Night

I think that Weisel does a great job illustrating the dehumanization that went on in the concentration camps. For example, on page 41 (well, of my book, at least), after a Pole gives instructions about the block where they will be living, Wiesel writes “Those were the first human words.” Instances such as this show how even a few lines about how not to despair (from someone that was more allied with their enemy than with them) were more validating to the prisoners as people than anything prior to this point. This separation demonstrates how the Nazis viewed their prisoners and how the prisoners saw themselves within the confines of the camp. Overall, Weisel’s descriptions and commentary paint a very dreary, depressing, and, ultimately, moving image of life as a Jew within German concentration camps.

I read Weisel’s introduction as well. Within his introduction, Weisel discusses how he chose to use fewer words to describe some things rather than go overboard with descriptions. Specifically, he said, “I was more afraid of having too much than too little” (x). In regards to literary aspects of Night, I think that Weisel’s decision to do this was a superb choice because, while his descriptions may be shorter, they are much more vivid within the reader’s imagination owing to their brevity. This also allows Weisel to contrast some things. For example, I think it was Auschwitz that he provided a brief description of the place (that made the depressive nature of it very clear) and then added like two sentences about how it was a warm, sunny day. Through writing mechanisms such as this, Weisel is able to show how the prisoners viewed the place and situation they were in, and then (because of the brief “happy” descriptions he provides afterwards) show how others, such as people not in concentration camps, would be viewing the day. In other words, Weisel does a spectacular job at showing the contrast between what it meant to be a prison and what it meant to not be one. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

                I thought that the illustrations in the book were an interesting touch because they offered more explanations of what had happened in certain instances (such as when Junior throws the book at Mr. P) or they further demonstrated Junior’s points. In addition, these pictures help to show Junior’s comic expertise and help to further explain his character. Overall, they were a nice touch, especially in a story that is structured in the manner that this one is.

                Overall, I thought that this book was interesting, albeit definitely written in the persona of a fourteen year old boy (I think that is how old Junior was supposed to be). In other words, I can see where there would be some controversy with using this text in a high school classroom. I mean, Alexie references a variety issues and words that parents could find offensive for their children to read about, so I could definitely see where this could be perhaps not such a good choice for teaching material.

                I think that Alexie does a good job of showcasing the different people in Junior’s life. I mean, the book is pretty short, but Alexie offers enough information on everyone to allow readers to get a general idea of any one of the characters as well as have an implied notion of them as well. I’ll be honest, I’m not overly fond of Alexie’s works, but I will say that he does do a pretty decent job of establishing his characters and allowing readers to figure out their motivations and personalities, even if those traits aren’t explicitly stated. In other words, I think Alexie tends to offer less details in this novel in order to allow readers to have more of an abstract idea about characters rather than one that specifically states all the details of the characters. 

Things Fall Apart

Something that I thught was extremely fascinating with this novel was the inclusion of many of the local customs, laws, and traditions of the tribe. From a literary standpoint, I can see where discussing these helped to illustrate the difference of culture between Okonkwo’s people and the white men that came to his village. However, I also think that this was done, at least in part, to provide a better picture of life in Oronkwo’s village because it differs drastically in some areas from that of European cultures. Granted, European cultures had as many practices that seem foreign to people of today (such as the practice of leeching, for example, or having whipping boys for the higher social classes) as the people of Okonkwo’s village. Overall, I thought it was an interesting look into their everyday lives and social practices (and the reasons behind them).

I thought that Achebe did a great job of detailing how European culture infiltrated and dominated African culture at the time this book is about. By detailing the customs of Okonkwo’s people, Achebe was able to show how life initially was for them. As the story progressed, he showed how customs differed even between neighboring villages, and this worked well to outline how radical the European take over was because, even though village customs differed, the European customs, laws, and religion were altogether alien and not based in any village or tribal customs of Okonkwo’s people. In other words, this novel truly demonstrated how the Europeans oftentimes did not care what other people believed, but, instead, sought to force their own opinions and viewpoints upon them.