\'A Colorful Pen“ 多元文學

Canadian Short Stories_01 “In Service ”
Selected from [Canadian Reader ] 3 rd edition, EVA C. Karpinski, Page 271, 4th Paragraph: by EVA C. Karpinski,

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Notes: “In Service” A Pen of Colors, - my reading analysis and appreciation of [ In Service ]
Finished Date : Sunday, January 27, 2008


Credit Google Photos

“A colorful pen”   
- A close reading analysis of “In Service” Canadian Short Story. 

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The short story [In Service] by Maxine Tynes, mirrors vividly the history of the Nova Scotia African Canadian Women’s experience. She put the reader into the corner of her house, creates in reader’s curiosity of knowing the story. As a reader, I was strongly ‘hooked’.    

The story unfolds, as though the reader is sitting together with a little girl to listen to the “Lady-talk” – which the author “mysteriously” depicted with her colorful pen, “Lady talk” often heard, as well colorfully painted into a whole picture into the readers’ mind.  

 Excerpting:  

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.Credit Google photos
..these conversations always seems to carry their own colors. This one -scary, smoky black, like Mystery grey. Lady-talk. "Children should be seen and not heard"" keeping that Child's place" I was afraid of those hard, red sentences Mama always had ready during the lady- talk. I had to go where they cannot see. But in a small house, the scary grey black mist of lady talked can always find you.

In service. Sterling silver, glowing the dark-and-sunlight words to me. Like the lone brass button always at the bottom of the must button box, when I would sneak the polish to bring back the shine. The Mysteries of In Service were all confused and glowing parade dreams and uniforms marching in a flash of things shiny and formal...
149 words, *those underlined words are related with the colors, 15 in total.

Credit Google Photos

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In a ‘close-reading’, I noticed as exerted here above, that in the 4-5 the paragraphs, 149 words in total, however, 11 “colorful’ words are directly used to enhance the impression, and encourages gives us colorful imaginations, as if we were I am standing pushed to stand before a painting of the time -well-canvassed.  

Humans interpretations to the colors, are more or less the same in nature. When I read this sentence: “this one – scary, smoky black, light misty grey.”  The mystery and curiosity from the interpretations of the colors . Thus not only the language, but the memories of colors arise in to interactive process in comprehension.    

For example, ‘Red’ at multinational level, represents emotions like ‘excited’ or ‘anger’, something ‘bloody’, 'life', or even “killing’ so, even though I do hear directly, the ‘words’ or what do her mama says, but the emotions are already there.    

Added in the following: “In service. Sterling silver, glowing the dark-and-sunlight words to me.” / ‘Like the lone brass button always at the bottom of the must button box, when I would sneak the polish to bring back the shine.’

– In old times, every house hold, Mom keeps those ‘button-box’. like many, I can remember, in my the child-hood, how excited i was when the 'box' was found; those ‘colorful’ and ‘strange-shaped’ buttons that lied in the bottom.   

“I had to go where they can not see.  But in a small house, the scary grey black mist of Lady Talks can always find you,”

When I read this line, I feel I almost become the little girl, trying to find a place to hide in the house as the “Mom” told me, not to ‘hear’. But in “a small house” , where ever I hide, the voices of the “Lady-talk” are always coming into my ear, as through it is in the air; occupies the whole space of the rooms of the house.

In childhood, as I can recall, many times, I try to hide somewhere to listen to what the parents are talking about, but always same feeling, though, not ‘scary’ , but still ‘foggy’ or sometimes ‘not-understandable’ i will feel.

When ask why the Shot story [In Service]? Only from the “colors” the reader we saw”read”, he or she can come to the answer together with the author: did we see the “glowing with parade dreams and uniforms marching by in a flash of things shiny and formal”. The answer of to why to use “IN SERVICE” is such vividly drown to my eye the reader, but left us me a room of imagination.   

I would like to compare this story to technique of “colorful’, in movies, -which gives you direct impact of the ‘color”, but here, if a reader read carefully, can also get a picture of what author draw to the reader, in a story short or long. 818 words

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the “In Service”: (page 217,) -Unique technique, read in Canadian literature,  “Pen of Many Colors” -a Canadian reader 3rd edition) by Eva C. Karpinski: 

by -Johnlakeshore ( Adv. Canadian Literature )

You can reach me:
[e-mail]
約翰.雷克肖 Burlington. ON, Ca.

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