Do a close reading of the part that begins "So, from then on, he never admitted anyone into his room", until the end of the short story
paying special attention to: "subject of the enunciation; point of view and effect upon the reader/addressee; rhetoric and linguistic devices and language tropes (descriptive or lyric manner, figures of speech, symbolism, innovation / surprising markers, collocations, or pattern traces within the author’s work)"
Analysis of an excerpt from “Silence”, a short story written by Carlos Bulosan.
ReplyDeleteThe subject of the enunciation is a third-person narrator who nevertheless allows the reader close access to the protagonist’s inner world, as it can be noticed by expression such as “he felt safe” and “he could not believe it”. In this way, the reader is aligned with the protagonist’s perceptions of reality and emotions and sees the world through his eyes.
However, the sentence “he was safe from the conspiring world” suggests a subtle irony, probably with the purpose of emphasizing the paranoia of the protagonist.
Temporal markers such as “then a year was gone” and “then another” suggest that the narrator is aware of the progression of the events over time and can recount events in a stable way. The mechanical passage of time is underlined by frequent use of “then”, “soon”, “and then”.
By reading this excerpt it can be noticed that the room of the protagonist is examined in contrast with the outside world; in fact, the room is locked, dark and secret, whereas the world outside seems to be open, sunlit and collective, full of young vibrant people enjoying the sunlight and reading books or taking walks “screaming with excitement and glory” (hyperbole).
The binary light-darkness is a very strong structural device in this passage.
Another important aspect to underline is the cyclical vitality of the external world with the passing of different seasons and the fastidious routine of the protagonist which appears to be the same for years. Seasonal progression has a function here: while nature follows its cyclical rhythm, the protagonist remains emotionally static. The repetition of temporal markers (“then,” “soon,” “and then”) creates a relentless forward movement of time while the main character is left alone with his thoughts and is unable to move forward.
The disappearance of the girl in the middle of June is a crucial event. From now on, a sense of decay and neglect can be observed right from the “unwashed, fading” curtains.
Finally, the last part of the excerpt where silence is personified and given motion through the participle “coming” might indicate that the inability of the protagonist to evolve has condemned himself to absolute isolation. Silence becomes almost material and the narrative suggests that withdrawal from life leads not to safety but to existential emptiness.
-Laura Bettio
The end of Carlos Bulosan's "Silence" describes the sad fate of a nameless man who experiences solitude and the consequent constant silence in the close and almost suffocating environment of his house (more specifically his room), which becomes a way of expressing his desire to escape his loneliness through the association between the color of the curtains and the dresses of a woman he observes from his window to feel a little comfort.
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact, the three last paragraphs of the short story convey a deep sense of hopelessness, closure and detachment from the outside world, symbolized by the locks the protagonist puts on his door, which also directly connect to the representation of secrecy, and the neglected curtains he had cared so much for until the sudden disappearance of the woman.
Moreover, there is a deep contrast between the dynamism of the passing of time through the seasons and his stillness, which worsens during the summertime with the abrupt disruption of his routine, when the woman stops showing and he waits for her for years without success.
The struggling mental condition of the man is perfectly described by the repetitiveness of the structure of short sentences that contribute to the creation of a simultaneously pounding and anxious rhythm, always beginning with the temporal adverb “Then” and the personal pronoun “He”.
Everything seems to work almost as a foreshadowing of what looks like a tragic ending, after his hope of company completely wears out, and leaving him no other choice beside “leaning far out the window” to finally and permanently escape the silence that had, ironically, always kept him company.