Abrogation of the Unity of Characters - Book Report/Review Example

Abrogation of the Unity of Characters Abrogation of the Unity of Characters Dinesen wrote the stories basing them in a period in which she did not experience. The title “Seven Gothic Tales” depicts the ancient aspect with which Dinesen had intended to convey to the reader. An element of the book that removes it from the criticism that would have followed had it been written in a real period. Dinesen is careful to portray to the reader the deviation from reality through his title. She intends to insinuate to the reader that the stories she has collected in the book are ones relating to an extinct past that has no relevance to the author or the reader. In the stories, the author has created characters from her imagination and those that fit and play a significant part in constructing a reasonable plot. Whether the characters deviate from realism, it is all in a gothic manner that highlights the author’s essence in good and elaborate storytelling techniques. Despite the evident theme of love and romanticism, the author addresses the theme of character although in a hidden way. Her stories are all rounded to depict the importance of character in a society that mannerism is propagated and thought as important. The author intends to inform the reader that some behaviors are evident in any society at any time in history. To me, the first story “The Deluge at Norderney” inspires the formation of the other characters in the book. The statement made by the cardinal “to the king, my horse, to the enemy my life, to the Lord my soul” (page 13) has a strong implication on how the other characters in the book are modeled. The author brings out the idea that each character is modeled on a particular belief. Their actions are as a result of that belief. “The Deluge at Norderney” emphasizes on the effect of the society in the characters in the plot. They believe that society was instrumental on how they have turned out to be and to the situation they are in at that moment in time. The baron in “The Old Chevalier” sees the world in another perspective different from the one he knew. The current generation behavior skews from his set belief and expectations. “The Monkey” deviates from reality to try to correct the expected normalcy of a people while “The Roads around Pisa” questions the societal expectation of marriage that does not consider the feelings of the involved. “The Dreamers” and “the Supper at Elsinore” compare the role of love in shaping the outcome of a person’s life: asking whether it is a worthy cause. “The Poet” sums it all up; “outside character (or one’s belief), there is no real satisfaction to immortality” (page 362). The author tries to give the book a variety of characters that bring to the plot of the stories a complexity that questions the reader on the intention of the writer. The characters do not follow any real or definite path. Dinesen exposes the reader to a number of society’s expectations and values through the characters she conjures in her stories. We are left wondering who among the characters has the real and valid reason to behave the way they have been constructed to behave. It challenges our beliefs and the behaviors we hold as true without having a peek at the reasons behind that kind of behavior. “The Deluge at Norderney” tries to harmonize characters that have a different set of belief and expectations based on their experiences in life. The valet represents a skewed character of a cardinal who gains the trust of Miss Malin, a strict lady in her standing. We envision the “lack of love” to other people being transformed by the story of the young woman by Miss Malins side. Dinesen creates a conspicuous divide on these characters and from it tries to bond them together. The story of the poet has a difference in the expectations of people at different age gaps. The author uses the degradation of societal moral values to create a harmony between the characters of the baron and that of the young girl. The role of Pellagra Leoni in the creation of a love element in the lives of the three young men shows the disunity of her acting personas during her time with them. The reader is shown a different Leoni every single time they encounter one of the three men. The setting of the environment and the expectations of each mans societal, cultural belief changes as Leoni changes. She creates a perfect disunity in the characters she plays especially in behavior and appearance. The men do not have the knowledge of her real self. Boris in “The Monkey” has a countenance that deviates his sexuality from the expected contemporary orientation. The deviation requires him to engage in an act (marriage) that justifies him to the members of his society, community, and family. It is unexpected of him to seek help from an aunt whose beliefs do not allow her to engage in matters of romance. It leaves the reader asking on what grounds or qualifications does the aunt has to help the young man in matters of love. The author creates a dissonance of expectation and the role she is meant to play in fulfilling the plot of the story. We are also presented with mysticism in the face of Christian realism. The author combines the two of them in a way that makes the story exciting while removing the question of actual occurrence. Character, behavior, mysticism, experience, and societal expectations are the elements the author has used to create an abrogation from unity in the characters she has created in her stories. Dinesen appreciates that every society has a set value system that dictates what is expected of its members. Dinesen is also careful to consider who her readers are and what they expect from reading her work: literal prowess and the excitement of a complicated plot. Through these elements, we see her using the themes of love and romance to weave together a meshwork of characters that have a different background resonance. It creates an exciting, sophisticated reading that is accurate to the times yet gothic in reality. The question of whether the author succeeds in uniting these deviant elements in the characters lies with the reader. As a person who has read and understood Dinesen’s work, I believe that she has succeeded in deviating from a unified character system. She tries to use their difference to unite them, but her plot does not allow it. To create excitement to the plot she requires the characters to remain at different levels and operate at a certain level of exposure different from the reader. It enables the reader to view the whole story at an all dimensional angle and have relevance to the plot created by Dinesen. An aspect that gives the book relevance and understanding while allowing the author to deviate from reality. The book “Seven Gothic Tales” is a mastery of literal work that allows only people with a certain level of understanding to enjoy it. Some stories are complex in the plot, and the reader gets lost as the narrator goes deep into the stories of the characters. It is so, especially when the author introduces mysticism. The reader is not accorded a borderline on when to switch away from reality and enter into mythical tales. However, the author is very careful not to stray far away from the expectations of any societal values. She conjures up the mythical aspect to creating and expand the field of narration to an audience eager to see the fulfillment of the characters expectations. We see the prowess of Dinesen’s storytelling ability in her characters. She is able to bring out a variety of aspects in the stories told by her characters. This enables her to abrogate the unity of her characters, complicate the plot of her stories, and create excitement in her stories. As a reader, I appreciate her ability to tie the existing stray strands in the story neatly and into a comprehensible ending. Despite the complicated plot and narration, Dinesen is careful not to lose the reader. The book is an amazing read that utilizes imagination and literal prowess to make the stories as exciting as possible. References Dinesen, I. (1991). Seven Gothic Tales. New York: Vintage Books. Read More