Active vs. Passive Voice and how they can work together

Yesterday in class we talked in class about using the active voice in our exploratory papers-

In The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger uses 

the Passive voice as a tool

In a few the author John Green's YouTube videos, he explains the effect on the story Salinger created by giving Holden Caulfield a very passive voice.

The example John pulls from the book is in the first chapter-

"The reason I was standing way up on Thompson Hill,instead of down at the game, was because I'd just gotten back from New York with the fencing team" (Salinger 5). 

First of all, what does the passive voice do anyway? It takes the character away from the action or situation they are describing. This is not popular in a lot of fiction writing because of the distance it causes, but Salinger uses it beautifully in his character. (He sculpted his characters and thought of them also as real people, so they come across having real human qualities even through the black and white text on a page)

Next question you have, what was going on at the time Holden said this, and why should we care? He was not simply getting back from New York with the fencing team, they had to go home because they were forced to forfeit the game; Holden, the manager of the team, forgot the equipment on the subway when they got off. Everyone hated him. Because this book is told in a flashback, he had to use the passive voice, create that distance, just to make talking about his mistake bearable. Holden also uses this voice when explaining why he was getting kicked out of boarding school, fo the third time.

But then Holden uses the active voice, and present tense language when talking about his dead brother, Allie.

"He's dead now" (Salinger 43). 

"The dead do not stop being dead" John Green reminds us. There is no way of getting around that, no matter if you use a passive or active voice; nothing can bring them back. And while Holden may not want to feel the pain of making his team have to forfeit the game, he feels Allie's pain and he wants us to know it. Holden didn't even get to go to the funeral because he was in the hospital for punching out the windows in their garage, getting no closure. There is so much sadness in that and you just feel it. 

I use the passive voice a lot in my personal writing. I've been doing it for years, mostly starting when I became depressed in about 6th grade, I had never known about it to notice it, my brain did it on it's own. There was a clear shift in my writing that I find fascinating. I think that is why I like Catcher so much; Holden's dialogue mimics my own and that was and still is calming to me. It's good to know that we are not alone in our thoughts and habits. It makes them seem less harmful and absolutely bearable.

Thanks for reading,

-Kayla Audrey

I Got A New Job!!!

For a year and a half I have worked retail at the Kohl's in Joliet. I have learned a lot, especially in regards to my Marketing major, but there are many things I don't like about the job. About two months ago a friend of mine told me about an opening at this painting place in Plainfield and suggested I give then a call. I called and got an interview a few days later. I was very nervous for the interview because, in creating my portfolio of all my best works, I realized that I do not paint a whole lot, and most of my experience is with oil paints.

In my interview I met the owner, saw their location and met the artist that was leaving because she had just graduated and was starting her professional job. They really liked me and I actually got hired right at the interview! I was so excited!

Now I have been in training and the past two Saturdays have gotten to teach two children's painting classes. At their location they have four different kinds of classes; adult painting classes, wooden board classes, wine glass painting classes, and children painting classes. It's such a fun environment to work in and something that I enjoy doing so much. When I was in high school I helped choreograph my old middle school's swing choir, so I have some experience teaching and have always loved teaching.

If any of you would like to come and paint, all you have to do is sign up online at www.somuchfunpaintandsip.com It is okay if you are not over 21, there are lots of teens and adults that just come to paint and create!

- Kayla Audrey
November 2017

My Favorite Art to Create

As an art student here at Lewis I am in a few different art classes and it is encouraged to try as many mediums as possible. But here is my favorite type of art to create... 

I call them my Room Drawings

This was the first room I drew in 2014

I drew this kitchen/ dinning room scene last Christmas break

I love drawing realistic, very detailed rooms. It's fun and one of my favorite things to do. Sometimes I make the rooms up in my head and draw them. Sometimes I will go somewhere and will find myself in a random room that I just have to draw. I always like places a little cluttered or what I like to call "Lived- in". I am not very good at drawing people (yet?) so I draw the rooms as if everyone has just left. 

I drew this restaurant this past March. 

Room drawings never take long to create. I did the one above in about an hour and a half before my 9 am class last semester. I don't have a specific time of the day I like to draw; 

I draw whenever I am inspired.  

Drawing of a coffee shop on the cruise I went on in 2015.

This was one of my favorite drawing to do on location. When we arrived on the cruise ship I thought the coffee shop was just adorable and knew I had to draw it. During one of our days at sea, while my family was at the pool, I sat in the lounge across from the shop and drew it for a few hours. Other vacationers would stop and ask me about the drawing and to watch me draw. 

My favorite room drawing done in early 2015

While it is not the best drawing I have done, it's my favorite. I love all the details and its "i-Spy" feeling. I enjoy creating art that someone can look at for a long time; something you could come back to a few times and see something different each time. 

Room drawing I did in January 2017

I don't like to draw a room and then color it in; I think that looks like a coloring book and that's not what I am going for. What I have been doing lately on my drawings to add some color is to put a watercolor wash on it and then draw on top of it. 

Let me know what you think :-)
- Kayla Audrey

Bottles:: video project

Bottles video

November 2017
-Kayla