In “Alma,”
Junot Diaz gives the reader so much of a story in such a short space. Would you
say he is successful? If so, how? What makes it so effective? Is it his use of
vulgar language? If you look at his sentences, they are long and energetic.
What does that do for the overall story? How about the use of repetition? He
writes, “An ass that could drag the moon out of orbit. An ass she
never liked until she met you. Ain’t a day that passes that you don’t want to
press your face against that ass or bite the delicate sliding tendons of her
neck.” What does that do for the reader? Other than the obvious break up in
this story, what is Diaz’s story truly about? Make sure to refer to the story!
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ReplyDeleteI would say that Juno Diaz's delivery of Alma was successful in the sense that it offered both a strong background and an entertaining resolution. I feel that the vulgar and energetic language makes it that more satisfying in the end because of how serious it feels throughout the story. Diaz's use of repetition reflects on the meaning of the story, which is, no matter how attracted he is to Alma, he still can't stay faithful to her.
ReplyDeleteI think Junot Diaz is successful in delivering this piece in the short paragraphs that it contained. His vulgar language and his repetition makes the story more realistic and adds to the tone of the author. Junot Diaz uses the word You alot and it almost seems as if you are watching this through your eyes. I guess this method can bring you to the perspective of the narrator a little closer.
ReplyDeletei think the author is successful in helping the reader visualize everything in this story. His repetitive usage of vulgarity adds a comical tone to this everyday breakup story. When he describes her "ass" i believe it is because he is showing his admiration and affection for alma. I think the story is basically saying deceit can really effect you in the end for the author he lost alma. This is proven at the end of his story when he says "that is how you loose her" note that he said that AFTER the fact that he lied to her meaning it wasn't because he cheated but because he lied. Why would someone cheat on someone so "perfect"? People make stupid mistakes.
ReplyDeleteJunot Diaz's delivery of Alma was successful through his use of vulgar, but very descriptive language. His use of repetition is his way of expressing to the reader just how perfect Alma is. "She waits for you on the stoop,and when you pull up in her Saturn and notice the journal in her hand your heart plunges through you like a fat bandit through a hangman’s trap. You take your time turning off the car. You are overwhelmed by a pelagic sadness." Here using descriptive language, he explains perfectly how someone would feel being in that situation making it somewhat relatable. This story goes to show that being unfaithful can cause one to lose what means most to them.
ReplyDeleteI have no more complex thoughts when I see the last sentence. Junot Diaz does well in illustrating these kinds of short satires. With plenty of rough words, he makes readers get a feeling of raciness. However, that does work in a funny way. I am inspired by the end of the story because the turning point of sadness. That bitter taste makes this story oppressive, just like Alma's Dominican ass. It is an entertaining story with black humor to blame those playboys.
ReplyDeleteJunot Diaz, in my opinion, was successful in his delivery of “Alma”. Diaz was able to take a lot of information and put it into such a short story, while still writing in such detail. The use of vulgar language made the characters seem to be more normal since it’s the way that many of us talk. I believe the story shows that people all make mistakes and that you really don’t know what you have until its gone.
ReplyDeleteReading "Alma" made me feel as if I was the one who was dealing with Alma throughout the story. Diaz was able to use vulgar language to paint a picture of what she looked like and was able to make me see her. I am left to wonder whether or not the main character has any idea about what he just lost, a girl who was willing to better herself to fit in with him and his family. A girl who truly loved him.
ReplyDeleteDiaz is successful with his style of storytelling in "Alma". His use of the second person makes you feel as if you personally are involved with the story and makes you see things from a different perspective. The use of vulgar language is meant to capture the readers attention and make the scenes more vivid. This quickens the pace of the story and keeps your attention. The story is meant to portray the loss of something good in our lives due to our own actions.
ReplyDeleteDiaz's style of writing in such a small space is successful because he was able to portray the narrator's feelings clearly and effectively. The use of vulgar language through the story allowed the reader to feel the affection of the narrator towards Alma. His way of showing affection is different than most people, but for the story is worked out because the reader is able to get the message of the story. The use of repetition throughout the story allows the reader to feel the emotions of the narrator. It feels as if the reader is present as the story takes place. The story is about regrets and lying. I don’t believe that he is truly sorry for cheating or hiding things about Alma, but the fact that he lied to her. He claims she is perfect, but when he sates " this is how you lose her" the reader can feel the regret he is feeling. The use of the word you also makes the reader feels as if he is the one in the story. The story comes to life as if the reader was in the situation himself.
ReplyDeleteJunot Diaz's writing style is very inclusive, making the reader feel apart of the glimpses of events in the story. He seemed very deeply involved with Alma, but when it is revealed that he is cheating on her, her importance immediately drops. The ending of the story is abrupt. His response to Alma about his journal being a novel makes the reader rethink the entire story.
ReplyDeleteIn "Alma," Junot Diaz captures the reader by using the second person. "Alma," was effective because Diaz made the story personal leading the reader into the shoes of Alma's boyfriend. The use of repetition and long sentences keeps the reader's attention and accomplishes the dynamic of the relationship. What I liked most was that Diaz used the line "This is how you lose her," to end the story. In my opinion, Diaz couldn't have ended it better. Throughout the story the tone is sort of light, and comical due to the vulgar language, but the bitter last line gives the reader the true feeling of loss and ending of the relationship.
ReplyDeleteJunot Diaz's use of vulgar language in "Alma" adds a casual, humorous tone to which it can be related to. His use of the second person places the reader as the character who lost Alma. When discussing Alma's ass the repetition he uses adds emphasis to how nice it was.
ReplyDeleteJunot Diaz’s Alma was a very successful story, even though their were vulgar parts but these were shown to pin point the true meaning of the situation. He first starts off by stating how Alma is and how perfect she was and what she saw in her. With the language he used about her it shows how you can relate this story to someone else if this something similar like this happened to them as well. He helps the reader visualize the whole setting as one and helps them picture the scenario as if it was happening right before your eyes. What you learn towards the end is how much can you really trust someone. No matter how much he liked alma and no matter how much he thought she was perfect, Why cant he stay faithful to her? There are many things that could have taken place with his side but sometimes in life you just have to realize even the perfect things are stuff you just have to let go of because if u don’t then over time their originality would be lost.
ReplyDeleteJunot Diaz's "Alma" is successful in capturing the reader's attention and being able to understand the situation a lot better. His use of vulgar language really helps us visualize the situation better. The language is humorous and makes us enjoy the situation even though it ends up being a breakup. The way Junot tells us the story makes it seem as though we are also there witnessing it first hand and like we are apart of their journey together. Alma is described as being the perfect woman and incredibly attractive but in the end even he can't remain faithful to her.
ReplyDeletealma was successful. Diaz fit so much detail into a short work that the reader was quickly drawn in and put attention was kept through the entire story. The long sentences help show detail and intensity. The repletion also shows this, he wanted the reader to see/feel what he saw/felt.
ReplyDeleteHis obsession with her ass was just honest. He really wanted us to imagine a girl with a great ass, and i have. Mission accomplished.
"The past couple of weeks, now that the warm is here, Alma has abandoned
black, started wearing these nothing dresses made out of what feels like tissue paper; it wouldn’t take
more than a strong wind to undress her." His descriptive tone helps me imagine a vivacious Latina woman in a flowy, light, summery dress. This story obviously had to do with fidelity but also of lost love. This man had an amazing woman in his grasp but sabotaged himself and lost her. Often times people feel unworthy of the good things they have and loose these things because of their own self-doubts.
In Alma, I would say Junot Diaz’s delivery comprised of very vulgar but effective language and he was successful with this approach. His use of vulgar language made the short story seem realistic due to the fact that mostly everyone today speaks this way in regular conversation. Diaz’s tone made this story pop. His use of repetition gives shows imagery and made the story more interesting. The main point of this story is that although he may love Alma but he can never stay truly faithful to her.
ReplyDeleteJunot Diaz's "Alma" was really effective in relating real life situations so that the reader can get a better feel or understanding of the situations. Junot Diaz's use of vulgar language was something that most writers would not use which only made the story much realer. The way Junot Diaz portrayed Alma was really good and I could actually visualize it. Also the ending of the story was also pretty good because you would think everything is fine until Alma's boyfriend cheats on her. Overall it was a story I would recommend to my friends.
ReplyDeleteThe writing style in alma was rather successful especially in such a short story. The story was successfully portrayed effectively. The choice of words was different and interesting. It made the story seem more realistic and relatable. It made it easier for the reader to feel a connection towards Alma. The reader was able to get the message easily and clearly. The use of repetition in the story lets the reader to get a sense of the emotions the narrator is trying to convey. The reader may seem to think they are actually present in the short story. He regrets and lies to Alma. But from the way he expressed it, it did not seem like he was truly sorry for doing that. Even though Alma is attractive, and so perfect, he cant seem to remain loyal to her and experiences the true sense of loss.
ReplyDeleteThe way that Junot Diaz uses the type of language gives it more meaning. For example, when he uses the vulgar words, it gives it more meaning. He also uses language that people use in their everyday day lives. This makes it very easy to read because it is as if someone is just telling you a story in conversation. I noticed that the punctation wasn't that great. There are a few sentences that he started with a lower case. I thought how the story ended was a bit different. I kind of just ended all of a sudden.
ReplyDeleteDiaz's writing style makes it more appealing for students our age. The type of language he used was pretty spot on, in the situations that were happening in the story. During the story the author talks about how Alma is perfect in every way possible, but then he was taken over by temptation i guess, then the story ends with alma finding out, and at that exact moment he regrets being unfaithful immediately.
ReplyDeletePart of what makes this story so good is the fact that the descriptiveness almost captivates you as soon as you start reading. You feel engrossed in the detail of such a story written in this way and as soon as it starts, you can't stop. Diaz's writing style leads you to be enveloped in an almost dramatic fashion with his stylistic choices of repetition and use of language. It just makes it so interesting that you as a reader feel what's actually happening in the story in the sense that you are almost a part of it.
ReplyDeleteIn his work "Alma”, Junot Diaz was undoubtedly successful in delivering a story so rich in detail and lively in such a condensed amount of space. Much of his success is due in part to the use of vulgarity. In other words, it is the way Diaz uses vulgar language that not only captivates the reader, but also allows Diaz to be blunt and to the point. Furthermore, Diaz’s use of vulgarity was not the only element in which made the reader engrossed in his short story, it was such elements as his use of repetition, and long and energetic sentences that truly brought this short story to life. Diaz’s use of repetition such as the word you, entices the reader into almost believing that they are the one’s whom are involved with Alma, or as my fellow classmate said, Mike DeMarco, “ "Alma" made me feel as if I was the one who was dealing with Alma throughout the story.” Moreover, at the surface, it is easy to say that the short story “Alma” is about break-ups, regrets, lies, or loss as suggested by several of my classmates. However, in my close examination of the story, I conjured a different meaning to this story, that being in our adolescence, we often confuse lust for love and we often only tend to want to love certain parts of people whether real or false, only because we do not truly love that person. For example, in the text it states “ it’s an opposites attract kinda thing, it’s a great sex sort of thing, it’s a no thinking kinda of thing… You brag to your boys about.. The terrible white-girl things she says while you fuck… “ All of which suggests much of their “relationship” or what they thought to be one based on love, in reality is nothing more than a lustful relationship, only centered around sex.
ReplyDeleteAlma enthralls us with her writing especially utilizing the combination of explicative and crude language that eventually rubs onto you and entices you to read on. In my perspective, I find it almost to be a comical satire that a majority of people can relate to, and find laughable yet informative. Instead of the literary prose that authors tend to stick with to describe the details and portrayal of a person which often includes advanced and complex vocabulary-- Alma sticks to words that most readers including myself can digest and understand, and that in itself is deserving of an Emmy Award.
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