Small World Character Analysis

In my story, Small World, I create temporal complexity through the emotions of the main character and the dates of the letters written. For example, “I know what I’ve signed up for but its kids like him that break my heart and raise questions about this war were fighting.” (Winmill 1). Dr. Bones writes all of his worries down in his journal. He is very concerned if he is doing the right thing or not or if he should be doing something else. Literary critic, Janet Gurkin Altman, argues about something formally known as “narrative time” in her article, The “Triple Register”: Introduction to Temporal Complexity in the Letter-Novel. Altman argues how what she calls “narrative time” creates a form of temporal complexity in the epistolary writing …show more content…
Essentially stating that the events are documented in some form of way whether it’s a diary/journal entry or if the character writes it in a letter. This can create some form of a temporal complexity if the event takes place but is only written down in a journal and not told to someone else in a letter. It creates a relationship between the character and the reader as well as the narrator because they would be the only people who knew what happened and the secondary character or characters would be left out. The double narrative is present all the way through an epistolary novel due to the fact that all the things that happen, whether they are relevant to the story or not, are documented in several ways that make the story interesting. The reader also may not know what is actually important until they finish reading the novel. Dr. Bones finds himself asking questions like, “Is this war truly worth it? Is this our fight to fight? At what point do we say enough is enough and stop sacrificing our own children?” (Winmill 1). He never once tells anyone that this is how he feels he just simply writes it in his journal entry on December 3rd. Dr. Bones writing these feelings creates the relationship between the reader and the character in which the reader will later understand …show more content…
Wolf is saying that epistolary form has given writers the opportunity to show dialogue and give their own form of indirect speech through the letters. These characters write each other things they might not tell each other to one another’s face. These letters are planned out and written making what they want to say more permanent. The characters actually have time to sit and think before they speak whereas in direct speech you don’t always have time to think too deeply about what you are going to say. This can play into the narrative time aspect where the reader takes their time to reply. Dr. Bones wrote a letter to the Ackerman family on December 7th expressing his condolences to the family about the death of their son William. During the letter he told the family how William resembled his brother, he explained the complications of the emergency surgery, and comforted the family by telling them that “…he’s safe with God now.” Dr. Bones felt extremely strong about reaching out to the Ackerman family. He wrote the letter explaining something heart breaking to them in hopes that they would receive closure and not wonder exactly what happened for the rest of their lives. The “narrative time” temporal complexity unravels where Dr. Bones has to wait and see if the family will ever reply to his