I think that the stories today kind of go hand in hand: both of them discussed freedom in one way or another. Emily, in some ways, lives her life completely free....she doesn't even pay taxes, and does what she pleases. However, she let's life pass her by. She dies having wasted the freedom she always had - by locking herself up in a house....like a caged bird.
The wife in "A Story of an Hour" longs for freedom, never has it, finally gains it and boom DEAD.
I think that both of these stories can be considered feminist of sorts - one positive and another negative. It's almost as if both of these stories represent the voices of many women....those that realize they a free and those that long to be so....Anyway.... Segue to voices.....
In the first paragraph of the story, we see that Faulkner uses a first
person plural narrator. Why do you think Faulkner prefers this? How does
this affect your understanding of the story?
The only thing I can think of for a reason to do this is to signify for the tale of Ms. Emily is that it is from the townspeople perspective. Which is useful becuase without coming from the group of townspeople we would need someone who observed Emily at all times so unleas we want a creepy narrator spying on some old lady I think this works well in the peice. As for the questions above I like to think the author realized the same as me if he wants a narration you need someone to have seen it all. Thus you by yaing multiple people you can get your narration in there as for how it effects the story for me it really didn't do a whole lot to change the story its more intresting in how its written rather then changing the story.
ReplyDeleteAm replying to myself here sorry but their is no one else to respond to so yeah.
DeleteI feel that Faulkner used first person plural narrator to show that almost all of the towns people felt the same way about Ms. Emily. It makes the story seem a lot more like gossip and a collective idea of what everyone in the town thinks about Ms. Emily. I personally think that Faulkner made the right choice by writing from such a perspective because it really shows how the rest of the people in the town are not fond of Ms. Emily, but still make everything about her their business.
DeleteThat was intended to be my own response rather than my response to you Garrett. The response that I had plan to give to you was as follows: I really like your response to yourself sir. Very humorous and I agree with your thoughts on the story. Telling this story from first person plural narration almost give it an omniscient point of view while still allowing the story to be told as if it were the opinion of all the towns people.
DeleteI think you are right on with your post. I also like your response to yourself.
DeleteThat is funny that you had to reply to yourself, and i also agree with you that it is a little creepy that someone could be spying on the old lady, but that first person was needed for this story.
DeleteI think it was a good idea to use first person plural narrator to show how the towns people really felt. It also shows how a society works by how people can not really like someone but make it their job to know about that person and what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteIts true how you can not be friend with someone but still know things about them. Its one of those things that happens in small towns. Especially in this town setting. It allows us to see how everyone saw this little old lady and try to understand her ways of life.
Deletei agree. it doesn't really make any sense for us to know about a person that we don't like, but we make their life our buisness any way.
DeleteHaving the story being told in first person plural narrator kind of gives me the impression that someone is telling someone outside of the town a story. This way it sound like " Oh yeah, Mrs. Emily, this is how she was and there is nothing else to say." It puts it in a straight forward and blunt kind of perspective,
ReplyDeleteI like how it was first story because it is someones perspective on Emily. I think that it shows how they really see her and shows all of her and not if Emily was the Narrator. It was a great way to begin the story.
ReplyDeleteit makes it so that you can kind of see the story through the point of view of someone that's in the story. it adds a little bit to the story, because your kind of living the story through one of the characters.
ReplyDelete