My personal favorite was Act Eight, "The Greatest Dog Name In The World", because of it's light-heartedness. It reminded me of a conversation that I would with some of my little cousins at a family gathering. I think the lightness adds to it's familiarity. I'm sure most people can relate two a "sibling rivalry", whether it's their own siblings or a story that they've heard. I liked that at first it seemed that they were totally against each other when it comes to the naming of their dog, but at the end it was comforting to know that they compromised.
It felt much more casual than any other thing that we have read up until this point, which was refreshing. This poem, and others in 20 Acts in 60 Minutes, is spoken between multiple people, which I think is an interesting and unique approach to poetry/expression. In Act Eight specifically, we see the light-hearted, yet conflicting opinions that end with a humorous conclusion. It's pretty fascinating that despite the storyteller, in this case children, we are able to picture and relate to a story. If anything, it adds an element that only a child could provide.
I completely know what you're saying about using humor and lightheartedness in a story, and the way that breeds a sense of familiarity with the reader. It's something that I'm attempting to use in my own story, which I've started fresh on. It does so much to create a sense of inclusion, intimacy, and ability to relate. I think it can also lend to creating a childlike perspective within the reader, if that happens to be the intention. Humor is something almost everyone can be drawn in by, if used effectively. I would probably call what I’m doing with my own story more lighthearted than humorous; a lot of what is effective about it lies in the tone of voice. Hopefully it ends up being impactful!
ReplyDeleteI think that the light-hearted tone of act eight and the idea of a sibling rivalry is very relatable to a lot of people, and the idea of fighting over the naming of a dog is something I can personally relate to. When I was in third grade my sister and I ended up fighting with my sister over the naming of our dog. I think the light-hearted tone of this is quite a nice contrast to the story I listened to of “Don’t I Know You” which was a much darker tone and really set a contrast just a few acts away from this story.
ReplyDeleteI completey agree with what you have said, and I also thought that Act Eight was particularly good. I too really liked that this story, and others, were told by multiple people. I think that gives a different perspective to the narrative that we wouldn't get otherwise. I also think that in this case, it did exactly that- it added lightheartedness and provided a dialogue that many people with siblings could relate to. Although I'm not sure if we're allowed to have multiple people telling our stories, I think that a lot could be done with changing our voice to create the allusion that multiple people do exist in the story, to help bring our stories to life.
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