Did You Hear That? Voices in Wieland According to the Narrat
Sometimes, it is necessary to have an omniscient narrator, someone who can read the minds of the other characters and explain to the reader exactly what is happening. Other times a narrator does not always know what is going on. This is more engaging for the reader allowing us to sort of "play along" as we discover the details with the narrator. Aferall, who wants horror that is predictable? Wieland, a novel by Charles Brockden Brown, is a shining example of unpredictable horror. Brown pulls off his story beautifully- reminding us how right Mark Twain was when he said that the most important part of a novel is the narrator. Brown uses Clara as a first person narrator - one who does not fully understand the state of affairs surrounding her- an extremely intriguing factor to us, as readers. While Clara may give an inaccurate account of the details of the story, allowing the reader to view events through her eyes gives an added sense of terror. Instead of merely plodding through an account of events, the reader is taken with Clara on a roller coaster ride of emotions. As Clara's opinions and views change, so do the readers.' As an author, Brown intertwines his feminist views into his work. The reader becomes captivated wit
This quote is a prime example of how Clara is disturbed but yet, being the strong female she is, her sense of security is quickly regained. In his novel, Wieland, Brown shows us how reading a novel can be an active experience- especially when the reader is so engaged in the narrator. During the novel, we followed Clara's emotions and terror as suspense was maintained. Clara's views changed in the novel and we as readers either stuck with her or were left behind. It was up to us to discover with Clara the array of the insane imaginative characters in the story. From Wieland to Carwin, we hoped that Clara didn't turn and join the likes of them! As for me, I stuck with her. The use of first person narration was engaging. I applaud Brown for this ability. As a reader I was not only captivated, but at times, instilled with fear. A good narrator is one that can affect the reader just by encompassing everything around them. The use of voices in the novel seems just like another piece of the imagination that engages us into the plot. However, when they begin to affect Clara personally, that is when the reader begins to squirm. As Clara is trying to sleep one night, she is disturbed:
Some common words found in the essay are:
Neither Carawin, Clara's Cloudy, Brown Clara, Clara Carwin, Wieland Brown, , Wieland Carwin, Brockden Brown, Mark Twain, reader clara, novel readers, opinions views, reader captivated, voices closet, readers clara, feminist views, strong female,
Approximate Word count = 1116
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
