Practice IOC Outline - Family Furnishings

Context:

This passage is from the short story Family furnishings and is situated early in the story where the narrator was fond of Alfrida. The whole collection in which this short story is in share the element of love. 

Overview:

In this passage we see the narrator exploring the complex family relationships, as well as a flashback being used in order to characterise Alfrida.

Narrator:

The story is told from the first person perspective. This allows the reader to gain insight on  thoughts and how she perceives other characters. This does withhold some information to the reader. Additionally the first person perspective allows readers to see the emotional connections between characters. 

Structure:

The passage is mostly dialougue, with a flashback also being used. Imagery, symbols, and allusions are included throughout this passage which allows the reader to understand certain aspects better. Like the whole short story, this passage also mostly follows a chronological order, however like in the whole story, a time shift is present. 

Main Idea / Purpose:

The purpose of this passage is to tie the entire short story together. This passage is also significant as the complex family relationships of the narrator’s family are revealed, which develops the theme of family dynamics.

Sequential Body Analysis:

Chunk 1 (lines 2-9):

• Theme of power is developed 
• “some sense of triumph”
• “moment of power”

Chunk 2 (lines 10-22):

• Flashback - characterises Alfrida
• Symbolism
• “bells started to ring” (context is WW1) - symbolism for fear, reflects Alfrida’s fear due to her extra-marital pregnancy
• “they were just children” - symbolising/alluding to innocence
• Foreshadows relationship reveal 

Chunk 3 (lines 23-39):

• She starts to piece everything together
• “now I was aware of two things”
• Overlooks truth
• the protagonist never finds out the true relationship between her father and Alfrida
• Metaphor
• Cold fish
• “dark face against the light” - mystery surrounding the character Alfrida. pieces things together about the relationship of her father and Alfrida, but ignores it and chooses to not see the light and stay in the dark. 

Conclusion:

The main idea of this passage is to tie the whole story together by the narrator putting pieces together as seen in chunk 3, as well as to explore the complex relationships of the narrators family.