The Evolution of Frank McCourt
I've started reading "'Tis," Frank McCourt’s second volume of his memoirs that begins where “Agela’s Ashes” left off. Right away, a couple interesting differences between the books become apparent. The first difference is that “Angela’s Ashes,” which recounts the author’s early childhood, reads almost like a series or anecdotes or vignettes. Each is often self-contained and there is not a lot of interdependence between them; one doesn't depend on another so much for continuity of the narrative. The second book, on the other hand, reads a little more like a traditional narrative, each chapter flowing into the next, setting out a linear timeline of events.
This approach makes sense in light of how we tend to remember early events in our lives. You often remember your childhood as discrete events or flashes of memory. For example, a memory may be so closely connected to an old family photo that, after a while, you begin to question whether you actually remember the photo or the event. Of course, in our mind’s eye we may be quite convinced we still “see” the memory clearly, but the vision begins to look remarkably like the photograph as the years pass. When enough years pass, our earliest memories begin to look more like a photo album full of snapshots-in-time. The stories in Angela’s Ashes have something of this snapshot quality to them as well.
A second difference between the books is seen in the mechanics of the writing. The first book uses a lot of short, declaratory sentences and short paragraphs. The ideas are simple and simply expressed. There is not a lot of analysis or introspection. In the second book the sentences and paragraphs are longer and more complex. The author indulges some introspection and tells us how he feels about what he experiences, certainly more so than in the first book. Again, this makes sense in light of how we would remember later events in our lives. “’Tis” recounts the author’s young adulthood and the stylistic changes comport with the relative maturity of the author during the periods each book treats.
I wonder if the author consciously adopted different writing styles for the two books or if it just happened. In any case, it's nice to take note of the differences. They add authenticity to his story which is, after all, a true account.
This approach makes sense in light of how we tend to remember early events in our lives. You often remember your childhood as discrete events or flashes of memory. For example, a memory may be so closely connected to an old family photo that, after a while, you begin to question whether you actually remember the photo or the event. Of course, in our mind’s eye we may be quite convinced we still “see” the memory clearly, but the vision begins to look remarkably like the photograph as the years pass. When enough years pass, our earliest memories begin to look more like a photo album full of snapshots-in-time. The stories in Angela’s Ashes have something of this snapshot quality to them as well.
A second difference between the books is seen in the mechanics of the writing. The first book uses a lot of short, declaratory sentences and short paragraphs. The ideas are simple and simply expressed. There is not a lot of analysis or introspection. In the second book the sentences and paragraphs are longer and more complex. The author indulges some introspection and tells us how he feels about what he experiences, certainly more so than in the first book. Again, this makes sense in light of how we would remember later events in our lives. “’Tis” recounts the author’s young adulthood and the stylistic changes comport with the relative maturity of the author during the periods each book treats.
I wonder if the author consciously adopted different writing styles for the two books or if it just happened. In any case, it's nice to take note of the differences. They add authenticity to his story which is, after all, a true account.
posted by anchovy @ 9:30 AM
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