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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 3 page essay that contrasts and compares 2 works. Lijia Zhang's Socialism Is Great is a memoir, that is, an autobiographical true-to-life account of the author's life. Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies" is a short story, that is, a work of fiction that is entirely the product of the author's imagination. Both works are well-written, compelling narratives. However, because Zhang's text is a memoir, it is written in the first person, with its drama drawing from the real-life events of a person's life. Lahiri's short story is told in the third person, from the perspective of Mr. Kapasi. The drama and involvement of the reader in this story derives from the subtle nuances of character and implication in the narrative, which require the reader to interpret the story, rather than being obliquely told the narrative's meaning. Examination of the two works shows that the principal difference between these two examples of a memoir and a short story, from the reader's perspective, is the style of writing employed by each author. No additional sources cited.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khzhla.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
the product of the authors imagination. Both works are well-written, compelling narratives. However, because Zhangs text is a memoir, it is written in the first person, with its drama drawing
from the real-life events of a persons life. Lahiris short story is told in the third person, from the perspective of Mr. Kapasi. The drama and involvement of the
reader in this story derives from the subtle nuances of character and implication in the narrative, which require the reader to interpret the story, rather than being obliquely told the
narratives meaning. Examination of the two works shows that the principal difference between these two examples of a memoir and a short story, from the readers perspective, is the
style of writing employed by each author. Zhangs readers soon learn that her title is satirical, as there was little, if anything, that a Westerner would regard as "great"
in a childhood spent in Maos China under the draconian auspices of the cultural revolutionary police; however, Zhang does relate that, eventually, the "revolutionary fever that could turn children against
their parents or students against teachers was cooling" (Zhang 15). Nevertheless, Zhang reports that there is only one "dark shadow" in her childhood memories, which is when her mother
was arrested by the cultural revolutionary forces and tortured for several months (Zhang 14). Otherwise, there was "usually enough to eat," which included only 1 gram of pork per month
for each person (Zhang 14). In 1989, the world watched in wonder, as Chinese young people gathered in Tiananmen Square and demonstrated for democracy. Zhang was part of this movement
and her account of her struggles and her life in China during this period is a tale of personal triumph, as well as the power of the human spirit to
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