7/18/2019 Week 2 - Paret

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  Blackburn

B. Kyle Blackburn

Mrs. Carpenter 

AP English Lit.

15 February 201

!he P"#erless Punch "$ Paret

As #ith %any be$"re hi%& Paret's $ight t" the (eath is a %"nu%ental struggle $"r

an a()antage. !he challenges $ace( by Paret& illustrate( thr"ugh synta* an( i%agery by

 +"r%an Mailer& gi)e the rea(er a ,b"l(- sha%eless insight int" the true p"#er "$ an

"pp"nent's attack.

!he synta* #ithin Paret/ illustrates a chance c"%binati"n "$ sh"rt an( l"ng

 phrases. !hr"ugh"ut the article& Mailer alters the pacing by (i)ersi$ying sentence

structures. hile a secti"n (escribing the $ight %ay be c"%prise( "$ sh"rter sentences&

,si%ilar t" the abs an( punches in a b"*ing %atch-& the (escripti"n "$ Paret's (eath

e%pl"ys l"nger sentences& si%ilar t" the $eeling "$ ti%e passing sl"#ly near (eath. !hese

c"ntrasting sentence lengths create an engaging syste% "$ pacing #ithin the article. !he

rea(er& ha)ing been gi)en this alternating pattern& is all but $"rce( t" sl"# ("#n an(

spee( up as necessary& creating a b"n( bet#een the e)ents an( the rea(er that n" #"r(s

can e*press.

%agery #ithin the article is as calculate( as 3ri$$ith's attack. !he article begins

#ith a (escripti"n "$ Paret an( the attack an( (e$ense patterns Paret uses #ith an al%"st

c"l( "becti)ity. !he "urnalistic nature "$ the article c"ntinues until the thir( paragraph&

#here a clear shi$t "ccurs. Fr"% then "n& the rea(er is gi)en a )ie# insi(e the (elicate

e%"ti"ns "$ a rep"rter.

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7/18/2019 Week 2 - Paret

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  Blackburn

 4escripti)e #"r(s (ri)e the re%ain(er "$ the article& (e)el"ping in t" #hat

 bec"%es a tearerking reacti"n $"r b"th rea(er an( #riter at Paret's (eath. !he article

(e)el"ps a gr"#ing sense "$ (rea( #ithin the rea(er& as 3ri$$ith traps Paret in the t#el$th

r"un(. !he e$$ect is $urthere( by the $act that Mailer a((s his pers"nal e%"ti"ns t" the

at%"sphere& saying& 6an( like e)ery"ne else& #as hypn"ti7e(./ !his pers"nal

"utp"uring "$ subecti)e e%"ti"ns is the $irst "$ %any in the article. !he last line "$ the

article& #ith its i%agery "$ 6a hea)y a* in the (istance ch"pping int" a #et l"g&/ is the

$inal p"int "$ e%"ti"n& #here b"th rea(er an( #riter are le$t #ith an aural i%age "$

Paret's $inal %"%ents.

n su%%ati"n& the rea(er "$ Paret/ $inishes the article #ith an e%"ti"nal

c"nnecti"n t" e)ents that ha)e taken place s" l"ng ag". Mailer uses objectivity, but he

uses it to create a subjective response. !hanks t" the (yna%ic synta* an( i%agery "$

Mailer& an e)ent that #"ul( n"r%ally be $"rg"tten #ill be re%e%bere( as l"ng as their

#"r(s are rea(.

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