Well I just want to begin by saying that I have really loved the transition into short stories. Both of these short stories were so interesting! I had not realized how much I enjoyed having the information just bam, bam, bam in a piece of literature. But don’t get me wrong, the long almost boring books are great too.
I completely agree that reading habits vary when reading short stories versus long Romantic novels, or at least my personal reading habits changed. Short stories throw so much in the reader’s face so quickly. As we discussed in class, each detail is important. When there are only ten pages to tell a story, every rhetorical decision has meaning, whereas in a long novel, there are pages and pages to develop an idea or a character. I found that I needed to read the short stories so much more carefully in order to make meaning of all of the little details that Gilman and Chopin wrote. I actually had to reread The Yellow Wallpaper to try and understand it better and I found so many more details I had missed the first time! Rereading the final page of The Yellow Wallpaper again in class gave me a whole new perspective of the text. When earlier describing the wallpaper, the narrator described the eyes and the twisting necks and hideous heads, but on the final page Gilman writes, “All those strangled heads and bulbous eyes and waddling fungus growths just shriek with derision!” (Page 515) in reference to what some believe to be the narrator’s suicide. This is what caused the union of our narrator and the woman of the wallpaper. I had not made that connection until I changed my reading habits and I read carefully, picking up every detail and making meaning of Gilman’s rhetorical decisions.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree that when reading short stories you have to pay a lot of attention to detail so you will not miss out on important parts of the story. While reading these two stories I found myself reading more carefully and not just skimming through the sentences, which I usually do when reading a long novel. I also had to reread some parts of the short stories to make sure I caught all the important points that went on. Over good post!
ReplyDeleteIt is so true that you have to pay close attention to details is short stories. They authors can say so much is such a small amount of space! I too had to reread some parts of both short stories to make sure I was aware of what was happening!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to me how much authors condense into short stories! Makes me wonder why do novels have to be so long and drawn out if we can just put condense the story lines and add some very rich details? But I agree, it does make you read a lot closer and pay attention to those details!
ReplyDeleteI had to reread this story from start to finish as well! There are so many little clues and hints littered throughout the story that I didn't catch the first time around. When we all read the last page together in class the story made so much more sense. It finalaly clicked what had really happened.
ReplyDelete