Reference no: EM133392370

Assignment:

In "Form Matters, Toni Morrison's Sula and the Ethics of Narrative," Axel Nissen has observed how Morrison's narrative and stylistic choices invite the reader's empathy for some of the morally ambiguous characters. Narrative choices refer to the question of perspective (whose point of view the omniscient narrator chooses to focus on) and how the story unfolds in time (flashbacks, flashforwards). Stylistic choices refer to uses of language, poetic descriptions, and figures of speech (metaphors, similes, metonymy; see "Literary Devices" in Course Materials for more).

Nissen reads certain scenes from Sula closely, such as Eva's decision to set her son Plum on fire, to show how Morrison positions the reader to feel a certain way about the characters. She also analyzes Morrison's use of psychonarrations ("the analysis of a character's thoughts taken on directly by the narrator," in Genette's words) in her narrator's explanation of Eva's life circumstances. Her point is that narrative and stylistic voices are never ethically neutral.

Choose another character other than Eva and Nel, and a close reading of one scene and two psychonarrations, or two scenes and one psychonarration, analyzing Morrison's narrative and stylistic choices. What ethical effect do these have on the reader? How do they position the reader in relation to the character? (three to four paragraphs).