Comparison Between Allen Say And His Grandfather example essay topic

Grandfather's Journey Essay A man coming from the homeland of Yokohama, Japan, Allen Say, the author and illustrator of Grandfather's Journey, has an historical backround that is reflected and described through this novel. "I wanted to talk about my own experiences in this country", says Allen. Say pursued the artist career by drawing and painting using his father as an influential authority. He then came to the United State with his father, at the age of sixteen, after living on his own for four years, to further his career. Say portrays his feelings towards his homeland and new country through his grandfather by showing illustrations and describing experiences of his life throughout the novel. In this biographical account, Allen Say tells about his own grandfather in Grandfather's Journey by explaining the positive outcomes in exploring other lands.

Say begins the story by talking in first person and summing up the experiences of his grandfather. Starting from when his grandfather was a young man, Say traces his grandfather's steps from the time he leaves Japan to his landing in the United States. He shows how his grandfather grows up and becomes well-rounded through his experiences with moving from country to country and seeing different lands. The story opens with grandfather exploring the Pacific Ocean and arriving in North America.

He discovers deserts, farmlands, cities, mountains and villages. Say's illustrations in this novel go along with his story accurately; In describing his creative, artistic side, he says that his illustrations are "limpid". The setting of this novel is changed by the turn of a page. Grandfather travels from Japan to the United States back and forth many times but after each travel Say portrays how his grandfather changes emotionally and grows throughout his whereabouts. Interpreting the life of his grandfather, Say explains how "the text is arranged in a sequential order so that it is telling a family's story of discovery", in an interview in 1993. The story unravels the growth of grandfather's family and the learning experiences throughout his life.

Say uses several descriptive words to help show the flow of inspirations throughout his grandfather's life. "The immigrant experience has rarely been so poignantly evoked as it is in this direct, lyrical narrative that is able to stir emotions through the sheer simplicity of its telling", says Horn Book, Starred on Says' novel. Allen says in his novel that he is homesick in one country when he's not in the other. The comparison between his grandfather and himself is in this statement simply because his grandfather, traveling back and forth between California, United States to their homeland in Japan, had the same feelings towards being homesick. Not only is there a comparison between Allen Say and his grandfather but there is a deep comparison between the two cultures viewed in this novel. Those in which create the storyline for the entire novel.

Referring back to his grandfather's life journeys and travels, Allen Say writes an influential story telling an informational biography of his life and the life of his grandfather just a couple generations back. The comparison in this story helps others realize a comparison in their own family or in their own culture. The expedition through the two countries described in this book truly make you want to explore and learn more about them, which is Say's purpose for writing this work of fiction. Say, Allen. "Allen Say: about the author". Education Place. copyright@ 1997.

Houghton Mifflin Company. 12 April 2003. Say, Allen. "Houghton Mifflin Trade and Reference Online Catalog". Houghton Mifflin Trade and Reference Division. copyright@ 2003.13 April 2003.

Say, Allen. Grandfather's Journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. Vanish, Theresa A... Allen Say: Author / Illustrator. copyright @ 1993.12 April 2003.