The essay “Lay of the Land” develops the ethnography site as an actual place the reader can experience. Throughout the essay the most prevalent writing technique used was description. As I read I could visualize in my head the way the people and bowling alley looked. Aspects like the descriptions of Hank, the owner of the bowling alley “Hank appears to be the oldest man bowling here tonight. He is tall and thin, with glasses, and is wearing faded blue jeans with a sweater.” and “He speaks to me in a very monotone voice and doesn’t express any emotion or gestures of friendliness.” These descriptions not only tell the reader what the person visually looks like but also the personality and characteristics that make the person who they are. Organization was also a very important aspect to this essay. The way it was told from the beginning of the night to the end creates good flow throughout the essay. It did not jump around at all or have details that did not belong. Overall this essay was excellent for the purpose of explaining the site of the bowling alley.
I definitely agree that description was extremely important in this essay. I could also picture the alley in my head! But I never really thought about how important the order and organization are in the essay. The organization was perfect and everything fit where it should. Great point!
ReplyDeleteI agree that this essay did use a lot of description. All the description used was purposeful and meaningful. It wasn't just there to fill up space in the writing. The organization of the essay was perfect, it flowed very well. I agree the author definitely did not jump around through out the essay. Overall this was a good essay and explains a bowling site very well.
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