Blog Question #3
Part 1, Reflection: Read the course notes page on the
T.E.A. paragraph and listen to my little lecture on intertextuality, then write a T.E.A. paragraph on "The Boat." Consider your answers to last week's blog question on intertextuality, and suggest a) what they have in common and b) why the NARRATOR (not just the author) of the story might include these references in his reflections on the events leading up to his father's death.
Eustacia Vye died an untimely death by drowning, Ham Peggotty unsuccessfully tried to rescue a sailor from a shipwreck, and Ishmael was the Pequod's sole survivor. Each of these misadventures, dripping with the complex human emotions that accompany suicide, heartbreak, and revenge, occurred in the context of one of the most formidable forces known to man - water.
The characters and stories the narrator associated with his own story added another dimension to the intense conflict he experienced within himself about the path his life would take. The author of "The Boat" left no question that the narrator dearly loved both of his parents; yet, the narrator was torn between his mother's sea and his father's books, and he struggled to find his place somewhere in between these seemingly opposing forces. A professor at a Midwestern University, it was only natural that he would view his past through the lens of books he had read. Once and always a Cape Bretoner, whose memories of early years were still salty and wet, it was only natural that he would identify most with stories about the sea, especially those drenched in the complicated feelings about passion, duty, and the meaning of life, that he experienced during his growing up years and beyond.
Part 2, Looking Ahead: Look up "Metafiction" in the wikipedia or a glossary of literary terms. Write a brief definition and be sure you are clear in your own mind what it is. Suggest an example of a book you have read or a movie you have seen that could be described as metafictional. Why do you think an author would choose to write something deliberately metafictional? What effect might it have on the reader or viewer?
Metafiction is the literary term used to describe a book or other work that intentionally draws the audience's attention to the fact that it is fiction, much like in presentational theatre.
As a child, I read and loved Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. At the beginning of each book, the narrator advises the reader to put down the book and to choose another happier tale. He also interrupts the story often to define words and to hint at events in his personal life. A couple other of my metafictional favourites are The Princess Bride, and Run Lola Run.
An author might choose to use the metafictional technique to invite the audience members to explore their relationship with the book or books in general, or perhaps to create suspense.
In my experience, sometimes deliberately metafictional works serve to remind the reader or viewer how involved he or she can become in a story, forgetting for a moment or longer about reality and the rest of the world.