Read Stories Are Waiting in Paris and lines 47-74 of Neither

Here nor There: Travels in Europe in the anthology. [40 Marks]

Compare and contrast how the writers and speakers in these
extracts present Paris. You should refer to both extracts in your
answer and consider
Stories are Waiting in Paris and Bill Brysons Neither Here nor There:
Travels in Europe both give audiences a glimpse into what its like to visit
Paris. Stories are Waiting in Paris is an advertisement, which means that
its only aim is to persuade people to go to Paris; and so will only show
viewers the pleasant parts of the city. In Neither Here nor There, Bryson
recounts his time spent in Paris during his travels. As his stories are told
mainly to entertain his audience and not to persuade, Bryson is honest in
his writing and includes his personal feelings towards certain things. For
example, Bryson describes the Paris Opera House as looking like the Paris
branch of the Bradford and Bingley Building Society, which suggests that
he thinks the opera house looks dull and worn.
Stories are Waiting in Paris is originally a video, which is why it is
considerably shorter than Brysons text. This, and the fast paced imagery
and dialogue captures the audiences attention. The advert doesnt give
much information or any personal opinions and feelings about Paris. It
instead focuses on the viewer and what their experience could be like
there. The use of repetition with the phrase maybe youll could be a
way of telling the viewer that they are important and that Paris is waiting
specifically for them to begin their journey.
Brysons text, taken from his memoir, is contrary to the advert. This is
because Bryson is focusing on using anecdotes as a way of describing
what its actually like to visit Paris. Bryson uses literary techniques rather
than persuasive ones for the reason that he is aiming to amuse and share
his views on Paris with his readers; instead of trying to get people to visit
Paris.
There are few similarities in the ways that these texts represent Paris.
Stories are Waiting in Paris relies on imagery, or descriptions of imagery,
rather than detailed narration to give viewers an idea of what Paris is like.
These vague portrayals of Paris could be the advertisers way of keeping
the audience interested and keen to find out more about visiting Paris; this
will also draw more customers in to choosing Eurostar to travel.
Neither Here nor There uses descriptive writing to characterize Paris. As it
is a memoir, Bryson is retelling his own account of his trip to Paris,
whereas Stories are Waiting in Paris does not focus on a single person and
so uses words such as maybe, perhaps and hopefully.
From the hurdy-gurdy style music to the rollerblading and live
music, Paris is portrayed as being an easy-going as well as an exciting
place to visit.

Stories are Waiting in Paris introduces people without actually giving

them any description or character. The advert only tells viewers that they
will come across all these different things and people, without mentioning
any details about them. Brysons excerpt from the text characterises the
drivers in Paris as all wearing expressions like Jack Nicholson in
Batman. This comparison to the Joker, an insane criminal, tells us that
Bryson is afraid of what the drivers are capable of doing to him if he
attempts to cross the Place de la Concorde.
Bryson also makes it clear that Paris is not a place for non-Parisians. He
points out that the crossing lights have been designed with the intention
of leaving foreigners confused, humiliated [] and dead. This suggests
that Bryson is convinced that Parisians take pleasure in degrading foreign
visitors. This statement is an example of how Bryson uses exaggeration in
his writing to convey his feelings about certain matters and people. This is
exactly the opposite case in Stories are Waiting in Paris, which aims to
convince the viewer that Paris was made for them and that it is waiting for
them to visit.
Stories are Waiting in Paris has a somewhat formal register but is also
nonchalant in the way it presents itself. The text also has subtle comedic
moments, such as saying hopefully not him when referring to meeting a
grumpy old man, in the advert. This text uses short sentences, which
doesnt leave room for it to be too formal or informal.
Neither Here nor There is essentially a series of anecdotes, which means
that it most likely would not be written in a formal fashion. Writing in an
informal register allows the author to connect with a wider audience more
easily; making it more enjoyable for audiences to read.
Despite Stories are Waiting in Paris and Neither Here nor There both being
about Paris, the two texts are completely separate from each other; from
the mode and how they are written, to the language and content included.
This is because Stories are Waiting in Paris only purpose is to persuade
audiences to visit Paris whereas Neither Here nor There aims to share
stories and experiences with readers.

Word count: 815