Free College Essays - New Journalism and The Right Stuff :: The Right Stuff

The Right Stuff - untried Journalism  The Right Stuff is a great example of the writing style called "New Journalism". Author Tom Wolfe is widely known as a ground breaker in this type of writing. New Journalism has its foundation in fact but uses techniques from the world of fiction to present the information in a refreshingly realistic mien. One important fictional technique is dialogue. rarely in "normal" journalism does a referee come across real dialogue. Through dialogue, an author is able to show the characters personalities. The readers ability to hear what a character says is as important as the ability to see how he reacts. For example, when Wolfe shows us Chuck Yeagers last try at a record, the dialogue gives the reader an extra sense into the intensity of the moment. A second important technique taken from fiction is scene-by-scene examination. Traditionally, journalists present news by importance of the events in a story. In New Journalism , the author instead describes only a certain number of important events. The different scenes are used in the same way that a writer of fiction builds the plot of the story as a whole. In an essay on "New Journalism", Chris Anderson states that a "New journalistic" "writer can not only render the full details of a scene or event but also describe the subjective, unrestrained life of the characters" (Marowski and Matuz 418). A third fictional tool is descriptive language. In The Right Stuff, for example, Wolfe purposefully uses the insider slang of fighter pilots. Critic Chris Anderson says he is "fascinated with the insiders slang, the world-beater words of the privileged groups and underground cultures he seeks out" (Marowski and Matuz 418). This use of words from a small, elite in-group helps to allow the reader to understand that groups characteristics, thoughts, and emotions. A fourth technique is point of view. Most journalists are taught t o keep their own perspective out of the story and never use the first person in writing. "New journalistic" novels like The Right Stuff balk at this idea. Wolfes first-person point of view puts a human face on the news.