Imitation Practice: Model 8

Imitation Practice: Model 8

Passage 8, “From all available evidence no black man had ever set foot in this tiny Swiss village before I came.  I was told before arriving that I would probably be a “sight” for the village; I took this to mean that people of my complexion were rarely seen in Switzerland, and also that city people are something of a “sight” outside of the city.  It did not occur to me—possibly because I am an American—that there could be people anywhere who had never seen a Negro.

by James Baldwin, “Stranger in the Village”
Imitation:

From everyone’s accounts of Kumasi nothing compares to riding the tro-tro’s.  I was warned before coming that it might be a bit “different” than anything I was used to; I figured this meant that it would be a bit cozier than the UTA public transport system, and that others less bus route savvy would find “different” more jarring.  It did not register—probably because I’m twenty something—that a window frame could ever be considered an extra seat, or that driving with doors is optional. 

Imitation:

From all I knew French-fries were the only thing worthy of mention about French food.  Chase was telling me the other day something about “refined taste” in small portions; and I figured that people in France must be anorexic or on extreme diets, and also that “refined taste” was only for rich snobs who pretended to like snails.  I did not realize—probably because I was always okay with “freedom-fries”—that this French food culture would be my next big adventure. 

Imitation:

As far as my schoolteachers and church leaders were concerned women are equals now.  No one told me that any other opinion on “womanhood” was valid; or that being a woman does have serious implications, and also that equality and “womanhood” aren’t just oxymoron’s to the extreme feminists.  I never fathomed—probably because I never imagined it possible “nowadays”— that I could ever be dumped because I want a PHD and my own last name. 

Abbreviation:

No black man had ever been to this Swiss village.  They told me I might be a “sight.”  Being American, it never occurred to me that there could be people who had never seen a Negro.

Abbreviation:

When they told me I might be a “sight” in the tiny Swiss village it never occurred to me that there were people who had never seen a Negro. 

Question:

What does it mean to be a “sight?” tiny Swiss village?  I figured that people of my complexion are rarely seen in Switzerland, and that city people are a big of a “sight” outside of the city, but you’ve really never seen a black man?

Inversion by Parts:

There are people in the world who have never seen a Negro.  Probably because I am American, it did not occur to me.  I figured that city people are something of a “sight” outside of the city, and that people of my complexion are rarely seen in Switzerland even though they did warn me that I might be a “sight” for the village.  From all available evidence no black man had ever set food here before I came. 

Understatement:

From all available evidence black men didn’t hand out in this tiny Swiss village before I came.  They mentioned I might be a “surprise” for the village; I figured this meant that my complexion wasn’t the most common thing in Switzerland, and that city folk are always a little “surprised” by the wild city boys.  I wasn’t shocked at all—probably because I’m a proud American—that there are people who have never seen a Negro. 

    I loved this form!  I felt like it fit my style and natural tone a lot better than some of these other fashion statements (trying on different styles like clothes, just to see how they look).  I am still struggling a little bit on completely divorcing the content and keeping the form.  Even though I got a few different takes on a passage about encountering something you didn’t expect, I’d like to try this again with any other random message.  I really like the dash and quotation marks.  It has a certain flavor to it that describes previous knowledge and commentary without going into the superfluous details of it.