The First Line in
The first line of any work of literature is important. It sets the tone for the story. It is important in catching the reader's attention. Most importantly, it affects the reader's impression of the characters and the plot. In A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, the first line of each section tells us a great deal about each of the women. As we read on in each story, we learn how it relates to the character. Each sentence is significant for its importance as the first line of the story and because it describes quite well the woman that it introduces. Rayona's section of the book begins, "I sit on the bed at a crooked angle, one foot on the floor, my hip against the tent of Mom's legs, my elbows on the hospital table" (3). This is a metaphor for the position that Rayona is at in her life: awkward, difficult, unsure, yet somehow stable. Rayona sits "at a crooked angle." She does not have the self-confidence to stand up straight, but she is not ashamed of her position. She is unlike her peers in many ways: her race is a unique mixture of American Indian and Negro, her parents are separated but still married, and she assumes the role of caretaker in her home. She is tall and skinny, so she does not seem to fit in anywhere.
If we look closely, we see that each of the first sentences has more than just the literal meaning. She then had much bigger problems to deal with, and the question of why her faith was lost was no longer a problem. She did not have a chance to discover herself and how she would live her life. " She has great inner strength to be able to balance in such an uncertain position, but she still needs some sort of support. As a teenager, she was expected to assume the role of a mother. As we read the next few chapters, we learn of Christine's many trials in life, including the death of her beloved brother Lee, abandonment by her husband, and a wild lifestyle that leads to a terminal illness. "I don't know what she sees in him" (6), Rayona says of her mother. Unsure of where to go and where her loyalties should belong, Rayona remains precariously positioned, with only one foot on the floor, and the other in the air, ready to leap or run away if necessary. However, another part of her resents him and does not want to continue being hurt by him. Ida's challenges were thrown into her lap when she was least expecting them. Part of her wants to be loyal to her mother, while part of her wants to blame her for the countless instances of heartache and abandonment that she suffered. She buried her son after his untimely death. Lastly, Rayona leans her "elbows on the hospital table. Without her faith, Christine had nothing to give her strength, and she became involved in activities and habits that only brought her pain. " In spite of the disappointments that Christine has brought, Rayona loves her mother deeply.
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Acceptance Essays
