Sleeper Camp by Larry Doyle (New Yorker)
Doyle wrote this piece in response to the discover of Russian spies living in a suburban neighborhood in 2010 (evidenced by an excerpt from two of the spies). The piece is hilarious, largely due to the fact that it seems like a cold war era report by a Russian spy, but is actually from the point of view of a child at "Sleeping Bear" (the bear symbolizing Russia) summer camp, infiltrating the rival "Screaming Eagle" (Eagle=America) camp. The syntax of the piece keeps with the Russian spy theme, making the essay read like a report. The sections are divided by date, use shorter sentences, and includes many parenthesis to elaborate and detail the narrator's thoughts.
The diction and language of this piece also serve to add humor and re enforce the idea of a spy's report. By including words like drop-off, secured, isolated, ad devise, to create an official, espionage themed tone. Small details in the piece also contribute to the humor, for example referring to the laxatives as explosives.
My favorite part of this essay is the subtle characterization and shift in opinions of the narrator. Steadfast in his hatred of Screaming Eagle, and resilient to its allures, the narrator begins to humbly suggest improvements to Sleeping Bear's amenities. In the end though, the ice cream bar and smores are too much for the narrator, and he switches allegiances.
Your essay seems to be more of summary. In a closed reading response, i would recommend using ample amount of quotations as pieces of evidence to justify your reasoning. Your introduction paragraph is mainly comprised of a summary of the articles elements and you have not included a thesis at the end that expresses your interpretation of the purpose and meaning of this article, the motive of the author, and the larger theme of the work. The body paragraphs are devoid of scholarly analysis to explain what the pieces of evidence mean. Just like the essay that we will be expected to write in the AP Lit Exam in the fall, it would be beneficial to you to write in a similar fashion and prepare best for the exam.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really funny piece. I like how you chose to analyze the elements that add to his tone, because that's what gives the writing it's humor! You provide good evidence of diction and imagery as well. I also like that you included your favorite part of the essay, but you might want to consider adding some DIDLS commentary about your favorite part. This would help you to explain why it's your favorite part and what mood it creates.
ReplyDeleteYour thesis needs to be more specific, any author could use prenthesis, shorter sentances, and detail to express their thoughts, but what is the thought. Remember the "hidden so what" question,to address meaning. Your body paragraph suggest that you did not have a thesis, but you were just pointing out the techniques of the author. It would help if you used more specific examples and comentary to show how the author uses these techniques to create meaning in the piece.
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