Essay/Term paper: So this was adolescence, by annie dillard: author writing style

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Literary Essays

So This Was Adolescence, by Annie Dillard: Author Writing Style


Different authors use different styles of writing to express the ideas.
The style of writing is what paints the picture of the story. In the story So
This Was Adolescence, by Annie Dillard, there are two major traditional writing
styles exhibited. The first style Illustrated in So This Was Adolescence is
comparison/contrast. In this style, the author compares or contrast the
character with specific mannerisms of others. The next style is imagery.
Imagery helps the reader to visualize what is happening to the character. Annie
Dillard uses both of these styles to tell her story.
The first style is comparison/contrast. Dillard utilizes
comparison/contrast to compare herself to characters in books. She longs to
become a woman such as those in romance novels. "I envied people in books who
swooned." She shows that by comparing herself to these characters that she
strives to pass her adolescent stage. When she would become frustrated she
tried to look for an escape such as people in books. She stated that "People in
books split wood," which would symbolize her longing for an escape from her
monotony.
The second style is visualization. Dillard utilizes this style well.
When reading such lines as "I was a boulder blocking my own path," and "...a
live wire...shooting out sparks..," the reader can visualize her as the boulder
or the live wire out of control. This style makes the story easier to follow
and lets you feel as the character does, like you were there with them. When
Dillard describes herself "--whipping the bed with a belt, like a creature
demented!!" you almost become afraid, like there was a monster in the room with
you. Visualization lets you live the story, not just read it.