daughter and wife die and he doesn't feel remorseful, which he thinks he should.
3) Even when Doc advised Jacob to not do it, Jacob believes that it is proper and the only right thing to bleed and treat some bodies, even considering not doing so would almost be insulting. His skill, his ability, his precision, and his diligence, - he realizes, is most important during that time since he is surrounded by people who are completely worried about one thing; survival. He realizes this because he is a religious which therefore, has a religious mindset of contributing to the community and he treasure living the life right, rather than just living a simple life.
1) The second person point of view makes the book more personal. Since the main character has religious convictions that readers will most likely not share, this personal connection takes away any distancing between the reader and the protagonist that might otherwise occur. The book also deals with very existential and philosophic questions, and the second person style forces them to apply to the readers.
ReplyDelete2)The struggle Jacob has killing Clytie is the first of many examples of how Jacobs moral code and religious beliefs get in the way of his doing the safe or smart thing. I think that Jacob has this intense need to be "pure." He has this vision of himself as the perfect religious man, and he doesn't want to be responsible for the death of even a cow. He describes looking into Clyties eyes and seeing the fear. Even though he knows it is the right thing to do, he will feel guilty.
3) Jacobs insistence on properly treating the dead comes from a very similar place as his hesitance to kill Clytie. Despite the plague and impeding disaster, he wants to remain moral and follow his religious convictions. He wants to give the people who have died the proper burial and treat them with respect. I think he also refuses to give in to the disaster. It is a small act of defiance as he hangs on to any semblance of normal.
1) Jacob is talking, he is the protagonist. He is the town's minister and the sheriff, though he would prefer constable. The motivation behind why the writer utilizes the subsequent individual is to put the crowd/peruser in the story itself. He needs us, as the crowd, to have a solid association by placing in the omphalos of all the mayhem going around in the story by placing us in the point of view of the storyteller. The crowd has a more grounded enthusiastic response in the second POV contrasted with first, or third POV, which puts the crowd "outside" the story.
ReplyDelete2) Despite the fact that Jacob realizes that it is the best activity, Jacob endures overshooting Clytie. This is clarified by Jacob being, obviously, magnanimous and messed with taking another person's life. The statement "as yet sticking to some fantasy of honesty, chastity" alludes to Jacob's cognizance, which he attempts to legitimize his activities in the story. As the story advances despite everything he "sticks" to the possibility of faultlessness as his little girl and spouse bite the dust and he doesn't feel contrite, which he figures he should.
3) In any event, when Doc prompted Jacob to not do it, Jabob accepts that it is appropriate and the main right thing to drain and treat a few bodies, in any event, considering not doing so would nearly be annoying. His aptitude, his capacity, his exactness, and his persistence, - he understands, is generally significant during that time since he is encompassed by individuals who are totally stressed over a certain something; endurance. He understands this since he is strict which in this manner, has a strict outlook of adding to the network and the treasures carrying on with the existence right, instead of simply carrying on with a straightfor
straightforward life.
ReplyDelete1. The author has the narrative of Jacob speaking, the author used second person in my opinion to really capture the reader's attention and make sure that we feel everything that Jacob is feeling. The result of the second person narrative causes your reader to actually understand the narrator and become more attached it makes you feel like you're actually present in the book.
ReplyDelete2. Jacob agonizes the thought of killing her because he is a man who values life and he finds pain and hurt into killing another. He knows it is the right thing to do to end her misery but it doesn't sit right inside with Jacob, which resonates with him for the rest of the book as he still feels guilty.
3. The Doc doesn't want Jacob to bleed the victims because it will expose the bacteria to the outside world. Jacob is respectful and believes everyone deserves a proper burial which he intends to give to each one. He is a religious man and wants to follow his beliefs.
1. In the A Prayer for the Dying the author uses the method of writing in second person. I believe the author does this so that the reader can better understand the meaning of novel. Especially if the readers feels as if they are truly going through the dangerous plague in Friendship town.
ReplyDelete2. As Jacob hesitates to killing Clytie, he knows it's the right thing to do because she is already suffering a lot of pain. However, her suffering pain is exactly what makes Jacob hesitate because he is a very respectful man who truly values life. He does convince himself to finally kill her by looking at the situation as him saving someone from pain so that he will feel less guilty. The quote means that he is “still clinging to some dream of innocence, blamelessness” means that Jacob is trying to feel less guilty for allowing this cow to catch the plague and have to kill her.
3. Jacob insists that even the people who have died from the plague be properly treated again, this is because the morals have and how respectful he is. He once them to have a correct burial be treated as life they had natural causes of death. This is because throughout all the times of madness this has to be his only sense of normal.