Allen Say Allison Emma’s Rug Stranger in the Mirror

9331019 Elle

9331020 Emily

9331033 Jan

Introduction•Why do we choose it?

•What did we do in the report?

•What is the purpose of the report?

About Allen SayAbout Allen Say

Allen Say• Born in Yokohama, Japan, in 1937

• His parents got divorced and he lived unhappily with his grandmother and his sister lived with his mother.

• He later attended military school for a short time.

• His first children’s book as an illustrator was published in 1972.

• Say’s books often deal with the lives of young American Asians and focus on looking for identification, the multicultural experience and respect for the environment.

• Being influenced by the well-known cartoonist,

Noro Shinpei as a youth.

• His father hoped that he would become a successful businessman.

• After years, his work finally brought him contact with art directors and designers.

Allen Say’s WorksAllen Say’s Works

The Bicycle Man1982

How My Parents Learned to Eat

1984

A River Dream1988

The Boy of the Three-Year Nap

1988

The Lost Lake1989

El Chino1990

Tree of Cranes1991

The Ink-Keeper’s Apprentice

1994

Stranger in the Mirror1995

Emma’s Rug1996

Under the Cherry Blossom Tree1997

Allison1997

Tea with Milk1999

The Sign Painter2000

Grandfather’s Journey1993

Home of the Brave2002

Music For Alice2004

Allison Allison

By Allen Say

Summary

• Allison is a Japanese girl adopted by American parents. She did not feel strange until she finds that she is not the same with other classmates. She feels lonely and starts to doubt her self-identification. Therefore, she breaks her parents’ favorite things. Finally, she gets a lost cat, and knows her own self-identification. She knows no matter what her face looks like. She is here.

Character

• 1.Allison: She is the main character, the protagonist and also the round character. She doubts her self-identification and feels she is lonely. Finally, she finds out what’s the best way through her own doubts.

• 2.Parents: They are flat characters. Parents do nothing and only stand away from Allison until she gets a cat home.

Analysis of SettingPlot:

Conflict

• (A)  Against Society

• (B)  Against Self

• The conflict is when Allison starts to feel she is different from others around her including her own family. She doubts her self-identification, and doesn't know where she belongs.

Style

• Allen Say uses lots of conversations to narrate this book. It makes us more closed to Allison’s thoughts.

Tone

• Allen Say uses a subtle, sensitive searching of interracial adoption. He also uses the ironic tone to express. Allison’s parents don’t quite know what she really wants, and say nothing even when Allison destroyed their favorite things.

Emma’s Rug Emma’s Rug

By Allen Say

Summary• Someone gave Emma a rug when she was born. Thought the rug

was plain, she loved it very much. She carried it everywhere she went, and only stared at it rather than stepping on it. Then she began to draw and paint. Her paintings were very special that even her classmates or adults would be attracted, and she won many prizes in the art competition. Her parents were very proud, but Emma only worried about what the next thing she should draw by looking at her rug. One morning, her mother found the shaggy rug and put it in the washing machine. Though it was very clean, Emma got mad and did not draw or paint and even say a word for several days. Then she threw all paintings and prizes away. All afternoon she sat in her empty room, and found something different inside her small world. She gave a cry, but then she suddenly understood something when she rushed outside. At last, she began to draw again.

Character • Round Character: Emma

From the beginning of the story that Emma tends to be more like a girl’s personality and thinking, until she has experienced adults’ world. Afterwards, she begins growing up both in her mental and physical condition.

• Flat Character: 1. Parents: nurturing Emma, finding her talent and even giving her talent a chance to glorify. 2. The teacher and classmates at the Kindergarten 3. The Mayor

Setting

• external omniscient narrator’s position • Plot:

Conflict

• The Protagonist Against Society:

1. Emma treats the rug differently with others.

2. Emma’s own desire vs. others’ expectation in drawing.

• The Protagonist Against Self :

Searching for self-identification

Theme

• A child’s changing into a teenager

• A metaphor to show the process of creation in art.

Style

• The using of words is closed to children’s lives.

• Short sentences so that children can read and understand easily.

• Dialogue

Tone • Ironic tone:

1. It is only because of a shaggy rug that gives Emma inspiration.

2. Adults’ ignorance for that they do not truly appreciate the talent. It becomes a tool to get pride, and to win reputation.

• Melancholy tone:

Illustration seems a little dark, and dialogues are usually without responses or interactions. The whole story seems unhappy until the ending.

Stranger in the Mirror

Stranger in the Mirror

By Allen Say

Summary

• Sam does not want to get old, but the next morning he wakes up with an old face. All of his family, friends and teachers are all surprised. Some of them even make fun of him and his sister keeps calling him “grandpa.” Nobody knows him anymore and even his parents think he is somebody else.

Characters

• The main character is Sam.

• He is the protagonist and also the round character.

• There is no difference between “old Sam” and “young Sam.”

• The character is revealed by what the narrator says.

Setting

• It is neither integral setting nor backdrop setting.

• The story happened between family and school.

Plot

Conflict

• The protagonist is against society and self.

Theme

• The social reactions toward age and how we are shaped by the perceptions of others.

Style• 1.The sentences are quite short when Sam’s

parents found him old. • 2.The continuous dialogue while Sam was in the

waiting room. • 3.The serial dialogue happened in the classroom

also made readers feel they are just in the

classroom hearing all the questions and

commotions from the teacher and classmates.

Tone

• 1.Sensitive tone

• 2.Emotions and attractions are changing dramatically between every single line.

Comparison TableComparison Table

Covers of the books

Name and published year

Allison, 1997Emma’s Rug,

1996Stranger in the Mirror, 1995

Characters AllisonEmma,

and parentsSam

Setting Home, and school

Home, and school

Home, and school

Narrative point of view

All-knowing All-knowingAll-knowing

PlotDramatic plot Dramatic plot Dramatic plot

Conflict Against societyAgainst self

Against societyAgainst self

Against societyAgainst self

Theme BelongingSelf-identification

Child in teenagerCreation in art

AgeSelf-identification

Style Dialogue is important

Dialogue is important

Dialogue is important

Tone Ironic Ironic, melancholy

Sensitive

IllustrationWatercolorWarm and bright

WatercolorWarm and bright

WatercolorWarm and bright

Covers of the books

Thanks For Your Attention

Thanks For Your Attention