Write an essay on at least two narratives. Illustrate the lives and the times of its characters In this essay you have Frank O’Conner’s fictional narrative ” Guest of nation. ” Then you have an extract from Ernie O’Malleys memoir ” Another mans world. ” Both revolve around the theme of execution. I will develop how both fictional and factual narratives illustrate the lives and times of its characters. To some up I will conclude with both similarities and differences of both narratives will be discussed. Although it is fictional it is very believable, because the story line is based on our Irish history.
The characters are ordinary people yet put in a complex situation. The characters are put in a paradoxical world where nothing happens in the manner there situated in. The five characters are made to bond like friends yet have norespectfor each other. The Irish soldiers have been affected, they have been ordered to execute the British soldiers. Hawkins, one of the hostages can not believe his fate. He thought his ” chums where messing. ” The actual execution of Hawkins is a chilling climax. This proceeds back to the narrative. Fictional stories always seem to have a more descriptive approach when escribing a chilling event.
It draws the reader to the lives of the characters. Almost making you sympathise with Noble, Even though he murdered both men. That is the art of fictional writing. It brings the characters alive due to the vivid description O’Conner conveyed. He some what draws you to the time of the setting, due to his stylistic approach. In addition Ernie O’Malley’s extract from his memoir is seen through his eye and his eye only. This type of narrative is a lot more personal. O’Malley almost makes you feel sympathic for him. He gives you his account on an officer pulling down his andkerchief and looking at him.
O’Malley gave us his option. He thought perhaps O’Malley was trying to frighten him, and not carry out the shooting. But then again it’s an assumption from O’Malley. No one really knows what that man was thinking at that time. O’Malley doesn’t allow us to gain a relationship with the men being executed. He was not given names or details about them. This changed the perceptive of the execution. It was less melancholy and more revolved around O’Malley. This leads to the reader becoming less attached with the devastating event that occurred. We were not allowed to use are imagination.
It was simply put on paper without us being able to sympathise with the men murdered. the theme of execution. They were both interesting and had dialogues. But other than that there are little similarities. There is a lot more differences when readying both narratives For instance the thing about fictional in comparison to factual narratives is that we know it is fantasy, or some what over aggregated. Therefore we go along with it. We are given a detailed account of each of the five characters. We are allowed to have are own option on who we like/dislike. We some what make up scenarios in are head.
Unlike O’Malleys memoir we are given one account. And within that it could be biased. It is harder to see the bigger picture. To some up the foregoing, I think that the lives and times of its characters are illustrated clearer in O’Conner’s short story. Even though it is not based on a true story, it allows the writer to explore the characters in a much more descriptive and clear view. It leaves a ever lasting impression on you as a reader. Therefore felt I was allowed to form my own option unlike O’Malley’s. I felt that O’Conner’s short story was extremely evoking and interesting to pull part and look beneath the characters conveyed.