Literary elements
Who is the narrator?
Who is Phillip lopate?
A comparison between two unlike things without using “like” or “as” is what device?
What is a metaphor?
"I do not like myself at all, but out of stubborn pride I act like a man who does."
pg 300
What is the tone of the Chapter?
The tone reflects off of the author's attitude towards the subject, aka himself. Self-hating and insecure.
Whats his first name?
Nathaniel
What is the essay primarily about?
Lopate's examination of his own body and identity
Repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive clauses is what device?
What is a anaphora?
"Death Will Come Bearing Your Eyes"
pg 303
If the Writer would not have been a writer what would he have become?
What sport is Nate in?
Rifle
What conflict does the essay explore?
Lopate's struggle with accepting and understanding his physical self
Giving human qualities to something nonhuman is what device?
What is personification?
"Gay men who talk zestfully"
pg 305
How does Lopate's humor affect the reader's perception of him?
It makes him more relatable and percetable to the reader through his imperfections.
Whats Nates favorite dinosuar? (Hint): Nate has a lotta back problems.
Spinosaurus
Why is Sandy Koufax important to Lopate's childhood memories?
Lopate admired Koufax and imagined himself as a baseball player before recognizing that his body was not suited to that ideal
The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
Irony
"Some of my best friends have been - short. Brilliant men, brimming with poetic and worldly ideas."
Page 301
How do others perspective of the narrator alter the way he views himself?
The pressure of knowing how others perceive him pushes him overly compensate for things he thinks he's lacking in, which grows his insecurity about himself and his body.
What's the Nates Major? (Hint): He deals with money.
What larger theme develops from Lopate's physical observations?
The relationship between physical appearance, identity, self perception, and acceptance
An extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or humor.
Hyperbole
"I have tried to toughen myself up, but I still encounter in the glass that haunted uncertainty-shielded by a bluffing shell of cynicism, perhaps, touched by wisdom."
Page 302
Why is Lopate's body more than simply the subject of physical description?
His body becomes a way for him to investigate his personality, memories, insecurities, masculinity, identity, and relationship with other people.
What's Nates guilty pleasure? (Hint): Rolls of sweat.
Listening to jelly Roll in the Sauna.