Seven Floors by Dino Buzzati - Essay Example

Topic: Seven Floors by Dino Buzzati (Short Story) Introduction Several themes run through Buzzati’s literary works but the most notable is that of time. It has been argued that Buzzati uses time in his stories in the same way that De Chirico uses space in his paintings (Seymour, p27). The two operate within the same spectrum of distorted reality, producing a general “feeling of subtle malaise that is not necessarily related to the situations and characters” (p32). The theme of TIME In virtually all the short stories of Buzzati, time is a major player that is calculated and predicted in terms of its relationship with space, juggled into a confusion of days, locked into large crates, or thrown out of synch with the events that are supposed to compose it (p87).

Accordingly, Buzzati says “time remains uncontrollable and the minutes and hours march forward like great lords with so much composure, no one would ever say they are our enemies” (p90). Buzzati thus declares “time to be the force that leads us into the clutches of death, which appears in Buzzati’s stories as it appears in life: waiting outside the garden gate, furtively entering our homes as we lie sleeping, or violently tearing away at the foundations of our homes” (p101). Seymour (p127) observes that “this objective and eternal time is seen as a real power, a living figure that ends up by identifying itself with death”.

The element of CHARACTERIZATION Buzzati’s characters are never fully defined as they are given common Italian names. Their lives are filled with repetition, routine and monotony in what he calls “the absurd human condition” (p117). His characters are “humble, ordinary and unblessed as they are less important than the realities that determine the course of their lives” (Seymour, p127). His characters live within carefully restricted boundaries and if they stray, they go in search of them, or they bow to people who tell them what to do, how to act, and what to think (p103).

The more Buzzati is read, it is important to remember that he is not simply examining the existence of his characters but exploring the realities that exist beyond the obvious (Seymour, p270). He is simply examining the way those realities shape the existence of humankind. The element of STYLE The style of writing adopted by Buzzati is straight-forward journalism that flows with a very definite rhythm into the dimensions of metaphor and dream as noted by Seymour (p207). His voice however, remains detached, a fact that gives credence to some of the most fantastic stories all of which have a connection with journalism (p210).

Clearly, Buzzati’s blend of journalism and the fantastic style lifts the stories above melodrama, keeping them out of the genre of science fiction and introduces us to another reality in which ambiguity and uncertainty are the norm. Buzzati is famous for his use of repetitive words and phrases that give his stories various rhythms and create an undercurrent that suddenly sends his protagonists directly into the spectral reality of the fantastic (Seymour, p217). Many scholars have noted the repetition of words in his numerous short stories to be real-time literally works which matches today’s composition.

The element of PLOT The plot in Buzzati’s Seven Floors consists of the events that take place in a story including the conflicts and suspense involved as the events occur (p124). Buzzati’s plot in this particular short story is not summarized as is the case with other stories; but leaves the reader the opportunity to assume the sequence of events (Seymour, p118). Here in real time, Buzzati gives a succinct explanation of the events as take place throughout his literally product. There are a lot of interrelations between the things happening in the literally product and Buzzati’s real purpose and intend (p246).

The literally work also elicits strong emotional turmoil in the reader due to the intricate conflict and suspense so craftily created by the author. The plot when checked against the theme of time throws the reader out of synch with reality. Buzzati grips the readers’ attention throughout the entire plot as they try to fathom and predict the termination of the story. Conclusion The foregoing analysis has focused on the theme of time in relation to three elements of fiction as presented in Buzzati’s short story of “Seven Floors”.

The analyzed elements are that of characterization, style and plot. The element of characterization has emerged as being somewhat dark without clear expression of the characters. The element of style has shown the use of professional writing to grip the readers’ interest throughout the suspenseful plot. During the analysis of this literally work, the current author has talked about a combination of the three elements mentioned above. Works cited Seymour, Martin. Guide to Modern World Literature.

New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1985.