The Wine of Astonishment - Chapters 8-10

 ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing’

Edmund Burke – English Philosopher

Chapter 8 – The Beginning of Bolo’s Reign of Terror

• Bolo terrorizes men women and the authorities
• He makes an attempt to fit back into society – he uses brute force
• Moves about with a sense of emptiness – engaging in activities to try and fill the gap
• Targets Mitchell (pg. 106-107) – saw him as part of the problem why the community is not what he expected (going back to the time of the Americans).
• Charleau (pg. 110-112) and Cap (pg. 112-113) – Symbolic characters – they demonstrate what is needed to bring Bolo down – somebody who is willing to stand up for what is right regardless of the consequences.
• Tales of Bolo spread like wild fire – Bolo becomes a Legend pg. 114-115.
• The echoing of the collective responsibility for  Bolo’s action

ü  Eva admits that he is going crazy but that the craziness had too much sense in it. pg.106

ü  Cap – asking if everybody isn’t responsible pg. 114

ü  Eva asks “What we do to make a man like Bolo what he turn out to be” pg. 115

• It is ironic that Bolo is still known and feared – moved from famous to infamous.
• Premonition – some ‘calamity’ had to happen to stop Bolo – Eva hints at this. Although the reader is already aware of this from chapter 1 when Eva said it was the last time they saw Bolo in church.

Chapter 9  The Calamity – Bolo’s Demise

• Eva fills the audience in about her family and the lapse in time

ü  Joyce getting married – traditions upheld – Clyde asks Bee’s permission

ü  Taffy basically abandons the family

ü  Ivan still not doing anything to help the church – Bee could not conduct the wedding in his church – illegal.

• Bolo’s reasons for his actions explained – His frustration with the passive and cowardice nature of his people – their inability to fight for their community drove him over the edge. Pg. 123 ‘The Yankees do as they please…’ and pg. 124 ‘ want to be a man…’
• Bolo’s final attempt – Kidnapping
• Bee demonstrates his ‘manness’ – ‘We have to kill him…’ pg.125 ironically this premeditation puts him on the same level with Bolo – this is arguable.
• Bolo is shot by the authorities – His death is symbolic – how he died as well as what he died for.
• Pathetic Fallacy – nature weeping at Bolo’s death and funeral – the heavy rain. Pg 133 &137.
• Ironic that his death brought more sorrow than the havoc that he caused.
• Bolo’s final act was what put the community of Bonasse in the public’s eye – ironic
• Ivan and Bolo are presented as failed leaders.
• Bolo’s death may be seen as a pyrrhic victory – the price or cost too heavy – he is dead but what have they lost.

Chapter 10   Free at Last

• Social problems continue to plague the community pg. 138-139
• Heavy use of suspense – Reggie brought the news to his mother – Eva told Bee pg. 147-148
• Bolo’s spirit lives on pg. 142
• Pathetic Fallacy – nature rejoices with the people in their victory – pg. 149
• The spirit of the church, village is reincarnated into something else – there is hope for the resurrection of the culture of the Bonasse people. Pg 152.
• Freedom to worship a pyrrhic victory – took too long the spirit gone. Pg. 151 Victory came at too great a cost.
• An anticlimactic ending.

Wine of Astonishment essays courtesy of Jordon Hayles

1. ‘Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment’. (Psalms 60:3)

The Wine of Astonishment depicts a society in crisis. With reference to the novel:

1. Discuss the hardships the people of Bonasse experienced during that time.    (7 marks)
2. Explain Eva’s role in the community during that time of challenge.                    (10 marks)
3. Discuss the effectiveness of the choice of Eva as narrator.                                   (8 marks)

The novel The Wine of Astonishment by Earl Lovelace is narrated by Eva Dorcas, wife of Bee Dorcas and mother of five children. Eva tells the readers of all that is happening in that time, which is the Second World War and afterwards. In the novel, the theme strength, hardships and hope as well as others can be seen, strength can be seen with Bolo and the warriors, also, with the people of Bonasse themselves, especially the Baptists, as even though they are constantly being opposed, harassed and oppressed, they still fight, and continue hope that things will get better.  The title is very effective, as it is an excerpt from the Bible, which shows not only that the people are going through hard times or struggles, but that the book and them also centre or revolve around religion, and most of the problems or trials they face are ones because of their religious practices.

As stated before, many people face hardships in the novel, these hardships gives the reader a greater understanding about the characters and how they deal with their problems and it also helps the novel to progress, and makes the books title more effective. The first chapter opens up the reader to a hardship that is seen throughout all or most of the novel; the hardships the Spiritual Baptists face as they are being persecuted. In the novel, the Spiritual Baptists are seen to go through many hard times/challenges. They are not allowed to do certain practices which separate their denomination from others, like ringing the church bell while worshipping, clapping too loudly or even ‘catching the Spirit’. The church people were so harassed and targeted by the police, they had to move their church far away as to not get disturbed, but still the police would find them and harass them, especially once when they caught them breaking the law and brought them to the police station. In those days, only Catholic and Anglican people were respected, and so, only they would advance in the world. No matter what level education you have, it you weren’t Catholic or Anglican, you would not be able to succeed; Ivan Morton’s mother had realised this after Ivan Morton had sit his exams multiple times, and although he was smart enough, he did not advance until his mother had converted them to the accepted Catholic faith.

  Also, the community and the people of Bonasse had to face hardships when they were forced to not follow their traditions or ‘roots’. All things they were used to doing, all the practices were used to like having carnivals and their well-known stick-fights were banned by the government due to the Second World War. Because they weren’t allowed to follow their traditions, some people went astray, picking up new habits/lifestyles, especially since there were Americans on the island. The people who decided to stay in the old mind-set, those who clung to the old lifestyle were even more the more opposed; also, due to there being many American soldiers on the island protecting it, there results in a greater abundance of currency, resulting in a more materialistic and ‘everyman for himself’ as opposed to the former community living. And another hardship the people experienced was that they were still facing hardships, even though they had one of their own on the Council. They believed Ivan Morton would be a gateway leading them out of this time of hardships, leading them to freedom, but they realized that Ivan Morton did no such thing once he was placed inside the council.

As said earlier, Eva is the narrator of the novel The Wine of Astonishment. In the novel, it can be seen that Eva has multiple roles in the community. One of her first roles is being the wife to Bee Dorcas, which means to be able to understand him and his ways and to support him. Eva is seen in the novel as being the person Bee confides in the most. Eva can see and notice when her husband is not well, stressed or unhappy. She knows how to cheer him up and how to deal with that situation. Also, from that point, two roles can also be seen; one being that she is the mother of her children, and the other being that, since she is the wife of the pastor, that makes her the mother of the church, which can be seen as a symbol of the village, so Eva is a wife, mother and church/village mother. The novel shows that she plays the role of mother when it tells us she worries about her children, this can be seen when she tells us that she is wondering about her son Taffy, and if he is still okay and why he doesn’t write. It also shows this when she is their strength and gives them explanations when their father was not doing as he said he was going to do, which was break the law. She also shows her motherliness when takes care of the children, guides and encourages them and when she bridges the gap between the children’s expectations and that of the father, seen in the time when Bee did not break the law, and Eva kept reassuring Reggie that Bee was still a man, and that he will do as he said and break the law. She is seen as the church/community mother when people from the church or community go to her to confide in her and ask for her help, seen when the father of the two females that Bolo had taken went to Bee for help and advice, but since Bee was not there, or since Bee was not present, he trusted Eva enough to explain to her what was happening. Also, she is seen as the church mother  when she offers support for the people in the church family, and when she assists her husband in church doing church activities.

Earl Lovelace made an excellent choice in making Eva the narrator. This is so because, as she is a mother as well, she would also have hardships of her own, hardships that only mothers will have. Also, Eva is very close to the situation, and although it may have some bias, the information presented is in detail, not only exactly as it happened very vivid with all the uses of literary devices; information was also intimate and personal as she had a personal relationship with all the characters. Also, Eva knows the history of each character, and hence tells only the important parts related to what is happening, but gives the reader enough information to understand what is happening and why it is happening. And finally, Eva gives information about everybody, but it is only certain characters she gives personal information about, and she considers herself one of these characters. Another is Bee, and also Bolo and how he felt and why he felt and did the things he did. She gave us enough information behind what happened to Bolo earlier that made him turn out the way he did and do the things he did. Also, in the novel, Eva had a lot of free time, so she would have enough free time to tell us the story.

In conclusion, it can be seen that Eva is a very good choice for the narrator. She was able to capture all the hardships the people of Bonasse had to face and was able to present it to the reader in a very fine way. Also, it can be seen that Eva’s roles in the community help to get the information that make up the story through people telling her stories, and this is very helpful as she, or women in those times, weren’t allowed in certain places and so she had to rely on second hand source to know what happened.

                                    -Jordon Hayles  (5Pool4 Literature)

2) According to Eva in The Wine of Astonishment, ‘the sickness for money was the disease taking over everybody.’

a) Explain the reason for the sudden influx of money in society.                 (7marks)

b) Identify a character who embraces and one who rejects this new lifestyle that has been driven by money and     explain how all of this is shown.                                                                          (10 marks)

c) Say whether or not this change is a positive one. Explain your answer. (8 marks)

The Wine of Astonishment, by Earl Lovelace, is narrated by a female, Eva Dorcas. She is the wife to Bee Dorcas, the pastor of the Shouter Baptist Church, and together, they have five children. Throughout the novel, change has been introduced; change to views, culture and morale. It is told to us by Eva that some people do not readily accept this change, and that some reject it, some even fight against it.

In the novel, Eva tells us how people would change, so that they can easily earn the American money which is the more popular. This is so, because of World War II. Because of World War II, American soldiers were dispatched to Trinidad to protect it, they had even set up a Base. With them, the Americans brought along their own currency, the American currency, which had a higher rate than their own Trinidadian currency. With the Americans being all over the small country, their currency was gained, and circulated a lot in Trinidad, resulting in an influx of money. Money was also easily earned and given away; doing little to no work on the Base had made a man from Bonasse, Mitchell, far better off than he was before the Americans. Americans, or anyone who had enough money and wanted their needs satisfied, would easily give money up to girls, which, in the end, resulted in prostitution.

Throughout the story, the theme of change is presented to the readers. In Bonasse, everyone was one, they were family, and happily and firmly followed culture and tradition, some more firmly than others, for example, Mitchell. Mitchell, as mentioned before, easily discards his old lifestyle for a new one that would increase his wealth. He went to work for the Americans on the Base just to make a lot of money easily, and when his work time had ended, he did not revert to his old living styles or mannerisms, he had embraced the Americans’, flashing his wealth about, and inappropriately touched girls because he thought he had money enough. One character who greatly contrasts Mitchell is Bolo. Bolo, even when there was a great abundance of money he could easily earn more, stuck to his simple lifestyle, climbing coconut trees for a meagre pay compared to that of the ones he would have gotten if he worked for the Americans. Also, he still believed in a sense of community and oneness, eventhough, because of money, most people had gone into an all for themselves attitude.

The change shown in the story is both positive, and negative. From an economic end, this change is very positive and advantageous. With the influx of money, the Trinidadian economy must have been thriving and growing, but, it is also negative as, it shows that money can be seen as an evil force, causing family and close friends to resent each other, hatred in a community or society, seen when Bolo had returned from jail and showed his long time hatred towards Mitchell by ruining his snackette’s business. Money had also caused many females to degrade themselves to make money to survive in a society run by it. It also puts people out of jobs, as the market vendors that sells ground provision would have less to sell. Hence, it is more negative than positive.

In conclusion, it can be seen that one reason for great change in Eva’s society was money; the need to earn it and then to spend it. It can be seen that money changed people, but some people remained the same, holding on strongly to beliefs that were waning, also, that although this money has positive effects on the society, it is mostly negative, as many views were analysed and seen as negative.

-Jordon Hayles

Sonnet Composed Upon Westminster Bridge

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http://www.bulbsoup.com/p-sonnet-composed--bridge.html

West Indies, U.S.A.

LITERAL MEANING
The persona is travelling in a plane, looking down at San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the plane descends. He is saying that this island is the wealthiest in the Caribbean because it has won the jackpot, it has come up lucky. He then points out that he, and others, had travelled to many Caribbean islands and received a hint of the flavour of each island through it's calling card, - its airport - all of which fail when compared to plush San Juan. As they land, they are instructed to stay on the plane if their destination is not San Juan. The persona takes offence and states that America does not want blacks in San Juan, implying that they might be a disruptive force. He notes the efficiency with which things flow, enabling them to take to the skies once more. During the ascent, the persona notes the contrast between the influences of the Caribbean and America. He likens San-Juan to a broken TV, it Iooks good on the outside, but broken on the inside.

The physical structure of this poem has been altered from the original layout in the text.

Cruising at thirty thousand feet above the endless green1.the island seems like dice tossed on a casino's baize, some come up lucky, others not. Puerto Rico takes the pot, 2.the Dallas of the West Indies, 2.silver linings on the clouds as we descend are hall-marked, 1.San Juan glitters like a maverick's gold ring.
                                  All across the Caribbean we'd collected terminals - 1.airports are like calling cards, cultural fingerprints; the hand written signs at Port-au-Prince, Piarco's sleazy tourist art, the lethargic contempt of the baggage boys at 'Vere Bird' in St. Johns ....
And now for 5.plush San Juan.
                                  But the pilot's bland you're safe in my hands drawl crackles as we land, 'US regulations demand all passengers not disembarking at San Juan stay on the plane, I repeat, stay on the plane.' 3.Subtle Uncle Sam, afraid too many 6.desperate blacks might re-enslave 4.this Island of the free, might jump the barbed
                                  electric fence around 7.'America's back yard' and claim that vaunted sanctuary ..... 3. 'give me your poor .....' Through toughened, tinted glass 8.the contrasts tantalise; US patrol cars glide across the shimmering tarmac, containered baggage trucks unload with 9.fierce efficiency. So soon we're climbing,  
                                   low above the pulsing city streets; galvanized shanties overseen by condominiums polished Cadillacs shimmying with pushcarts and as we climb, San-Juan's 10.fools-glitter calls to mind the shattered innards of a TV set that's fallen off the back of a lorry, all painted valves and circuits 1.the road like twisted wires,
                                    the bright cars, micro-chips. 11.It's sharp and jagged and dangerous, and belonged to some-one else.

Brown, S. 'West Indies, U.S.A' in A World of Prose. Edited by Mark McWatt and Hazel Simmonds McDonald. Pearson Education Ltd, 2005.

LITERARY DEVICES
1. SIMILE

• Line 2: Puerto Rico is compared to dice that is tossed on a casino's baize, it can either come up with winning numbers, or losing numbers. Puerto Rico comes up with winning numbers in the game of chance, as reflected in its wealthy exterior, which is supported by America.

• Lines 7-8: San Juan's glitter is compared to a maverick's gold ring. The word maverick implies non-conformist, an individualist. This implies that San Juan, Puerto Rico is in the Caribbean, but not a part of the Caribbean. It belongs to America.
• Lines 10-11: Airports are compared to calling cards. This means that, like a calling card, the quality of the airport gives you an idea of the island's economic status. The airport is also compared to a cultural fingerprint. A fingerprint is an individual thing, therefore the airport gives the traveler an idea of the island's cultural landscape. 

• Line 39: The road is compared to twisted wires. This means that the roads, from above, look both plentiful and curvy. This does not carry a positive connotation, but implies confusion. 

2. ALLUSION

• Line 5: Dallas is an oil rich state in America. Therefore, many of its inhabitants are wealthy, and the state itself, is wealthy. By stating that San Juan is the Dallas of the West Indies, it implies that it is a wealthy island in the West Indies.
• Lines 5-7: An allusion is being made to the well known cliche; 'every cloud has a silver lining'. It means that behind everything that is seemingly bad, there is good. In the context of this poem, it means that the good, the silver lining, has a mark, or stamp, that authenticates its good quality; it is hallmarked. This implies that it will always have its silver lining showing.

3. SARCASM

• Line 20: This statement means the exact opposite of what is stated. The persona is disgusted that Uncle Sam (America) would have such a regulation. This regulation bars anyone from stepping a toe on Puerto Rican soil, if it is not your intended destination. You just have to remain in the air craft, no matter the waiting period, until it is time for takeoff. The persona believes that the Americans are being blatantly discriminatory, and are attempting to camouflage it through the use of regulations. He does not believe that they have achieved their goal of subtlety. 
• Line 20: The statement, 'give me your poor...' is particularly sarcastic because it is a direct quote from the New Collossus, which rests on a plaque on the statue of liberty, and signifies that the disenfranchised of the world are welcome. The persona, as a member of the 'disenfranchised' masses, clearly feels unwelcomed.                                                                             

• Line 26: The persona implies that America is all talk and no action. They really do not want the poor because they bar them from entering and expediently sends them on their way when they enter their airport. The statement is sarcastic because it is loaded with an alternate meaning, due to the contrast in statement and action.

4. PUN
Line 17-18: The pun is placed on 'land of the free', it becomes 'Island of the free'. This pun emphasizes how isolated Puerto Rico is from the rest of the Caribbean islands. It belongs to the U.S.A. This state of belonging to, or being owned by the US is asserted through it's insertion into the Star Spangled Banner.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES
5. 'plush'
This word implies soft, like a teddy bear. It also implies luxury. So San Juan is all of these things.
6.'desperate blacks might re-enslave this Island of the free' 
These 'desperate blacks' to whom the persona is referring are the poor people of the Caribbean. If they converge on the glistening San Juan, sucking up its resources, then it might become re-enslaved by poverty.
7.'America's back yard'
A backyard means one of two things for people. It is a haven where you relax, therefore you decorate it and invest time and money in it. Or, you ignore it and spend all your time indoors, not investing any time, energy or money in it. America viewed Puerto Rico as the latter, a prize in which it saw value. Therefore, when the persona uses this phrase, he is implying that while it is valued, it is still at the back. Slight sarcasm is being used here.
8.'the contrasts tantalise'
When something, or someone, is tantalising, it implies that it is intriguing. The persona, by using this phrase, is trying to draw the readers attention to to the jarring contrasts by stating that he finds them intriguing.
9.'fierce efficiency'
The word fierce, used to describe the level of efficiency with which the people worked to get the plane off the ground, shows the extent to which they were not wanted on the island.
10.'fools-glitter'
This implies that the flashiness of San Juan was not authentic.
11.'It's sharp and jagged and dangerous, and belonged to some-one else.'
This implies that San Juan is not safe. The cultures are not melding, but jarring against each other. The reason for this is because it belongs to someone else.

CONTRAST
The contrast in this poem is found in stanza 5. The American cars etc, against the pushcarts. The American culture versus the Puerto Rican culture.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is sarcastic.

TONE
The tone of the poem is slightly bitter, which is fueled by the sarcastic atmosphere.

THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION
Discrimination, oppression, places, culture.

 ***taken from bulbsoup.com***

http://www.bulbsoup.com/p-west-indies-usa.html

The Wine of Astonishment - Chapters 5-7

Sample question

Characterization and thematic concerns are usually the main vehicles writers use to explore the social life/world of a text. In the examination of The Wine of Astonishment discuss the extent to which this is true by:

a)      Identifying a theme and explaining how the social life of the text is highlighted

b)     Identifying a character and explain how the social life of the text is brought out.

c)      Identifying one other element and explaining how the social life of the text is explored.

Chapter 5

• The Shouter group faces the consequences for breaking the law
• The church is attacked in the climax of a worship session
• Prince’s character fully materialized – Eva has been hinting at his insensitive and callous nature.
• Bolo’s heroism is both challenged and demonstrated – brave enough to challenge the state and well as he was defeated
• Bolo’s last attempt to salvage what’s left of his people, his culture, his community – in his eyes a dying society.
• Taffy questions his father’s inaction, the state’s action and the possibility of change or hope.
• The deterioration of society and its values and morals – evident in Buntin’s shop – run down. Not playing the role it use to in the lives of the community members – Mitchels rise is therefore imminent and inevitable.

Chapter 6

• Eva takes us further back to the period before Ivan goes into power.
• Explanation as to why Ivan was the most suitable candidate for the position is given.
• This allows the reader to further understand and appreciate the disappointment and betrayal the people feel towards and about Ivan.
• Bee and his church members demonstrated a willingness to compromise and wait on Ivan to usher in the change for them – they are still waiting – hence the frustration.

Chapter 7 – Bolo Returns

• The book returns to the present. Back to the end of chapter one
• Bolo returns to find that things have deteriorated – he now has very little hope – he feels useless in a society that has moved pass valuing what he has to contribute.
• He moves about trying to find a sense of purpose and to fit in – uses brute force to get his way – this however is the only thing he knows. He refuses to accept the change that has taken over the village.
• Bolo gets the opportunity to demonstrate his prowess in stick fighting – this turn sour as he is the only one who is taking serious – and who is willing to fight in the true sense of the word.
• Bolo is allowed by the community members to carry on with his bad acts – without him being challenged – this is done out of fear, sympathy as well as guilt.
• The reader is now prepared for the Bad John he becomes in chapter 8

Numbers

17 – how long Prince is in the Police force

16 – Taffy’s age – hence his disapproval of his father’s action

3 – number of years Bolo was sentenced – time it took for further breakdown in society

19 – number of persons Prince arrested

7 – frog vex for 7 years – comparison to the magistrate and his appearance – another of Eva’s striking images

10 – Ten pounds – court charge

21  - days in jail if money cannot be paid

2 – the two men who bought the cow

Poems: ‘Ol’ Higue’ and ‘Le Loupgarou’

The what - Content:

• Theme – The supernatural, stories used to explain unknown or phenomena. Beliefs held by society custom - culture
• Ol’ Higue – name given to woman who haunts babies – this results in sickness or death.
• Practices govern how this situation is treated – use of salt, rice grain and the sun.
• This belief has held its root and will not go away – because as long as babies get sick  and die – blame will be cast on Ol Higue.

The Form – Layout of poem

• 3 stanzas written in free verse – this facilitates the type of poem – dramatic monologue – persona’s expression of her feelings. This also allows for introspection as well as involvement of the reader/listener to participate in the situation.

The How - Structure

• Dramatic monologue
• Diction – use of colloquial and expression relating to society eg. ‘dry-up woman’
• Movements among and within paragraphs – reader/listener invited to sympathize with her pleading to listeners – then to justification of actions – acceptance of relevance to society and mothers.
• Use of punctuation and lineation – question marks, ellipsis, exclamation – facilitates the dramatic monologue style, supports the changes in emotions and the need for the listener/reader to see from her point of view.
• Use of imagery – ‘few drops of baby blood’ blood running in new veins, ‘fly come’(literal and figurative)
• ‘Believe me-‘short line – to prepare the reader and solidify what is to come – an acceptable truth.
• See Notes on English B pg. 32-33

Comparison to other poem

• ‘Le Loupgarou’ – a sonnet -   hence more structure is evident in terms of lineation, rhyme scheme
• Use of end and eye rhymes, poem divided into an octave and sestet
• Delving in the world of the supernatural – a realistic situation – a man Le Brun – being used and told as something supernatural.
• Story told as a rumour – section about him turning into a werewolf – this is to both facilitate the extent of his actions what happened to him and the women’s dislike of him.
• Use of imagery and literary devices – oxymoron ‘Christian witches’ howled and lugged.
• Both poems Caribbean in nature – custom and tradition – affects practices done and treatment given to and by people.

Ol’Higue’s story facilitates the mothers’ explanation for the unexplained (sick or dead baby) – while the story of Le Brun and what has been added on by the women – facilitates their gossip and what the community holds on to.

CHECKLIST FOR READING/ANALYSING A SHORT STORY

CHECKLIST FOR READING/ANALYSING A SHORT STORY*

Plot

• How are the events presented in the story?
• How is the plot developed? Does the author use a linear (chronological) pattern?
  
• Is flashback one of the techniques used?
• Do any of the early events or incidents prepare the reader for later ones?
• Do any events or incidents lead you to anticipate the outcome?
• What is the nature of the conflict?
• At what point does the story climax?
• Does the climax bring about a change in character or situation?

Character

• What are the types of character/s present in the story? (flat, round, stereotype, stock)
•  Are the characters believable?
• How are the characters presented by the author?
• What is the main character like?
• Does the author present fully developed characters?
• What are the conflicts that the main character faces?
• Does this character change as a result of the events that he or she experiences in the story?
• What is the nature of the change?
• If there is no change, why not?

Setting

·         How important is the setting of the story?

·         Does the setting help to develop the plot? How does it do so?

·         What does the setting contribute to our understanding of the meaning of the story?

·         Does the setting have any influence on the characters?

Point of View

• Does the point of view that is used help the author to expose the theme? If so, how?
• To what extent is the narrator a reliable witness to events?
• Would the choice of a different point of view change the story significantly?

Theme

• What is the theme of the story?
• Does the title provide a clue to what it is?
• Is there only one theme or are there several themes?
• Does the author suggest the theme through imagery?

Style

·         Does the author use figurative language in telling this story, or is the language literal?

·         If figurative language is used, what is the effect?

·         Does the author use dialogue to advance the action of the story? If dialect is used what is the effect?

·         What examples of figurative language are most striking in the story?

·         Why are they striking?

·         How does figurative language contribute to the meaning and theme of the story?

Narrative Technique

Narrative Technique

The methods involved in telling a story; the procedures used by a writer of stories or accounts. Narrative technique is a general term (like "devices," or "resources of language") that asks you to discuss the procedures used in the telling of a story. Examples of the techniques you might use are point of view, narrative structure,  manipulation of time, dialogue, or interior monologue.

Point of view

Objective Point of View
With the objective point of view, the writer tells what happens without stating more than can be inferred from the story's action and dialogue. The narrator never discloses anything about what the characters think or feel, remaining a detached observer.

Third Person Point of View
Here the narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, but lets us know exactly how the characters feel. We learn about the characters through this outside voice.

First Person Point of View
In the first person point of view, the narrator does participate in the action of the story. When reading stories in the first person, we need to realize that what the narrator is recounting might not be the objective truth. We should question the trustworthiness of the accounting.

Omniscient and Limited Omniscient Points of View
A narrator who knows everything about all the characters is all knowing, or omniscient.

A narrator whose knowledge is limited to one character, either major or minor, has a limited omniscient point of view.

Dialogue

Dialogue is another technique that authors use to tell their stories. Dialogue is direct speech between two characters. Authors often signify dialogue with quotation marks and a dialogue tag like "he said" or "she whispered." Through dialogue, authors are able to create scenes in which characters speak to one another and voice their thoughts and feelings.

Manipulation of time

Authors also use shifts in time within novels as a narrative technique. A flashback is when the storyline jumps backward to show something that has happened before the main events of the novel and that has relevance to the present story. Foreshadowing is when the narration hints at things that will happen but have not happened yet. Authors might also use a frame story, a secondary story that is not the main story of the novel but through which the main story is told. A frame story may, as in Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," be a character in the future remembering what has happened in the past. A frame story may also be, as in Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights," a character learning of the main story as the reader does.

Symbolism

Another important narrative technique is symbolism. A symbol is a thing that signifies something else. Symbols in novels are often ambiguous. For instance, in "The Great Gatsby," much of the action takes place beneath the eyes of an advertisement. You could argue that these eyes symbolize many things: They might be the eyes of God or the eyes of the reader or the eyes of Nick, the story's narrator. Some readers have even interpreted the eyes as a symbol of consumer culture.

Narrative Style

Narrative style refers to the way in which the author uses language vocabulary and imagery; it refers to the way in which the story is organized and the way in which the events are paced. (See point of view above) and refer to page 192 in A World of Prose.

Literary Devices

·         Allusion- An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

·         Irony—generally used to describe an occurrence or statement that embodies something

coincidental or lucky with an added remarkable twist of fate

o   Verbal—the use of words to express something other than and especially the

opposite of the literal meaning

o   Situational—incongruity between he actual result of a sequence of events and the

normal or expected result

o   Dramatic—when the audience or readers understand something in a play or story

that the actors or characters do not understand

·         Coincidence—the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but

seem to have some connection

·         Symbolism—the art of expressing invisible or untouchable entities with visible or

sensual representations

·         Flashback—interruption of the plot by interjection of events of an earlier occurrence

·         Foreshadowing—representation or identification of what is to come later in the plot

·         Hyperbole—extravagant exaggeration

·         Oxymoron—a combination of words that contradict one another; for example, cruel

kindness

sample essay on short stories

The short story ‘The Man of the House’ is a story in which a young child deals with a frightening experience.

a)      Outline the situation that produces fear in the child.                                              (5 marks)

b)      Explain how the child deals with the fear experienced.                                         (10 marks)

c)      Discuss how the narrative technique affects the reader’s response to the ordeal of the child protagonist.                                                                                                                    (10 marks)

The short stories “The Man of the House” and “The Day the World almost came to an end”, written by Frank O’Connor and Pearl Crayton respectively, are both similar. Both stories involve a young child dealing with a frightening experience. For the child in each story, their experience produces fear, and the child has to try to handle or quell their fears. The fears and situations of each child are better understood through the narrative techniques of each unique author, making the reader’s response to the ordeal of the child protagonists better.

            The mother of Flurry, the main character and protagonist in “The Man…” has become very sick. Flurry fears that this sickness will develop into pneumonia, and his mother will die. For anyone, the fear of a mother dying is a terrible experience, so for a ten year old innocent boy, it should be absolutely horrifying. In “The Day…”, the child protagonist’s experience is perhaps equally as terrifying. The speaker is an adult reflecting on her childhood as a young sinner. Her frightening experience occurs when she is twelve years old, living on a plantation that is all about religion. Simply put, the world is supposedly coming to an end, and being an unrepentant sinner, it means she will end up in hell, which is definitely not a place she would want to be “where a red horned Devil tormented folks with a pitch fork.” So now these child protagonists have to deal with their situations somehow.

            In “The Man…”, Flurry decides that he will try everything he can to nurse his mother back to health. He stays home, makes the breakfast, goes to the public house to get her whiskey, gets the doctor and even goes to get the medicine that he prescribes. Only, he fails in his final attempt to help her as he drinks the medicine, under peer pressure from a girl, which is supposed to make her (the mother) better. Flurry goes home with no medicine for his mother and ends up sick, making a fool of himself in front of his mother’s friend, Minnie Ryan. In “The Day…”, the protagonist tries to calm her fears by reasoning with herself that the world cannot end, and she consults with her wise father to be assured that the world will still be around. This consultation ends up making her more fearful, and that night she runs screaming through the community that the world is going to end when she hears a loud racket in the sky. It turned out that the racket is actually an old aeroplane. There is a major similarity between both stories here, because in handling their fears they have managed to embarrass themselves in front of others.

             Both stories are written in first person narrative point of view, and this narrative technique helps the reader to respond better to the protagonists’ situations. In “The Man …”, the first person narrative allows the reader to understand and empathise with Flurry when he fails his mother. The reader can see how he was pressured. In “The Day…”, through the use of flashback (recalling a childhood incident), the reader can see that the narrator who is an adult now understands that as a child she was foolish and in her present age she has matured.

            So in both short stories, the protagonists had to endure frightening experiences. It is interesting then that for both short stories, the child protagonists’ situation have not turned out too badly in the end, because their original fears have not come to pass. Flurry’s mother has not died (in fact she begins to feel better by the time Flurry returns home ), and the world did not end for the young ‘sinner’.

                                                                                             -Written by Daniel Battick of 4 pool 2-

GENERAL TIPS ABOUT ESSAY WRITING

Organisation of the Essay

Organize your essay into paragraphs. Each paragraph must:

• Have a topic/lead sentence to show what it is about;
• Include suitable quotations to clarify your points;
• Have link words (also known as connectives or transitional words/phrases) to linkyour paragraphs.

The introductory paragraph must:

• Relate to the question;
• Include the main words/terms that appear in the various sections of the question;
• Give the examiner an idea of how you are going to tackle the answer.

The body of the essay must:

• Consist of well-organised paragraphs;
• Deal with each element in a paragraph of its own;
• Present your line of reasoning.

The concluding paragraph must:

• Provide a summary of the main points that you have made in the body of your essay;
• Refer to the question that is being answered.

WINE OF ASTONISHMENT- Effects of the War

Narrative Style:

• Heavy use of idioms and colloquial expressions –eg. ‘breeze could cut him’ pg. 27 ‘lips curl up like the edge of a cashew fruit.’pg.28
• Use of symbols

ü  People, places and objects

ü  The church, Bolo(tradition), Prince and Ivan (power & authority) and Bee (the transition – between what was and what will be), Clem (embraces change) etc.

ü  The church -  contrast with the Richardson’s estate

• Use if images and literary devices.
• Use of repetition – ‘still black people was having dreams..’pg.36

Impact of War

• Traditional way of life – uprooted, threatened.
• Culture - being questioned – what is acceptable is no longer certain. Eg. stickfighting doesn’t hold the same sentimence. Degradation of society’s values and standards – prostitution.
• Economy – has changed – agriculture no longer revered or seen as a manly job. – consumerism – everything can be bought or has a price.
• Community members struggle with change
• Masculinity  - redefined.

 Characterization and Theme

• Bolo – representative of the traditional life – a dying lifestyle
• Traditional man -
• Refuses to accept – inevitable change – only sees the negative effect

Ivan and Prince

• Symbolic of oppression
• Disappointments – were seen as symbols of hope for the people
• Selfishness and greed
• Embody a different type of leadership

Bee

• His manhood and leadership questioned by both his family and church members
• Caught between rock and hard place – needs to show courage to son and family and church – both groups demand this in different ways.

Effectiveness of Flashback

• To provide background information to the behaviours of characters
• Understand the reason for the hope being placed in Ivan
• Allows for the readers to make their own assessment of characters and events
• Story moved from immediate past – to distant past.
• Distinction already being made regarding who is in good standing and whose character is questionable.
• Details of certain behaviour already being highlighted – eg. The Richardson, Ivan, Bee and Bolo

Suggested questions for characters in role play activity:

Ivan –

1. The people regard you as their last hope for true representation regarding freedom of worship – How do you feel about this?
2. Some people feel that nothing has changed with you as you were always aloof and distant from community members - what do you have to say in response to this?
3. Many persons have been saying that since you have been exposed to a little power and authority you no longer remember where you are from – is this true?

Bee

1. Why have you been so reluctant to openly express how you feel about what has been happening?
2. What difficulties do you face as a leader, husband and father?

Bolo

1. Why are you so upset with the fact that the Americans are here?
2. Many persons believe that you are afraid of embracing change and you want to continue with old practices that are no longer relevant – what do you have to say about this?
3. How true is it that your negative feeling towards Ivan is because of Eulalee?