Literature Analysis

Literature Analysis

NONFICTION ANALYSIS

E-Man

TOPIC(S) and/or EVENT(S)

1.    E-Man is the story of Robert Sheppard, an NYPD officer who served over 30 years in the ESU (Emergency Service Unit) rescuing everyone from civilians to fellow officers, protecting the citizens of NYC or foreign dignitaries, saving lives 270 feet off the ground on the Brooklyn Bridge or 100 feet down a construction hole. Though hundreds of pages, he recounts events on the job where he used advanced training or tactics (or maybe just common sense) to do to do one the most dangerous jobs in the country.

     Every chapter; a story of heroism, bravery, and dedication or of loss, sacrifice, and reflection.

2.    Al Sheppard wanted to share his experiences and knowledge  but also teach lessons and inspire us to be greater.

3.    I chose this book because I think that the line of work he did, and what he did in his time, is what we should all do, no matter who we are. This book appealed to me because it is about a job that I find interesting and always want to learn about. I was just looking for a book of this time, and found it. The real events that are detailed, no fantasization, no dramatization.

4.    I found the book very realistic, I made connections to the type of work I do and the jobs that my friends do. As an explorer working closely with many departments, you come to admire the work that they do and desire to emulate their actions and/or character.

PEOPLE

1.   Every situation is different, every encounter, different. It's his job to be reliable and truthful, however, the people he may meet may have a different view of what happened, as well as his partner. He has to make split-second decisions solely on training, education, and personal justifications. He needs to be serious and factual when stating facts, as well as stray opinions.

2.    Al Sheppard has had the pleasure of meeting very many highly decorated officers and officials in his time. They're all very personal and professional in relationships but understand others' positions. They would be described in the course of the events through how the events occurred.

3.    They were best of the best when it came to protecting and serving their community, they displayed the very best they could be, and exemplified what a person can be and should be.

STYLE

1.    He uses a journalistic style to recount occurrences and stories. He adds his personal touch or information that effects the story, but nothing is made up or overly-exaggerated.

2.    Al would rather go into the events than the locations, as they vary greatly throughout the book. These choices effect how the stories are told and why what happened, happened. 

3.    He uses descriptive words and hard dialog as well as realistic descriptions and terms. It sets the mood for a real situation to create an event from and how it'll be solved.

4.    The attitude he has is one of a teacher, detailing events and telling stories of what he's been through. It's all from personal experience and evidence in the field over many years. People would want to hear these stories and take away their own meaning as well as knowledge.

5.    Many times he has been on the cover of media. Whether it be a magazine, newspaper  TV, etc. H'es been the center of attention more than once. All his more famous acts are documented in public history as well as internal documents, in the form of incident reports, through the NYPD. These pieces of evidence lend themselves to a sense of realism and reliability throughout. It mattered to me greatly, I love to hear of real stories on the streets rather than of a desk jockey.

ENDURING MEMORY

Truthfully, anyone can have what he had. It just takes the kind of desire and motivation to get at it. This isn't a boring story of a cop behind a desk, it's one of an elite service member of the SOC (Special Operations Command) ESU and his adventures in and around New York City. One of tails of death and destruction or danger and heroism. Whenever someone is to be in trouble, someone will be there. Not necessarily the ESU, but maybe a cop walking his beat, a fireman, a paramedic, or just a good Samaritan. This is just the story of one man and his journey from average Joe to 'super star cop' Al Sheppard. It doesn't happen over-night and it can take many many years. Their called "New York's Finest" for a reason. "When the public needs help, they call the police. When the police need help, they call the ESU"