Share your literary essay with the rest of the students that chose this short story. Take some time to read 2 or 3 other essays. Comment on them. Your comment should be about something you noticed them doing well from our lessons. For example, "You did a really good job explaining your evidence
“Up the Slide” is a story by Jack London that takes place in the Yukon where two guys are trying to survive. The setting is unique because the temperature is always below zero and there is at least 5 feet of snow. Then Clay goes to get firewood but something that can be fatal happens.
ReplyDeleteJack London uses imagery when Clay was falling down the side of the mountain like when he said “ He clawed desperately with his hands, but there was too little to cling onto.” When Clay fell onto the ground he sat there for about ten minutes before he got the strength to try it again but this time take it slower. Or like when Clay was zigzagging across the slope just to get to the top. Then, when Clay finally made it back up to the top he saw so many trees for him to cut down he would make so much money. The cut wood would sell for $40 a cord.
The setting of this story kind of sets the theme up right then and there because in the Yukon it’s not easy to survive. You need heat, food, water, and shelter. Not only is it hard enough to survive there it can be 30 below zero and colder. Then, there are also wolves and grizzly bears that will eat them if they aren't careful. So let's just say that the Yukon isn’t a very good place if you aren’t a survivalist.
In this story there aren't many character interactions but some of the character actions are pretty good. Like, when Clay says that he will be back in a half of an hour with firewood and Swanson said “Yeah right.” So, Clay got very greedy when he got one tree and saw so many more he wanted to get them all so he went back up but ended up falling back down the mountain. It could be said that Clay could be cocky because he was getting very greedy. But, it is a good point, it fails to account for when Clay is falling or trying to get back up the mountain. Or when they are finally back and selling the would.
Another sign of imagery is when Clay finally makes it to the ground like when “ he was afraid to attempt it again and shaking as if he was sick and thought he was going to pass out.”
At the end of the story they finally get the wood and go sell it for $40 a cord of wood. The theme is the struggle in the Yukon because it’s not easy to survive. They showed this when Clay was falling down the side of the cliff. Then, he got the courage to try to climb back up.
Clay Dilham whent to get firewood before dinner however he thought he could get dry firewood under 30 min. His friend said it'll take longer than that but Clay did not believe him.
ReplyDeleteClay went up the mountain to get wood however it was very hard to get the dry wood because there was a lot of ice and snow. Clay felt the weather get to him meaning that it was getting very cold. He still went and searched for the perfect tree to get dry wood. When he found the tree it was exhausted, very perished or tired. However there was a challenge he needed to find a way to get to the tree. He got to the tree and went to work.
He got the wood now he needs to find a way to get back to the tent. He noticed that the trip down is going to be very dangerous even more dangerous than going up. He knew it was almost impossible to go down without breaking something. If he worked harder for example if he had the right mindset he could go down there safely and if he planned it out he might have had a chance of going down without breaking anything.
He was also feeling very tired and hungry if he ate dinner before going to get dry wood he wouldn't have felt so tired. So he went down hill and he went down very fast when he landed he could not feel his body and he had a big bruise in his back because he hit his back with the ax. When he started to notice his surroundings he was very happy because he found lots of dry wood!
He found his way back home and his friend had a hearty laugh. He realized that he should have listened to his friend. Now this is a lesson he learned and everyone else should too!
In this story up the slide Clay gets too cocky and goes out to get firewood and falls off his dog sled and off of a cliff and hurts himself. If you get too cocky you can put yourself in danger. I believe that this is the theme because Clay brags that he will be back in 30 minutes when in reality it takes 45 - 60 minutes and he ends up hurting himself falling off of a cliff.
ReplyDeleteOne example of figurative language I found was personification. In this instance It was “He was the nucleus of the avalanche.” This gives non-living organisms characteristics like a human. This explains my theme because being in the midst of an avalanche is dangerous is it not. He got there by being cocky and saying that his trip wouldn’t take long at all.
I also found some imagery in the section of text. Most of the story has imagery, I can just picture Clay on the mountain on his dog sled slipping up and then falling down the cliff. One specific part I would say is “Each step became more difficult and perilous, and he was faint from exertion.” Just let that play like a movie in your head.
The characters in Up the Slide really create the theme, and make it clear. The main character’s name is Clay who is living in Alaska. He has to go get extra firewood and tells his friend Swenson that he’ll be back in 30 minutes. Swenson tells Clay that it will take him way longer and Clay got cocky about it And laughed. Clay decides to chop down the tree on the cliff his dogs pull his sled down the cliff once he chopped down the tree it falls down the cliff . Shortly after he chopped down the tree he slipped off the sled and fell off of the cliff into the snow and ended up getting injured.
Certainly it could be said that karma is the theme this is a good point , but it Fails to take into account that all clay was doing was being over confident. To me karma is saying that’s what you get. In this case he “deserved” to fall off of a cliff for being over confident.
The Plot in up the slide does not have many events. The conflict is when Clay and Swenson run out of firewood. The rising action is when Clay gets cocky about being back in 30 minutes. The climax is when he goes on his Adventure on the dog sled to go up the mountain to chop down the tree. The falling action would be when he slipped off of the dog sled and fell down the mountain into the snow and getting hurt. These are the 4 plot events that happened in Up The Slide.
Now that I have presented my opinion on the theme of up the slide. Do you agree with the theme of if you get too cocky you can put yourself in danger.