1) Explain what type of narration is used in this story.
2) How is "The Shining Houses" structured? Why do you suppose Munro structured the narrative this way?
3) Discuss irony in the story with respect to the title.
4) What distinction does the story highlight in terms of the difference between legal and moral?
5) Sketch Mary's character. (note: this doesn't mean draw her, rather it means to describe her in terms of the definition above)
1-The narration used in the story The Shining Houses is third person narration. The story is told in third person narration because this allows the readers to get to know the characters and have an outside view of them not just the opinion of the people in the story.
2- The story The Shining Houses is structured in a couple different setting within a larger setting. The story is set in the Garden Place subdivision that was former Wicks Road. The story is first set at Mrs Fullertons house with Mary listening to Mrs Fullertons life story and how she has been there her entire life, after which the story jumps to the party house in the subdivision where they think her house is just a horror and want her to be evicted from the land. I believe that Munro structured the story this way so that the people reading the story will be able to have sympathy for Mrs Fullerton by showing her life story in the beginning of the story and proving that she isn’t such a cold old women.
3- There is a couple cases of irony in respect to the title of this story. The first case of irony is that the houses are suppose to be shining, yet the people within them are cold and deceitful. The second case of irony is that the story revolves around a house that is far from shining.
4- The story highlights the difference between morals and law by telling that Mrs Fullerton built her house on land that was known to become a road if development were to occur and yet she did it anyways. The morals behind the story is that she has been there all her life and has seen many things and who are the people to just come in and change everything and say that she has to change or move.
5- Mary in the story is a nice lady. She is portrayed as a caring individual with morals. After Mary had visited Mrs Fullerton she became knowledgeable in respect of Mrs Fullerton’s life and the ordeals that she has had to withstand.
You're doing some good work this semester, Chris. I always knew that if I could just get Chelsea to leave you alone, then you'd accomplish great things!
ReplyDeleteYou skimp a bit on Mary's character. I view her as a writer-figure. She is caring, however, she seems to be a little sheepish too. She voices an initial objection to ousting Mrs. Fullerton but she falls in line with the majority pretty quickly.