The use in "Starfog" of the first person plural pronoun, "we," raises the possibility, however remote, that the first person singular, "I," denoting the individual narrator, will come on-stage. Meanwhile, we might wonder: who is this unseen narrator and how does he know the inner thoughts of Daven Laure? However, most likely, we completely forget about him as we continue to read.
CS Lewis' Out Of The Silent Planet is divided into twenty two chapters and a postscript. Chapters 1-21 are a third person account of Elwin Ransom's journey to Mars. Chapter 22 opens:
"At this point, if I were guided by purely literary considerations, my story would end..."
-CS Lewis, Out Of The Silent Planet IN Lewis, The Cosmic Trilogy (London, 1990), pp. 1-144 AT 22, p. 136.
The third paragraph of this chapter begins:
"This is where I come into the story. I had known Dr Ransom slightly for several years..." (ibid.)
The postscript is extracts from a letter by Ransom to Lewis. Thus, at last, the central character, Ransom, achieves first person status!
"'Are you the prison warden,' Gerund asked, stumping into the room.
"'I am,' I said."
-Brian Aldiss, "Gene-Hive" IN Aldiss, Galaxies Like Grains Of Sand (London, 1979), pp. 116-137 AT p. 132.
This is a surprise first appearance by a first person narrator at a very late stage in a short story.
Even more surprisingly, the concluding story in Galaxies... opens with second person narration:
"You never knew the beginning..."
-Brian Aldiss, "Visiting Amoeba" IN Galaxies Like Grains Of Sand, pp. 157-188 AT p. 157.
- and ends with the first person plural:
"We who have already superseded you..." (p. 188)
I tried to follow Aldiss' example here.
10 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
There are other ways a story might be told. I was reminded of this bit from Anderson's Foreword to HROLF KRAKI'S SAGA (Ballantine, 1973, p. xx): "I hope you will bear with that [PA had been discussing the "spirit" of Dark Ages Scandinavia], as well as the necessarily sprawling character of the tale and what we today feel as a lack of psychological depth. The latter merely reflects how those folk thought of themselves. To us, their behavior seems insanely egoistic; but to them, each was first a member of his family and only second--however greedy for wealth and fame--himself. The hero is no one of them, but rather the blood of Skjold the Sheaf-Child, which coursed through many different hearts."
Altho Anderson did not entirely follow that model, he wrote his "Scandinavian" stories with the Norse saga style in mind.
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Paul!
And I recalled just now how King Hardrede's bitter enemy, King Sweyn Ulfson of Denmark, claimed descent from the Skjoldungs thru his mother. The stubbornness of the Danes in preferring descendants of their old royal line as kings was a big reason Harald Hardrede failed to conquer Denmark. Legitimacy in action!
We are both familiar with Harald and Sweyn from THE LAST VIKING.
Ad astra! Sean
Greetings to all interested:
Paul told me about a week ago that he was taking his computer to be checked this weekend. So he might not be "back" for a few days.
Ad astra! Sean
All the better when he returns!
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree.
Ad astra! Sean
I am getting a bit concerned about Paul's prolonged "absence." He must be having serious computer problems!
After "devouring" Stirling's TO TURN THE TIDE far too quickly, I finished rereading Anderson's "A Chapter of Revelation." Next, because I believe Anderson and Dickson's Hoka stories deserved some thought, I wrote four pages (so far) of notes about them in my second CODEX ANDERSONIANUS volume. I also need to finish Andy Weir's PROJECT HAIL MARY.
That sums up what I've been doing lately in a science fictional way.
Ad astra! Sean
The delay was because the computer was sent away for repair. It is back.
Kaor, Paul!
I was getting a bit concerned that the "delay" was due to something more serious.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I asked Aileen to email you. Maybe something went wrong there.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I did not see that email. I missed it, somehow. But no problem!
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment