Blog Post #3 (Close Reading Prompt)

In The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, one quote that really stood out to me was, “I loved the newsroom’s purposeful atmosphere.  Teletype machines clattered against the wall as spools of paper carrying news from around the world piled up on the floor.  Banks of fluorescent lights hang down eighteen inches above the slanted, glass-topped desks where men wearing green eyeshades conferred over stacks of copy and photographs.”  These descriptive phrases really bring the newsroom to life, such as “purposeful atmosphere” and “glass-topped desks.”  When Walls uses all of these, it helps the reader truly see through her eyes.  Entering the newsroom and joining the newspaper is an extremely important moment for the author because she finally feels like she fits in and has a purpose.  These strong feelings are definitely shown in her writing.  For example, she describes the atmosphere as “purposeful” and also talks about the stories from “around the world.”  I believe that she used those certain descriptions to show the awe she felt towards the newspaper.  I think the amount of descriptive words she uses is another reason this quote sticks out.  She could just as easily have said the newsroom had glass desks, lights, and people in it but instead she described every aspect of the new place, such as “men wearing green eyeshades” and fluorescent lights hang down eighteen inches above...”  Using thorough imagery is great for numerous reasons, one being it helps the reader visualize and become more involved.  It also makes the story more interesting to read, as opposed to just listing things.  When I write my own memoir, I’m definitely going to use a large amount of descriptions because one, they are essential to the story, and two, I love writing them.  I thoroughly enjoy picking out certain adjectives and describing things, especially people.