The Island Stallion Races
By: Walter Farley Presentation by: Isabelle Ricker
Third Person Omniscient Point Of View
In this sentence the reader sees the thoughts of Steve. He is pondering the thought of warning his visitors that his horse will not accept anyone onto the island that he doesn't know. The author shows that Steve is thinking to himself by starting off the sentence with Steve wondered.
Jay sat back, content that he had done the right in transferring to the taxi.
In this text, it shows that Jay is happy and delighted with the decision of moving into the taxi. Now, the author is talking about Jay's thoughts and feelings rather than Steve's.
Third person omniscient is a great point of view because it allows the reader to see the different feelings and thoughts of multiple characters, instead of just one in the book. As a result, the reader has a better feel for what is really happening and how all the characters respond or react to the situation.
Characterization
1. He tried to smile at the illusion, but he found he couldn't move his lips.
This shows that Steve likes to pretend nothing is wrong by covering it up with a fake smile. In this sentence from the book, Steve knows in his mind that there is something weird happening with the strange glowing light, but he tries to cover up his uncertainty.
Other Characters' actions/words:
2. "You're a very suspicious young fellow, Steve," Said Jay.
This text passage represents what other characters in the story think of Steve, in this case it is speciousness. Jay believes that Steve is suspicious because Steve is not very understanding and takes things the wrong way most of the time. Also, Steve attacked a helpless man that wanted to feed Flame a carrot, because he thought the man was attempting to hurt the horse.
Narrators comments:
3. Steve intended to make the most of it.
This is a comment that the narrator makes and it tells that Steve intends to make the most of what he does. An example would be when Steve is training his horse Flame for the race, he never missed a second of training. Steve was training Flame non-stop for hours on end and intended to make the most of his time.
Theme
1. While Steve is having his dream, everything is perfect. This seems great at the time, but all in all Steve ends up being thankful for what he has in real life when he wakes up from the dream. As a result, Steve realizes that life is far better than a dream.
2. When Steve is racing Flame in the nerve racking competition, there is no time to have fun or enjoy himself. Although, in real life Steve is able to run Flame to his hearts content however and whenever he wants.
Figurative Language
(This is an example of personification. It creates some imagery in the readers mind while reading the book. It also adds human traits to a non-human object, which makes the story more entertaining to the reader.)
2. He thought of the airship that had swept through the heavens like a second sun and had come to rest, invisible, on the water.
(This is an example of a simile. It compares an object to another object, which makes the sentence more interesting and described more clearly. Instead of saying he thought of the airship that had swept through the heavens, the author compares the airship to a second sun.)
3. Blue waters churned white going over the protective reef that lay a short distance out, then turned black as the waves gathered momentum and height to disappear behind the heavy shroud.
(This is an example of imagery that the author portrays in the story. It makes the overall story much more vivid and detailed, while also keeping the reader very intrigued in the book.)
Dialogue
"I've never raced," Steve said.
"I know," Jay replied quietly.
This text passage has an importance to the story because it is the beginning of a racing dream and fantasy. The thought that Jay has of Steve racing Flame, has ironically been Steve's dream forever. As a result, the thought gets Steve's mind racing. Eventually, Steve ends up competing in a race and it all comes back to this thought.
2. "You can take him out for grass tomorrow morning. We can do nothing more at this time, and there's no possibility of him hurting himself in such a fine big stall. " He turned away. "Come on, Steve. You must be as hungry as I am."
"You go in the house," Steve said. "I'll stay here with him."
"But..." Jay began, bewilderment in his eyes as he looked first at Steve, that at Flame. "All right then," he said, "I'll bring something to you." Suddenly he brightened.
This affects the plot of the story because it shows the love that Steve has for Flame, which forms their unbreakable bond. It also explains why Flame is so protective over Steve and will do anything to keep him safe, even though he is a horse. The passage also portrays the fact that Steve will stay with and comfort Flame at anytime under any circumstances. Even though Steve has a fresh baked meal (which he hasn't had in months) in the house waiting for him, Steve is still willing to console Flame.