A Class Blog exploring American literature and the American experience.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Narrator
On pgs 165-172 it is narrated the story of Macon and Pilate with the gold. The story is in third person while the previous stories-within-the-story were in first person. In your opinion why did Morrison make this choice?
I think Morrison chose to do this because it gives the reader the upper hand in understanding what's true and what's really happening in the story. The reader is told that the gold was not in the cave when Macon Jr. came back three days after murdering the old white man. But Milkman is told by Macon Jr. that the gold may still be inside the cave. This comment conflicts what the narrator said and shows that Milkman can only follow the erroneous idea of Macon Jr. Knowing both stories helps the reader better understand the story and figure out which is right and which is wrong.
I agree with Ryan. I think the way the story is told leads the reader to think that maybe Macon isn't telling Milkman 100% of the truth. This shows the when Milkman steals the gold he does it relatively blind, based off of what his father told him. I think Morrison eluded to Macon's deception by using Milkman on pg. 165 Milkman says that "...he felt used. Somehow everybody was using him for something or as something. This made me think that Macon is lying to Milkman so he will steal the sack of whatever is inside.
I agree with both of you. I think Morrison used the third person to make the story more trustworthy. The third-person narrative makes the narrator more persuasive, because he/she knows whats happening to all characters throughout the whole story. I think she really wants Milkman to believe the story Macon was telling, so that he goes and steals the gold for him. I think the third-person narrative also makes the whole story very believable for Milkman, but not that believable for the reader. Telling this particular story in the third-person Morrison wants her reader realize that there is no gold hidden in the green sack. The darkness in Pilate's house also gives us a hint that there's something wrong with the gold. "Although they had stood deliberately in the dark of the pine trees, they were unprepared for the deeper darkness that met them there in that room. Neither had seen that kind of blackness, not even behind their own eyelids. More unsettling than the darkness, however, was the fact that in contrast to the heat outside it was as cold as ice in Pilate's house."
Yeah I agree. Previous stories are all in first person, and they are biased. Ruth's story was a perfect example. Macon twisted it and Ruth had another version. I think by using third person narrative, we have a better sense what really happened. Also, the reason that Macon and Pilate worked together, lived together and survived together, might be the same reason why the gold story is in third person -- Pilate and Macon had the same version of the story.
Yeah I agree, the third person makes the story seem more credible and not baised by the story teller's goals. But it also makes it seem that the person was there and that we will meet the person. It makes me seem that there is a ghost that is telling the story and that aspect of magic realsim will come up again in the story.
I agree with everyone. I think the third person definitely gives the reader the power in deciding whether or not they choose to believe the personal stories of each character which were previously told, or whether they choose to take an unbiased story and go from there. It also exemplifies the mix-matchiness of Milkman's family history and how he can't really trust any of it unless a "narrator" tells him something, which we all know isn't a reality. It just makes things seem more confusing because we have 3 sides to choose from (one which we assume to be the truth), while Milkman has 2 possibilities, neither of which he knows to believe.
I think Morrison chose to do this because it gives the reader the upper hand in understanding what's true and what's really happening in the story. The reader is told that the gold was not in the cave when Macon Jr. came back three days after murdering the old white man. But Milkman is told by Macon Jr. that the gold may still be inside the cave. This comment conflicts what the narrator said and shows that Milkman can only follow the erroneous idea of Macon Jr. Knowing both stories helps the reader better understand the story and figure out which is right and which is wrong.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ryan. I think the way the story is told leads the reader to think that maybe Macon isn't telling Milkman 100% of the truth. This shows the when Milkman steals the gold he does it relatively blind, based off of what his father told him. I think Morrison eluded to Macon's deception by using Milkman on pg. 165 Milkman says that "...he felt used. Somehow everybody was using him for something or as something. This made me think that Macon is lying to Milkman so he will steal the sack of whatever is inside.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you. I think Morrison used the third person to make the story more trustworthy. The third-person narrative makes the narrator more persuasive, because he/she knows whats happening to all characters throughout the whole story. I think she really wants Milkman to believe the story Macon was telling, so that he goes and steals the gold for him. I think the third-person narrative also makes the whole story very believable for Milkman, but not that believable for the reader. Telling this particular story in the third-person Morrison wants her reader realize that there is no gold hidden in the green sack. The darkness in Pilate's house also gives us a hint that there's something wrong with the gold. "Although they had stood deliberately in the dark of the pine trees, they were unprepared for the deeper darkness that met them there in that room. Neither had seen that kind of blackness, not even behind their own eyelids. More unsettling than the darkness, however, was the fact that in contrast to the heat outside it was as cold as ice in Pilate's house."
ReplyDeleteYeah I agree. Previous stories are all in first person, and they are biased. Ruth's story was a perfect example. Macon twisted it and Ruth had another version. I think by using third person narrative, we have a better sense what really happened. Also, the reason that Macon and Pilate worked together, lived together and survived together, might be the same reason why the gold story is in third person -- Pilate and Macon had the same version of the story.
ReplyDeleteYeah I agree, the third person makes the story seem more credible and not baised by the story teller's goals. But it also makes it seem that the person was there and that we will meet the person. It makes me seem that there is a ghost that is telling the story and that aspect of magic realsim will come up again in the story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone. I think the third person definitely gives the reader the power in deciding whether or not they choose to believe the personal stories of each character which were previously told, or whether they choose to take an unbiased story and go from there. It also exemplifies the mix-matchiness of Milkman's family history and how he can't really trust any of it unless a "narrator" tells him something, which we all know isn't a reality. It just makes things seem more confusing because we have 3 sides to choose from (one which we assume to be the truth), while Milkman has 2 possibilities, neither of which he knows to believe.
ReplyDelete