Blog 3: Orwell and Montaigne
I’ve read this particular piece before. I think I read it in my British Literature class last year. Orwell’s ideas are also conveyed through a story line, but I’m not sure if this was a true story. Because of the way it was written, it is understandable to believe that this type of writing may have influenced certain elements of creative nonfiction.
Similar to most creative nonfiction writings, this story is written in first person narrative and describes a definite place as a setting. It’s written as if the writer is retelling the details of an event that happened in his life. He also described the feelings that the town’s people had for him, his position in society and the cultural differences between people. The author walks the reader through the different emotions and thoughts that ran through his mind during the events that led up to him killing an elephant.
What creative nonfiction might have adopted from this piece is the structure and setup of the story itself. Again, the author’s ideas are conveyed through a story line that recollects his past memories, fears and encounters with the event. He describes his feelings for the elephant and his feelings about the townspeople. He indirectly describes the guilt that he felt. He also describes his outlook on death. He claimed that death did not look peaceful. What creative nonfiction may have adopted from his style of writings was his ability to describe his relationship to all components of the event that took place. Orwell describes exactly how he felt and what he saw when he shot the elephant. He almost seemed sympathetic at one point in the story. With his elaborate choice of vocabulary, and ability to piece elements of his story together, he allowed the reader to join him in the journey of discovery. A reader is able to ask his or herself, questions about their own personal views of peer pressure, responsibility, cultural differences, personal morals, death, cruelty and even guilt.
Michel de Montaigne’s “That Men Should not Judge of Our Happiness Till After Our Death” may have been considered a parent of creative nonfiction for a variety of reasons. Like some creative nonfiction writings, Montaigne’s relied on examples of other writers. Unlike creative nonfiction writings. (I’m not sure if these stories were true or not.)Montaigne indirectly explores his relationship to his subject. He also writes with a more analytical approach. He writes about death and his belief on death (if I’m not mistaken).
Posted in: on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 at at 8:03 PM
