This is the course blog for ICS24/ELIT24, Asian American Literature, at De Anza College
Monday, January 30, 2012
Style in The Latehomecomer and "Toll House Cookies."
What are the differences between the author's writing style in Yang's The Latehomecomer and Nugyen's "Toll House Cookies". How do the different styles contribute to the message of the story and the impact it has on the reader. - Emily
In Yang's The Latehomecomer,there is a more serious and realistic tone because it is a memoir dedicated to her family. Nguyen's has a more sarcastic tone and is much more playful. However, in the end both have very similar messages in the life for Asian Americans adjusting to American culture. While I feel Yang targets more serious and elder audiences Nguyen's "Stealing Budha's Dinner" targets younger audiences. I personally connected to and related more to Nguyen's just because of all the allusions to American culture she makes and playfulness with words and tone. However, Yang's, none the less, has its moments of inspiration and very touching moments. Over all, both pieces of literature broadened my understanding of what it was and is like for Asian Americans to adjust/assimilate to a strange and new culture in two very different and distinct ways.
In Yang's, "The Latehomecomer", the story was really serious and inspiring. She talked about being more family oriented, the roots of her people, and being proud of the Hmong culture. Nguyen's story was a little bit more humorous and sarcastic. I feel that Nguyen's story was for a younger audience while Yang's was for a more mature audience. However, I think both of the stories had the same point about Asian-American culture.
The tone of "The Latehomecomer," by Yang comes off as a more genuinely somber tone in the way she is telling her story straightforwardly and getting straight to the point. Nguyen's style of writing in "Toll House Cookies" is more comical to read. She displays a sense of humor and the true being of oneself of being an Asian-American company in an all-American household. Though their styles of writing differed, the themes and motifs behind the words brought out the same meaning. They both displayed the significance of being growing up as Asian-American in the states.
The style found in Yang's "The Latehomecomer" and Nguyen's "Toll House Cookies" are both different ends of the spectrum in terms of tone. While Yang's piece is very serious and Nguyen's work is less tense and had a playful tone. These differences in tone addresses to the reader the point each writer is trying to get across. The tone set ups the mood that will match up with the theme of each story.
Yang's story is more realistic than the other. Nguyen's story seems less realistic. For example, Yang wrote about what she experienced real things. Nguyen's story was such as humor.
The style of both stories are very different from one another. In the Latehomecomer, Yangs style is a bit more serious due to there early struggles as a refugee. On the other hand, Toll House Cookies, Nguyen has a bit more of a relax and humorous style. Overall both stories are similar due to the fact that there message was the same. And that is, whats it like to be an Asian American in the U.S.
Both stories were in relation to the Asian American Literature. As the students above stated, "The Latehomecommer" has a serious tone regarding Yangs story and the hmong memoir. As in "Toll House Cookies" it seemed like Nguyen's story was more humorous than serious. Both authors spoke about fitting into new areas.
Both authors experience, discuss and describe their surroundings and situations in different ways. Whereas Yang uses a very formal and academic/scholarly tone, Nguyen uses a very casual and simple one. Yang focuses on her triumph and achievement in becoming a well educated person as her family wanted her to be and her pride/connection to her culture. Nguyen however focuses on her life in America over the years as she assimilated and became Americanized eventually forgetting her language and some of her culture as well. Both authors focus on culture and family but in different ways than the other.
Both authors write about their experiences in different tones. Yang in "The Latehomecomer" tells her story in a somber tone. She goes into great detail so it makes the story very believable and real. Nguyen's style is almost the exact opposite. She tells her story in a casual and comedic tone. She jokes about her stories growing up. These two stories have different styles of writing, but they both talk about their experiences growing up in America.
In Yang's "The Latehomecomer", she tells the story in a very serious and almost depressing tone. Because of this, it makes the story very realistic and almost like a history of a specific person. In Nguyen's "Stealing Buddha's Dinner", it is in a very casual tone. It makes it feel like she is just telling us her funny stories growing up. Although both are focused on family and culture, they are presented in different ways.
I felt that Yang's tone was much more serious and conservative. Which is also what I sensed is her personality from the youtube video we watched of her. Ngyen's style was much more casual. She had a more playful tone in her writing and.
Yang's writing style in "The Latehomecomer" seems very serious and filled with a lot of emotion. The Youtube video with Yang being interviewed about her book reinforces the statement that Yang was serious and emotional in writing her book as she speaks in a monotonal, depressing tone and at one point, almost breaks into tears. On the other hand, Nguyen's writing style in "Stealing Buddha's Dinner" was much more casual as it contained comedy from her childhood experiences. However, the two emphasize the importance of family and culture. It's just the way the two writers present their content that is different.
In Yang's The Latehomecomer it’s more of a real story tone and upon reading you can just tell exactly what she means and how she means it. As for Nugyen's "Toll House Cookies" I feel more of the opposite where you might have to analyze it carefully due to its comical writing in the story. - Jon Garcia
Yang's The Latehomecomer is definitely more of a seriously toned story. She talks a great deal about her family's struggle with the hardship of war and disaster and eventually how they made it out of said disaster. Toll House Cookies on the other hand was far more humorous and more focused towards a younger generation than Yang's was. This is most likely because Nguyen's story was more focused on the less traumatic aspects of being in a different country and more about how to "live and cherish" ones family.
In Yang's The Latehomecomer,there is a more serious and realistic tone because it is a memoir dedicated to her family. Nguyen's has a more sarcastic tone and is much more playful. However, in the end both have very similar messages in the life for Asian Americans adjusting to American culture. While I feel Yang targets more serious and elder audiences Nguyen's "Stealing Budha's Dinner" targets younger audiences. I personally connected to and related more to Nguyen's just because of all the allusions to American culture she makes and playfulness with words and tone. However, Yang's, none the less, has its moments of inspiration and very touching moments. Over all, both pieces of literature broadened my understanding of what it was and is like for Asian Americans to adjust/assimilate to a strange and new culture in two very different and distinct ways.
ReplyDelete^Comment by Samuel Young
DeleteIn Yang's, "The Latehomecomer", the story was really serious and inspiring. She talked about being more family oriented, the roots of her people, and being proud of the Hmong culture. Nguyen's story was a little bit more humorous and sarcastic. I feel that Nguyen's story was for a younger audience while Yang's was for a more mature audience. However, I think both of the stories had the same point about Asian-American culture.
ReplyDeleteThe tone of "The Latehomecomer," by Yang comes off as a more genuinely somber tone in the way she is telling her story straightforwardly and getting straight to the point. Nguyen's style of writing in "Toll House Cookies" is more comical to read. She displays a sense of humor and the true being of oneself of being an Asian-American company in an all-American household. Though their styles of writing differed, the themes and motifs behind the words brought out the same meaning. They both displayed the significance of being growing up as Asian-American in the states.
ReplyDeleteThe style found in Yang's "The Latehomecomer" and Nguyen's "Toll House Cookies" are both different ends of the spectrum in terms of tone. While Yang's piece is very serious and Nguyen's work is less tense and had a playful tone. These differences in tone addresses to the reader the point each writer is trying to get across. The tone set ups the mood that will match up with the theme of each story.
ReplyDeleteYang's story is more realistic than the other. Nguyen's story seems less realistic.
ReplyDeleteFor example, Yang wrote about what she experienced real things. Nguyen's story was such as humor.
The style of both stories are very different from one another. In the Latehomecomer, Yangs style is a bit more serious due to there early struggles as a refugee. On the other hand, Toll House Cookies, Nguyen has a bit more of a relax and humorous style. Overall both stories are similar due to the fact that there message was the same. And that is, whats it like to be an Asian American in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteBoth stories were in relation to the Asian American Literature. As the students above stated, "The Latehomecommer" has a serious tone regarding Yangs story and the hmong memoir. As in "Toll House Cookies" it seemed like Nguyen's story was more humorous than serious. Both authors spoke about fitting into new areas.
ReplyDeleteBoth authors experience, discuss and describe their surroundings and situations in different ways. Whereas Yang uses a very formal and academic/scholarly tone, Nguyen uses a very casual and simple one. Yang focuses on her triumph and achievement in becoming a well educated person as her family wanted her to be and her pride/connection to her culture. Nguyen however focuses on her life in America over the years as she assimilated and became Americanized eventually forgetting her language and some of her culture as well. Both authors focus on culture and family but in different ways than the other.
ReplyDeleteBoth authors write about their experiences in different tones. Yang in "The Latehomecomer" tells her story in a somber tone. She goes into great detail so it makes the story very believable and real. Nguyen's style is almost the exact opposite. She tells her story in a casual and comedic tone. She jokes about her stories growing up. These two stories have different styles of writing, but they both talk about their experiences growing up in America.
ReplyDeleteIn Yang's "The Latehomecomer", she tells the story in a very serious and almost depressing tone. Because of this, it makes the story very realistic and almost like a history of a specific person. In Nguyen's "Stealing Buddha's Dinner", it is in a very casual tone. It makes it feel like she is just telling us her funny stories growing up. Although both are focused on family and culture, they are presented in different ways.
ReplyDeleteI felt that Yang's tone was much more serious and conservative. Which is also what I sensed is her personality from the youtube video we watched of her. Ngyen's style was much more casual. She had a more playful tone in her writing and.
ReplyDeleteYang's writing style in "The Latehomecomer" seems very serious and filled with a lot of emotion. The Youtube video with Yang being interviewed about her book reinforces the statement that Yang was serious and emotional in writing her book as she speaks in a monotonal, depressing tone and at one point, almost breaks into tears. On the other hand, Nguyen's writing style in "Stealing Buddha's Dinner" was much more casual as it contained comedy from her childhood experiences. However, the two emphasize the importance of family and culture. It's just the way the two writers present their content that is different.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn Yang's The Latehomecomer it’s more of a real story tone and upon reading you can just tell exactly what she means and how she means it. As for Nugyen's "Toll House Cookies" I feel more of the opposite where you might have to analyze it carefully due to its comical writing in the story. - Jon Garcia
ReplyDeleteYang's The Latehomecomer is definitely more of a seriously toned story. She talks a great deal about her family's struggle with the hardship of war and disaster and eventually how they made it out of said disaster. Toll House Cookies on the other hand was far more humorous and more focused towards a younger generation than Yang's was. This is most likely because Nguyen's story was more focused on the less traumatic aspects of being in a different country and more about how to "live and cherish" ones family.
ReplyDelete