Getting to the Reader

A detailed Summary of Getting to the Reader

We have read or heard many stories throughout our lives. We know that stories can vary in purpose: They can either teach a moral lesson or entertain. Some stories interest us; others do not. In order for a story to be interesting, it must be told in a way that does not bore or confuse the reader. This story must have elements that attenuate to a central purpose. These elements (setting, character, plot, point of view, symbol, theme, etc.) forge the thoughts and ideas of the author. Joyce Carol Oates' "Stalking" tells the tale of a young girl growing up in modern suburbia. "Stalking" is a critical review of modern American society and shows the detrimental effects that it can have on a young child. The main character in this story is stalking the "Invisible Adversary", who is the personification of the neglect that she has received in her life. In order to send this message to the reader, Oates emphasizes the point of view of the main character, plot, and setting in her short story "Stalking".

The narrator of "Stalking" is omniscient as she follows the main character, Gretchen, throughout a city. She shows us that Gretchen is anti-social: "If forced, she takes part in games (Oates 162)" and "she just stands around, her face

Joyce Carol Oates uses three elements in her story "Stalking": point of view, plot, and setting. We see this world from the narrator's and main character's point of view to better understand the main character: Gretchen is angry, spiteful, and anti-social. Oates sets up a simple, but interesting, plot to anchor our attention to the main character's problem: Gretchen stalks the "Invisible Adversary" and we want to know why. And Oates places us in a setting that is directly related to Gretchen's problems: The American culture leads to Gretchen's parents' neglect of her; Gretchen's parent's neglect leads to the manifestation of "The Invisible Adversary". Oates effectively uses these three elements to allow us understand the underlining point of this story.

Why is she angry, anti-social, and spiteful? Why is she stalking the "Invisible Adversary"? The linear plot quickly builds in this story and answers our questions at the end. As the "Invisible Adversary" leads Gretchen from place to place around town, Gretchen continues to shows us her audacious behavior everywhere she goes. In one afternoon, she knocks over a garbage can, steals, vandalizes a restroom, and ruins a dress. Her reckless attitude is further shown when the narrator describes Gretchen's appearance. She is "stocky" and "could be good at gym, if she bothered " (Oates 162). There is also a bit of irony and contradiction wh

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Approximate Word count = 938
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English