What makes a character? What makes a story true? What makes a story?
By Maren on Sep 4, 2024 in Uncategorized
Select an article from one of the story sites linked on Moodle
(I will also include link to other story options). In a blog post, discuss its “characters,” narrative structure, and themes; What is it “about”? And considering Hersey: Do you believe the story is “true”?
*I would like to preface this by saying that I had a previous post up, but didn’t realize I was supposed to use the full article. I had it typed out on the assumption it was the summary on Longreads. This is the new version.*
The story I chose was titled The Great Cajun Turtle Heist.
There are many characters throughout the article, but a few stand out.
- John O’Neill: The individual who was investigating the illegal poaching of the alligator snapping turtles.
- Steve Barlow: An alligator snapping turtle dealer; his operations are a central focus of the investigation.
- Brian and Melissa McLaren: A couple who illegally harvested and trafficked alligator snapping turtles.
- Other general poachers: Many names are mentioned, but Barlow and the McLaren’s are the ones who are focused on most. Other poachers were involved in the turtles by either capturing or selling them.
The article follows the Kebab structure. The opening is full of vivid imagery that captures the audience’s attention. The body is full of facts and overall background information, details, and personal stories. The article finally has a full circle event, the people get caught and the reader feels satisfied.
The story overall is about the illegal trafficking of alligator snapping turtles, focusing on how poachers and dealers exploit these endangered animals for profit. It also discusses the efforts conservationists go to fight the continued poaching.
I would like to say this story is true. However, I feel like the author constantly has a slight bias. The difference in amount of storytelling from the point of view of John O’Neill vs the couple makes me feel like the story focuses mostly on the poaching, but more specifically how O’Neill is the hero. The story is listed under the TexasMonthly True Crime category, so I think the story itself is true. After the conversation we had about implicit bias we had in class recently, I feel like no story can be truly “true.”
1 Comment(s)
By fuglsang on Sep 8, 2024 | Reply
Got the link! But I hit my story limit with Texas Monthly. 🙁
From what I can remember of the lead, it seemed to be a story about how people just don’t respect the law, especially, as in this case, if it’s about protecting animals (which just don’t matter to most humans).
We can talk about the bias part of this in class. There has been a lot of discussion lately about how “bothsiderism” is damaging reporting. By covering both sides, the reporter makes them seem equal. There are many cases where wrong is wrong and pretending it’s “just another side of the argument” is more harmful than helpful.