How to Analyze an Essay
1. Given the content of the essay why is the title “April Fools on Polar Circus”
appropriate?
I believe the essay is called “April Fools on Polar Circus,”as it correlates to the date and
activ
...
How to Analyze an Essay
1. Given the content of the essay why is the title “April Fools on Polar Circus”
appropriate?
I believe the essay is called “April Fools on Polar Circus,”as it correlates to the date and
activity that occurred on April 1, 1988. Therefore the titles are appropriate for the article
being presented as it is a play on words for what the text explains. The writer connects
the text back to the title. The Polar Circus refers to the connection towards the two
women who completed an ice climb on Cirrus Mountain of the Canadian Rockies.
When approaching a frightening adventure like this, especially during the time of year,
she may be perceived as foolish for undergoing a task so challenging.
2. Roddan that “the tango with fear makes me wise.” Does it, in your opinion? Provide
phrases that illustrate “the tango with fear.” What evidence is there that it makes the
climber “wise”?
I agree with Roddan's statement about the tango of fear, making her wiser as new
adventures can seem terrifying at first, but after time the nerves can fade away.
Therefore I believe that she is implying that dancing helps her manage her fear and, as a
result, makes her feel wiser and stronger. Going on adventures that scare you and make
you feel nervous can help grow your strength as you will grow and learn to overcome
any nerves you may have, which will have you feeling fearless. Feeling fearless is a skill
that you can have that will be convenient at many times in your life. Roddan states, "I
learn the language; I articulate the right series of moves, body positions, ice axe and
crampon placements to dance with a frozen tongue of ice." Roddan explains that her
encounter with fear has made her grow stronger as a person as she continues to learn
and face her fears. As she explains that she has learnt the language of fear she
expresses her problem solving skills as she continues to work past her fears. "The
rhythm has been broken. I force myself to breathe, to generate my own flow, to create
How-to-Analyze-an-Essay-April-Fools-on-Polar-Circuspdf/Di Febo 2
my own beat." Here Roddan explains that everyone can have a different journey with
fear but no ones is similar. Therefore we can interoperate that Roddan must find her
own beat to the dance and use that as she journeys through her fear. When there were
times that she was at her lowest point and couldn't find the courage to continue, she
found the wisdom to help her reach further. "The great Goddess" symbolizes the peak
of the mountain that she achieves when she feels she has to end her dance. I find these
quotes to be compelling as she has found herself throughout this journey and accepts
the challenge she is being faced with and, as a result, chooses to express her fear
through the tango. She learns more and more and even though there are times she feels
she can't continue any further, she powers through. Therefore these encounters with
fear make her wiser to achieve what she wants even if she feels she can't.
3. Roddan uses two sets of linked images to tell her story: dance imagery and wedding
imagery. Outline the development of these ideas by listing the sentences and phrases
that Roddan uses for each image.
The imagery in the text connects dance and wedding imagery as a way to express her
story. When she uses dance imagery, she reflects on the way fear made her feel and
therefore explains it as a dance with fear. This aspect can be visually represented for
readers as they see each new obstacle she faces enhances her dance and sometimes
push her to her limits to make her feel as though she wants to end her dance. She then
gathers the courage to continue and face her most significant obstacles. She grows
wiser and stronger with each new step; she learns greater knowledge on how to keep
going. The story uses personification as it describes the dance as a tango, which is
considered one of the hardest dances to master. I can see why they used the tango to
express her encounter with fear as performing the tango is most challenging to perform,
but once mastered, it can become quite simple. "The intensity is replaced with warm,
smooth, flowing beats. The rhythm takes hold, and the dance begins again." Roddans
Unit-3-Activity-1-How-to-Analyze-an-Essay-April-Fools-on-Polar-Circuspdf/Di Febo 3
explains that she finds her rhythm to the dance which helps her to further her dance
through fear. Along with dance imagery, she also expresser her story through wedding
imagery. For many a wedding can contain lots of stress as you want the event to be
perfect. But the connection to this story is much stronger as she expresses her
commitment to the climb, which is an expression used at weddings. A commitment to
stay with your partner through sickness and in health is a contrast to her commitment
to the struggles she may face to overcome her fear. Roddan describes how "Today's
brides approach slowly, touched by the mystery and majesty of the place." As she rises
to the challenge of the "enormous wedding gown" being the ice, she reaches the
ceremony were she has conquered her fear and achieved her goal, which is similar to a
wedding.
4. Although this essay tells a story, it is not an example of short fiction. It is, however, a
narrative essay. What characteristics make it narrative? What characteristics make it
an essay?
This story would be considered a narrative essay; it contains a thesis that is used to
connect the main points of the text back to the initial purpose. Having a strong thesis
that links back to your idea helps to assure readers about the purpose you are giving. In
this essay, the thesis is “the tango with fear makes me wise,” which is expressed in the
final lines of the first paragraph. This thesis explores her fear, which initially makes her
stronger. Janet Roddans also uses lots of descriptive words to prover her main points
and her experience that she faced. Her use of sensory experience when interoperating
her challenges of ice climbing helps to create a picture for readers to follow. She uses
personification, metaphors, similes, imagery, and irony as the style of writing to develop
a compelling image. Along with her style of writing, she uses descriptive paragraphs
that help to support new pieces of evidence in chronological order.
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