A Streetcar Named Desire: Literary Version vs Film Version

In regard to the thematic content of A Streetcar Named Desire, it is apparent that there are various differences within the literary and film version of the play. In the literary work it can be seen that Tennessee Williams’s main purpose is that one must learn to deal with hardships in life rather than fantasize solutions because false fantasies hinder a person's development. Whereas, in the film version, Eliza Kazan’s main purpose is very similar yet different, the play visually imparts the notion of accepting the truth even though one may have to make crucial sacrifices within their life. The audience is able to recognize the minor difference between the two versions by comprehending the significance of the ending within both forms of the play.

The literary version focalizes the play around the complexity of characters, specifically Blanche Dubois. Blanche was unable to deal with the social and financial issues that occurred within her past, leading her to create a fake persona. In Scene Four, Blanche states, “I have an idea of some kind...Shep Huntleigh...someone with a million dollars” (Williams 66). The reader is able to see that the author is calling attention upon her tragic flaw. Rather than understanding and learning how to deal with her economic problems, Blanche decides to create a false solution. She fantasizes about a married millionaire man randomly acknowledging her and relieving her from all her financial restraints. For this reason, Blanche becomes seen a mentally unstable character. Conclusively, portraying the fact that her false imaginations hindered her success and development. Although, Blanche is the main focus, Williams utilizes literary strategies such as allusion to convey the main purpose of the play. In Scene One, Blanche states, “They told me to take a street-car named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at-Elysian Fields” (Williams 18). The author utilizes this literary strategy to foreshadow the tragedy that Blanche will undergo within the story. Williams introduces Blanche as a woman that aspires to live a healthy and wealthy lifestyle. Thus, explaining the reasoning as to why her first vehicle was named “Desire.” Her main goal is represented by the name of her destination, “Elysian Fields,” which is known as a lavish resting destination for Greek heroes. But, in order to reach her initial destination, Blanche must take a vehicle that is named “Cemeteries.” Therefore, representing the tragic downfall that she brings upon herself throughout the story.

The film version, however, focalizes the play around the life of Stella Kowalski. Stella throughout the entire screening of the play is caught up in issues between two important figures within her life: Stanley her husband and Blanche her sister. As a result, Stella becomes the main focal point since she is the one that is being the most effected. A visual performance of the play allows the audience to identify the significance of the characters. Stella and Stanley can be seen as a representation of the real world (reality), while Blanche can be seen as a representation of her false illusions. For such a reason, there is always tension between Stanley and Blanche (reality vs fantasy) when they collide. However, since Stella is always in the middle of the suspense, she much like Blanche, must learn to accept her own reality which is that both her sister and husband serve as negative figures within her life. Kazan directed the ending differently by showing Stella’s reaction after Blanche is taken away. Stella can be seen responding to Stanley’s calls by running upstairs with her newborn baby and saying “No I’m not going back...not this time.” Displaying the fact that she is willing to let go of her sister and passionate relationship with her husband to live a better lifestyle for not only herself, but her newborn as well. Hence, the fact that in order for one to develop as a person, one must learn to make crucial sacrifices when accepting reality.

Even though, both the literary and film version similarly portray the thematic content of the tragic play, they convey slightly different purposes. By reading the literary work, readers are able to understand the complexity of Blanche, along with the functions of literary devices; such as allusions within the film. Through this version, scholars are able to understand that the play mainly revolves around Blanche, along with her delusions, since they were the main reasoning for her tragedy. However, through a visual presentation of the theater piece, the audience is able to comprehend the importance of Stella. Scholars are able to recognize the fact that the play revolves around Stella since she is capable of accepting the truth even though she must sacrifice valuable relationships. Ultimately, showing that minor fixtures within the ending of the play lead people to perceive the significance of the thematic content differently.

Word Count: 809

Cultural Perspective Of Insanity: Vladimir and Estragon

Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” (1954) is crafted from post-world war European society. Both world wars verify the philosophical insurgence of absurdism and existentialism in this play, which supports how Beckett subjects his main characters to questionable sanity Oxford English Dictionary defines insanity as “madness” or “extreme foolishness or irrationality”.  Totalitarian governments, colonization, economic reparations, and genocidal war are illogical actions, yet embedded by Western Europe, the United States of America, Japan and the Soviet Union in the first half of the 20^th century. This play confronts the insanity of this cultural period with the characters of Vladimir and Estragon.

            Vladimir’s storytelling of the thieves serves as general distrust in Christianity as well as a model of a specific societal flaw. This Bible story has several discrepancies between the four Evangelists who are said to have witnessed the fate of the two thieves. Two don’t mention the thieves at all, one says they were both damned and the fourth said one was saved (Beckett; 6-7). Estragon reflects “People are bloody ignorant apes.”, confirming he and Vladimir agree upon the troubling fact that everybody only believes on version, which is the only version taught (Beckett; 7). Skepticism increased due to the devastation of the war, leading to alternative philosophies not dependent on a deity’s existence, thus existentialism and absurdism emerged. Ashkan and Azadeh Shobeiri, authors of “Samuel Beckett’s Absurdism: Pessimism or Optimism?” assert many critics hold absurdist interpretations of this play because Vladimir and Estragon are relentlessly attempting to divulge meaning to their lives. Vladimir and Estragon are considered insane for Biblical doubt by Christian view. This initial incident is one of many, but it mirrors the societal break from a Christian world view held in much of Western Europe, and perhaps many other involved countries, during the world wars. Vladimir’s and Estragon’s distrust mirrors the attitudes of Beckett’s society.

            Is it more insane for Vladimir and Estragon to make life meaningful in a meaningless world or to live as though life is not meaningful? The meaning of their lives succumbs to the pressures of time, pleasure, and repentance. Following Lucky and Pozzo’s departure, Vladimir comments that the encounter passed the time and Estragon objects it would have passed regardless, which Vladimir responds “Yes, but not so rapidly.” (Beckett; 51). This line is representative of a fear of running out of time. His response makes meaning out of Estragon’s proposal, setting up polar ideologies that are problematic in determining a correct one. To Vladimir and Estragon, there is value in passing time as quickly as possible while they wait for Godot. Furthermore, the wait for Godot is peculiar in that Vladimir, Estragon, and the audience do not know what Godot’s arrival will do for the characters. This problem transposes to the cultural relevance of the play as the wait for a god to fix human war and oppression. Vladimir and Estragon also depict how such a wait affects the drive of pleasure and repentance.

            Vladimir and Estragon indulge in pleasure when possible. They want to hang themselves from the tree for an erection. Estragon becomes hungry, and exercises preference of carrots over turnips and radishes. He acquires Pozzo’s leftover chicken bones, sleeps in a ditch, and takes off his tight boots at his own choosing. Vladimir embraces Estragon’s company. They are only engrossed by their pleasures for a page or two at most, before asking what to do next. Temperance of pleasure therefore becomes a significant theme in Beckett’s play. The value of each character’s pleasures changes between philosophical and societal perspectives, therefore further complicating their sanity in relation to making life meaningful.

            Vladimir and Estragon concern repentance early in the play. Estragon asks if “our being born” is the sin that triggers Vladimir’s proposition (Beckett; 4). Beckett refers to original sin in a culturally obvious way. His characters ask themselves the same question millions of people have asked throughout Christian history. Would repentance make these characters sane? Vladimir laughs then suddenly stops, and Estragon responds, “dreadful privation” (Beckett; 4). Beckett leaves the subject of the dreadful privation ambiguous to the belief of original sin and/or if there is sanity for its repentance; and/or Vladimir and Estragon expect to be affected by this belief.

            There are several more moments in the play that illustrate the cultural effects of the world wars. For example, the symbolic nature of the other characters provides additional perspectives that parallel the widespread despair and confusion of global war atrocities. Vladimir and Estragon’s sanity could then be further explored by comparison.

Narration in Jazz

Toni Morrison’s Jazzutilizes a very unique narration style that significantly influences how the text is interpreted as well as the reader’s opinions of the characters. Throughout the first section of the novel it becomes apparent that the narration style is not constant. It seems to switch between third person omniscient and first person perspective that occasionally provides their personal input in a gossip-like manner. The anonymity and the objective manner of speaking the narrator employs, creates a sense of authority and trust with the audience. Therefore, impacting the reader’s opinions on events and characters within the text, causing them to take opinions as factual information.

            The text begins with the first person narrator establishing their credibility by stating that they know the main characters, Violet and Joe personally, “I know that woman...Know her husband, too…her name is Violet” (Morrison, 3). Although the narrator is not involved in the characters’ lives, they make it clear that they are interested in the lives of others and gather their information through observation, thus creating the idea that they are knowledgeable on the subject. The narrator proceeds to demonstrate their expertise on Violet and Joe’s lives by revealing personal details and feelings about the characters. For example, the narrator states, “He fell for…a girl…spooky loves that made him so sad and happy he shot her to keep the feeling going” (Morrison, 3).  By giving insight to Joe’s inner thoughts and feelings, the narrator is letting the audience know how well informed s/he is. This instant also begins to blur the line between the first person narrator and the third person omniscient narrator because the readers begin to take everything the narrator is stating as facts since they are giving details only a well-informed person would know. 

            Throughout most of the novel, the details and descriptions provided by the narrator are told from the perspective of a third person omniscient narrator. For example, in an instance in which Violet has a public argument when getting accused for kidnapping a baby, the narrator describes Violet’s thoughts on the event as “she thought of it…remembering the incident as an outrage to her character” (Morrison, 22). Due to the straightforward tone and credibility the narrator had established earlier in the novel, the readers take these thoughts as facts. However, the first person narrator interjects, providing biased commentary that is also taken as facts due to the subtle shift between narration styles. For example, after the public incident Violet caused, the first person narrator states, “Her private cracks…were known to him. I call them cracks because that's what they were” (Morrison, 22). Despite the fact this statement is clearly the narrator’s opinion, the audience is expected to believe their comment as fact, thus degrading Violet’s image to an unpredictable, mentally unstable woman in the eyes of the reader. 

This elusive transition between narration styles is once again witnessed when the narrator is retelling Dorcas’ life story. The third person omniscient narrator describes the situations Dorcas had to face under Alice’s care and stating, “by the time she was seventeen her whole life was unbearable” (Morrison, 63). This is stated in a matter-of-fact manner, which causes the audience to understand how unhappy Dorcas was while living by her aunt’s rules. However, the first person narrator provides additional—and more personal—commentary that produces sympathy for Dorcas among the readers. The first person narrator causes the audience to feel empathy for Dorcas by expressing their own empathy for her, “and when I think about it, I know just how she felt…it doesn’t matter because you are not doing the thing worth doing which is lying down…enclosed in arms, and supported by the core of the world” (Morrison, 63).  By depicting this generalizable situation and bringing up heavy emotions humans feel when being or wanting to be with another human, the narrator deepens the readers’ sympathies for Dorcas and her decision to engage in intimate relations with a married man. Although the narrator never outwardly excused Dorcas’ behavior, they did provide their opinion which instigated a deeper thought process for the audience that was more likely to guide readers toward sympathizing with Dorcas and perhaps go as far as justifying her bad decisions.

Overall, the narrator does not explicitly express a negative or positive attitude toward the story’s events. The third person omniscient point of view provides neutral details and descriptions regarding the characters and their thoughts. However, the first person point of view interjects in specific instances and provides opinionated commentary. Although the first person narration provides personal commentary, it does not openly state any biases toward any character. Instead, the commentary appears to be stated in a gossip-like manner, meaning it is said with a certain amount of judgment but it does not take any particular side. Due to this type of narration, the audience is prompted to go beyond simply understanding the novel’s events, and leads them to develop their own sympathies and biases rather than influencing them toward any specific idea.

The Narrator and Their Impact

            The first section of Toni Morrison’s novel, Jazz, leaves the reader curious as to who is narrating this story. The narrator does not disclose their name, gender, or age, but the reader is able to get a sense as to who this narrator is through the opinions, personal likes, and dislikes that they reveal about the City. In the first eight paragraphs of the novel, the narrator spends time telling the story of Violet, Violet’s husband named Joe, and the eighteen year old girl Joe becomes involved with. In this section, the reader gets a sense that this narrator may be close to Violet and Joe since s/he states “Sth, I know that woman” and “Know her husband too” (1). But once the reader reaches the ninth paragraph, the narrator begins to talk about him/herself, and gives the reader reasons to speculate that the narrator is actually a spirit that roams New York City and has merely taken interest in the lives of this couple. In this portion of the text, in which the narrator takes over, s/he states “I’m crazy about this City” and just like the city, s/he is strong and “alone, yes, but top notch and indestructible” which makes it seem as though the narrator is immortal (7). As the narrator begins to describe the dangers that the City may be bring, s/he shares that s/he “haven’t got any muscles” and that “no one knows all there is to know about [him/her]”, and creates an image of a bodiless or rather invisible speaker (8). The narrator also reveals that s/he “watch[es] everything and everyone and [tries] to figure out their plans, their reasonings, long before they do” and though “the City makes people think they can do what they want and get away with it” s/he sees them (8). Since the narrator is all seeing and knowing, the narrator seems to hold a superior and supernatural standing. Though one may argue that the narrator may in fact be a human being since s/he is told to “come out more”, the spirit may be reflecting the ideals of the city’s people since the City makes the narrator “dream tall and feel in on things” (7-9). 

            The opening sentence of the novel begins with the pronoun “I”, which makes the reader believe this story will solely be told using first person point of view. However, as the story progresses, the reader begins to notice that the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of Violet and Joe, introducing a third person omniscient point of view. The narrator states that Joe’s relationship with the eighteen year old girl “made him so sad and happy”, indicating that s/he knows the feelings Joe had toward this person (1). When the narrator begins to talk about Violet and her attempt to punishing her husband by having a boyfriend, s/he states “She thought it would dry his tears up and giver her some satisfaction as well”, demonstrating that the narrator has access to Violet’s thoughts (4). Later on in this section, as mentioned previously, the narrator raves about the City for eight paragraphs in which she continuously uses first person point of view. S/he later returns to third person omniscient when s/he continues to tell Violet’s story and introduces other characters such as Armistice and goes into depth with Dorcas Manfred’s character for example. Since the narrator’s point of view interchanges throughout this portion of the novel, the reader gets more information as to who these characters are as individual’s, giving the reader the ability to make their own judgements about them. It also gives the text an intimate feel, as if the narrator was speaking directly to the reader about these events. It makes the narrator seem as a direct and trustworthy source since it seems as though s/he knows everything that happened, the characters’ thoughts, who was present at the time in which these events occurred, as well as the aftermath of it all. 

            For the majority of this section of the novel, the narrator remains neutral toward the story’s events. The most shocking event is revealed when the narrator states that Joe shot the eighteen year old “just to keep the feeling going”, though the reader might expect the narrator to say Joe was wrong for doing this, the narrator moves on to speak about Violet and what she did at the funeral without any commentary (1). However when s/he discusses the meeting of the Salem Women’s club, the reader hears the voice of the narrator when s/he includes in parentheses that Joe was “a more or less able husband (who needed to stop feeling sorry for himself)” (4). The narrator also comments on Violet’s actions at the funeral stating, “You’d think that being thrown out of church would be the end of it -the shame and all- but it wasn’t” (4). The narrator also speaks on Violet’s boyfriend and s/he knowing “that mess [that] didn’t last two weeks” (5). In all of these events, the narrator does not sympathize with Joe nor Violet. The narrator does not care for the feelings Joe is undergoing after having shot Dorcas and wants him to stop. The narrator also does not support Violet’s actions and finds her rather foolish. 

word count: 883

Societal Influence on the Meaning of Insanity

Having initially emerged in the 1600s from a combination of the Latin word “insanitas” and the English word “insane” and being defined as the “state of being insane and having a seriously impaired state of mental functioning”, the word insanity has since evolved to encompass more meanings from various scholarly resources. According to Law.com, insanity is a noun describing a “mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior.” In today’s world, what one categorizes as “insanity” is subjective. For example: if you convince others that the most popular person in a region is the most fit to rule, then you have a republican-style government; and if you convince others that they should obey a person who wears a metal piece on his or her chest and can shoot them for failing to comply, then you have a law enforcement agent. Behaviors and cultural structures like these may seem like madness, however, when a large group of people are acting the same way, it is only sensible to accept actions like these as being legitimate. In this sense, society can be viewed as being the arbiter of sanity, having the right to judge an individual as being sane or not based on what behaviors are widely accepted. Based on Law.com’s definition of insanity, Blanche’s behaviorisms in “A Streetcar Named Desire” are insane in the eyes of others since she continues to cling onto the decaying romanticized values of the Old South despite the world around her embracing the newly emerging age of urban industrialism.

By having the play take place in a cramped, two-room flat in New Orleans, Tennessee Williams is able to draw upon the historical context of the time period to set the stage for the complex drama that takes place. “A Streetcar Named Desire” takes place in 1947, which is two years after World War II. The war had instigated numerous changes to American society. During this time, millions of men had traveled overseas to fight as soldiers and as a result, women contributed to the war efforts by joining the workforce. After the war however, most of the men reassumed their previous job positions, forcing women to return to being homemakers. Moreover, during the war period, the once white-dominated suburbia became increasingly populated by broader groups of people-African Americans, the poor, different ethnic groups, immigrants, the elderly. The play’s atmosphere reflects this change in attitude towards a more diverse community, as can be seen at the beginning of the play when two female characters -one who is colored, and the other, Eunice, who is white- are casually chatting on the steps of a building. Stella and Stanley’s realm of seemingly non-existent segregation is a sharp contrast to Blanche’s childhood in the elitist world of the old South. Blanche is accustomed to divisions of class and often makes intolerant remarks about sexuality -such as when she confronts her homosexual husband about his negative behavior- and ethnicity-calling Stanley a Polack rather than  American or Polish-American.

The decline of aristocratic families traditionally associated with the South following World War II leads to Blanche’s descent into madness. Blanche and Stanley represent two conflicting American societies; Blanche symbolizes the old, romanticized Southern culture while Stanley signifies the newly emerging norm of an industrialized and urban culture. In the play, it is revealed that Blanche has a history of depending on men. However, when she moves in with Stanley and Stella, Blanche’s old habits no longer fit in with the behavior of the new generation of southerners, further symbolizing both her and the Old South’s destruction. Williams also uses light and dark to illustrate Blanche’s insanity. In the story, Blanche repeatedly makes up excuses such as, “turn that over-light off! Turn that off! I won’t be looked at in this merciless glare” (p. 19). Since the light represents the uncovering of the truth behind Blanche’s lies as well as the circumstances of the real world, Blanche prefers to reside in the shadows which represent the fantasy that she deludes herself into believing. Blanche struggles to adjust to the new societal attitudes around her which greatly contrast with her childhood conditions of growing up on a big plantation with slaves to attend to her needs. At one point, Blanche cries, “I don’t want realism. I want magic!” (p. 117), thus showing her love of imagination which clashes with the practical routine of the utilitarian world that Stanley embodies.

Blanche’s infatuation with maintaining a perfect appearance in front of others is a result of her continued belief in the traditional ideal that women must be “soft and attractive” (p. 79) in order to remain relevant in society. Her downwards spiral of insanity stems from her inability to grasp her changing surroundings and to discern fantasy from reality. Furthermore, Blanche’s degree of insanity is emphasized when she is compared to most other American citizens since she expresses views that are not within the norms for her culture and its expectations; because Blanche does not conform to this new open-minded, and urbanized America, she is seen as an outsider with crazy views.

Word Count: 866

How Pynchon Creates Worldview

word count: 750

While readers read Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49, there is at first a seemingly feeling of despair. Thomas Pynchon creates a worldview through an unreliable narrator that travels throughout California with a seemingly questionable motive. Furthermore, the behavior of characters that Oedipa Maas encounters seemingly allows the reader to experience the despair that comes with the paranoia that Oedipa and other individuals within that time period have adopted. Despite this, though, it is arguable that the text actually showcases an ironic atmosphere or a parody towards the lifestyle of highly non traditional values found within California. The text is actually calling attention towards the ludicrous experience of more modern times. By analyzing the text once more, it may be seen how the text is mocking or ironically setting an idea of postmodernism.

Readers may first see an example of this towards the introduction of the use of drugs. The use of LSD shows the new experience that the new generation is willing to try. It further extends into the medical field as it illustrates Oedipa’s doctor calling her (8). This demonstrates the possibility of a new drug because every other drug has already been experimented with. Then, as Oedipa voices her worry to Mucho, her worries are discarded. Mucho explains that there is no possibility of getting addicted (117). He then explains that it is taken “because the world is so abundant” (118). This illustrates how Pynchon is mimicking or mocking the world views at the time. He sets a worldview that shows that people are care-free and have no worries such as getting addicted to a mysterious drug.  

Then, the illustration of different character’s behavior further shows the irony of mocking within the worldview. Several character such as Oedipa herself or Hilarius. There behavior demonstrate paranoia within the text such as when Hilarius takes Oedipa hostage (111). Instead of contributing to the world and for a better future for themselves, readers are instead able to find the characters being afraid of their own past actions. Even the narrator engages herself in the past actions of her ex-boyfriend throughout the entire text. It showcasing how Pynchon is making an ironic statement that shows that individuals within this time period have done everything all in the past, they can no longer pay attention towards a future.

Pynchon, however, continues to joke around with these characteristics by including names of individuals that contain ironic meanings. Towards the beginning of Pynchon’s short novel, he depicts Oedipa encountering a character named Miles that is apart of a band or group that named itself “the Paranoids” (17). As she requests him to play a song, Miles “closes the door behind them” thinking that Oedipa inferred to having sex with him. This situation in particular calls attention towards the irony found within the name. It demonstrates a characteristic that is seemingly being portrayed. Then, the character of Hilarius is another example of the ironic meaning behind a name. His behavior is showcased as wild and without any meaning. He believes that the police is searching for him, takes Oedipa hostage and then suddenly turns against her for believing that she is working against him (111). His erratic behavior is explicitly made fun of through the characteristics of how he interacts with Oedipa.

Lastly, the demonstration of how each different location is portrayed showcases a worldview of irony and parody. The locations that Oedipa travels to are seemingly not suppose to contain any significant by the events that partake within them. The name of locations themselves set an almost fantasy and child-like work. For example, San Francisco is switched to “San Narciso”, and Oedipa travels there in search of what she believes is an underground secret that is meant to be kept away from the government. It demonstrates an ironic and parody of the worldview inside the short novel.

In an overall analysis, these literary details showcase how Pynchon does not take the lifestyles within the 60’s and 70’s seriously. Similarly, Pynchon showcase the adoption of paranoia that came within this time period and presents it in an exaggerated manner. The worldview of the short novel seemingly creates the entire plot and setting as a comedy. It is nontraditional and the erratic behavior can become ironic. However, the illustrates of these various elements do not enforce an argue for change. Instead, Pynchon is illustrating the paranoia and adoption of drugs that found within the time period and takes it to an extreme.

And All That Jazz: The Voice Shaping the Novel

If Toni Morrison’s Jazz is a musical piece in the form of a novel, the narrator is the conductor, evaluating all the different characters and their roles in the band, creating liveliness in the piece. Within this novel, however, there is no set narrator, and instead, focus seems to shift between the different characters’ point-of-views and that of an omniscient spectator. Remaining in the first person, the narrator acts as though they are a person from within the town a majority of the time, but occasionally switches perspectives to reflect that of the characters, creating an unclear perspective on morality and on events that take place. Most notably, the narration takes on the cadences of the jazz music for which it is named; it does not follow the typical rules of storytelling dictated by norms of writing, and instead seems to freely move around in order to create a story that nonetheless comes together as a whole in the end.

The switching perspectives of the narrator throughout the piece make for moral ambiguity within the novel, and add a degree of depth to characters that might be dismissed as unimportant in other works. Because of this, there is no character in which sympathies are explicitly supposed to be directed towards, as readers must rely on each individual’s perception of the events that have occurred and their reactions to them. The novel begins with the informal “Sth” (p. 3), a seemingly disapproving sound condemning Violet and Joe. Because of this, most readers jump to the conclusion that the novel will take on the perspective of denouncing the Traces for their crimes. Instead, the book skews itself in accordance with the character that is being examined at the current moment. For example, Dorcas is initially presented as unsympathetic for having had an affair with a married man, especially because one of the first descriptions offered of her comes from Violet viewing a picture of her as “greedy, haughty, and very lazy” (p. 12). To this end, Dorcas is not likeable in any way, and the only empathy felt towards her is due to the fact that she lost her life too soon, and not because of who she might have been as a person. However, when Joe remembers his time with Dorcas, or when the narration reflects on the beginning of their affair, she is described as “both bless[ing] his life and mak[ing] him wish he had never been born” (p. 40). The contradictions in this statement alone speak to varying perspectives held about Dorcas, and soften the light cast upon her, making her out to be someone extremely cherished to Joe, and someone who was similarly broken that he could confide in. The indefinite and constantly moving points of views and opinions of the narrator make it difficult to extend sympathy towards any one character, as they are all immensely complicated, and have shortcomings. It is also hard to choose what piece of narration is the most reliable, and so readers must work with the information they’ve gathered from the different viewpoints in order to come up with their own conclusions about who, if anybody, is in the right and wrong within the scope of the story.

Just as the qualities and meaning behind music depend upon its listener, so too does the narration of the novel bend itself in accordance with the perspectives of those it is currently focused upon. Appropriately titled, the writing style of Jazz reflects the style of music for which it is named, especially in its focus upon improvisation. The narration of the novel does not follow any set rules or confine itself to one voice, as is typically expected; instead it breathes a life into itself and its characters by making them all into unreliable narrators, offering their part of the tale. Because the text switches so often between different viewpoints on events, it is hard to pinpoint a person’s true character in a definitive manner; the reader knows how they perceive themselves and how others view them, but are in no way exposed to the entirety of the individual. The narrator freely moves and seems almost to make up opinions and assertions on the spot depending upon who is the main focus of the moment. To this end, the sympathies of the book are left entirely to the judgement of the reader, with the narrator never explicitly taking a side, and instead just resolving to play the tunes of everyone and see where the melody is taken.

Word Count: 755