Anxiety, Party of None
Criticism
Going through the story, one will always conclude that the author has come up with a fascinating and compelling piece of literature though it has quite a number of weaknesses that one can bank on to bring it down. Basically, the author has failed to develop the plot in a more effective manner, considering that lots of assumptions have been made regarding Chris, the central character’s social life with his friends like Tim and Rob among others. For example, the author has effectively introduced the reader to Chris, Torty, Tim and Rob who have been close friends, though at the same time, failing to elaborate on their friendship.
The author presents an irony in the association between Chris and his friends. He fails to clarify what bonds these youths as good friends despite their opposing ways of life when it comes to partying and drinking. Whenever Chris is invited to a party by Rob, he always failed to show up while other friends do, though the two are good friends. The author has failed to explain the reasons behind this irony.
Reaction/Response
Despite the criticism, the story is satisfactory basing on its sufficient strengths. From a personal point of view, the author has sufficiently employed some stylistic devices that have seen the story grabbing the attention of the reader. With the use of quotes and direct speeches throughout the literary piece, the author has managed to tell the story effectively, enhancing the credibility using the speeches. Personally, the well-crafted words have left a lasting impression on my mind.
The author has effectively employed imagery in the narrative, creating a deeper engagement with the reader. The powerful visuals take the reader through the different scenes in the story, evoking emotional reactions and to a greater extent, making the story more interesting.
Devil in My Head
Criticism
In literature, plot refers to the flow of events in a narrative which have both direct and indirect impacts on other events basing on the underlying concept of cause and effect (Berman and Slobin 3). In the narrative sense, plot is used to highlight the relevant points which are significant within the story. Unfortunately, from the story, the first part of the story has failed to deliver the right promise to the intended readers, that is, a false promise.
The tone of the first part of the story is quite complicated and failing to indicate the specific focus and intent of the entire piece. The author introduces the story by taking the reader to the hardship or rather the challenges the Eugene is facing in his teaching career. He promised himself to ensure that all is right by exploring all the options in improving his teaching experience. On that note, the reader expects the other parts of the story/plot focus on strategies that Eugene is embarking on so as to realize his goal. Instead of developing the plot as per the expectations of the reader, the story has embarked on other family life and experiences that Eugene is going through with Tyler and his mother among other relatives. This develops the critic that the story has failed to deliver the promise that the introductory part makes to the readers.
Reaction/Response
Despite the above criticism, it’s clear that the writer has effectively made use of idioms, similes and other imagery in the story to show the readers the reasons behind the hardship that Eugene is facing in his teaching career. For instance, with the use of idiomatic expressions, the writer has managed to spice his language and effectively convey subtle meaning to the targeted readers. Personally, I can relate Eugene’s family life with the reasons behind the hardship in his teaching career.
Hallucinations
Criticism
In literature, prolific writers make use of various writing skills as a way of capturing their reader’s attention. Notably, Hallucinations is all about a couple, Mark and Jean who are undergoing experiences full of apparent perceptions of events that are not taking place at their home. A detailed analysis of the story reveals that the writer has overused imagery and other forms of vivid description to bring the picture of the couples’ home and their hallucinating experiences. The writer has overused the hallucinations to a point that one may think that the two couples are insane.
Response/Reaction
Nonetheless, the writer has successfully overcome the above criticism by effectively using parenthesis and chapters in plotting the entire story. The use of parenthesis in the story makes the author deliver his message in an impressing way. Personally, I find the stylistic device more functional and effective, since the writer provides extra information making the reader more attentive on explanation. By creating humorous effects, writers are able to make important qualifications and attract the attention of the reader throughout the story (Pace-Schott 11).
Works Cited
Berman, Ruth A., and Dan Isaac Slobin. Relating events in narrative: A crosslinguistic developmental study. Psychology Press, 2013.
Pace-Schott, Edward F. “Dreaming as a story-telling instinct.” Frontiers in psychology 4 (2013): 159.