"When writers write from a place of insight and real caring about the truth, they have the ability to throw the lights on for the reader." (Anne Lamott)
             When a reader can see a situation in a distinct and realistic way that appeals to his emotion, he knows that the writer has written with great insight. With experience, writers can express the deeper meaning of a time or situation. In A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, Michael Dorris exhibits this technique when he writes about Christine leaving Rayona at Ida's house. The 1920's is viewed as a prosperous and glamorous time period, but F. Scott Fitzgerald tells us otherwise. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald unveils the reality of peoples' lives in the 1920's by telling the story of Jay Gatsby.
             In A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, Christine is ill, and she leaves Rayona at Ida's house. Dorris is able to "throw the lights on for the reader", because the reader views this situation through two perspectives. Rayona thought that Christine was being selfish for leaving her with Ida. She felt that her mother was not looking out for her, and neglecting her. However, when one views the circumstances through Christine's eyes, the reader discovers that Christine left because she did not want Rayona to see what she was going through. Christine also did not want Rayona to feel bad for her. Michael Dorris tells the story through two different perspectives, so the reader can sense the reality and truth of what each character is feeling inside.
             In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald does not portray the 1920's as a time of wealth, happiness, and excess like it is believed to be. Fitzgerald uses the character, Jay Gatsby, to show the reader that this time period was not all about happiness and joy. Gatsby is a man who did not know what real love was. He had the fancy cars, and the beautiful house, but he did not have Daisy. Fitzgerald...