Words That Speak Louder Than Actions
Arthur C. Clarke describes science fiction as, “something that could happen - but usually you wouldn 't want it to” (Quotes on Science Fiction). (TAG) This idea is heavily supported in JG Ballard’s science fiction short story “The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista” portrays a future where houses taken on the presence of those who previously lived there. (SUMMARY) In this futuristic setting, Vermillion Sands is an uninhabited city with houses far more eccentric that the main characters. The new residents of the house on Stellavista find their new dwelling to be traumatized by the events that took place years before; and because of that, the house is determined to force the new tenants to repeat the horrific cycle it had grown accustomed to. (THESIS STATEMENT) In “The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista”, the author is able convey his message on the mental battle one must face through syntax, diction and imagery. …show more content…
(CONTEXT) Syntax with long sentence lengths, such as that used by Ballard, create a longing feeling in the audience, and allow for a change in the tempo of the story when said sentences begin becoming shorter. (LEAD IN) A prime example of a long sentence length can be found in beginning of the text, (QUOTE)“Admittedly most of the abstract villas a fake palazzos were empty [ . . . ] but there was enough bizarre extravagance in the air to make one realize that the giants had just departed” (Ballard, 1). (COMMENTARY) Not only does this sentence convey a dreamlike, far-away mood through its sheer length, but also instills a near trance-like state in the reader with its prosodic, sing-song rhythm. This lures the attention of the reader by grasping at the far off idea of something one has yet to experience. The attention to sentence length and pacing furthers the understanding of the story line and its
Arthur C. Clarke describes science fiction as, “something that could happen - but usually you wouldn 't want it to” (Quotes on Science Fiction). (TAG) This idea is heavily supported in JG Ballard’s science fiction short story “The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista” portrays a future where houses taken on the presence of those who previously lived there. (SUMMARY) In this futuristic setting, Vermillion Sands is an uninhabited city with houses far more eccentric that the main characters. The new residents of the house on Stellavista find their new dwelling to be traumatized by the events that took place years before; and because of that, the house is determined to force the new tenants to repeat the horrific cycle it had grown accustomed to. (THESIS STATEMENT) In “The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista”, the author is able convey his message on the mental battle one must face through syntax, diction and imagery. …show more content…
(CONTEXT) Syntax with long sentence lengths, such as that used by Ballard, create a longing feeling in the audience, and allow for a change in the tempo of the story when said sentences begin becoming shorter. (LEAD IN) A prime example of a long sentence length can be found in beginning of the text, (QUOTE)“Admittedly most of the abstract villas a fake palazzos were empty [ . . . ] but there was enough bizarre extravagance in the air to make one realize that the giants had just departed” (Ballard, 1). (COMMENTARY) Not only does this sentence convey a dreamlike, far-away mood through its sheer length, but also instills a near trance-like state in the reader with its prosodic, sing-song rhythm. This lures the attention of the reader by grasping at the far off idea of something one has yet to experience. The attention to sentence length and pacing furthers the understanding of the story line and its