Author’s Style – O Brother, Where Art Thou?
The following quotes are excerpts from the movie, O Brother, Where Art Thou? Read the short plot
summary that follows:
Disenchanted with the daily drudge of crushing rocks on a prison farm in 1930’s Mississippi, the dapper, silver-tongued Ulysses Everett
McGill (George Clooney) busts loose. Unfortunately, he's still shackled to his two chain-mates from the chain gang -- bad-tempered
Pete (John Turturro) and sweet, dimwitted Delmar ( Tim Blake). With nothing to lose and buried loot to regain -- before it's lost forever in
a flood -- the three embark on the adventure of a lifetime in this hilarious offbeat road picture. Populated with strange characters,
including a blind prophet, sirens and a one-eyed Bible salesman (John Goodman), it's an odyssey filled with chases, close calls, near
misses and betrayal that will leave you laughing at every outrageous and surprising twist and turn.
Directions: Read the quotes spoken by Ulysses McGill in the movie. First, figure out what
the character is trying to say – use a dictionary! On a piece of notebook paper, take notes
on how the author uses this character’s dialogue to enhance the humorous tone of the
movie. Analyze the quotes for techniques such as: diction, imagery, details, language, and
sentence structure. Then, write a paragraph with a topic sentence explaining your views,
supporting it with evidence from the quotes.
1. “Believe me Delmar, woman is the most fiendish instrument of torture ever devised
to bedevil the days of man.”
2. Pete: “I've always wondered, what's the devil look like?”
Ulysses: “ Well, there are all manner of lesser imps and demons, Pete, but the great
Satan hisself is red and scaly with a bifurcated tail, and he carries a hay fork.”
3. “Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise
trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life
of aimless wanderin'?”
4. “Pete, the personal rancor reflected in that remark I don't intend to dignify with
comment. But I would like to address your general attitude of hopeless negativism.
Consider the lilies of the field or... heck! Take at look at Delmar here as your
paradigm of hope.”
5. “I detect, like me, you're endowed with the gift of gab.”
6. “Thank you as well for the conversational hiatus. I generally refrain from speech
during gustration. There are those who attempt both at the same time. I find it
course and vulgar.”