Exploring Emotions in Literary Excerpts

She considers the vagaries of sports, the happenstance of El Líder

A star pitcher in his youth, narrowly missing a baseball career in America. His wicked curveball attracted the major league scouts, and the Washington Senators were interested in signing him but changed their minds. Frustrated, El Líder went home, rested his pitching arm, and started a revolution in the mountains.

Read the excerpt from “Like Mexicans.” We talked for an hour and had apple pie and coffee, slowly. Finally, we got up with Carolyn taking my hand. Slightly embarrassed, I tried to pull away but her grip held me. I let her have her way as she led me down the hallway with her mother right behind me. . . . Carolyn waved again. I looked back, waving. . . . Her people were like Mexicans, only different.

Which best states how the structures of the excerpts are similar?

Each relates an anecdote to appeal to the reader’s emotions.

I think emotions is the main appeal in these two accounts. The first I believe it is talking about Fidel Castro and how despite his amazing curveball pitching in baseball he wasn't hired by the Washington Senators and instead created a revolution in the mountains. It evokes powerful emotions about how the outcome of his life's fate was decided. The excerpt from "Like Mexicans" shows emotions, such as embarrassment at being held by the hand and led along with the woman or girl's mother.

What does the term "anecdote" refer to in literary writing?

Anecdote refers to an event that happens in an individual's life that is presented in a form of narrative. The anecdote above depicted the struggle that she had with her ethnic background. This is aimed to make the readers sympathize and get in touch with their emotions.