Allusion => a casual reference to something or someone famous in history, literature, or event.
When P. Martin thinks of the Laws of Motion when describing Mrs. Whimbrel's running of the class, he is making an allusion to Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) and one of his scientific theories, known as the Laws of Motion, of which there are three.
The first is the Law of Inertia: an object remains still (or inert) until some outside force pushes it. So, if P. Martin were calmly standing in the lunch line waiting for his turn to buy milk or chocolate-covered insects, he would not be moving (and obeying school rules).
But life in a lunch line is never that simple. Enter Jaeger, the biggest in the class, who cuts in line (against school rules) and pushes P. Martin who, once shoved, flies forward.
The moment P. Martin is shoved and flies forward, he is accelerating; that is, he's moving at a given speed.
Newton's second law of motion is about acceleration and how an object, once set in motion by a constant force (i.e., Jaeger), will move in constant acceleration in the same direction the outside force (that being Jaeger) is moving. Mathematically, this law is written in the following equation: force = mass (the amount of matter in an object) x acceleration (the change in velocity, which measures both speed and direction).
In such a scenario (scene/event), P. Martin's acceleration forward could lead to a series of disastrous consequences. P. Martin, who had been minding his own business until Jaeger swept in, could then shove into Bob White, who could then fall into Phoebe, who could then . . . and so on and so forth. Let's hope, if this were to happen, that Mrs. Whimbrel would see that Jaeger was the instigator of all the commotion and not P. Martin!
Newton's third law says that for every action of one object there is an opposite and equal reaction by another object. When Jaeger and Kestrel are shoving their desks against one another with equal force, neither are moving.
Let's return to the lunch line: let's say Jaeger pushes P. Martin, only P. Martin shoves back. If they both push/shove with the equal amount of force, they will move the same distance but in the opposite direction. This could start a shoving match, and both boys would, most likely, be spending lunch time in the office.
Now, let's leave Sir Isaac Newton and move to our own times: If P. Martin referred to Mrs. Whimbrel's as Katrina, while she whipped through the class rearranging desks before anyone had the chance to remove books and pencils, he would be alluding to Hurricane Katrina, the most destructive hurricane along the Atlantic coast in 2005, an event that most people are familiar with.
Welcome to MarMooWorks Story Line, where I encourage you to become a Muse of MarMooWorks. Each week, I will begin a story, using one sentence, and I invite you, the readers, to add to the story. Be on the lookout for fun and unusual words, images, and literary devices. Be sure to keep in mind that once a character has been introduced, he/she/it remains in the story and has a purpose.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Laws of Motion
If anyone knew anything about the Laws of Motion, it was Mrs. Whimbrel -- not the First Law so much, where everything tends to remain at rest, but the Second!
Halfway through January, once all post holiday talk had drifted off and the temperatures had plummeted, she drew a new seating chart on the board and called it The Changing of the Seats. As far as P. Martin was concerned, The Changing of the Seats looked like a flock of geese, and once Mrs. Whimbrel said, "Move," the entire activity took on the grating sound of honking.
Stationed at the tip of the V was Mrs. Whimbrel's desk, and, from there, two long rows spanned out from either side. She had assigned the students according to height, the shortest being closest to the board. This placed P. Martin dead center, two seats in front of Sterling Wheeler. Fortunately, Jaeger sat at tail end of the opposite row and away from Kestrel.
But that didn't separate them during The Changing of the Seats. While everyone was moving desks, Kestrel and Jaeger seized the opportunity to shove their desks against one another, so that neither desk moved. Mrs. Whimbrel snapped at them, ordering them to help others. Once the two of them joined forces, desks sped across the tiled floor.
For the first time in months, P. Martin felt the heat in the classroom rise, and that heat made him dream about Brazil, and that, alone, stopped him from itching.
Halfway through January, once all post holiday talk had drifted off and the temperatures had plummeted, she drew a new seating chart on the board and called it The Changing of the Seats. As far as P. Martin was concerned, The Changing of the Seats looked like a flock of geese, and once Mrs. Whimbrel said, "Move," the entire activity took on the grating sound of honking.
Stationed at the tip of the V was Mrs. Whimbrel's desk, and, from there, two long rows spanned out from either side. She had assigned the students according to height, the shortest being closest to the board. This placed P. Martin dead center, two seats in front of Sterling Wheeler. Fortunately, Jaeger sat at tail end of the opposite row and away from Kestrel.
But that didn't separate them during The Changing of the Seats. While everyone was moving desks, Kestrel and Jaeger seized the opportunity to shove their desks against one another, so that neither desk moved. Mrs. Whimbrel snapped at them, ordering them to help others. Once the two of them joined forces, desks sped across the tiled floor.
For the first time in months, P. Martin felt the heat in the classroom rise, and that heat made him dream about Brazil, and that, alone, stopped him from itching.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)