Precis: As a Wife Has a Buffalo

Much of Nagi's focus in this text is on the writing style of Gertrude Stein. In The Making of Americans, Stein produces a layered effect by presenting words in long "strings," instead of conventional sentences. According to Nagi, this results in a bluring of the distinction between sentences and paragraphs. In writing this way, Stein is challenging normitive systems of "sense-making." Also, she experiments with syntax and prose. All of this combined creates an "experiment in both duration and endurance" (253) for both the writer and readers. The final result of this "experiment" is the realization of a particular relationship between subjects and language (253).

In "As a Wife Has a Cow: A Love Story," Stein experiments with syntax, diction, and sentences, although she does not use an extraordinarliy long "strings." I wasn't exactly sure what to make of the piece as a whole. After reading it I was reminded of a grammatical sentence I encountered in a linguistics class. "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo." Altough this sentence may not make any sense at first, as Stein's story may not, by thinking critically about them a particular relationship between sujects and language becomes aparent- or maybe it doesn't.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo#Extendability