The article written by Jennifer Senior struck me with the image of the wallet with the remaining valuables of the 9/11 victim. This reminded me of when we discussed photography and its role in telling narratives with Joe Nickerburg and looked at his photos as a Time photographer. Seeing a person’s last items in their wallet is such a strong image that I was hooked even before reading the piece. 

The comparison of not having the final notebook of Bobby’s belongings was incredibly compelling. Having Helen describe it as “was like not having an arm” was highly persuasive, given that it made it seem as though she was trying everything in her power to put Bobby back together bit by bit, and these notebooks were a way of doing so. The sprinkling of quotes throughout the introduction was sparse, making them very effective. This goes back to how we should use quotes sparingly and when appropriate for maximum effect in our writing. I also found the experts and interviews this author conducted incredibly crucial to how she could tell the story- incorporating the psychology professor’s critique on McIlvaine’s psychologist put what the story would get in perspective. 

In the piece on dementia by the New York Times, I thought that the shifts in perspective between the two daughters, Diane’s perspective and then Denzil’s perspective, were very effective at showing the diversity of the story. By sharing the various perspectives, the mind wonders which one is true and who to trust. The article’s progression and structure made for an incredibly engaging story that left you on the edge. Especially when Diane took control of her situation and hired her lawyer to fight against her sisters, the structuring of the article until that point was incredibly effective at building up enough momentum to make that development carry a lot of weight, which was then taken as a complete surprise. The most awful thing about this article was the use of Diane as a pawn between these two relationships. Really, in either capacity, either the fact that Denzil was using Diane or she was being used as a point of control for the sisters, the honest Diane got lost in who she was and no longer had complete autonomy over herself. 

Again, the photos included in this article helped enhance the reading experience. It reinforced the narrative by giving photographic evidence of what was happening and backing up what we were reading. The depiction of pain and speaking on the pain of those traveling reinforced this journey’s challenges and dangers. Continuously wondering when the journey will be finished is a daunting feeling that enhances the senses and includes another feeling: pain/physical bodily harm. 

This article brought forward realities that evoked emotion from the reader; one such example that I felt as though was incredibly compelling was the image of the Cameroonians arriving at the smuggler’s campsite and experiencing horrific violence as a byproduct. By painting this clear image of everyone being content and settled in a room, only to be completely bombarded. That paragraph also had so much hurt going on in such a short time that it put in perspective just how much these individuals have gone through and how much they carry with them.