An Exchange and Discussion about the stories in EINSTEIN'S BEACH HOUSE by Jacob M. Appel

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

HUE AND CRY

 

I can't read HUE AND CRY for you. It is written in intelligible English. The gist is about a community's reaction and a particular family's reaction to the public notice that a convicted Sexual Predator has moved into the community. It happens that this person has moved back home with his mother who is ill. The girls decide to break into the home and see what they can find out about this "predator." You may recall that the father invited the sex offender to dinner. This act prompted the "Hue and Cry" of the community as residents direct protests at the family for treating the offender with respect.

Maybe you need to read it a couple of times. I can't see that there is anything in the prose that is incomprehensible. I don't think there is anything beyond your intelligence.
 
Some things worth noticing: How does Appel use dialogue in this story? Why do you think he wrote this story? Do you think he believes the community might be the offender? 
 
You probably noticed that Appel divides the story into six sections. How does that organize the narrative? Who are the characters in the story? How do the characters relate to each other, and what is the significance of the father?

What is the ratio of dialogue to narrative? What devices are used to identify who is speaking? Conversation in stories is often an issue. One of the best writers in handling dialogue is Hemingway. How many stories have you read of Hemingway?

After reading the introductory material in our Blog, how do others make distinctions between essays and short stories?

One of the things that impressed me the most when I first met you was that you were informed through extensive reading. It appeared that the bulk of your reading was not fiction.
 
 


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