Analyzing authors’ structural choices
you have been analyzing how authors use certain structures to shape or form their writing. these structures include word choices, sentence structure, and paragraph structure, as well as the placement of sentences and paragraphs in relation to each other and the narrative as a whole. the emphasis here is on how the story is written, that is, how these structures add style and meaning to the story. in this activity, you will read the opening paragraphs of two jack london stories and then analyze their structures. you will use your answers to guiding questions to you write a brief essay comparing and contrasting the two passages.
directions:
1. read the excerpts from “that spot” and “the story of keesh” closely. pay close attention to the structure within each paragraph, including word choices, sentence structure, and paragraph structure. note how these affect each paragraph’s style and meaning.
2. review the questions in part 1, which appear after the excerpts. keep these in mind as you read so that you can look for evidence that will you answer the questions. you can you can underline, circle, or use a highlighter to mark the text. for example, underline important words or highlight useful phrases and sentences.
3. answer the questions in part 1.
4. use your answers from part 1 to write two to three paragraphs comparing and contrasting the structures of “that spot” and “the story of keesh.”
“that spot” by jack london
i don't think much of stephen mackaye any more, though i used to swear by him. i know that in those days i loved him more than my own brother. if ever i meet stephen mackaye again, i shall not be responsible for my actions. it passes beyond me that a man with whom i shared food and blanket, and with whom i mushed over the chilcoot trail, should turn out the way he did. i always sized steve up as a square man, a kindly comrade, without an iota of anything vindictive or malicious in his nature. i shall never trust my judgment in men again. why, i nursed that man through typhoid fever; we starved together on the headwaters of the stewart; and he saved my life on the little salmon. and now, after the years we were together, all i can say of stephen mackaye is that he is the meanest man i ever knew.
“the story of keesh” by jack london
keesh lived long ago on the rim of the polar sea. he was head man of his village through many and prosperous years. he died full of honors with his name on the lips of men. so long ago did he live that only the old men remember his name, his name and the tale, which they got from the old men before them, and which the old men to come will tell to their children and their children’s children down to the end of time. and the winter darkness, when the north gales make their long sweep across the ice-pack, and the air is filled with flying white, and no man may venture forth, is the chosen time for the telling of how keesh, from the poorest igloo in the village, rose to power and place over them all.

part 1
1. in “the story of keesh,” what words and phrases has the author used to create a sense of setting? how does the sense of setting created in “that spot” differ?
2. what is the tone of each excerpt? what specific words or phrases has the author used to set the tone?
3. how does the author use contrasting sentences to highlight the problem with steve mackaye?
4. how does the author use contrasting sentences to show why keesh has become a legend?
5. which of the two excerpts informs the reader how the story will end? how is this choice likely to affect the reader?

part 2: writing instructions write two to three paragraphs comparing and contrasting the structures of “that spot” and “the story of keesh.” keep these questions in mind: how have the author’s structural choices affected the style and meaning of the writing? when comparing the two excerpts, how are the effects similar or different?
use information from part 1 to you organize your ideas. include the text evidence you found while reading to support your ideas.
remember to:
• refer to the excerpts by title throughout your writing. • identify specific examples of structural choices.
• compare and contrast the structural choices in the excerpts.
• explain the effects achieved by these structural choices.