On page 87, while describing
Larry LaSalle’s return to Frenchtown during the war, Francis says that the
parents of Frenchtown “knew that Larry LaSalle had been a bright Pied Piper for
their children in the bleakness of the Depression.”
o
What does this literary
allusion mean?
o
How is it shown, again, later
in the same chapter?
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Taylor Davis
ReplyDeleteMs. Drosdick
Period 4
2/7/14
Journal #3 Option B
When Francis compares Larry LaSalle to the Pied Piper of Hamelin, he uses this literary allusion because like the Pied Piper who led children out of Hamelin, Larry LaSalle led children through the streets of Frenchtown. Also like Pied Piper, Larry LaSalle was a colorful person. Francis says, “With a flourish, he led us outside and down the City Hall Steps.” Larry LaSalle always used music to entice children at the Wreck Center like the Pied Piper did with rats and kids. Lastly, like the children of Hamelin who were led away from their parents, at least one of the children who Larry led away ended the night dangerously. Clearly, the colorful figure of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is a good character to compare Larry LaSalle to.
This allusion is shown again later in the same chapter when Larry lures Nicole with a certain song back at the Wreck Center. Only Larry, Nicole, and Francis were left at the Wreck Center. “Find ‘Dancing in the Dark,’” LaSalle tells Nicole on page 93. Then Larry demandingly asks Francis to leave the Wreck Center. Larry’s dance with Nicole leads to her rape. When the song stopped, Nicole was free to go from her rapist. Like the children were lured by the music played by the Pied Piper, Nicole was led by the music played by Larry LaSalle. Both results were negative. Larry was actually whistling “Dancing in the Dark” when the night ended. Like the Pied Piper, Larry used music to lure his victims to their ultimate fate.
In Heroes by Robert Cormier, Francis states that the parents in Frenchtown “knew that Larry LaSalle had been a bright Pied Piper for their children in the bleakness of the Depression.” By this statement, Francis means that Larry’s enrollment in the armed forces also led many other children to volunteer. After this, the mayor of Frenchtown declares, “you are our celebration.” By this, the mayor tells the audience that not only has Larry earned a silver star, but he also inspired more people to fight for their country. Martin Luther King Jr. is an excellent example of a leader who motivated many to support the common cause. However, Larry’s campaign is more indirect.
ReplyDeleteThis concept is shown again when Joey LeBlanc said that Larry is “my hero from the war.” This tells the reader the impact that Larry LaSalle made on the civilians of Frenchtown. Furthermore, Larry says that “we have to keep the world safe for these young people-they are our future…” In this quote, Larry mentions the unity of all Americans by using the term “we” rather than “I”. By creating this positive image among the crowd, LaSalle is able to create a good impression, perhaps indirectly encouraging more people to join. Similarly Uncle Sam is an iconic figure in inspiring soldiers. Larry can be referred to as the “Uncle Sam” of Frenchtown.
The war was going on, and Larry LaSalle had returned. Crowds were gathered around watching him return. The parents in Frenchtown all knew that “Larry LaSalle had been a bright Pied Piper for their children in the bleakness of the Depression.” This meant that Larry LaSalle was a good person for their children, one that many children liked. He was like their star during the war. “Larry was our hero, yes, but he had been a hero to us long before he went to war.” Larry LaSalle meant good things to the children of Frenchtown, despite what was happening in the United States. He made the children happy by always being nice. Larry LaSalle was someone that many children looked up to.
ReplyDeleteLarry LaSalle was a part of the children in Frenchtown’s lives. He was always making someone discover something they never knew about themselves. “‘And most of all I want to be back with the Wreck Center gang’ once again, he made us feel special, singling us out from the townspeople who gathered there.” Larry LaSalle was the hero from the war, the hero that everyone loved. He made the children from the Wreck Center feel special, by always teaching them new things. He was happy when they accomplished something. He was their bright spot, when everything else wasn’t going well.
Larry LaSalle; it was the homecoming of the infamous Larry LaSalle. Bubbling with hilarity and anticipation, the kids from the Wreck Center huddled around the train station, anxiously waiting for Larry LaSalle’s return. On page 87, while describing Larry LaSalle’s return during the war, Francis states “On the hot and humid afternoon, a crowd gathered at the Monument Depot to greet his arrival… parents who knew that Larry LaSalle had been a bright Pied Piper for their children in the bleakness of the depression.” The literary allusion referencing The Pied Piper of Hamelin means that Larry LaSalle was skilled in luring the children to follow and obey him unquestioningly. In the classic tale, the Pied Piper used his flute to lure the rats and eventually the children of Hamelin. Larry LaSalle on the other hand, used his wickedly suave charm and movie star appearance to entice the children of Frenchtown into obeying whatever he said. The parents knew that Larry LaSalle had been a bright Pied Piper for the children because Larry was sinfully good at leading the kids to follow his lead.
ReplyDeleteWhen Larry LaSalle told you to do something; there was no question about whether you were going to listen or not. Refusing to his orders would be wrong, a terrible offense that you would regret the moment you said no. The allusion referencing Larry LaSalle to the Pied Piper is shown, once again, later in the chapter. On page 94, Larry LaSalle told Francis to go home and let him and Nicole have one last dance together. Francis responded saying “We always did what Larry LaSalle told us to do. Always carried out his slightest wish. And now I seemed actually to be tired, as Larry had suggested, the events of the day and all the excitement were catching up to me.” Francis contemplated on whether to leave Nicole alone or to stay by her side, but ultimately followed Larry’s persuasive words. The quote aforementioned clearly shows the extent to Larry LaSalle’s enticing affect on people. Just as the parents mentioned how Larry was a Pied Piper to the kids, Larry proved that by influencing Francis to leave him and Nicole alone. Similar to Larry LaSalle, Hitler was able to persuade children to join Hitler Youth. Although Hitler Youth was beyond immoral and sinister, Hitler spread the word to others about the amazing benefits of joining the Youth. In fact, Hitler’s influence made Hitler Youth sound comparable to boy scouts. Both people were able to successfully lead others to follow them unquestioningly into doing something terrible. The literary allusion to the Pied Piper is shown again when Larry LaSalle tells Francis to leave.