philosophical pondering of style

[marycatelli]

as inspired by the essay in the last post, or at any rate one section in it, a much derided passage in Proulx -- and deried not only by superversive.


Namely, the profusion of details about a woman whose arms have just been lopped off.

Partly of this is not just the profusion.  It's the placing.  The point of view character needs to focus on what the point of view character would focus on.  If your arms have been lopped off, you are not thinking about paint or birds.  Pondering life, the universe, and everything gives you more time to note details, if you're the sort of person that notes details.

To be sure, I have heard that adrenaline can make everything more vivid.  And shock can produce some odd reactions.  However, that's one thing I'm sure never to research.

Comments

[mythusmage.livejournal.com]

It was once pointed out to me that when you enter a room with a moving corpse, the first thing you're going to notice is the moving corpse.

[marycatelli]

Oh, yes, very true. That one's not even character-driven -- every character will notice it first.