The First Line in
The first line of any work of literature is important. It sets the tone for the story. It is important in catching the reader's attention. Most importantly, it affects the reader's impression of the characters and the plot. In A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, the first line of each section tells us a great deal about each of the women. As we read on in each story, we learn how it relates to the character. Each sentence is significant for its importance as the first line of the story and because it describes quite well the woman that it introduces. Rayona's section of the book begins, "I sit on the bed at a crooked angle, one foot on the floor, my hip against the tent of Mom's legs, my elbows on the hospital table" (3). This is a metaphor for the position that Rayona is at in her life: awkward, difficult, unsure, yet somehow stable. Rayona sits "at a crooked angle." She does not have the self-confidence to stand up straight, but she is not ashamed of her position. She is unlike her peers in many ways: her race is a unique mixture of American Indian and Negro, her parents are separated but still married, and she assumes the role of caretaker in her home. She is tall and skinny, so she does not seem to fit in anywhere.
As she sits in the hospital with "one foot on the floor," Rayona is in an ambiguous position. Part of her wants to be loyal to her mother, while part of her wants to blame her for the countless instances of heartache and abandonment that she suffered. Part of Rayona loves her father and wants desperately to be a part of his life: "I wait for him to compliment [me]" (6). However, another part of her resents him and does not want to continue being hurt by him. "I don't know what she sees in him" (6), Rayona says of her mother. Unsure of where to go and where her loyalties should belong, Rayona remains precariously positioned, with only one foot on the floor, and the other in the air, ready to leap or run away if necessary. The second section of this book, which tells Christine's story, begins, "Mysteries were the least of my problems" (141). Immediately we are aware that Christine has had a tumultuous life, with many problems and disappointments. As we read the next few chapters, we learn of Christine's many trials in life, including the death of her beloved brother Lee, abandonment by her husband, and a wild lifestyle that leads to a terminal illness. Indeed, the mysteries of the Gospel were trivial in comparison to Christine's other problems. Rayona lets part of her body rest "against the tent
Some common words found in the essay are:
Lastly Rayona, Indian Negro, Blue Water, , foot floor, crooked angle, tent mom's legs, tells christine's, elbows hospital table, hospital table, section book, tent mom's, elbows hospital, mom's legs, rayona sits, rayona loves,
Approximate Word count = 884
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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