EQ: What is accomplished by O'Brien's nonlinear narrative scheme (see question 2)
Definitions:
Nonlinear narrative, disjointed narrative or disrupted narrative is a narrative technique, sometimes used in literature, film, hypertext websites and other narratives, where events are portrayed, for example out of chronological order, or in other ways where the narrative does not follow the direct causality pattern of the events featured, such as parallel distinctive plot lines, dream immersions or narrating another story inside the main plot-line. It is often used to mimic the structure and recall of human memory, but has been applied for other reasons as well.
Metafiction is a literary device used self-consciously and systematically to draw attention to a work's status as an artifact. It poses questions about the relationship between fiction and reality, usually using irony and self-reflection. It can be compared to presentational theatre, which does not let the audience forget it is viewing a play; metafiction forces readers to be aware that they are reading a fictional work.
Intertextuality is the shaping of a text's meaning by another text. Intertextual figures include: allusion, quotation, calque, plagiarism, translation, pastiche and parody.[1][2][3] Intertextuality is a literary device that creates an ‘interrelationship between texts’ and generates related understanding in separate works (“Intertextuality”, 2015). These references are made to influence that reader and add layers of depth to a text, based on the readers’ prior knowledge and understanding. Intertextuality is a literary discourse strategy (Gadavanij, n.d.) utilised by writers in novels, poetry, theatre and even in non-written texts (such as performances and digital media). Examples of intertextuality are an author’s borrowing and transformation of a prior text, and a reader’s referencing of one text in reading another.
Intertextuality does not require citing or referencing punctuation (such as quotation marks) and is often mistaken for plagiarism (Ivanic, 1998). Intertextuality can be produced in texts using a variety of functions including allusion, quotation and referencing (Hebel, 1989). However, intertextuality is not always intentional and can be utilised inadvertently. As philosopher William Irwin wrote, the term “has come to have almost as many meanings as users, from those faithful to Kristeva’s original vision to those who simply use it as a stylish way of talking about allusion and influence.
Read review:
https://mattviews.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/415-in-the-lake-of-the-woods-tim-obrien/
Imagining the truth: Narrative structure and technique in the works of Tim O'Brien
Michael A Radelich, University of Nebraska - Lincolnfrom abstract:
"In his two most recent books, The Things They Carried and In the Lake of the Woods, O'Brien's role as the storyteller, writer, and arranger of his text becomes central to his art. The books are as much about O'Brien himself, how he constructs his texts, and how he works to comprehend his own psychological reality, as much as they are about his characters' splintered past and tortured present. An understanding of the books' structures and their multiple levels of narration becomes crucial for the reader, since the manner in which O'Brien presents the chapters of his prose is as equally important as the content of the prose itself. There are several narrators in these books, some who are anonymous, and some who embody aspects of Tim O'Brien, the author, himself. "
Please discuss questions 1-4 with a partner and post your responses on the blog!
Discussion Questions:
In the Lake of the Woods
1. Almost from this novel's first page we know that Kathy Wade will vanish, and it is not long before we discover that her disappearance will remain unsolved. What, then, gives In the Lake of the Woodsits undeniable suspense? What does it offer in place of the revelations of traditional mysteries?2. Instead of a linear narrative, in which action unfolds chronologically, Tim O'Brien has constructed a narrative that simultaneously moves forward and backward in time: forward from John and Kathy's arrival at the cabin; backward into John's childhood, and beyond that to Little Big Horn and the War of Independence. It also moves laterally, into the "virtual" time that is represented by different hypotheses about Kathy's fate. What does the author accomplish with this narrative scheme? In what ways are his different narrative strands connected?
3. What does O'Brien accomplish in the sections titled "Evidence"? What information do these passages impart that is absent from the straightforward narrative? How do they alter or deepen our understanding of John as a magician, a politician, a husband, and a soldier who committed atrocities in wartime? What connections do they forge between his private tragedy and the pathologies of our public life and history? Does the testimony of (or about) such "real" people as Richard Nixon, William Calley, or George Custer lend greater verisimilitude to John's story or remind us that it--and John himself--are artifices?
4. Who is the narrator who addresses us in the "Evidence" sections? Are we meant to see him as a surrogate for the author, who also served in Vietnam and revisited Thuan Yen many years after the massacre? (See Tim O'Brien, "The Vietnam in Me," in The New York Times Magazine, October 3, 1994, pp. 48-57.) In what ways does O'Brien's use of this narrator further explode the conventions of the traditional novel?
WRITING:Begin working on nonlinear narrative assignment:
Your assignment:
Write a short story of at least 5 pages that:
1. Has a historical background of your choice--
2. Explores multiple narrative lines.
3. Uses a traditional 3rd person narrative but breaks it up with intertextuality and metafiction:
a. Evidence paragraphs or sections--quotes, interviews, newspaper clippings, historical facts, etc.
b. Hypotheses sections--places where you as a writer question what you've written or possible endings
Jasmina, Janelys and Jahde
ReplyDelete1. In the Lake of the Woods has a quality of suspense despite the fact that the mystery will not be solved due to the complicated and compelling characters. The author already established his main character, John, so therefore readers want to continue to get to know him and more about his background. Dissecting the story and making an opinion for ourselves keeps the book suspenseful.
2. By using a nonlinear method, O'Brien establishes the pace of the book (how the investigator thinks etc.). In addition, he builds more suspense. Rather than writing in a linear narrative manner, he gives insight to John's background while simultaneously bringing the reader to the present and the future. This makes the story a little subjective to the investigators view, however it is unique nonetheless.
3. By incorporating the sections titled Evidence, O'Brien is able to bring in pieces of proof that help justify his claim. For example, to show that John is able to commit such a crime, he implements evidence regarding his troubled childhood and his father's death. By doing so, the author is able to sway the readers opinion or confuse them at least. These sections of evidence help to deepen John's character and add complexity to him. Knowing that he had a rough childhood and now his mortifying loss, the reader can feel sympathetic to him. This will as a result, make it easier or harder for some to believe he committed the crime. By incorporating real figures, greater verisimilitude is gained. Comparing the two makes him more real and relatable.
4. The person assessing the evidence is the investigator. He is a non-direct character in the story, moreso a means of investigating for the reader.
1) I think the undeniable suspense really comes from the description of john and Kathy’s last few days at the cabin before she vanished. It talks about the way she was acting literally hours before she disappeared and the ways she would look out into the distance. The narrator described it as her longing for something. The suspense also comes from the way john was when they were together, stalking her and things and also the interviews.
ReplyDelete2) By the author using a narrative scheme he accomplishes suspense. He also accomplishes things like motives and almost every chapter points to john being the suspect kind of. The author was smart for not doing it linear because the chapters connect through relevance. “how unhappy they were” describes they’re relationship which is like the first thing we want to know then it goes to “evidence” getting us more into the reality that she disappeared then to “what he remembered” and so on.
3) The evidence chapters give you a lot of information at once. It gives real facts like body description and then to interviews and quotes from people little innuendos that suggest things about the plot.
4) The narrator seems like an indirect character. There is no outright thing that tells you who it is which makes it confusing. They happen to know so much about the people and story so if it is a character there are a bunch of different possibilities on who it could be. it seems like whoever it is, is bias though and either knows that john did it or thinks he did.
Olivia and Cameron
ReplyDelete1. In the Lake of the Woods is different from a regular suspense story because it goes somewhat backwards. What would usually be discovered by the readers along with the characters much later is that Kathy is missing. Instead, the reader knows it the entire time while they watch the characters figure it out. This adds even a level of irony to the book.
2. By using a unique narrative stream, O'Brien builds up irony and suspense. It is similar to The Things They Carried; it gives the story a deep level and foundation of ambiguity.
3. In the sections called Evidence, O'Brien can give the reader some small snippets of insight that help them piece together the story story, often before the characters do. It introduces different ways and angles of thinking about the situation and the nature of who is good and who is bad. It alters the readers perspective. By making it a public article, it can be related to other scandals revealed about public political figures, like the one of Richard Nixon which completely destroyed his career.
4. The narrator is the reporter. He, like O'Brien, is trying to uncover the truth behind the horrors and lasting effects of Vietnam through the platforms of different people's mistakes and experiences. He is more representational of how traditional members of society look at issues that are difficult to understand if you have not been a part of them, rather than being a direct surrogate of O'Brien.
1.Personally I think the suspense comes in at their last few days at the cabin and how it was describing Kathy's behavior before she disappeared
ReplyDelete2.The author using narrative scheme he uses more suspense. He gives us John's background story but then brings us to the present then the future. It makes the story seem more personal in the narrator's view.
3.The chapters with evidence gives the reader more information but it gives facts like it's a police report (body description, interviews from people, etc.)
4.The narrator seems like a reporter/investigator. But there isn't anything that tells you who is the narrator so it makes you wonder who
I think that the suspense of the relationship between john and Kathy is real. it talks about the way that Kathy goes missing and the way she acts just hours before she goes missing. the suspense also comes by her sister different interviews etc.
ReplyDeleteby the author having the play a love and mystery thriller there's way more suspense. It talks about how their relationship starts to go down hill and how Kathy goes missing and johns left with a huge question.
the evidence the chapter gives is a lot of information at once.it gives real facts like interviews from people quotes an flashback's. it also has a major thing to do with the plot.
the narrator seems like a character who is nosey and indirect. the character seems to have a bunch of different possibilities on who it could be. rather than a real answer.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete2.The narrator gives a lot of insight on Johns background that support most of his claims as to the motives but he also goes between going back and forth making you question whether or not he did it.
ReplyDelete3.In the beginning of each chapter you pretty much get all the good and important information at once then goes back and forth between interviews with different characters.
4.The Narrator is more so as to a character who is important but also a character who isn't so important at the same time. The narrator is a investigator who gives you all the information about each individual also as to going back and forth making claims and supporting those claims about John
1.The undeniable suspense really comes from the relationship of John and Kathy prior to him losing the election for senator and John and Kathy last few days in the cabin.
ReplyDelete2.Using a non-linear method of narration, it creates more suspense and confusion to the plot. It also gives some suggestions of John's involvement in Kathy's disappearance.
3. The evidence sections gives you claims that might suggest about the plot and the possibilities of what may happen to Kathy.
4. The narrator is an indirect character.It's most likely an investigator or a reporter, but the book doesn't tell you directly who this person that is speaking to the audience is and it makes it confusing for the audience.
1) there is a surplus of suspense built in the novel which comes from the relationship Kathy and john have and how Kathy's actions were before she disappeared ,
ReplyDelete2) the author uses a non-linear method not to seem repetitive from some of my peer commenters which gives the story a chance to build that suspense and fear as if the reader was in the cabin watching.
4) we can narrow down the narrator to a few occupations such as a reporter or big time news article extraordinar based on how he tells the story in his perspective.
1) The way that the novel is written differently than normal suspense stories because we already know what's going to happen The story is told sort of backwards so we know what's going to happen as the characters are trying to figure everything out.
ReplyDelete2) The author using a non-linear stream helps build up the element of suspense of what's actually happening and what's going to happen. Helping keeping the reader interested and on their heels wondering what's going to happen next.
3)In the section Evidence the author gives information and details that can help the reader put everything that's going on together. It allowed the reader to possibly gain an understanding of what's going on in the story.
4) The narrator in that situation is the reporter who is trying to discover all of the horrors from the Vietnam.