Behind The Scenes At The Museum By — страница 2

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an affair with Clive Roper, the next door neighbour, who was similar to the type of man Bunty dreamed about. The women in the novel believed that they did not have choices about what they could do with their lives. They did not take control of the situation or make pro-active decisions to change their circumstances. Instead, these women waited for opportunities to come along and took the first that came, in fear of it being the only chance they would get. The style of Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson helps the reader to gain insights into other people’s thoughts and feelings. The novel is narrated by Ruby, as an intrusive narrator during the chapters and a limited omniscient narrator during the footnotes. The reader feels that Ruby is talking directly to them

through the style she tells her story in and the language she uses. This makes Ruby’s experiences easier to relate to. The reader gains insights through Ruby into how she feels about situations and family members. The access to her thoughts and feelings makes her experiences more animated to the reader. The omniscient viewpoint reveals character by implication rather than by direct statement. We can see the limited omniscient narrator, Ruby, giving the reader an insight into another character’s life during Footnote (iv) – Bonny Birds when she lets Rachel’s point of view intrude on the story, “He’d be hers soon enough. She’d take Alice’s place – be a second wife, or near enough anyway. She’d have a man of her own, a household to be mistress of, a readymade

family. They needed her because they were weak and she was strong.” (Ibid page 128) In this incident Ruby, the narrator lets us see the situation from Rachel’s point of view. The language in Behind the Scenes at the Museum helps to maintain the reader’s interest through its directness. Ruby narrates the story as a child throughout the earlier chapters, as she is growing up. She uses a typical childlike tone yet uses a wide adult vocabulary of many polysyllabic and educated words, “So sweet did this memory seem to our benighted sister, that we never had the heart to disenchant her.” (Ibid page 164) By using this direct approach to tell the story, the reader gains a very realistic look at how Ruby saw life for herself and her family. Ruby’s character can be revealed

through her childlike language, without the need for great detailed description from the author. Atkinson is quick to establish an intimate relationship with the reader through the use of conversational tone. The directness of the conversation between Ruby and the reader allows the reader to experience her perspective. Atkinson allows the reader direct exposure to the experiences and attitudes of the characters through her use of language and style. The reader is introduced to the events which occur in Ruby’s journey of self-discovery and is able to gain an insight into the views of some of the other characters in the novel. Through her handling of style and language, Atkinson creates a credible story. This is done through the strong communication of themes and characters. The

reader is given a clear view of the lives and thoughts of the characters and an understanding of the reasons behind why they may have acted or reacted in a particular manner. Atkinson lets the reader be taken away from the time and place they live in and transports them magically.