In summary, analyzing the artistic features in Home is one of the most important aspects in studying Toni Morrison’s works and it is also a necessary part of it。 Since the publication in May 2012, Home at home and abroad has aroused a warm discussion and lots of researches。 Most of the research perspectives focus on the living space of the blacks, the relationship between history and text, and so on。 This paper tries to conduct an analysis of Home in terms of artistic features and writing skills, so that the analysis of artistic features in Home not only makes readers know more about writing skills but it also helps them to improve their own writing。 Much more importantly, knowing the artistic features promotes readers’ understanding of Morrison’s other novels。
3。 Analysis of the Artistic Features in Home
Many excellent writers rely on not only their talents and knowledge of literature, but also skilled writing skills, which can be improved by learning other outstanding writers’ works and a great deal of practice in the very beginning。 There is no exception to Toni Morrison。 She admits the influence of William Faulkner, an American writer who is known for his experimental style with meticulous attention to diction and cadence。 Besides, Faulkner makes frequent use of “stream of consciousness” in his writing, and write often highly emotional, subtle, cerebral, complex, and sometimes Gothic or grotesque stories of a wide variety of characters including former slaves or descendants of slaves, poor white, or working-class Southerners, and Southern aristocrats。 In this point, Morrison’s novels always observe the fate of the lower women in the American society with the eye of compassion as well。 Just like in Home, she depicts a series of distinctive image of women: Caustic grandmother, Lenore, Mrs。 Locke, Lily and Cee。论文网
Meanwhile, Morrison tries to deny the impact on Faulkner’s works in order to show her originality despite that they have similar impacts on the close identity with the focus group, the homeland consciousness in Faulkner and marginalized groups the basis of his culture identity。 With different culture, they have different understanding and emotions in self-identity。 Morrison’s desire for self-construction of the main body can be seen in her works。 Like Frank in Home, he finally finds his way home。
Just like Toni Morrison, she boldly attempts to adopt the multiple narrators to express the theme of her novel and manages to create all these outstanding novels instead of following the convention。 So, look for different ways of organizing a piece of writing or presenting a narrative actively and boldly。
3。1 Detail description
The details are like the pearls to link the plots。 The smallest unit in literary works, commonly known as minor details, is called literary cell。 It has many functions such as enriching the plot, describing character, drawing scenes, setting the atmosphere, outlining the environment and so on。 Liu Zhen, a woman writer, thinks a novel, without details, can not be a novel。 In a sense, the detail decides a piece of work。 There are some examples below。
“Breathing。 How to do it so no one would know he was awake。 Fake a deep rhythmic snore, drop the bottom lip。 Most important, the eyelids should not move and there must be a regular heartbeat and limp hands。”(Morrison 7)In the very beginning, Morrison describes all these details, which bring an extremely dramatic tension in order to attract the reader’s attention。 The readers will be curious about what the man, pretending to sleep, wants to do。 This part of detail description fully reflects Morrison’s skilled narrative techniques and artistic features, which leaves readers a more vivid and stronger sense of tableau。
Besides, there is also a detail about the only thing Frank has to take-the medal。 It is not a common medal but a sign of Frank’s identity-a veteran of the Vietnam War。 This is a quite important detail that shows not only Frank’s identity, but also the background then and promotes the following narrative naturally。 At the same time, it elaborates why Frank often has bad dreams, which may come from the brutal war。 Frank has no idea of many of the things he had dreamed, when he wakes up。 But he has a slight idea of what happened after being dismissed by the army。 Then he began to wander around, drank too much, lived with the actress Lily, his girlfriend。 As he ran amok in the street, he was caught with a lot of blood but he couldn’t remember where the blood came from。