I really enjoyed the narration of the short story “Puss-in-Boots”,
by Angela Carter, and in particular the structural irony that Carter’s
narrative endows the story with. By using a non-human narrator, she is able to
create a discrepancy between the descriptions of events that take place and the
actual events themselves. For example, when Figaro describes himself performing
his “meditative toilette” and the pensive deliberation that takes place at the
same time, it contrasts very sharply with the image that I have in mind when I
think of a cat using a litterbox. The narrative as a whole effectively makes
use of this contrast across the whole story, as an intelligent cat describes
many things that ordinary cats do on a regular basis from his own perspective.
I enjoyed reading this clever reinvention of the classic European fairy tale, and
especially so because of the witty narration and feline turns of phrases.
I agree! I also think it adds a certain element of humor - contrary to Puss' dramatized narration and the anthropomorphism presented in his apparent ability to speak, a great deal of his actions and behaviors are very typically cat-like.
ReplyDeleteA personal favorite of mine is his misconception that the garbage that irritated people throw at him to silence his yowling is in fact in appreciation of his 'wonderful' singing voice.
I completely agree. It is wholeheartedly the narration that makes Carter's spin of the fairy tale so wildly entertaining. The mundane and otherwise ordinary actions become dramatic and heroic in Puss' egotistical perspective of himself. Without the charming narrator the story becomes predictable and a typical bore.
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