Hemmingway’s
writing style is extremely specific and recognizable, for his newspaper
background lead him to write very minimalistic, with each sentence having a
purpose to either explain the actions or to add imagery. Hemmingway uses direct
statements that are easy to follow yet really paint a picture for the reader.
Throughout The Sun Also Rises, the
characters are often in cafes eating, drinking and enjoying themselves; while
reading these parts of the book, one can see themself in the restaurant and feel
the excitement and energy in the air. Hemmingway is sure to be meticulous yet
informal allowing the reader to browse the words with ease, engulfing all of
the detail and activities the characters experience. He uses a lot of dialogue
to illustrate each character and give them a more identifiable personality. For
example, the reader only gets to know Brett well when she makes remarks to the
men around her, “You
know it makes one feel rather good deciding not to be a bitch” (Hemmingway 142). The way Brett speaks to her friends is
how the reader comes to know Brett, not as much from Jake’s mere description of
her. It is the small aspects of Hemmingway’s work that make his style extremely
distinct, with his laidback dialogue, details, and straightforward sentences.
There is
an animated dog drawn on the board, a power point projected on the screen, and
Ms. Howard is making a sarcastic Jane Austen joke. This how you know you are in
AP Lit class. We start off the day as usual, a poetry quiz that I crammed for
the night before. Jake is still trying to review the terms when JJ puts his
lengthy quiz on his desk.
“Ugh,” it
seems everyone sighs at once when we realize this quiz is going to be harder
than we thought. I can feel the AP Lang binder that I used to hide my test from
Ashlyn starting to waver and the papers inside sway back and forth.
Eventually
everyone turns in his or her quiz and we move on with the day. JJ directs our
attention to her Wuthering Heights seminar
and we endure more of Bronte’s obscure structure and oppositions throughout the
novel.
“Well
wouldn’t she have just gone with Heathcliff if that was where her heart really
was?” Casey often has clever questions that get everyone thinking.
“I would
have but Catherine was a strange girl who was trying to please everyone,” Ms.
Howard always has the right answer. As I look around the room I can see Jake
giggling at some random part of the presentation and Angela is doodling on her
rubric.
As class
comes to a close, Parker, as usual forgets to watch the time and everyone packs
up in a hurry. I am always sad to leave class, especially because next is AP
Chemistry, and JJ is not my teacher!
