Articles Index - page 4
Remedial Reading by Richard Rodriguez
In his autobiography "Hunger of Memory," Richard Rodriguez recounts his experiences as a Mexican-American growing up in Sacramento, California in the 1950s. In the following passage, the young boy discovers the comfort that reading provides and "the lonely good company of books."
Barbara Tuchman's Historical Narrative: The Black Death
In these two paragraphs from "A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century," Barabra Tuchman vividly illustrates the terrifying symptoms of the plague that came to be known as the Black Death.
Personification in Jonathan Lethem's "Motherless Brooklyn"
The narrator of Jonathan Lethem's novel "Motherless Brooklyn" (1999) is Lionel Essrog, an orphan with Tourette syndrome. In the novel's opening paragraph, Essrog describes his neurological disorder through metaphors and extended personification.
Analogies in David Simon's "Homicide"
In the following passage from his book "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets," David Simon relies on a series of analogies to convey, from the dual perspectives of detective and suspect, what goes on in a police interrogation room.
Metaphors and Comparisons in Porter's "The Necessary Enemy"
In this excerpt from the essay "The Necessary Enemy," Porter employs a series of memorable metaphors in her comparison of the twin forces of love and hate in a marriage.
Appositives in Alexander Theroux's "How Curious the Camel"
In the following passages from a short essay on the camel, Alexander Theroux both informs and delights--often relying on appositives to clarify and amplify his observations.
Coordination in O'Neill's "Netherland"
Joseph O'Neill's narrator recalls a cricket game played in a New York City park one summer afternoon. The coordinated words, phrases, and clauses not only advance the action but evoke a mood of increasing tension.
Subordination in Bernard Malamud's "A New Life"
In this paragraph from early in Bernard Malamud's novel "A New Life," Sy Levin relates his encounter with his first class on the opening day of the fall term. Notice the various kinds of subordination used by Malamud, in particular participial phrases and absolutes.
Family Sketches in Kate Simon's "Bronx Primitive"
In her first memoir, "Bronx Primitive: Portraits in a Childhood," Kate Simon vividly recalls growing up in the Tremont section of the Bronx. Here she describes three relatives who shared the family's apartment on 98th Street and who helped teach her a valuable lesson.
Two Versions of "Kidnapped by Movies," by Susan Sontag
In an essay first published in 1995 and revised the next year, Susan Sontag examined the causes for what she saw as the "ignominious, irreversible decline" of films. One cause, as discussed in the following passages, has been the decline of theater going in favor of home viewing of movies. Compare these two versions of Sontag's text, and consider in what ways (if any) the revision shows an improvement over the original.
Poe's New York in the 1840s
Note Poe's attention to details of place and the ways that his descriptions evoke moods as well as images.
From the Carpentry Shop to the Forge, by Bernard Levin
One of the most influential as well as controversial British journalists of his era, Bernard Levin was a columnist for "The Times" from 1971 until 1997. In this passage from "Enthusiasms" (1983), a discourse on the pleasures of his life, Levin recalls a fortuitous encounter with failure in a woodworking class at boarding school.
The Copia of S.J. Perelman's Comic Prose
Hyperbole and inflated diction are just two of the characteristics of S.J. Perelman's comic prose style.
Character Sketch by John McPhee
John McPhee's essay "Giving Good Weight" offers a detailed study of the vendors and customers at the Greenmarket in New York City. In this excerpt, he combines vivid descriptions with direct quotations to offer a sketch of a schoolteacher who works in the market during his summer vacations.
Eudora Welty's Sketch of Miss Duling
Eudora Welty's precise physical description of her first-grade teacher, Miss Duling, also provides insights into the character of this "lifelong subscriber to perfection."
John Updike's Descriptive Narrative
You don't have to be a baseball fan to appreciate the stylistic richness of John Updike's essay "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu." In these four paragraphs from his report on the final game played by Red Sox left fielder Ted Williams, Updike demonstrates his mastery of narrative and descriptive prose.
Process Analysis in Barry Lopez's "Migration"
In this excerpt from "Arctic Dreams" (1986), Barry Lopez traces the process by which North American caribou "trek hundreds of miles each year between their winter range near the tree line and well-defined calving grounds on the tundra."
Colby's Narrative of New York in the 1970s
In this passage from her family memoir "The View from Morningside," author and educator Constance Taber Colby illustrates her thesis with a striking, double-edged narrative.
Walker Percy's New York in the 1960s
In Walker Percy's novel "The Last Gentleman," the character of Will Barrett lives alone in New York City, a detached observer of life.
Toni Morrison's New York in the 1920s
Appearing early in Toni Morrison's "Jazz," this passage establishes the colloquial tone of the novel.
Participial Phrases in Momaday's "House Made of Dawn"
In this passage from N. Scott Momaday's novel "House Made of Dawn," Abel observes two eagles in flight--"an awful, holy sight, full of magic and meaning." Observe how Momaday uses present and past participial phrases to convey the rapid movements of the eagles.
Contrast in Rybczynski's "Home"
In "Home: A Short History of an Idea," Canadian architect and writer Witold Rybczynski contrasts cultures that have adopted a sitting-up posture with those that favor squatting.
Susan Orlean's Extended Metaphor: "Super-Duper"
In this excerpt from the travel piece "Super-Duper," journalist Susan Orlean introduces specific examples to support her thesis that "the real contest at the Super Bowl" is not the game itself but the metaphorical battles leading up to it.
Mark Singer's Profile of "Mr. Personality"
Here, in the second paragraph of a sketch that first appeared in The New Yorker (April 13, 1987), Singer describes "the founder and at the moment the only member" of an organization called the Goodnicks of America.
Process Analysis in Richard Selzer's "The Knife"
In these paragraphs from "The Knife," Richard Selzer vividly describes the process of "the laying open of the body of a human being."