Book review: An analysis of the narrative voice in Richard Ford’s "Wildlife"
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Joe's narrative voice
- The discrepancy between what Joe speaks and what he communicates
- The power of Joe's narrative
- The actions of Jerry and Jeanette's
- The climax of the story
- Conclusion
SummaryIn Wildlife, Richard Ford employs Joe, a sixteen year old boy unsocialized and unfamiliar with the world around him, to tell the story of his parent's marriage. Having moved to Great Falls, Montana after living in four other towns, Joe is forced to navigate through a new town, as well as through the contours of his adolescence and the ostensibly childish behavior of his parents. He is, in fact, passive in how he relates to those around him: he does not ask questions, and he responds most often in accordance with what he believes others want to hear. However, during many of these moments, Joe often confesses his true feelings to the reader, admitting either what he wishes he could say or simply acknowledging his own confusion. In the first pages, he realizes, "When you are sixteen, you do not know what your parents know, or much of what they understand, and less of what's in their hearts" (18). Joe's insight here captures the essence of his narration; he is confused yet insightful and, somehow, strong but vulnerable.
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