Today in class we discussed the effectiveness of sentences in McLoughlin's essay, selecting sentences that we felt were particularly well-constructed. The exercise was to then use one of the sentences to create our own in the same style, because as writers, we often get stuck in the "rut" of our own favorite type of sentence. Here is my crack at the exercise. First is the sentence I chose out of McLoughlin's essay, followed by my own interpretation.
"The concept of the omni-competent, self-governing, self-reliant common man was really the final triumph of the first stage of American pietistic perfectionism" (McLoughlin, 167).
The feeling of a heart-racing, lung-busting, record-breaking race must truly be the most exhilarating experience in the career of a professional distance swimmer.
or, the example we did in class today off of my sentence, about the lovely topic of ice cream:
The idea of the cold, sweet, penny-pinching St. Olaf ice cream is the best thing that has ever happened to the college campus food experience.
It is fun how one sentence structure can evoke so many different ideas. ah, language :)
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