Electric Lib

AP US

Phew. Well I just finished reading and taking notes on chapter 10 of my AP US (US history, my only homework tonight!). I haven't read any of that since summer, and I remember how thought provoking it all was. Not so much the history (even though that's interesting too), but more so the writing. First of all, I'm always surprised to stumble upon metaphors and similies and fancy-shmancy writing in the text. I wish I could find a more extreme example, but I neglected to mark them as I noted them, so I just found this one randomly:

"And these democratic seeds, planted in rich soil, were to bring forth a lush harvest in later years" (The American Pageant 11th edition, pg. 100).

Oh and here's one more:

"Worse, Louisbourg was still a cocked pistol pointed at the heart of the American continent" (pg. 110).

Anyhow, I can't deny that these metaphors accurately and nicely describe the situations and events of the times. However, whenever I read them, I can't help picturing some really bored historian waiting for the right chance to be creative with his/her writing.

Secondly, I couldn't help noticing (and it's hard not to notice, so this is a pretty obvious observation) the little words and phrases the writers would throw in to shape your opinion about certain events and people. For example:

"Jeffersonian Republicans, unlike the Federalist 'British boot-lickers,' were basically pro-French" (pg. 208).

It seems rather unnesseccary to toss in the "British boot-lickers" phrase because it does lend a little bias to the other side. However, I do see why it may be appropriate because it creates some atmosphere for the other party's feelings towards the Federalists. Okay, well there you have it, my thoughts for the night. Posted by lib at September 21, 2004 09:27 PM