Analysis Of Pieter Van Vlaanderen

Narrator/Narrative Voice
First person narrator
Narrator speaks in the first person
“And as I write here I read it again, the very paper is in front of me” (Pg. 139)
She is referring to herself about reading Pieter’s diary and writing about it
Characters/Characterization
Pieter Van Vlaanderen
Dynamic character because he is becoming more loving towards his wife, yet is still “mad sickness came over” him and it is getting worse. (Pg. 127)
Protagonist
Jakob Van Vlaanderen
Dynamic character because he plays a critical role in Pieter’s life and originally is not willing to change.
Jakob is accepting of the book about the birds from Pieter and shows change, but is still very reluctant to accepting the change.
Nella Van Vlaanderen
Static because she
is still distant towards Pieter
“did not want it or understand it, and wished it never written.” (Pg. 147)
Nella visits her parents with the kids and Pieter writes to her, but she does not appreciate his love and does not care.
Stephanie
She is a dynamic character and plays a major role in Pieter’s life.
She is slowly progressing and had a job at one point, to provide for her child and keep custody of it.
Stephanie knows that Pieter is attracted to her and therefore is not allowed to come to the house anymore
Sophie Van Vlaanderen
Narrator of the story
She is Pieter’s aunt, who cares for him like a son
Dynamic and shows her regret of the events that are going to occur later on
Caring and happy most of the time, but can get into what she calls her “black moods” and becomes very sad.
Style
Foreshadowing/Regret
Always refers to the destruction of the family
“it was he who destroyed us all.” (Pg. 107) Sophie refers to Japie and how he was the reason for their ultimate demise.
“And because of that day I did not speak when I should have spoken, and because of me he was destroyed.” (Pg. 112) Always speaks of how she should have said something and how it could have saved the family from destruction.
“but to the black storm that swept us all away.” (Pg. 126) Sophie continues to show the reader that the family’s ultimate ruin is near.
Simile/ Metaphor
The narrator uses similes and metaphors to help the readers understand of how she views people and situations, many times they involve
animals.
She speaks of her brother as “like a lion, in the silence of death.” (Pg. 101)
Sophie gives the reader and understanding of the seriousness of the situation and her brother’s sense of disappointment.
She uses one metaphor multiple times when talking about the soul. She refers to it as a “lamp of the soul” (Pg. 113)
It helps display when a person is happy, sad, reserved, or outgoing.
The lamp puts the character’s mood in perspective
Sophie speaks of her sister in law’s father as having a “face like an eagle.” (Pg. 118)
She describes him as stone cold and stoic. The eagle gives the reader a visual of his only facial expression she has ever seen
Symbols
The book Pieter gave to his father “The Birds of South Africa”
Written by an English novelist
Symbolic because the only novel Pieter’s father ever read was the Bible and everybody knew that
This is important because Pieter gave his dad a gift that nobody ever thought of giving him and it was about something he cared deeply about, birds.
Also his dad’s response is important because he takes his time out to read the book and appreciates something Pieter did for him
The first mention of a phalarope