American Childhood

             The setting of the story was a little confusing because of the different perspectives and scenery jumps. It takes place in the 1950's. The place where the story first occurs is a suburban Pittsburgh neighborhood. The background is her environment. The tone relates to the story by it being in 1st person perspective. She is remembering her childhood and telling the reader about how her feelings on different things changed. The mood is family warmth and togetherness and how it relates to the suburban neighborhood.
             2. There was only one main character in the story, and it was .
             Annie Dillard, the author. Annie has light colored hair and a slender body. She is very adventurous and loves nature. She spends a lot of time reading books. She inherited her fathers taste for music. She likes jazz and Dixieland. Her family loves comedy and teaches her the science of joke telling, so she practices as the straight man in her father's jokes. There are many different words to describe her, but if I had to choose one I would have to say she is a daydreamer.
             3. The theme has to deal with life in general and all changes in .
             it. Life is a journey from childhood to death; with each step through life you become more awake and aware. When she talks about becoming more awake and aware she is saying that you"re able to notice changes in yourself and the world. Also, you realize the more you know the less you really know. The world is a very big place always changing and never ending, that's how I think the author would describe the theme of her book. She was showing how everyone else's perspective on life and the world change, as you get older.
             4. She starts out in a Pittsburgh neighborhood remembering her early childhood. The story starts with her talking about her family and how she changed over the years. There is no conflict it is just her remembering her childhood and remarking on how things changed.