George Saunder's collection of short stories in Tenth of December, enchants the reader and introduces the reader to a wide range of characters. The key to Saunders' enchantment in "Victory Lap" is his ability to follow the stream of consciousness of three different character's in the same situation. The first character Alison Pope, is a charming girl who could originally be written off as naïve with such phrases as "Each of us is a rainbow," ( Saunders,9) but when one follows the rest of her thoughts, one finds her to be quite clever too. When Alison told her teacher how she loved people and thought life was fun, Mrs. Dees pities her for being so naïve about the world. But Alison's thoughts reveal quite a clever response. She thinks that if Mrs. Dees really didn't think people were good, then she wouldn't "stay up so late grading (she) come(s) in the next day exhausted, bloused on backward having messed it up in the early-morning dark"( Saunders,10). Through Saunders' writing style the reader learns more about what Alison is like than a simple narration would reveal.
Kyle's thoughts do the same as the reader witnesses his perspective of the story and hears Kyle contemplating breaking his parents' many rules. At times this adds some humor because Kyle swears in his head which creates a rather odd dialogue of normal sentences with random swear words intermittently placed. When Kyle witnesses Allison's kidnapping, the reader becomes a witness to the internal struggle Kyle has of whether or not to interfere. Kyle hears is parent's voices in his head telling him things like "she'll recover in time," and "None of our affair" but Kyle makes up is mind to interfere when he thinks that "Forever he'd be the guy who'd done nothing,"( Saunders,21).
The reader also has the chilling opportunity of witnessing the thoughts of Alison's kidnapper. The reader learns how he planned it and how he tries not to disappoint Melvin by trying to be a good kidnapper. It is quite disturbing to hear his plans after first being introduced to charming Allison but that is how Saunders' enchants. By being able to introduce the reader to three different characters and following their different perspectives on the same situation at the same time.
I think that you made a very interesting point by saying that Alison is not only naive, but also clever. I definitely think that the style in which Saunders writes (where we can read a character's thoughts) helps us discover some unexpected traits, like Alison's cleverness.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the way Saunders' presents the thoughts of three characters at once is enchanting. Without this type of narration, the reader's understanding of the characters would be much different. As you wrote, Alison can appear to be naive, as she does to Mrs. Dees, but reading her thoughts allows the reader to see her as a multifaceted thinker. Without the kidnapper's thoughts, I think it'd be easy for him to be a simple "bad guy" character, but when given his point of view, I viewed him as a complex human being (who is also a bad guy). It's certainly enchanting and enlightening to follow the minds of three characters at once.
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