I’m a storyteller. I’ll work to make you believe me. Throw in some real stuff, change a few details, add the certainty of outrage. I know the use of fiction in a world of hard truth, the way fiction can be a harder piece of truth. The story of what happened, or what did not happen but should have—that story can become a curtain drawn shut, a piece of insulation, a disguise, a razor, a tool that changes every time it is used and sometimes becomes something other than we intended.
The story becomes the thing needed. (3)
What do you think Allison means in this passage? How would you describe her purpose in telling her story? What is she trying to persuade us, her readers, to believe? What does she want to convince us about storytelling? About her family? About herself? (Or about any other issue you think the text addresses?)
In this passage, Allison means that her main point is to try and teach a lesson based on lessons learned from previous experiences. However, with some fiction incorporated into these stories, they may teach a stronger lesson or be remembered easier with more ridiculous and outrageous facts and twists. The point is that the stories and lessons learned are true, but slightly altered to really get the point across to a reader that may look at the situation differently. Things are changed to make it easier to understand and relate to and she wants the readers to become dependent on her stories and for the story to be needed as a guide to adulthood. With this story she is trying to convince us with her story telling is that the childhood she grew up with was not normal by any means, not her or her family had a "normal life" but that is just a part of growing up. This part of growing up is taking what you have and figuring out how to use what you are provided with and make something of it.
ReplyDeleteThere are several different ways that this passage could be conveyed. She blatantly tells people her opinion of a story teller, as well as the way that she sees herself as a story teller. Dorothy’s is explaining the way that different stories may be told as well as the different characteristics of a story. Such as the way that people indulge the story that she tells or the different stories that they may hear. For example,” that story can become a curtain drawn shut, a piece of insulation, a disguise, a razor, a tool that changes every time it is used and sometimes becomes something other than we intended.”, this shows the different ways that stories are told or even understood. A story is like a rumor, there are many different versions of that story, and no one may know the truth about which one is true or not. I believe that she does not have one main purpose in telling her story, but she is persuading her point about the various points of a story teller. She is also a very informative writer, in which she uses various details to support her opinion. She wants to convince us that her opinion or variation of the story, is that of truth. Dorothy uses pictures as well as childhood memories to tell her opinion about the stories that she tells.
ReplyDeleteAllison’s story is one of pain, troublesome events, struggles, loneliness, regret, misjudgment, and disappointment. Within this passage she appeals to the use of fiction to enhance the truth and expand on it to make the facts more tangible and understood by others. Her essential purpose is to over exaggerate the horrid events and situations of her memoir in order to create a more blatant statement about what her life experiences have taught her and the effect of certain events on the lives of an individual. This “harder truth” embellishes the story with heightened emotion that allows for a more general interpretation of the meaning and overall point. The addition of fiction transports Allison’s story beyond that of her own personal experiences by allowing each event to be more approachable and recognizable to the audience, inspiring thoughts and associations within their own lives. Most storytellers do this with their own stories, expanding some events to make the plot more interesting but also more applicable to everyday life. Allison includes this passage to clarify that her stories is one that must be read in between the lines, that what she has provided us with is a story based on fact to which we are to learn a few powerful lessons, not just from her experience but through our own association to the characters, events, and emotions portrayed.
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Dorothy Allison shows her love of storytelling. The purpose of this passage is to hint at the reader how difficult her life is and how she enjoys storytelling because it takes her away from the bleak life she has. Allison subtly tries to convince her readers that the pain from a traumatic life can be numbed or even cured through storytelling/writing. This is very similar to Quique Availes' story, with the common theme being writing as a remedy for life's hardships.
ReplyDeleteIn this passage from "Two or Three Things I Know for Sure," I believe Allison clearly states her purpose and intentions for her audience. I would say that she writes as much for herself as for her readers, writing not only a captivating narrative but also writing as a coping mechanism. She writes not as an escape from her past, but to validate and legitimize her often horrific past experiences. In that I think Allison’s line “I know the use of fiction in a world of hard truth, the way fiction can be a harder piece of truth,” sheds light on what she wants to convince us as her audience. In that simple sentence, she admits to embellishing her story, but honestly explains her intentions to create an emotional and moving ‘truer’ truth.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Allison is telling us that she is a storyteller and that she can make us believe whatever she wants because she is telling the story. She can write about anything that she wants and make the reader believe it. Her skills as a writer can be used in many different ways to make the reader believe whatever she wants. It doesn’t necessarily matter if it is true or not but the point is that when we start reading her writing, she can make us believe anything. Whether there is truth in the story or not doesn’t matter. She is making us aware that we are at the mercy of her words and of her mind and storytelling. Her purpose is to make us believe whatever it is that she is saying. It doesn’t matter if it is true or not because in the end it is a story and we (the readers) need the story. She is good at using writing to make the reader believe what she wants them to. She is telling us that she is a good storyteller. She is trying to make the reader believe that she can make us believe her no matter what.
ReplyDeleteThis quote kept me on my toes while I read this because I did not want to be lied to and I did not know what to expect. I felt like the narrator was going to intentionally try to mae us believe what was not true, but I realized that there is nothing I can can do if that were the case; that is the power of writing. "That story can become a curtain drawn shut, a piece of insulation, a disguise, a razor, a tool that changes everytime it is used and sometimes becomes something other than we intended", this quote from the book kept me debating why she said "I'm a storyteller. I'll work to make you believe me". She explained in the story how the one person she did tell about the incident of her being raped did not believe. There could have been frustration going into this, and perhaps stretching the truth or blatantly lying is the only she can get people to believe her and empathize what she had to endure.
ReplyDeleteFiction reinforces truth. Stories—whether true or not—enable human beings to show intense emotions; however, sometimes people add little twists or exaggerations or even tell pure fiction in order to sufficiently communicate and persuade there audience. Dorthy Allison writes that when she tells a story she adds “certainty of outrage” in the story as a means to provoke passion in the reader, to make her story a reality in the hearts of her audience. Allison understands that a fictitious story does not have to be real to feel real when she says, “I know the use of fiction in a world of hard truth, the way fiction can be a harder piece of truth.” Telling a story with only fact understates the reality of the story in the eyes of the author. To tell a captivating story one must persuade an audience to empathize with the story, to feel what the author felt—a concept that only becomes reality with hyperboles and metaphors and the stretched truth used in fiction.
ReplyDeleteThis passage explains how Dorothy Allison has told her stories and why they are important. She is a good story teller because she understands what it takes. She states, "I'll work to make you believe me." The reason she tells her story is because with all of the characteristics of a story that are explained in the above passage, her story contains all of them. There are disguises, curtains drawn shut, and changes that come from nowhere. Dorothy Allison is able to notice all of these components to make up a story that is relatable and enticing.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though Allison’s purpose for writing this piece was to convince the readers to be the people they really are, and the fact that you don’t have to act like someone that you are not. Allison zooms in on the fact that much of her family and herself in her earlier years falsely represented themselves in ways in which they truly aren’t. She is trying to persuade the readers to be who they really are and don’t put a fake skin around yourself just so that people will acknowledge you. Allison also implies that one should not keep things hidden within them and speak out if something is trying to get out of you. This comes from when she brings up the fact that she was raped and beaten by her stepfather at a very young age. She talks about how people did not and do not want to hear these stories but it was in her best interest to express what happened, she chose to tell us through writing. She shows how her family had problems when she was a child but notes that her fear of her stepfather or anything else did not dictate the fact that she is a lesbian, and notes that if this were the reason for her being a lesbian, there would be many more like her. Allison re-writes conversations that she had with her mother, before she died, and also with her Aunt Dot. Many of these conversations show tension within the family and I feel as though this is her way of showing how everyone has problems, and encourages people to come out and talk.
ReplyDeleteI would say this is an honest as well as a forgiving book. Whether the stories told in book is true or not, Allison uses her talent writing to bring her audience into those stories when reminding everyone to look around his/her life circumstance with an open heart. She shared own experiences in a very creative way so that readers could lose themselves when reading her book. She loves storytelling, and she is able to make audience believe in what she is telling. All her stories in this book are honest, painful and tender; however, everything happened makes her become the woman she is now. The process of maturation is cherished, the sexual abuse as a child, her tangled family, mother’s death, her lesbianism, etc. the feeling of helpless and hopeless fills with the whole book, which touches my heart so deeply.
ReplyDeleteAllison in this passage is stating that a story have more than one side or one perspective. Allison can add a fiction in her story to make the reality of her story less harsh. On the other hand, she can make the reality more brutal, and vicious to make the reader believe her story. The main question is why Allison puts her credibility as a writer in jeopardy by saying “I’ll work to make you believe me. Throw in some real stuff, change a few details, and add the certainty of outrage”. The point that Allison trying to say in this passage is when a story being told by many people it’s hard for the writer to know the absolute truth of the story but the writer can detect the truth from his/her perspective and add few fictions mixed with many facts to persuade the reader.
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Allison aspires to convey the introduction to her stories, to her experiences. She forces the audience to bluntly understand she bends and molds her stories to perhaps grasp attention and maybe even empathy from her audience. By creating an extreme approach to these stories, it may convince a more realistic and scary perception of her experiences. She explains her reason for change in her storytelling - the necessity and importance of the story may not come as strongly as one would like, further justifying "fiction can be a harder piece of truth." Her persuasion is the important times and people who shaped who she is today. How and what her surroundings have done to influence her life. In the first two passages, Allison, I believe, is trying to prove points about the lack of appreciation of women or at least in her family. Also, the hardships and outcomes of loosing a parent or close relative and the challenges of abuse, sexual and forceful (hitting etc).
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