Blog Post # 2 -How to Read like a Writer
Reading like a writer is being able to analyze the text and find out why the author wrote the way they did. Being able to depict what decisions they made in order for the text to come across in such manner. The one main thing that should be established in the beginning of the text is who the intended audience and what is the purpose of the piece.
I chose to write about a short story written by Corbitt Nesta titled ” Responsibility and Corruption on Elm Avenue.” This is a story about an elderly white woman in her 80’s befriending a black 17 year old boy in high school whose intial quest was to teach her how to send emails. Like most situations it wasn’t just that it was about friendship and inevitably what happens to often in society.
Just from the beginning of the story, I was able to make the assumption that piece would address the issues on race. Secondly, I had to figure out who the audience was, based on the information that was given and how it was given I would say this short story is intended for an educational purpose. Lastly what you need to ask yourself is why did the author decide to write this, was it because she wanted to bring light to friendship, the struggle of black youth in society, or to live out the old lady’s story.
It is now once you have an answer to these question that you can begin to understand why Corbitt Nesta constructed the story the way she did. She began by introducing the situation in why Helen the elder lady would need Arsenius the boys help; to be able to send emails. Then how their friendship developed; her need with computers and his love of her ’57 chevy. It is then that Nesta began to explore the friendship they developed and how Helen began to care about what happened to Arsenius. It was then that story began to develop fully and when it takes a drastic turn. It is now that the author decided to show that not everything works out. The story continues by explaining how Helen and the Arsenius get into an argument because she feels that he is beginning to make the wrong decision by who he is associating with. It in now that the story takes a turn for the worst. With the next part the author decided to leave the ending to your own interpretation. What happen next after their argument is that they no longer spoke; but a day after the words “racist bitch” had been written across her garage. Then Helen was informed a week later that Arsenius had been in a fight and was badly injured. She was the only one who had been the hospital when he passed away a day after. It is now that Corbitt Nesta left you to decide what is that happened. I will share my opinion but it’s what I believe to happen. Was is that the crowd that Arsenius was hanging out with got upset about the argument he had gotten in and wrote those things. Then that Arsenius got into the fight to defend Helen from his associates.
Based on the story you can see why the author decided to write it the way she did and the purpose for it. It’s only after closely reading and understanding the concept of the story do you realize who it is intended for and what the purpose behind it was. Learning to read like a writer is learning to analyze the concept behind the story and build from it in your own writing.
