Vignette Handout

8/16/2019 Vignette Handout

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** Created by Catherine Eggleston, HTMMA 2008

Name: _____________________________________________ Date: ____________

VignetteDefinition:

In A Handbook to Literature. 3rd. ed. C. Hugh Holmandefnes the term vignette as

[a] sketch or essay or brief narrative characterized by greatprecision and delicate accuracy o com!osition. "he term isborro#ed rom that used or unbordered but delicatedecorative designs or a book$ and it im!lies #riting #ithcom!arable grace and economy . It may be a se!arate #holeor a !ortion o a larger #ork. "he term is also a!!lied to very

brie short%short stories$ less than fve hundred #ords inlength. &''()

Description:

!ignettes are the literary e"#i$alent o% a sna&shot '&hotogra&h() +i-i&edia

hen yo# thin- o% .hat to in/l#de in a $ignette, thin- o% /a&t#ring the singleimagemoment /a#ght by a &hotogra&h) 1o# are /a&t#ring that ea/t, &re/ise moment 3

and nothing else4 1o# are not de$elo&ing a &lot, rather del$ing into a brie% moment in

time)

Characteristics of Vignettes:5) 6ho. Not Tell

Example:

Telling The room .as $a/ant)

Showing The door o&ened .ith a reso#nding e/ho that seemed to %ill the ho#se)

Cob .ebs on/e atta/hed %lo.ed %reely in the air as the o&en door bro#ght light to a .ell

.orn %loor) The light ga$e noti/e to the &eeling &aint on the .alls and to the silho#etteson/e /o$ered by &i/t#res) The ne. air ga$e li%e to a st#%%iness that entra&&ed the room)

7aded and torn .hite sheets /o$ered on/e ne. %#rnit#re no. dro.ning in d#st)

2) Meta&hor

Definition: Com&arison o% t.o things, not #sing li-e or as

Example: Charles is s#/h a &ig4

) 6imile

Definition: Com&arison o% t.o things, #sing li-e or as

Example: His tem&er .as as e&losi$e as a $ol/ano)


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9) ersoni%i/ation

Definition: gi$ing h#man traits ;"#alities, %eelings, a/tion, or /hara/teristi/s< tonon=li$ing ob>e/ts ;things, /olors, "#alities, or ideas<

Example: The large ro/- refused to b#dge)

?) Alliteration

Definition: re&etition o% the initial /onsonant@ #s#ally at least t.i/e

Example: The rats r#mmaged thro#gh the raisins ra$eno#sly)

) Be&etition

Definition: re&eating a .ord or &hrase %or em&hasis

) 6ensory Details

Definition: sight, so#nd, smell, taste, to#/h

Example: ;so#nd< The m#si/ .as $ery lo#d at the ro/- /on/ert last night) My

ears are still ringing today be/a#se the m#si/ .as $ery lo#d at the ro/- /on/ertlast night)

8) 6ho. Not Tell .ith 7ig#rati$e ang#age

Example:

Telling: t .as %oggy)

Showing:The yello. %og that r#bs its ba/- #&on the .indo.=&anes

The yello. smo-e that r#bs its m#FFle on the .indo.=&anes

i/-ed its tong#e into the /orners o% the e$ening,ingered #&on the &ools that stand in drains,

et %all #&on its ba/- the soot that %alls %rom /himneys,

6li&&ed by the terra/e, made a s#dden lea&,

And seeing that it .as a so%t G/tober night,C#rled on/e abo#t the ho#se, and %ell aslee&)

= e/er&t %rom The o$e 6ong o% I) Al%red r#%ro/- by T)6) Eliot

Requirements for each of your ignettes:

5) AA16 6ho. Not Tell by #sing 6ensory Details)2) 1o# m#st #se at least three o% the %ollo.ing /hara/teristi/s in each o% yo#r $ignettes:

6imile ersoni%i/ation Be&etition

Meta&hor Alliteration) ength: J = 5 &age, single s&a/ed

9) Title ;/annot be the assignment name


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Sample Vignette! "#airs$ %y Sandra Cisneros:

E$erybody in o#r %amily has di%%erent hair) My a&as hair is li-e a broom, all #&

in the air) And me, my hair is laFy) t ne$er obeys barrettes or bands) Carlos hair isthi/- and straight) He doesnt need to /omb it) Nennys hair is sli&&ery K slides o#t o%

yo#r hand) And Li-i, .ho is the yo#ngest, has hair li-e %#r)#t my mothers hair, my mothers hair, li-e little rosettes, li-e little /andy /ir/les

all /#rly and &retty be/a#se she &inned it in &in/#rls all day, s.eet to t yo#r nose into

.hen she is holding yo#, holding yo# and yo#r %eel sa%e, is the .arm smell o% bread be%ore yo# ba-e it, is the smell .hen she ma-es room %or yo# on her side o% the bed still

.arm .ith her s-in, and yo# slee& near her, the rain o#tside %alling and a&a snoring)

The snoring, the rain, and Mamas hair that smells li-e bread)

6imile: _________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Meta&hor: ______________________________________________________________

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ersoni%i/ation: __________________________________________________________

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Alliteration: _____________________________________________________________

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Be&etition: ______________________________________________________________

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6ho. Not Tell6ensory Details: ____________________________________________

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Sample Vignette! "Chanclas$ %y Sandra Cisneros:

ts me K Mama, Mama said) o&en and shes there .ith bags and big boes) Thene. /lothes and, yes, shes got the so/-s and a ne. sli& .ith a little rose on it and a &in-=

and=.hite stri&ed dress) hat abo#t the shoes %orgot) Too late no.) m tired)he.4

6i=thirty already and my little /o#sins ba&tism is o$er) All day .aiting, the door

lo/-ed, dont o&en #& %or nobody, and dont till Mama gets ba/- and b#ys e$erythinge/e&t the shoes)

No. On/le Na/ho is /oming in his /ar, and .e ha$e to h#rry to get to re/io#s

lood Ch#r/h "#i/- be/a#se thats .here the ba&tism &arty is, in the basement rented %ortoday %or dan/ing and tamales and e$eryones -ids r#nning all o$er the &la/e)

Mama dan/es, la#ghs, dan/es) All o% a s#dden, Mama is si/-) %an her hot %a/e

.ith a &a&er &late) Too many tamales, b#t On/le Na/ho says too many this and tilts histh#mb to his li&s)

E$eryone la#ghing e/e&t me, be/a#se m .earing the ne. dress, &in- and .hite

stri&es, and ne. #nder/lothes and ne. so/-s and the old saddle shoes .ear to s/hool,

bro.n and .hite, the -ind get e$ery 6e&tember be/a#se they last long and they do) My%eet s/#%%ed and ro#nd, and the heels all /roo-ed that loo- d#mb .ith this dress, so >#st

sit)

Mean.hile that boy .ho is my /o#sin by %irst /omm#nion or something as-s meto dan/e and /ant) I#st st#%% my %eet #nder the metal %olding /hair stam&ed re/io#s

lood and &i/- on a .ad o% bro.n g#m thats st#/- beneath the seat) sha-e my head

no) My %eet are gro.ing bigger and bigger)

Then On/le Na/ho is lling and lling my arm and it doesnt matter ho. ne.the dress Mama bo#ght is be/a#se my %eet are #gly #ntil my #n/le .ho is a liar says, 1o#

are the &rettiest girl here, .ill yo# dan/e, b#t belie$e him, and yes, .e are dan/ing, my

On/le Na/ho and me, only dont .ant to at %irst) My %eet s.ell big and hea$y li-e &l#ngers, b#t drag them a/ross the linole#m %loor straight /enter .here On/le .ants to

sho. o%% the ne. dan/e .e learned) And On/le s&ins me, and my s-inny arms bend the

.ay he ta#ght me, and my mother .at/hes, and my little /o#sins .at/h, and the boy .hois my /o#sin by %ir /omm#nion .at/hes, and e$eryone says, .o., .ho are those t.o .ho

dan/e li-e in the mo$ies, #ntil %orget that am .earing only ordinary sho.s, bro.n and

.hite, the -ind my mother b#ys ea/h year %or s/hool)And all hear is the /la&&ing .hen the m#si/ sto&s) My #n/le and me bo. and

he .al-s me ba/- in my thi/- sho.s to my mother .ho is &ro#d to be my mother) All

night the boy .ho is a man .at/hes me dan/e) He .at/hed me dan/e)

6imile: _________________________________________________________________

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Meta&hor: ______________________________________________________________


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ersoni%i/ation: __________________________________________________________

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Alliteration: _____________________________________________________________

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Be&etition: ______________________________________________________________

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6ho. Not Tell6ensory Details: ____________________________________________

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Childhood Memory Vignette

;irth K Elementary 6/hool<

ist at least ? e&erien/es that yo# /o#ld .rite abo#t:

5)

2)

)

9)

?)

*#t a star net to three e&erien/es that yo# .o#ld most li-e to .rite abo#t)

*T#rn to the &erson yo# are sharing a table .ith and brie%ly des/ribe to them yo#r to&

e&erien/es) As- %or .hi/h e&erien/e they .o#ld most .ant to read abo#t)

*#t an * net to the 5 e&erien/e that yo# are going to .rite a $ignette abo#t, -ee&ing

yo#r a#dien/e and yo#r r&ose in mind)

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Experience: ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

G#tline o% E$ents ;be $ery s&e/i%i/


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*E$ent:

6ensory6&e/i%i/ Details:

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De$elo& the %ollo.ing /hara/teristi/s o% a $ignette abo#t e$entssensory=s&e/i%i/ details

that yo# listed abo$e:

E$ent: _________________________________________________________________

6imile: _________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

E$ent: _________________________________________________________________

Meta&hor: ______________________________________________________________

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E$ent: _________________________________________________________________

ersoni%i/ation: __________________________________________________________

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E$ent: _________________________________________________________________

Alliteration: _____________________________________________________________

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E$ent: _________________________________________________________________

Be&etition: ______________________________________________________________


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Vignette Handout

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