Childhood in the Park

The day that my family and I went to our clan family gathering at "WoWo" Park was a typical bright and breezy day of Fresno California. The weather was not too cold or too warm and not too humid or too windy. It was the perfect weather. Although I was six years old at the time, I still remember the day of our gathering as if it was yesterday. There were Hmong music playing loudly. Zippy boys were running around and causing trouble. Frisky girls, including myself, were playing on the play ground or playing Hmong jump rope with a chain of rubber bands. Grandmothers and mothers were gossipping and eavesdropping on one another. Grandfathers and fathers were reminiscing of the past or chatting about the future. That day, the sun shined brightly, the skies were as clear as the blue sea and the grass was at its greenist. Even the smell and taste of a plain yet delicious meal of tender seasoned chicken and sweet rice that filled our grumbling stomachs, are locked in my memory. The day of our family gathering was full of bliss, fun, and memories.

Excerpt from The Names: A Memoir

The passage that I like is,

"Across the years I see my mother reading there on the low, narrow bench, the lamplight flickering on her face and on the earthen walls; I smell the dank odor of that room; and I hear the great weather raging at the door" (Momaday).

I like this passage because it is descriptive and vivid. The selection of words that Momaday uses to describe this memory makes it easy to imagine: low, narrow, flickering, dank, raging. These adjectives and verbs are simple words, but play a significant role; they set the mood of the subject being described. A low and narrow bench, a flickering lamplight, a dank smell of the room, and the raging weather. Not only is Momaday's word selection effective, but also how he presents them. He uses three of the five senses to make this piece of his memory more lively. Momaday shows and tells what he sees, smells and hear. How he described and presented this memory helped me better visualize the situation and surroundings. His word choice for this memory is literal and easy to perceive, and this is why I like this passage.