Throughout the book The liar’s club Author Mary Karr undoubtedly uses many writing techniques to gain reader interest and strengthen her points, but I think she cleverly uses more than one technique to discretely show her feelings about events that will come. I think Mary Karr cleverly combines foreshadowing and explicitly graphic description to implant her thoughts and fears from childhood atrocities that she experienced.
From the very first sentence of the story Karr uses graphic and misleading description to foreshadow multiple events later on in the story.
“He wore a yellow golf shirt unbuttoned so that sprouts of hair showed in a V shape on his chest. I had never seen him in anything but a white starched shirt and a gray tie. The changed unnerved me. He was pulling at the hem of my favorite nightgown” (3)
This image right away makes your mind wonder what is going on. Whether a defense reaction or inquisitiveness many people automatically assume this is an image of sexual assault. While we quickly find out this is not what is happening at all, in fact the man described above is the family doctor and he is there to help Karr not to hurt her. This instance has nothing to do with sexual assault, but subconsciously you gather a feeling that Karr has experienced some event in her life that would make her describe the situation as she did. I feel the way she wrote this was intended to make you feel suspicious of the doctor and for the readers to question the intentions of the doctor in this situation.
To support my earlier claim of foreshadowing throughout the book, I bring up a disturbingly graphic situation played out in chapter three.
“It was going dark when he got hold of me under God knows what pretext. He took me into somebody’s garage. He unbuttoned my white shirt and told me I was getting breast” (65).
This is the first instance in the book where Mary Karr is actually sexually abused. From both these images drawn in the book you can draw many similarities that show Karr was thinking of this instance when she earlier described the doctor. The first thing that sticks out to me is Karr’s sense of detachment. While it is obvious Karr knows the doctor in the first scene she never refers to him as his name, she always uses “he” or “his”. She again uses this technique later on in the book when describing the rape scene she calls him “the big boy” or simply uses “he” or “his” again. Now we find out she doesn’t know her attacker very well ,she must have drawn similarities between the rape and of the doctor attempting to examine her later on, because of her obvious detachment during the period of trauma. This shows that Karr uses the image of the doctor to foreshadow what will happen later in the book.
The last foreshadowed instance of sexual abuse shows up toward the end of the book. This again shows the detachment similarity shown in the last two quotes, but this image uses disturbingly graphic imagery, imagery that is to description and vulgar for me to comfortably repeat on here, in order to create a culmination of Karr’s feelings on these assaults
“This whole scene rushing through my head when the babysitter’s zipper hits bottom. His hand fishes into that zipper and farther, into the shadow of his shorts” (243).
This quote alone portrays a deeply disturbing situation unfolding, and also the only image from this part that I was comfortable repeating publicly. This again shows Karr’s detachment and change of tone when she recalls these instances of abuse. This also uses Karr’s extensive description which quite honestly sickened me and deterred me from blogging about this particular issue, but in the end I decided this was defiantly a very important, but underlying issue throughout the book.
I think Mary Karr cleverly combines foreshadowing and explicitly graphic description to implant her thoughts and fears from childhood atrocities that she experienced. While this book uses a multitude of different writing techniques. Karr is indisputably a master at implanting small underlying themes within The Liar’s Club to foreshadow events that shaped her writing and her thoughts, but along with that she uses description to immerse the reader in the moment. Be it happy, sad, or quite frankly, disturbing, Karr unarguably has and many traumatic experiences that have shaped who she is and how she portrays that in her writings today.
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1. This thesis is very clear. "I think Mary Karr cleverly combines foreshadowing and explicitly graphic description to implant her thoughts and fears from childhood atrocities that she experienced." The thesis does use three different images to back it up, but all together uses one theme to support your idea. The one over all idea you had was that she used graphic foreshadowing to hint at her history of sexual abuse. This thesis is strong, but i did think that there were other things that she was graphic about that you could have used to back up your statement. I agree, that the sexual abuse was defiantly the strongest, but she used graphic images for just about anything traumatic. I do think that this is an argumentative thesis, because before i read your supporting paragraphs i was wondering if that was really why she was using graphic language, or just to scare us into feeling how she feels.
ReplyDelete1b. Yes, the author and the title were immediately stated.
2. The three quotes that you picked out were defiantly strong with the theme that you picked, and they all were attached with the theme of sexual assault. I agree with how you used your first quote, because that is true how she made it seem like that doctor was up to no good, and that thought in your mind stayed with you throughout the whole book. I never really looked at it how you did, that she introduced us like that to lead us on. With your second and third quote, i understand how it ties into your theme, but with your thesis, i don't think that it necessarily foreshadows what is going to happen next. The first quote, i can see how it does, but with the second and third one, it more proves that she was sexually assaulted, instead of supporting your thesis. I will say though, that you did pick out some gruesome images that she used, which does make me cringe. With your quotations, you may want to put an introduction before them, and make sure that you put a period at the end of the page number in parenthesis.
As far as other quotes goes, i think that Karr uses many forms of foreshadowing in her writing. One quote that i really like is when Karr writes, "There'd been some kind of hurricane back-tide of oil spill, so you could smell whole schools of dead fish stinking on the beach as soon as you got out of the car" (108). I know that it wasn't exactly the MOST disturbing thing that happened in this book, but with her style of writing, her smelling that bad fish gives me a bad taste in my mouth and foreshadows something bad is going to happen. I think you analysis does connect to the thesis, but maybe add different kind of quotes to make it stronger.
3. For the most part, i think you did a good job keeping the summary to a minimum. You did talk about her writing a lot and her style of writing and what you think she is trying to say with it. There were a couple of times that you would explain where the quote was coming from, but it makes it more adaptable for other people to read who maybe haven't have read this book before. I didn't feel like there was any unnecessary summarizing going on.
4. Because your thesis has many parts to it, i think that a counter part to think about would be if I said that i don't think that her graphic language is to make us feel her thoughts and fears. I think that her graphic language was implanted so that the book would move along and be more interesting.
I think that you are on the right track with your thesis, but that may be something to think about.
5. One thing that i noticed at the beginning is that the title of the book isn't capitalized and then with your quotes, make sure there is a period after the page number!
-I think that your thesis is good, because some could argue that she is just telling the story as it happened, without foreshadowing.
ReplyDeleteb. You do have the title of the book, but make sure you capitalize it!
-I think the examples you used definitely supported your thesis. They were all related, and both the later ones tied back to the first one which would back up your claim about foreshadowing.
-The only counter-argument to your thesis that I can think of would be that some may not think what she does is foreshadowing, it's just simply retelling. But the fact that she tends to refer back to things using repeating words and phrases, largely entails that she does use foreshadowing. Especially, in the case of sexual assault, which you chose to support with.
- Some grammar aspects: from both OF* these (after second quote); to descriptive* and vulgar (before the third quote)
Also, I think you should add some spacing between certain parts of your analysis. Whether it be between quotes, or somewhere else, I think it will help break up parts of your writing and make it flow better.
-I didn't notice any parts that didn't follow your thesis. The three quotes you used were probably the best to back up your idea of foreshadowing and you did a good job of explaining how they do this. I also don't think you used your opinion for truth, again because the quotes you chose did a good job of that for you.
Not as sure about this thesis as your classmates. It's difficult to prove that she's being misleading, I think. This will end up being an essay about structure because you're talking about foreshadowing. I suppose that can work, but it suggests that you're going to focus on something other than deep reading of specific images.
ReplyDeleteGood. We talked.
Either foreshadowing or misleading probably.
In one instance, she's mysterious. In the other, she's completely frank. What's up?
A Dizzawg,
ReplyDeleteNice thesis statement, it was very clear but I think you could combine your first two paragraphs.
I agree with your observations after your first quote, be careful not to say you to often.
Grammar:
Throughout the book The liar’s club Author Mary Karr(should author be capitalized?) While we quickly find out this is not what is happening at all, in fact the (that doesn't seem to flow right maybe soon find out?) the doctor in the first scene she never refers to him as his name (by his name).. imagery that is to description and vulgar for me to comfortably repeat on here (descriptive)... defiantly a very important, (definitely)..... but underlying issue throughout the book (unclear maybe about underlying issues throughout the book?)...While this book uses a multitude of different writing techniques.(incomplete sentence, maybe add a coma before the sentence and combine the previous and that one together).... has and many traumatic experiences that have shaped who she is and how she portrays that in her writings today. (had many take out and).....
Synonyms for detatchment: disconnected, maybe unaware, seperated...
That was a wonderful essay with a clear thesis. I like how you restated your thesis at the end and provided good closure to your essay. Most of your summarizing seemed necessary and related directly to your thesis.