Face to Face with Hurricane Camille

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Face to Face with Hurricane Camille

• By
• Joseph P. Blank

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Some scientific knowledge about Hurricane

• a tropical storm in which winds attain speeds
  greater than 75 miles (121 kilometers) per hour.
  The term is often restricted to those storms
  occurring over the North Atlantic Ocean.
  Incipient hurricanes usually form over the
  tropical N Atlantic Ocean and mature as they
  drift westward. Hurricanes also occasionally form
  off the west coast of Mexico and move
  northeastward from that area. An average of 3.5
  tropical storms per year eventually mature into
  hurricanes along the east coast of North America,
  usually over the Caribbean Sea or Gulf of Mexico.

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• Similar storms occurring over the West Pacific
  Ocean and China Seas are called typhoons and
  those over the Indian Ocean are called tropical
  cyclones. Hurricanes are given girls' names and
  typhoons are given serial numbers. The National
  Weather Service of the United States has used
  girls' names to identify hurricanes in the
  Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico since
  1953 and the names were given in alphabetical
  order. A semi-permanent list of 10 sets of names
  in alphabetical order was established in 1971.
  This practice of giving girls' names to
  hurricanes changed recently. In 1980 a hurricane
  was given a man's name and was called Hurricane
  David. Hurricane season begins June 1 and ends
  Nov. 30.

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• Hurricane Camille The storm lashed Mississippi
  and Louisiana for two days, Aug. 17---18, in
  1969. The death toll was 258.

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Text Analysis

• Words and expressions
• Paraphrase
• Translation
• Figure of speech

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Words and expressions

• pummel to beat or hit with repeated blows. The
  Koshaks will have to put up with many onslaughts
  of the fierce storm.
• Gulfport seaport in S. Miss., on the Gulf of
  Mexico
• Miss abbreviation for Mississippi

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• batten to fasten canvas over the hatches of a
  ship, especially in preparing for a storm
• ride it out to stay afloat during a storm
  without too much damage
• main a principal pipe, conduit, or line in a
  distributing system for water, gas, electricity,
  etc.
• Scudded in driven inland by the wind

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• sit out the storm to stay until the end of the
  storm
• kill to cause (an engine, etc. ) to stop
  (American English)
• more or less rather to some extent e. g. We
  hope our explanations will prove more or less
  helpful.
• to take responsibility for to consider oneself
  answerable for
• The pattern for the phrase is to take the
  responsibility for (of doing) something.

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• lap to move or strike gently with a light,
  splashing sound
• crushing overwhelming
• mess a state of trouble or difficulty Here it
  refers to the hurricane.
• in one mighty swipe in a big, hard, sweeping
  blow
• skim to throw so as to cause to bounce swiftly
  and lightly

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• m. p. h. miles per hour
• m. p. g. miles per gallon
• r. p. m. revolutions per minute
• g. p. m. gallons per minute
• f. p. s. feet per second

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• a hurricane party a party held especially for
  watching the hurricane
• spectacular transferred epithet, modifying the
  "storm" and not "vantage point", meaning
  impressive to see and strikingly unusual
• vantage point a position that allows a clear and
  broad view

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• a lean-to noun a shed or other small
  outbuilding with a sloping roof, the upper end of
  which rests against the wall of another building.
  The mattress was set up slanting, the bottom
  resting perhaps on the door--sill and the top
  part slanting inwards so that the adults could
  prop it up with their heads and shoulders, while
  the kids could sit under it.

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• festoon a wreath or garland of flowers, leaves,
  paper, etc. hanging in a loop or curve
• raked its way metaphor. The word "rake" is used
  figuratively here meaning to attack and devastate
  as it moved along

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Paraphrase

• The place has been here since 1915, and no
  hurricane has ever bothered it. (para 3)
• The house has been here since 1915, and no
  hurricane has ever caused any damage to it.
• We can batten down and ride it out. (para 4)
• a metaphor, comparing the house in a hurricane to
  a ship fighting a storm at sea. We can make the
  necessary preparations and survive the hurricane
  without much damage.

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• Tile electrical systems had been killed by water.
  (para 11)
• The electrical systems in the car (for example
  the battery for the starter) had been put out by
  water (just as the generator in the house was
  doused).
• John watched the water lap at the steps, and felt
  a crushing guilt. (para 17)
• As John watched the water inch its way up the
  steps9 he felt a strong sense of guilt because he
  blamed himself for endangering the whole family
  by deciding not to flee inland.

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• Get us through this mess, will You? (para 17)
• The capital "Y" in You shows that the words were
  addressed to God. "will you" is a rough form of
  request. Here it indicates a request made out of
  desperation. Oh God, please help us to get
  through this storm safely.
• She carried on alone for a few bars then her
  voice trailed away. (para 21)
• Grandmother Koshak sang a few words alone and
  then her voice gradually grew dimmer and stopped.
• Janis had just one delayed reaction. (para 34)
• Janis displayed rather late the exhaustion
  brought about by the nervous tension caused by
  the hurricane. (A few nights after the storm, she
  awoke suddenly at 2 a. m., went outside and began
  to cry softly.)

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Translation

• EnglishChinese translation
• Seconds after the roof blew off the Koshak house,
  John yelled, Up the stairs into our bedroom !
  Count the kids. The children huddled in the
  slashing rain within the circle of adults.
  Grandmother Koshak implored, Children, lets
  sing! The children were too frightened to
  respond. She carried on alone for a few bars
  then her voice trailed away .

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• ??
• ???????????,??????????????!?????????????????,
  ???????,????????????????????????????,?????????!
  ???????,????????????????,??????,??????

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Figure of speech

• Metaphor
• Simile
• Synecdoche
• Personification

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Conclusion remarks

• Face to Face with Hurricane Camille describes the
  heroic struggle of the Koshaks and their friends
  against the forces of a devastating hurricane.
  The story focuses mainly on action but the writer
  also clearly and sympathetically delineates the
  characters in the story. The hero or the
  protagonist in the story is John Koshak, Jr., and
  the antagonist is the hurricane.

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What does the writer focus on?
Camille
rain
water
wind
Hit Overwhelming.. Shot out Raised
tides Devastated Demolished Seized
dumped Torebeached Snapped poles Smashed
apart
Fell steadily Whipped.. Driven right
through.. Huddled in slashing rain
Whipped Mounted to a roar Overwhelm-ing Roar of
passing train Lifted entire roof Blew off
house Tore out wall Extinguished
lantern Slightly diminished
Leaking.. Spreading Rose above the ankles Blast
of water hit.. Flinging open the door.., shoving
them down Doused the generator Killed
electrical system.. salty, deep, Inched its
way up Lap at stepslapping across the slanting
floor Began receding
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House -- shelter
Peoples actions

• Began leaking, Power failed
• House shook.,Ceiling falling piece by piece
• Door blew in with an explosive sound
• Gun like reportWindows disintegrated
• Front door broke away, and flung off
• The generator was doused electrical system was
  killed walls collapsed one after another
  (crumbing, moved, toppled ) staircase broke
  apart
• Entire roof was lifted and skimmed away
• debris flew as the fireplace and chimney
  collapsed
• bedroom walls disintegrated
• House are shuddering, rocking, moving
• the floor tilted the world .. breaking apart

• Methodically prepared for the hurricane.
• with , began a struggle against
• felt afraid by licking salty water
• tried to escape save children, failed
• facing danger, help, comfort, encourage each
  other by showing love..
• second trial to escape by retreating
• Sing a song, felt anger rage silently get
  mattress up to protect
• Grabbed a door for childrens
• survive after all
• stood shocked
• Aids from all over the country
• Rebuild their home
• reflection over the value of living

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Conflicts Human vs. Nature
LESSON ONE

• Protagonist ---Antagonist
• Man nature
• Man man
• Man himself
• Face to face with disaster
• Hurricane Camille /typhoon/volcano/earthquake
• Pollution/global warming/population
  explosion/disease/
• Nuclear weapon/warfare/energy exhaustion/economic
  crises/

Neighbors, friends,wife and husband, brother and
sister, parents and children
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• Thank you!