How Writers Read
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Walmart
Walmart is a significant shopping store in our family. Notably, the store is famous for the value it provides to its customers and the savings that the buyers make compared to the other stores. Indeed, the shelves at Walmart are full of groceries ranging from cooking vegetables, meat, and dairy products. The smell of new products is evident as the customers walk into the store. However, the store is significant to the family for other reasons. My grandparents were among the first workers at Walmart when it first opened its doors in 1962. As they would tell me, the store was not as advanced as it is today. However, the store has retained some of the original corporate cultures that the founder envisioned during the incorporation. Currently, several members of my family serve in different capacities at the store. Moreover, the store has enabled us to launch our careers in different fields since many of us took internships and temporary jobs at Walmart. Notably, a recommendation by Walmart provides an advantage over other people in the job market.
How Writers Read
Subject and Aspects of Subjects
The main subject of the essay is the role that places that offer social interaction play in the development of the community. Scholars argue that writers are better readers; thus they can focus on specific aspects of the subject (Cruz, 2019). One of the main aspects that the writer focuses on is the human emotions that the vast pool elicited among the locals. Besides, the pool elicited romantic relationships among the people. Remarkably, Dreamland was a crucial destination for people engaging in leisure. Nonetheless, people engage in leisure activities to elicit emotions of joy and contentment (Johnson-Laird & Oatkey, 2008). The other aspect that the author focuses on is the desolation that invaded Portsmouth after Dreamland stopped accepting certain people of the community. When the owners segregated against the black community, the community members rallied to ensure that the place was open to anyone regardless of color or class.
Dominant Impression and Sensory Details
One of the sensory details that the writer uses in the text is the sense of smell. Notably, the writer says that the dominant smell around Dreamland was the chlorine in the poll. However, there were other smells that the person noticed, including those of Coppertone and french-fries. The other sensory detail that the writer uses was that of sight. The writer describes the visual perspectives of the pool and the areas surrounding the pool. For instance, the pool contained three sectors, namely the shallow end, the middle section, and the deep end. Furthermore, the pool was almost the size of a football field and had crystal-blue water. Grass lawns surrounded the pool, and the management provided flatbeds for the people to sleep on when they got out of the pool. The pool-goers also witnessed new romances as the young couples showed off their romantic partners by holding their hands while walking around the pool. Remarkably, many of the young couples danced the night away at the pool. Indeed, many young couples engaged in sexual acts on the grass surrounding the pool.
The other sensory detail is that of sound. Dreamland was full of life. Many parents felt safe when they left their children at the pool during the day and picked them after work in the evening. Therefore, the pool and its surroundings were full of children’s noises and people diving in and out of the pool. For instance, the writer talks of a young woman who jumps into the pool, and when she comes out, she yells the word ‘Again’ due to the joy that she feels. What’s more, the writer uses the sensory details of touch to describe the weather at Dreamland. Indeed, Dreamland had a humid atmosphere that was ideal for root beers and hot dogs.
The dominant impression of the author’s work leaves the readers in awe. The role of Dreamland in the community of Portsmouth was huge. At a time when the rest of the country was battling segregation and classism, Dreamland seems to abolish social status and racial distinction within the community. It was so important that the community voted to make it public again when the owners decided to make it a country club and allow selected individuals only. Besides, the pool played a crucial role in the formation of relationships in the community. The writer says that the young couples announced their unions on the pool. Notably, Dreamland was not only a source of joy but also a promise of the continuity of the community. Besides, the dominant effect also portrays Dreamland as a multi-generation resort place. The writer says that the three sections of the pool represented the different stages of growth. When the children were young, they would play in the shallow end while their mothers looked after them. As they got older, they would migrate to the middle section and would end up in the deep end during their adult years. However, they would return to the shallow end of the pool when they had children and needed to train them how to swim.
Desired Effect
The desired effect that the writer is trying to make is nostalgia. Notably, the writer reminisces of the past. Currently, Portsmouth is full of abandoned buildings that show of a colorful past but a bleak future. The pool is almost a ghost town except the random visits by former citizens of the town who come to reminisce on the old times.
Vantage Point
The vantage point of the writer stems from the vast knowledge that the author has on Dreamland. The author relays the nostalgia from the mind onto the paper. Hansen states that when writers are reading, they are evaluating perspectives on the literary works (2001). The author, therefore, allows the readers to analyze their emotions on the lost dream of Portsmouth.
Thesis
Dreamland was more than a pool, and it was the focal point of the entire community and the glue that held the different generations of Portsmouth together; nevertheless, the once dependable place could not survive the changing world and has now become a source of nostalgic memories.
Intended Audience and Purpose
The purpose of the story is to show that the continuity of the community depends on the members’ ability to disband social and racial distinctions and partake in happiness. Dreamland abolished any form of social distinction and allowed the people to mingle and enjoy their lives. The primary audience for the article includes the stakeholders in government who make the decisions for Portsmouth. The writer attempts to show them how beautiful life was when Portsmouth was a dream in its own right. Besides, the primary audience also includes the current residents of Portsmouth who need to bring the dream back to reality.
References
Cruz, M. C. (2019). Writers Read Better: Narrative: 50+ Paired Lessons that Turn Writing Craft Work Into Powerful Genre Reading. Corwin.