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The Use of Narratives and Its Effect on Stories

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The Use of Narratives and Its Effect on Stories

The use of narrative view are important for an author. It determines how the reader interpret the story and ultimately understanding the theme. In the work of “Hills Like White Elephant” Ernest Hemingway uses third person objective point of view to present the conflict of a young couple over the difficult decision of whether to have an abortion. In comparison to Hemingway’s work, “Great Falls” by Richard Ford, tells the story of the breakdown of the parents’ relation through the eyes of the protagonist Jackie. The authors of the two short stories use these different points of view, to allow the reader understand the overall themes of the stories; which are the essence of a good story. “Hills Like White Elephant” begins with the description of the setting. Soon the narration leads to the two characters, the American and his girlfriend, Jig. Their conversation begins at the bar beside the train station, where momentarily they will head towards Madrid. The conversation, however, is not an enjoyable one. The couple argues about an “operation” that Jig will receive when they arrive at Madrid. After an intense debate, the woman agrees to have the operation (Hemingway, 661-665). “Great Falls”, on the other hand, through first person narrative, takes the reader back to the protagonist’s childhood, to one incident which his parents are facing a break up in their relationship. After a hunting trip with his dad, Jackie realizes something is “wrong” because of his father’s “voice”. When Jackie and his father return home, they find a young man named Woody in the kitchen; who turns out to have an affair with Jackie’s mom. A standoff ignites with the father holding a loaded pistol under Woody’s chin. The story ends with the family broken up and Jackie’s reflection of the event during his adulthood (Ford, 564-575).

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