Beginnings are a significant part of any story. I’ve read in many writing technique books and websites that say it is important to hook the reader in the first sentence or at least in the first paragraph.
A hook is usually at the beginning of a story. It’s recommended that the hook be in the first sentence or paragraph. The hook’s purpose is to grab the reader’s attention. In Black Eyed Susans, several of the stories begin beautifully with a profound hook.
“SEEMOTHERMOTHERISVERYNICE”
In “SEEMOTHERMOTHERISVERYNICE” from the Bluest Eyes, a woman whose life begins to go downhill after losing her first tooth is depicted. The story is told through the daughter’s eyes with letters written in italics from her mother. The story is essentially about how one’s dreams die by simply letting go of them. Toni Morrison writes:
“…but to find out the truth about how dreams die, one should never take the word of the dreamer. The end of her lovely beginning was probably the cavity in one of her front teeth.” (Morrison, 93)
This sentence hooks the reader, pulling them into the story, making them want to know more. Morrison’s beginning is dynamically correct because it sets the tone for the entire story. It raises many questions for the reader. It is not too dramatic, and the story lives up to its hook as it chronologically retells the story of a mother’s life through various letters from the mother written to the daughter, the narrator of the story.
The Coming of Maureen Paul
Another example of a good hook in the Black Eyed Susans is in “The Coming of Maureen Paul” by Toni Morrison from the Bluest Eyes. Morrison writes:
“By the time this winter had stiffened itself into the hateful knot that nothing could loosen, something did loosen it, rather someone. A someone who splintered the knot into long silver threads that tangled us, netted us, made us long for the dull café of the previous boredom. This disrupter was a new girl in school named Maureen Peal.” (Morrison, 24 and 25)
The story is about how a group of school friends, the narrator, Frieda, and Pecola, decide to tease Maureen by calling her “Black e mo” and accusing her of seeing her father naked. Unfortunately for the character Maureen, she does breakdown and cry because she saw her father naked. The girls in the click realize this and realize that they made a huge mistake by teasing Maureen. Morrison again reels the reader in with the above sentences.
These sentences drew me in and made me want to know what happened to this girl Maureen and how she shatters the group’s hate as they knew it. The beginning made me wonder what events would lead up to their realization. Finding the answer that the hook sets up is a quest and an adventure for the reader. That is why I like to read so much. While reading this story, I felt very engaged and interested because the hook had such a profound impact.
Final Thoughts
Black Eyed Susans gave me several examples of what a good hook looks like. A bad or dull hook has made me put down a book. I know of some people that have even have thrown a book across the room because of a bad hook or dull beginning.
I could not find any examples of a bad hook in Black Eyed Susans. Black Eyed Susans is an awesome collection of short stories. I will be reading more of these authors in the future. If you have not read Black Eyed Susans, I highly recommend you pick-up a copy.
Works Cited
Washington, Mary Helen. Black Eyed Susans: Classis Stories By and About Black Women. Anchor Books, New York, 1975.
Copyright 2012 Mosaico Writing
