Write a 2 page essay on Reading Responses.
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The storm ends and Alcee quickly leaves before Bobinot arrives home, worried that his wife will be upset about her son getting wet and dirty from the storm. She says she is just happy to have her family back at home with her and tells her husband nothing of the encounter with Alcee, and he suspects nothing. That night, Alcee sends his wife, Clarisse a letter saying he misses her, but that she and the children should stay in Alabama for another month and enjoy the summer. Clarisse receives the letter and is happy for her husband’s permission to stay in Alabama, where she is enjoying a freedom she hasn’t felt since her days as a single woman. The first thing I noticed was the way the dialog was written. It wasn’t proper English, but instead written so the reader hears the way the characters sound when reading it. For example, when Bobinot tells his son that his mother is home alone during the storm, the sentence is written, “No. she ent got Sylvie. Sylvie was helpin’ her yistiday” (129) as opposed to proper English of “No, she doesn’t have Sylvie. Sylvie was helping her yesterday.” Because of this, I can easily hear what the characters sound like. I think that adds a lot to the story and helps us understand where the story takes place – Louisiana.
