In Charles Baxter’s Bravery, he uses narration, description, and dialogue to teach the reader about creative writing. As he tells the story of Susan and Elijah, he paints a picture readers can easily believe and they find themselves living in it. Without the narration, the story would not be able to carry its own weight, without description, the reader would not be able to see the story unfold, and without the well-chosen dialogue, the characters would fall flat. Baxter teaches the reader how to apply these in a story and how it makes the story flow together.
Firstly, Baxter uses narration in his story, and he does it well. He first uses it in the very beginning of Bravery, where he tells the reader, that the protagonist, Susan is in her junior year, and her favorite trick is riding in cars with her girl friends. In …show more content…
One particular instance of good description is the nursery scene. Baxter describes the room in two lines. He mentions the paint first, and says that sometimes Susan can still smell it. Then Baxter writes, “Adhesive stars were affixed to the ceiling” (41). Although short, this one sentence paints a picture of childhood. Baxter knows his audience and picks a single image that is easily recognizable. Baxter teaches the reader that good creative writing has simple descriptions that grab the reader and affix easily in the mind.
Furthermore, on page 35, Baxter uses several of the five senses to let the reader “see” the scene. Baxter starts with smell “…onions, chlorine, and goulash”. Immediately the reader imagines these overpowering smells all at once and believes the rest of the description. "Mirrored ceilings” and “the TV didn’t work” are other lines that lead the reader to believe that this hotel is seedy, repelling, and cheap. Another line of this passage uses the sense of touch. Elijah “…rubbing his scalp”. The reader can imagine rubbing the scalp and can see Elijah doing
Firstly, Baxter uses narration in his story, and he does it well. He first uses it in the very beginning of Bravery, where he tells the reader, that the protagonist, Susan is in her junior year, and her favorite trick is riding in cars with her girl friends. In …show more content…
One particular instance of good description is the nursery scene. Baxter describes the room in two lines. He mentions the paint first, and says that sometimes Susan can still smell it. Then Baxter writes, “Adhesive stars were affixed to the ceiling” (41). Although short, this one sentence paints a picture of childhood. Baxter knows his audience and picks a single image that is easily recognizable. Baxter teaches the reader that good creative writing has simple descriptions that grab the reader and affix easily in the mind.
Furthermore, on page 35, Baxter uses several of the five senses to let the reader “see” the scene. Baxter starts with smell “…onions, chlorine, and goulash”. Immediately the reader imagines these overpowering smells all at once and believes the rest of the description. "Mirrored ceilings” and “the TV didn’t work” are other lines that lead the reader to believe that this hotel is seedy, repelling, and cheap. Another line of this passage uses the sense of touch. Elijah “…rubbing his scalp”. The reader can imagine rubbing the scalp and can see Elijah doing