John Schwartz’s book, “Oddly Normal” illustrates how his third child showed signs that he was gay at a very young age. The content of the book that made it readable was not because his son was gay or the criticism that him and his wife received as parents, but the style and tactic that he wrote with made it readable for us. In Schwartz’s book, he uses many of the characteristics that John Trimble the author of the “Writing with Style” shows that are what makes a book readable. John Schwartz utilizes word pictures, honest, personal experience, communicating, and verbs throughout his book which made it readable.
John Schwartz uses honesty and trust in pages 9-11 of his book, which made it readable for us. He states, “Pleading for light-up shoes with pink accents and rhinestone. We hesitate; would people give us trouble about putting our toddler in pink light-up shoes?” (Schwartz, 9). In this passage, he is honest because he cares about what people will say and think of him as a parent who lets his male child dress up in a feminine way. This tactic that Schwartz used made it readable for us the audience because it shows that he has emotions like everybody else, which according to John Trimble illustrates that it “captures my attention” to read the book. Trimble states, “If it carries the ring of honesty and passionate conviction, then the writer has captured my attention.” (Trimble 59). In Trimble’s book, not only does the author's honesty grab his attention to read, but also should not be afraid of who his readers are to tell them what he has gone through. In the book, “Oddly Normal,” it shows signs of trust between the writer and us. By using trust and honesty as a tactic, Schwartz was able to communicate with us on a personal level like he knows who we are. Schwartz states, “And so here we were, twelve years later and three kids richer” (Schwartz, 9). Schwartz in this passage was communicating with us the readers like he knew us twelve years ago, which Trimble will call “authentic manner.” This characteristic are what made the book readable because Schwartz was able to communicate with us because he was honest, and it made us trust him. Another factor that made Schwartz’s book readable was his utilization of word pictures and strong verbs instead of adverbs to support his argument throughout his book. He stated, “Joe dressed himself with just has much care, pleading for light-up shoes with pink accents and rhinestones.” (Schwartz, 9). According to Trimble, he states that this method makes it a readable book because word pictures are what most people remember the most after reading. For Schwartz, stating that the specific color of what his son is wearing gives the readers a visible image to follow along while they are reading. If the readers forget everything that they have read, the image still plays in their head. Trimble stated, “...Illustrations, analogies, vivid quotations, metaphors, similes. These are aids not only to you readers understanding but also to their memory.” (Trimble, 69). Trimble shows that this method helps the memory understand what the passage is trying to say, which aids the reader to read more of the book. Schwartz also avoided adverbs but substituted it for strong verbs, which Trimble encourages to do. He states, “Sam growled, ‘I won’t share my toys with him.” (Schwartz, 9). Not only did he use a strong verb in this passage, but he also used a word picture in the same context, for example, “Sam growling”. It plays a picture where Sam is rumbling about sharing his …show more content…
When a writer does not quote but paraphrase, words tangle with each other; it gives it a different meaning of what it supposed to portray. Also, the quotations are seen as a dialogue between two parties in order to understand or support the argument being presented. Schwartz quoted, “If more parents would buy boys pink shoes when they asked for them. The world would be a better place.” (Schwartz, 9). Schwartz quotes the retailer who was selling them the shoe for their son, and he quotes the man which made the sentence
John Schwartz uses honesty and trust in pages 9-11 of his book, which made it readable for us. He states, “Pleading for light-up shoes with pink accents and rhinestone. We hesitate; would people give us trouble about putting our toddler in pink light-up shoes?” (Schwartz, 9). In this passage, he is honest because he cares about what people will say and think of him as a parent who lets his male child dress up in a feminine way. This tactic that Schwartz used made it readable for us the audience because it shows that he has emotions like everybody else, which according to John Trimble illustrates that it “captures my attention” to read the book. Trimble states, “If it carries the ring of honesty and passionate conviction, then the writer has captured my attention.” (Trimble 59). In Trimble’s book, not only does the author's honesty grab his attention to read, but also should not be afraid of who his readers are to tell them what he has gone through. In the book, “Oddly Normal,” it shows signs of trust between the writer and us. By using trust and honesty as a tactic, Schwartz was able to communicate with us on a personal level like he knows who we are. Schwartz states, “And so here we were, twelve years later and three kids richer” (Schwartz, 9). Schwartz in this passage was communicating with us the readers like he knew us twelve years ago, which Trimble will call “authentic manner.” This characteristic are what made the book readable because Schwartz was able to communicate with us because he was honest, and it made us trust him. Another factor that made Schwartz’s book readable was his utilization of word pictures and strong verbs instead of adverbs to support his argument throughout his book. He stated, “Joe dressed himself with just has much care, pleading for light-up shoes with pink accents and rhinestones.” (Schwartz, 9). According to Trimble, he states that this method makes it a readable book because word pictures are what most people remember the most after reading. For Schwartz, stating that the specific color of what his son is wearing gives the readers a visible image to follow along while they are reading. If the readers forget everything that they have read, the image still plays in their head. Trimble stated, “...Illustrations, analogies, vivid quotations, metaphors, similes. These are aids not only to you readers understanding but also to their memory.” (Trimble, 69). Trimble shows that this method helps the memory understand what the passage is trying to say, which aids the reader to read more of the book. Schwartz also avoided adverbs but substituted it for strong verbs, which Trimble encourages to do. He states, “Sam growled, ‘I won’t share my toys with him.” (Schwartz, 9). Not only did he use a strong verb in this passage, but he also used a word picture in the same context, for example, “Sam growling”. It plays a picture where Sam is rumbling about sharing his …show more content…
When a writer does not quote but paraphrase, words tangle with each other; it gives it a different meaning of what it supposed to portray. Also, the quotations are seen as a dialogue between two parties in order to understand or support the argument being presented. Schwartz quoted, “If more parents would buy boys pink shoes when they asked for them. The world would be a better place.” (Schwartz, 9). Schwartz quotes the retailer who was selling them the shoe for their son, and he quotes the man which made the sentence