Casual essay

EXAMPLE ESSAY

While theres a lot going on in the seemingly simple story Hills Like White Elephants, one of the things that I focused on when reading, re-reading, and thinking about it was the passage of time. It looks like Hemingway really wanted us to be aware of time, because he writes in the beginning that the train is coming in forty minutes, and at the end its indicated that the train will be there in five minutes. So, give or take, were looking at a story thats supposed to take a bit more than a half hour. Thats interesting for several reasons.

First, they drink. They order three big beers and a mixed drink, and the man has another mixed drink when he moves the bags. Thats 4-5 drinks in a half hour. Thats a lot. So then you think, why would somebody drink that much? Its not like theyre at a party or something, so theyre probably drinking to pass the time and to dull reality. If theyre drinking that much to pass the time, theres probably something missing or awkward in their relationship. And if theyre drinking to dull reality, theres also probably something wrong. This seems to be one of the ways Hemingway is showing us the reality of this couples situation without having to go right out and say it.

Also interesting is how much silence there must be. It only took me about five minutes to read this entire story, yet it supposed to take 35 minutes to transpire. If were going to assume that Hemingway did this intentionally, that means that while this couple was waiting, there must have been quite lot of silence. Actually, if you look closely, you can see where time probably passed. In other words, he writes that they take a sip of the beer, then the next thing theyre talking about is ordering another drink. Theyre probably not ordering another drink if their beers are full, so that means that during that time, which Hemingway doesnt describe, they must have finished their drinks in silence. Thats another sure sign that theres a problem.

The point of this is that even if the dialogue was different or didnt hint at problems between the two, the subtle use of time would give away that something wasnt working between them.

Mini Essay 2

Again, we will be working with different styles of essays throughout the semester. For week 2, please write what I call a casual mini-essay on one of the stories. In some ways, its not too different from the essay you wrote for last week. Its still an analysis (not summary) of one aspect of one of the stories, and its still not about you. You want to make a point that is supported by evidence from the text.

But this time, you dont have to focus on making the essay fit into the mold of an academic paper. Rather, try to use your own voice and style. In other words, if you feel it would be effective to not directly state a thesis, fine, dont do it. Dont try to use words you wouldnt normally use in everyday life, but rather shift the focus entirely toward making an interesting point in your own style. only write about the I stand here ironing