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  1. Olivia Leto
  2. Ms. Drosdick
  3. English-Period 6
  4. 12/5/16
  5. Characterization Author Analysis
  6. In two of Alice Walkers works, "The Flowers" and "To Hell with Dying," the distinct point of view caused the characterization of the characters to differ. The direct and indirect characterization of "The Flowers" was developed through the objective tone of third person limited. Since the point of view was third person limited, Myop as well as the deceased man she came across were described entirely factually, considering bias is generally minimal in third person. Myop was described indirectly several times throughout the story, for example, it was stated that "Today she made her own path, bouncing this way and that way, vaguely keeping an eye out for snakes" (The Flowers 1). This observation could provide insight on Myop's character because it shows how she is semi-aware of her surroundings because she was watching out for snakes, but still a naïve, carefree child wandering aimlessly in the woods. Contrastingly, when the dead man was described, it was noted that "He had been a tall man...he'd had large white teeth, all of them cracked or broken, long fingers, and very big bones" (The Flowers 1). This direct characterization bluntly stated his appearance because that was all there was to take from him. He had no personality that the Myop could see other than his apparel and smirk. The direct and indirect characterization of "The Flowers" was expectable, considering third person limited made it so that characters could be described in a way so they would have to be inferred but also with some more clear, obvious descriptions.
  7. Contrastingly, most characterization in "To Hell with Dying" was direct because it was told in first person by a narrator with a light-hearted tone. Rather than describing Mr. Sweet with figurative language or grand verbiage, the narrator stated his appearance and characteristics straightforwardly by saying "Mr. Sweet was a diabetic and an alcoholic and a guitar player and lived down the road from us on a neglected cotton farm" (To Hell with Dying 1). This depressing reality of Mr. Sweet's unhealthy lifestyle was made more lighthearted by simply stating the facts rather than the narrator sugarcoating the truth. Whereas describing Mr. Sweet's unhealthy tendencies to allow the reader to make inferences would have been more heavy. Likewise, when describing Mr. Sweet's son's tendency to spend money negligently, it was stated that "His son, the only one that he and his wife, Miss Mary, had, was shiftless as the day is long and spent money as if he were trying to see the bottom of the mint" (To Hell with Dying 1). By using this direct description, the reader is not forced to pay attention to it, as it is not a vital detail of the story. The fact that this story was told in first person contributed to the readers understanding of these characters because rather than delving deep into each of their worlds, we simply got a flavor of what the narrator knew of them without abundant figurative language to dissect.
  8. In addition to the presence of direct and indirect characterization Alice Walker's works, both of her stories ended in the protagonists maturing, thus becoming round. Myop from "The Flowers," was an innocent, carefree child before she went on her journey. But after voyaging alone into unknown territory, she unintentionally matured. This was not Myop's first time out in the forest since "Often, in late autumn, her mother took her to gather nuts among the fallen leaves," but she decided to be independent judging by the fact that "Today she made her own path..." (The Flowers 1). Considering she left her home to go on an adventure for the first time, she was bound to become round for some reason because of her choice to be independent and go without her mom for the first time. After coming across the corpse of a hanged man, "Myop laid down her flowers," signifying her own internal growth (The Flowers 2). Seeing this vignette was told in third person limited, Myop's thoughts here are not as prevalent to the story. She took time to pick those delicate flowers and ended up using them to pay her respect to this man that had not had a proper burial. In addition to her maturity in this situation exemplifying her growth, the flowers themselves may have been symbolic to her own dynamicity. The flowers were picked before she had her traumatic experience, so leaving them behind with the man could have represented her leaving her childhood innocence behind. The objective tone in the story allowed the reader to understand the meaning of her actions. If told from the first person perspective, Alice Walker would lose the empowerment of the human mind. Being able to tell this part of the story from an outside perspective allows the reader to step back and interpret what is going on. Mourning a loss effects people differently and by distancing the reader, a different meaning can be taken from the scene. No matter what Alice Walker's intention was for the interpretation of the flowers was, once Myop left them behind, "the summer was over" (The Flowers 2).
  9. Likewise, the protagonist in 'To Hell with Dying" had a revelation at the end of their story, but their description of the account was vastly different than that of "The Flowers." Once Mr. Sweet had died, the narrator said, "...how could I believe that I had failed? That Mr. Sweet was really gone? He had never gone before" (To Hell with Dying 5). At first, it was shocking to hear that Mr. Sweet had gone after holding on for so long, but she finally came to terms with the fact that he was not invincible and would eventually perish no matter what actions she took. Mr. Sweet had an internal conflict where his health was affected by his drinking problem. Also, Mr. Sweet suffered from depression. This pushes him to the brink of death, the antagonistic force that beats down on Mr. Sweets mind. Being close to death so many times messes with the narrator's mind. After repetitive revivals, she hardens to the idea that the revival could be unsuccessful. It is not until she fails that she fully understands the situation she is in. Even thought she was twenty-four at the time he died, similarly to ten-year-old Myop, she had to face the truth: Mr. Sweet was bound to die someday. The narrator was then given his guitar, and she proceeded to play an old song that held personal significance to the both of them. Unlike Myop, who left part of her childhood behind with the flowers, this protagonist celebrated her childhood memories since she "plucked the strings, hummed 'Sweet Georgia Brown'" (To Hell with Dying 5).
  10. Both Myop and this narrator were forced to come to terms with the truth in their story. They were unable to hide any longer from their fears of death that awaited them.
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