Peter Ho Davies appears to be a fairly decent writer who is trying to help others become better writers. He had a job at school, not a teacher, but he had the privilege of teaching one class every year. It seemed to be a small class, with troubled students. After all one of the students, Clark, committed suicide.
Peter Ho Davies was trying to teach them what they were allowed to write about. He wanted them to write about things they know. Thus they weren’t allowed to write about suicide. He also says, “and the truth is that life is all stories and fiction is all plots,” (“What You Know,” 4). So Peter Ho Davies teaches the kids how to tell stories, which makes sense because we tell stories all the time. I know that my friends and I have to tell each other stories of the previous night’s events or since the last time we saw each other. Everyone should learn how to tell good stories so that your reader/listener knows what you’re trying to say. That’s probably the most important point, so make sense to your readers/listeners. If they don’t understand, what is your purpose for writing or telling that story?
Peter Ho Davies first tells more of his past experiences then after he tells about Clark’s death. He next shifts to trying to figure out Clark’s story. He’s trying to put himself in Clark’s shoes, so he goes shooting. I think Peter Ho Davies is trying to do more than just figure out Clark’s story, I think he wanted to write the story.
Peter Ho Davies is a writer at heart. He has tried several times to get his writing published. When the note comes back rejecting him, he almost seems determined to try again, like, “I’m going to get this someday.” Thus far nothing of his has been published, so most determined writers try and try again. That’s what he’s doing.
I believe that he could be aiming this article at future writers. I think he is trying to point out things to remember while writing. I also think he is trying to tell us how to get better. You don’t just wake up one morning and suddenly become a published writer. It takes a lot of hard work, which he tries to tell throughout the course of “What You Know.”
After reading “What You Know,” I am sitting here wondering. I’m wondering why Peter Ho Davies is trying to put himself in Clark’s shoes. Why is he trying to write Clark’s story? Peter Ho Davies tells you not to write about suicide, so why is he writing Clark’s story, which ends in suicide. Peter Ho Davies knows nothing of this topic, thus not writing what he knows. He contradicted everything that he states in the first few pages of “What You Know.”
The last few pages in “What You Know” are all about Peter Ho Davies shooting. I know that Peter Ho Davies is trying to get into Clark’s shoes, but why do I care about how the different targets look, which target he chooses, or even everything that he got at the shooting place? Peter Ho Davies paints a clear picture of him buying or renting all of these items to go shooting. Then he also paints another clear picture of him doing the actual shooting. I don’t know why I want to know this; however he could have a point with this. He could be showing us what makes stories good. When I read stories, usually lots of details is something that drags me in. I want to envision myself as the main character going through all of these things.
Overall I think Peter Ho Davies is just trying to understand Clark’s story. I think by writing “What You Know,” he gets a better understanding of the whole situation himself. He has it set up to say write what you know, but then ventures into this story, which he knows next to nothing about. He only knows things about Clark, from when he sat in his class. Then also from what reporters from CNN say, or have been told. Maybe that’s not the best source to get a good understanding of the situation from.
Peter Ho Davies was trying to teach them what they were allowed to write about. He wanted them to write about things they know. Thus they weren’t allowed to write about suicide. He also says, “and the truth is that life is all stories and fiction is all plots,” (“What You Know,” 4). So Peter Ho Davies teaches the kids how to tell stories, which makes sense because we tell stories all the time. I know that my friends and I have to tell each other stories of the previous night’s events or since the last time we saw each other. Everyone should learn how to tell good stories so that your reader/listener knows what you’re trying to say. That’s probably the most important point, so make sense to your readers/listeners. If they don’t understand, what is your purpose for writing or telling that story?
Peter Ho Davies first tells more of his past experiences then after he tells about Clark’s death. He next shifts to trying to figure out Clark’s story. He’s trying to put himself in Clark’s shoes, so he goes shooting. I think Peter Ho Davies is trying to do more than just figure out Clark’s story, I think he wanted to write the story.
Peter Ho Davies is a writer at heart. He has tried several times to get his writing published. When the note comes back rejecting him, he almost seems determined to try again, like, “I’m going to get this someday.” Thus far nothing of his has been published, so most determined writers try and try again. That’s what he’s doing.
I believe that he could be aiming this article at future writers. I think he is trying to point out things to remember while writing. I also think he is trying to tell us how to get better. You don’t just wake up one morning and suddenly become a published writer. It takes a lot of hard work, which he tries to tell throughout the course of “What You Know.”
After reading “What You Know,” I am sitting here wondering. I’m wondering why Peter Ho Davies is trying to put himself in Clark’s shoes. Why is he trying to write Clark’s story? Peter Ho Davies tells you not to write about suicide, so why is he writing Clark’s story, which ends in suicide. Peter Ho Davies knows nothing of this topic, thus not writing what he knows. He contradicted everything that he states in the first few pages of “What You Know.”
The last few pages in “What You Know” are all about Peter Ho Davies shooting. I know that Peter Ho Davies is trying to get into Clark’s shoes, but why do I care about how the different targets look, which target he chooses, or even everything that he got at the shooting place? Peter Ho Davies paints a clear picture of him buying or renting all of these items to go shooting. Then he also paints another clear picture of him doing the actual shooting. I don’t know why I want to know this; however he could have a point with this. He could be showing us what makes stories good. When I read stories, usually lots of details is something that drags me in. I want to envision myself as the main character going through all of these things.
Overall I think Peter Ho Davies is just trying to understand Clark’s story. I think by writing “What You Know,” he gets a better understanding of the whole situation himself. He has it set up to say write what you know, but then ventures into this story, which he knows next to nothing about. He only knows things about Clark, from when he sat in his class. Then also from what reporters from CNN say, or have been told. Maybe that’s not the best source to get a good understanding of the situation from.
2 comments:
-Your writing gave me a great second perpective at Davies and his writing.
-It seemmed like you were asking more questions than qnswering them.
-The setup of your writing keeps you interested and is informative.
-There were places in the text I got confused whether something was your view or you were explaining the text.
-you go into very good detail with your essay, by giving the complete backround of the story.
-it seems to me that your points are valid and you back them up with little text from the book and your own experinence.
-some of your wording in the text was is hard to read because i think you left out a word or two
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