Anne, Melissa, Jennifer, Alexa

STORIES AND STORY TELLING

.

PAST AFFECTS THE PRESENT

• Inman- the war causes him to view death and make decisions differently than in the past.• “The war, as well as his journey across a chaotic

landscape, has numbed him. He wonders if he will ever be able to feel horror or compassion again.”

 • Page 180

• he has distanced himself from his feelings• His decisions on what road to take and who to trust a

based on his logics instead of whether he feels it is right

• Before the war Inman seemed happy and almost care free; however after escaping he seemed to be constantly battling inner demons and tries to keep a straight face

PAST AFFECTS PRESENT

Ada- uses her past as a comparison to the present• Her pampered upbringing left her unprepared to live alone

during war times• “she was filled with opinions on art and politics and

literature…”(pg 22)

• She had never worked so hard, so she either tries to find easy ways or is determined to show ruby she can do it.

• “Ruby’s monologues seemed composed mainly of verbs, all of them tiring”(pg 80)

• She goes from society girl to a hard working farmer.

• Charleston party story.(108-111)• She is constantly comparing what she does now to what she did

in Charleston.

PAST AFFECTS THE PRESENT

PAST AFFECTS PRESENT

 -”Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” ---Paul BoeseRuby- has had a difficult upbringing that makes her more independent.• “feeding herself was ruby’s to do as soon as she was old enough…

which in Stobrod’s opinion fell close after learning to walk (125)• Ruby strives for equality because of her past• “…with both us knowing that everybody empties their own night

jar.”(pg 52)Stobrod- uses music to show his past and how he feels about it• “Ruby began to suspect that what they heard collevtively formed

a sort of autobiography of his war years.”(266)• his past is communicated through his songs and the way they

sound.

PAST AFFECTS PRESENT

PAST AFFECTS PRESENT“I TEND TO LIVE IN THE

PAST BECAUSE MOST OF MY LIFE IS THERE.”

- HERB CAEN

• Veasey:• But through his stories you see why he made that

decision and future ones.• “rob one of those guns”(119)• His belongings are taken away as a result he starts to

steal things• Veasey and the whore(126-?)• He was not supposed to have many women as a priest

and when he tried to he was hurt and run out of his town. • In the end he still has some of his priestly nature.• “It is not to late to put away this meanness”(179)

  

PAST AFFECTS PRESENT

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Some people are not good at interacting with people they don’t know, but if you take the time to get to know them

you may be surprised at who they really are

--- “Inman held his hat by the crown and for lack of anything to say he looked down into the holes as if, from

previous experience, he waited in sincere expectation that something might emerge.” (page 82)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS- ARE NOT ALWAYS ACCURATE

Sometimes people say things about other people that can lead us to judge the person without knowing them

--- “Even Stobrod’s love of liquor failed to make a farmer of him. Rather than grow corn, he would go out with a tow

sack on moonless nights when the ears were ripe and steal corn.” (page 108)

Ruby makes Stobrod come off as a no good drunk, but when Ada meets him he seems nice and is actually talented

in a way.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Sometimes people judge others based on their appearance--- “That took Inman aback, for his imagination had worked in the belief that they had been plucked out in some desperate and bloody dispute, some brute fraction.” (page 9) In this part of book, Inman is marveling over fact that blind man never had eyes and did not lose them in battle.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Some people may seem confident on the outside, but on the inside they may be insecure

--- “That night, a Savannah man-the dashing-looking yet witless second son of a wealthy indigo merchant-flirted so tirelessly with Ada that finally she agreed to go out on the river with him, though what little she knew of him inclined

her to believe he was only a vain fool.” (page 141) “Then, under the influence of drink and strangeness of the night , Blount admitted he was terrified of the fighting

that almost certainly lay before him.” (page 142) Ada then “realized with an unexpected flush of

tenderness that Blount was no warrior but had instead the heart of a shopkeeper.” (page 142)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

STORIES AND…

• Telling a story is a way of communicating one’s past or history

• Examples: p.105-110 Ruby telling her past to Ada;• p.196-202 Ada told the story of her parents and how she

grew up to Ada

• Telling a story to someone builds friendship

• Examples: p.140-144 Ada tells the story about Blount to Ruby;

• p. 333 Pangle and Stobrod become friends and communicate through playing music

COMMUNICATION

Ada and Ruby meet around the same time Veasey and Inman meet Share stories as they share experiences togetherFind their differences and similarities with each other through their stories

i.e Ada and Ruby: no mother yet different childhoods

i.e Inman and Veasey: vulgar vs. Clean

The storytelling between the characters represents the new friendships madeThe idea of trust, intimacy and Friendship Characters learn more about each other. First impressions change.

Telling a story to someone builds friendshipExamples: p.140-144 Ada tells the story about Blount to Ruby; p. 333 Pangle and Stobrod become friends and communicate through playing music

FRIENDSHIP

RUBY AND ADA

INMAN AND VEASEY

• The past affects the present.• First impressions are not always

accurate.• Telling a story is a way of

communicating one’s past or history and is a way of making friendships.

3 SUB CONCLUSIONS

Fraizer has used the character’s stories to reveal the character’s

personality and history. Even when we try to leave the past behind and look to the future, the past is still a

part of us.

OVERALL CONCLUSION

N.d. Photograph. Facebook. Angel Skye. Web. 13 Sept. 2012. <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Angel-Skye/178817698865166>.N.d. Photograph. Star of Davida. 28 Oct. 2010. Web. 13 Sept. 2012.

<http://starofdavida.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html>.N.d. Photograph. Facebook. Peace Love and Wisdom, 9 Sept. 2012.

Web. 13 Sept. 2012. <https://www.facebook.com/PeaceLoveAndWisdom>.

• Northstar Herbals. N.p., n.d. Web.•  "Elite Popular Culture." Mimesis. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012.

<http://coldmountainmimesis.drupalgardens.com/content/elite-popular-culture-0>.

• Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster, n.d. Web. <http://content9.flixster.com/question/44/84/74/4484743_std.jpg>.

CITATIONS

Perry, Hunter, and Tiyanya Nourbakhsh. "San Luis Obispo Interdependent Living Program." San Luis Obispo

Interdependent Living Program. Interdependent Living Program, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012.

CITATIONS