Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Story Structure
Both "Drift" and "Los Angeles Notebook" are composed of discrete episodes or scenes, but despite this similarity, the overall stories are organized in radically different ways. Please explain by midnight Tuesday, Sept. 16, how the basic structures of the stories differ and the possible reasons, thematic and otherwise, for the differences.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
24 comments:
I would say the biggest difference between the structures of these two stories is that “Drift” is written chronological and “Los Angeles Notebook” is build up with different scenes. In “LA Notebook” there are different scenes that Joan Didion writes about. All these different occasions belong to the same subject: the Santa Ana storm. I think that is also why the background information comes in the beginning of the story. There she writes about the subject of the story. She explains what the Santa Ana storm is and what it does to people. If she would have placed this at the end of her story, the little scenes wouldn’t have made any sense. Some people may not know what Santa Ana is and how it effect peoples lives. Now she explains what the storm is and why the people in the story act like this.
Because “Drift” is written chronological it is understandable that the information/explanation comes at the end of the story. First Morris Markey illustrates the ‘problem’ with a story about one person. This way it gets more attractive to read about it and you can really imagine how it would be like. Then he gives all the background information, answering the question: ‘why am I writing this story?’ This is reasonable, because even without the background information, you understand what the story is about. So I think in both stories they used the right structure. You understand why you are reading the story and why it is interesting.
The basic structure of the stories in "Drift" and "Los Angeles Notebook" are different from each other in several ways. "Drift" has a clear focus, which is the path of the unidentified body from the morgue to its burial site on Hart's Island. "Los Angeles Notebook" on the other hand features five separate stories that seem to have no connection with each other. The five stories focus on very different topics. "Drift" is much more organized in its transition from scene to scene, while in "Los Angeles Notebook" there is no transition between the five stories and it lacks organization.
Also, Markey goes into much greater detail in telling the story in "Drift." Didion only uses many details and descriptions in her first story. The other four stories are very short and the content in those stories is undeveloped. The plot in those stories is addressed very briefly and the endings in them are anticlimatic and difficult to understand.
One possible reason for the difference in structure between Markey's literary piece and Didion's collection of stories is that Markey had an extensive journalistic background working for The New Yorker. All journalistic stories must have a clear focus and "Drift" has that. Didion has a very unique writing style that contrasts with traditional journalistic standards, since "Los Angeles Notebook" does not have a clear focus. It even says in "The Art of Fact" that Didion destroys literary form in her stories. Didion's writing style has a very chaotic undertone, which justifies in a way the lack of a focus and transition in her stories.
Finally, a story revolving around a dead body without the soap-opera dramatics!
I think Emmi hit it spot on about one of the main differences that sets "Drift" and "Los Angeles Notebook" apart. But, if there is anything else that displays the two worlds these stories exist in, it has to be the difference in focus. Didion's story was a darting spotlight from one slice of LA life to another, with no real visible continuity. However, Markley's story had different sections that all revolved around a single unidentified dead body, showing continuity (in this case, the road to a unmarked burial).
I think the main difference between Joan Didion's "Los Angeles Notebook," and Morris Markey's "Drift," is that Didion's structure actually plays a role in her message to her readers. All of the little stories are disjointed and are a picture of human nature which she pointed out not only in her written text but also in the structure she set it up in. If she had just written one story in a continuous and chronological manner, the implication that the world is not cohesive wouldn't come through as clearly. In Markey's "Drift," he gives us one chronological story that follows all of the events closely. I think that Markey was just trying to tell a story. He was using his words to convey any messages to his readers, not using the actual construction of the story as a tool. If he had set up his story similarly to Didion though, it wouldn't have had as much of an effect on readers because it would've been confusing and all over the place. Each story's set up is equally as successful in reaching its readers as the other, but if they had been done any other way it might not have led the readers to have the same reactions.
The topic at hand in Markey’s “Drift” is a broad social critique (which I’m thinking a lot of literary journalism is, no?) of the apathetic feelings of the living towards the dead. Markey chose to show this through the journey of one man, whose identity is a five digit number. The discovery (or the reason the story is written) comes to the readers as they follow this body from one place to the next, dealing with all the people that don’t seem to give a shit about its existence or past existence. Therefore, we learn more as time passes within the story.
Didion’s “LA Notebook” deals with a much broader topic, the sense of a given place, LA. Even the title of the story lends to the fact that the story is not going to be a straight forward ending with a middle, beginning, and end. Instead, it is composed of a number of writings from different days, about different topics that all relate to a single subject (that’s what a notebook is isn’t it?) I think Didion’s approach to describing a place, a very large place, was genius. She successfully shows connections between seemingly unrelated places an people. For example: she talks about the Santa Ana storm and juxtaposes it with newspaper stories of murders and car crashes. She talks about the weather, and callers and DJs of a radio show, and shows that all these aspects of the city are what make up the city. It was a brilliant approach to covering such a broad and mundane thing, such as a city.
The process of preparing and burying the body of number 48,227 in Morris Markey’s story “Drift” is just as mechanical as the story is told. The process and the story are orderly and without emotion. The body has no name. Hart’s Island, where it is to be buried, is “low and flat and featureless.” The burial is systematic. The workers and the priest are apathetic. No one cares that he is dead, except that his dying without identification has caused “a lot of trouble” for those left behind. The emotionless form parallels the process that is its focus.
Likewise, Didion’s “Los Angeles Notebook” also provides the same “uneasy” air and “unnatural stillness” as the Santa Ana that she writes about. Just as no one knows what to expect when there is a Santa Ana coming, the short, at times even curt, individual stories shock the reader with endings like: “I wish they still burned witches” and “He…is…also…a…fag.” The stories’ endings are as unpredictable and chaotic as the wind they describe.
Although the focus of each story is on one particular event, both stories provide a view of not only that event but of the community where it takes place. Each provides both history and statistics using a form that enhances the feel of the story.
After reading the story "Drift" I noticed that the focus used leads up to a certain point, I’m not exactly sure what to call this format, except to say that it is not filled with different stories like "LA Notebook” is structured. The subject matter in this story is always constant as it is in the other story, but each scene seems sequential, as the other story is not. "Drift" draws the reader in telling you the story and towards the end it states why and what the story is all about. "Drift" in a way builds up, and in my opinion that is one way it and "LA Notebook" are similar.
"LA Notebook” builds up, but it is compromised of different scenes. All scenes are about different things, different situations, in other words four different stories, but overall ALL about the Santa Ana storm. But, "LA Notebook” does sticks to the same subject at all times even though it seems to be telling different stories in each of its scenes.
Overall both stories are set up in a matter of scenes, except one is chronological and sticks to the same subject at hand, and the other uses the same subject but tells a different story in each of its scenes.
Joan Didion's stories seem like a series of scattered and random incidents you experience in everyday life only they are tied to the storm, which gives the series a theme. The people she writes about seem a bit off kilter in some way,perhaps a little irritated, and this would be connected to the storm and the organization of the stories. Morris Markey's piece contains several scenes all in order, unlike Didion, but those scenes are not given transitions such as "then the attendants went down to the cellar." There is just a break and Then the scene begins in the cellar. In that way the two pieces are similiar because they don;t have transitions. You don't notice the lack of transitions because of the clinical step by step process that takes place. Markey needs to have the scenes in order to show the process of finding a burial for an unidentified corpse which will demonstrate his point, which may be this man and many others are reduced to this unglorified, unappreciated departure into the grave.
As has been noted several times, the main difference in the structures of "Drift" and "Los Angeles Notebook" is that "Drift" follows an unidentified body on it's journey from the morgue to the grave chronologically while "LA Notebook" tells several seemingly random events all tied together through various conflicts. Another big difference in the stories is the perspective they're written from. Markey writes his story with an omniscient quality to it, like a fly on the wall and I think that gives the story a certain quality that wouldn't be there if he wrote it using "I" or "we". Didion on the other hand switches perspectives in each of her scenes from first to third several times and this always seems to keep my attention very well, possibly because it's like reading several different stories as opposed to just one.
Others have stated that all of the scenes Didion writes about connect to the Santa Ana winds but unless I missed something it doesn't state that specifically anywhere. I understand that the first scene is, obviously, about the Santa Ana winds and how they effect people strangely, and ultimately cause conflict but it seems to me that it's the conflict which drives the story as a whole, not the winds. Unless I missed where it states or is inferred that all the scenes she's writing about happened during the winds I feel more like the story was about different conflicts in LA.
As Emmi first pointed out, the basic structure of these two stories differs in how the scenes are organized. In “Drift”, the scenes are presented chronologically, while the scenes in “Los Angeles Notebook” don’t seem to follow any particular order. I think this could be attributed to the fact that “Los Angeles Notebook” was written nearly forty years after “Drift,” during a time that writers were beginning to experiment with form and style.
In regards to theme, I think Liz made a good observation that Didion’s structure might imply that the world is not cohesive. Yet, I think Markey is trying to imply the same thing; he’s just using a different style. Both Markey and Didion explore tragedy and the human experience to “show us how close to the edge we are.”
The structures of "Drift" and "Los Angeles Notebook" are very different from each other and because of that difference each story has a unique feel to it. "Drift" is written like that of scenes in a movie, from one single point of view, rather then in "Los Angeles Notebook" where the scenes have a more scattered and possibly broader outlook on the story as a whole.
"Drift," like a movie, plays out each scene in chronological order from the morgue to the burial through one persons point of view. This is effective because it keeps the reader in the same somber mood throughout the piece. Having no clear indication of where these breaks in scenes are is also good for this piece because it keeps the reader focused on the moment, and doesn't leave huge gaps of time in the story.
The scenes in "Los Angeles Notebook," are made to be distinctly different from each other, but there is still a sense continuity about the subject between the scenes. All of these scenes have to do with the weather caused by the Santa Ana. Didion chose to show how the Santa Ana affects people in different ways by making the characters in these scenes so different from one another. This is effective because it allows the reader to have a more omniscient point of view about the whole situation rather then just seeing the effects from the Santa Ana through one persons eyes.
Both techniques of using scenes in subtle ways like in "Drift" and in distinct ways like in "Los Angeles Notebook"are effective in structuring their stories appropriately.
The clear difference between Didion's "Los Angeles Notebook" and Markey's "Drift" is that Didion's story is static and chronicals multiple events, while Markey's story is a series of events that occur in sequence to the conclusion. I believe Didion's arrangement, in which she "jumps" from story to story, speaks to the chaos and unpredictability of both the Santa Ana storm and Los Angeles itself. The last lines of her story imply that anything can happen in L.A., indicated by the myriad of events she writes about. Markey's sequential arrangement serves to bring "#48,227" to the final installment of his "journey". This building up of events is a dramatic approach in reference to the story's subject matter. The man dies, and he is never anything but a number. He has no identity, and nowhere along the way does he gain one. He is one of "the unidentified dead who carry no name into eternity". Throughout the story I kept hoping he would be claimed somehow (aside from his burial with the Catholics), and I found the end to be a sad yet true: sometimes, we aren't anything but a number.
I definitely agree with what most of the people have already said: the biggest difference in the stories is that "Drift" is a clearly written chronologically ordered story, whereas "LA Notebook" has many different little stories all meshed together with different scenes. "Drift" is definitely organized very well; it clearly sets the tone for good imagery. The author gives much detail about the investigation process of the unknown man and burial of the body Number 48,227 on Hart's Island, where the body is buried along with others. In "LA Notebook," however, the stories just kind of clash together with no meanings whatsoever. The stories are well written and definitely have an edge to them, but they do not make much sense to the reader. Didion sort of goes off on a tangent in most of her readings, and then they just end with no collaboration. I can see how some people might say that she specifically placed each story in the order that it is in on purpose, but I do not fully understand why since there really is no transition from one story to the next.
Those of you who don't follow what Didion is up to might benefit from recalling that the piece originally appeared in the collection SLOUCHING TOWARDS BETHLEHEM, a phrase that comes from a Yeats' poem that contains the line, "Things fall apart/The center cannot hold." A writer of Didion's talent doesn't do anything without a purpose, and that includes the fragmented structure of "Los Angeles Notebook."
As most already mentioned the biggest difference between these two stories is that “Drift” is a story told in chronological order about an unidentified body, while “Los Angeles Notebook” is made up of a group of random events involving different characters. At first it was difficult to see where Didion was going with her story but after reading it I realized that as random as the events seem they all deal with one subject; the unpredictable, chaotic lives of those that inhabit the city of Los Angeles live (possibly because of Santa Ana).
I think Didion chose to write her story by using different events and characters because that itself is unpredictable; it goes well with her subject. Had she written the story in a chronological order I think it would have made these events seem somewhat normal. I also think that by using different characters and settings she gets to paint a bigger picture of this big city.
Markey’s story is more about the process of a burial from beginning to end. Had he used the same structure as Didion his point would not have come across as clearly as it did. The structure he uses almost helps carry out his subject.
Ben Yagoda says it himself in the introduction for "Los Angeles Notebook" that "Didion gives us a series of short takes rather than a 'well-made' article because the latter would imply a cohesive and meaningful world that no longer seems to exist" (480). Immediately readers are given a hint about Didion's writing style, as well as his take on life; he clearly is a writer and embodies all the characteristics of one as described by Professor Good in the first class.
Didion's writing style doesn't seem to flow or make any sense, but all the pieces are necessary to prove the point he is trying to convey. I feel that the descriptions of the scenarios vary so much to depict the fact that people experience different situations every single day at the same time. Each is significant and emotionally draining for the individual characters. Not a lot of detail is revealed in each scenario which I believe encourages the reader to think and put themselves in the characters shoes.
In "Drift," Markey also causes his readers to think. He does so in a different way which entails asking many questions that cannot necessarily be answered because the main character is dead and unidentifiable. It relates to "Los Angeles Notebook" because there is a lot of emotional tension and anxiety that is not acknowledged directly through words.
While "Drift" is set up in a consistent story format, "Los Angeles Notebook" is seperated into several short episodes. Markey focuses on different aspects surrounding one specific incident; Didion focuses on several that relate to a bigger picture as a whole. Both challenge the mind and trigger emotions that leave readers feeling sorry for the characters.
I think the stories differ mainly for the themes. Didion's piece focuses on how random life can be, using the Santa Ana to parallel Didion's unexpected life experience and journey: "Santa Ana affect the entire quality of life, accentuate its impermanence, its unreliability (482)."
If Didion's structure were used for Markey's "Drift," it wouldn't convey the same meaning. As others have mentioned, Markey writes chronologically, focusing on the dead body's journey to the burial ground; the lack of identity; the lack of care. When I read the story, I felt sympathy for the person because there was no one to claim the body. That person was buried with a number on the gravestone; a thing, not a human. I couldn't imagine the story told differently.
DEADLINE FOR A RESPONSE HAS PASSED
Both stories are very different in their style. "Drift" seems to be a constant flow of an event. It left me feeling sad for this poor person who died and had no one to claim them. The story was written in a chronological order, and the ending explains everything to the reader. In "LA Notebook," the story is written in a random order that includes little blurbs here and there of different stories. The reader does find out that the story is related to the Santa Ana storm and it's randomness as well. Both stories have their appeal, and "Drift" certainly has a lot more detail than "LA Notebook." I do think that the way the story was written is directly related to the event that they are written about. "LA Notebook" is about a storm and it's unpredictability, which is why the story is in little blurbs. "Drift" is about a man's life ending and this struggle to find someone to claim his body. When writing about something like that, the writer needs to organize clearly so the reader understands what is happening.
I found that "Drift" and "Los Angeles Notebook" were very different structures. I was much more confused when reading "Lost Angeles Notebook" because i felt that the mini stories composed within the article are almost irrelevant to the others. I found myself re-reading each blurb to try to connect each of them. In the end though, i really don't understand how each story is intertwined being that there is nothing that links them whatsoever. But, i found that i understood "Drift" easier and it was less wordy. Even though i was confused on what the story was initially about, i found that it flowed more, being that it was one continuous chronological story whereas "The Los Angeles" jumped all over the place. I also felt a little sense of "suspense" when reading "Drift" due to the fact that the story was unraveled at the end. I found myself guessing throughout the story as to what they were actually talking about and when i got to the last few paragraphs everything just clicked. That is pieces of journalism i like to read. There is no fun in being confused from the beginning to the very end (as "Los Angeles Notebook" did for me).
Apparently the deadline has passed but I guess I'll post anyways...
Not to sound like a broken record, but I agree with the rest of the posts that the most noticeable difference between the two stories is that "Drift" is written chronologically as a typical news story would be organized as opposed to "Los Angeled Notebook" which is kind of all over the place with smaller stories, it jumps around a bit more.
To some who aren't used to Dideon's writing style or just can't follow it, the story might seem disconnected and convoluted; however, i think this is very indicative of the unique writing style and voice that Dideon is trying to convey. In this case it works because it almost mirrors the hectic and unpredictable topic she is writing about.
While Markey's style is more traditional and seems to set out to clearly explain and deliver information, it still has a distinctly different feel than a hard news story and this probably makes it more interesting and "entertaining" to the reader.
I know the deadline passed but anyway...
A few people have mentioned how "drift" is like a movie because of the way it flows chronologically from scene to scene and that is very true and I think very indicative in it's title. I actually think that the similarities between the title's of each piece and how they are organized are obviously connected. I know that I'm not one to keep my notebooks all in perfect order. Occasionally when reading my math notebook, some english notes might pop up and that's how Didions piece is. She reveals details as they are found and just kind of compiles them into this one piece about the Santa Ana Storm. "Drift" on the other hand flows or drifts through it's scenes and it's scenes and it's not hard to follow.
In Morris Markey's "Drift," the episodes of his narrative are broken up through background changes, where the reader and narrator are both brought to a new place to follow the body of number 48,227. Overall, you get a mechanical feeling from the whole process of trying to identify the body, and it's process into the grave. You get the sense that even though most of the other bodies have names, they might as well be numbers as well, being processed through system of gates and and files. At the end, the police headquarters try to collect the money of the deceased. An almost comical vibe is captured by the idea of a 12 piece band playing for the dead, still seeming artificial and forced. On the other hand, Joan Didion's "Los Angeles Notebook" seems to humanize everything, giving the Santa Ana winds a ghostly presence throughout Los Angeles. You feel the pushiness of the lady in the cart and and the disdain of the "book burner." The characters, although resentful and depressing, dance around on a film noir, hard boiled landscape. Compared to this, the characters in Markey's all seem to be living on the River Styx, humming along their jobs despite the tragedy and death that surrounds them.
Post a Comment