Book review: An analysis of the narrative voice in Richard Ford’s "Wildlife"
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document in English
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published 19/02/2008
review : Completed
level : Advanced
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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.
Table of Contents
- The reader has an honest relationship with Joe and a better understanding of his vulnerable sense of self .
- Days later, Jerry is fired from his job as a golf instructor.
- The power of Joe's narrative voice is perhaps most evident when his father returns.
- Similarly to Jerry, Jeanette's actions changed drastically after her husband leaves.
- Accordingly, Warren Miller figured prominently in the unraveling of both Jerry and Jeanette's life.
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