The Pathetic Fallacy in Camus’ the Stranger and Yoshimoto’s Kitchen
The Pathetic Fallacy in Camus’ The Stranger and Yoshimoto’s Kitchen
English A1 – Higher Level World Literature Paper 1
Ojiugo Nneoma UCHE Candidate Number: 1415-068
1480 Words
May 2010
In Camus’ The Stranger, and Yoshimoto’s Kitchen, both authors use the literary technique of pathetic fallacy – a branch of personification – which gives to the weather and physical world, human attributes. In both texts, this technique enriches the narratives both aesthetically and in terms of meaning – by telling the inner emotions of the characters. However, while in Kitchen, the pathetic fallacy is employed throughout the text, in The Stranger, it takes centre stage only at the most crucial point in the book – with Meursault, the protagonist killing the Arab. This paper will examine the purpose of both authors in using the pathetic fallacy, and the significance each place on this technique. Yoshimoto places great emphasis on the pathetic fallacy, using it frequently. This frequency is due largely to the cultural context of the story. Kitchen is based in Japan, where a culture of covert and coded language abounds in daily life and conversation; in a country where there are two social modes – ‘honne’, one’s true but generally hidden feelings, and ‘tatemae’, the feelings which one shows when in public and which literally means ‘facade’[1]. Thus, the pathetic fallacy is Yoshimoto’s way of augmenting the ‘honne’ moments of her protagonist, Mikage. In the weather and the elements we see reflected, Mikage’s deep and true emotions; emotions which a culture of facetious conversations has made difficult to convey, even in moments of self conversation – the ‘honne’ In Camus’ The Stranger, the justification for the use of the pathetic fallacy lies, not in culture, as is in Yoshimoto’s Kitchen, but in characterization, Meursault being set up as the absurd man. Meursault’s killing of the Arab is at a crossroads in definition: Is it a murder, and thus an ‘act,’ or is it merely
English A1 – Higher Level World Literature Paper 1
Ojiugo Nneoma UCHE Candidate Number: 1415-068
1480 Words
May 2010
In Camus’ The Stranger, and Yoshimoto’s Kitchen, both authors use the literary technique of pathetic fallacy – a branch of personification – which gives to the weather and physical world, human attributes. In both texts, this technique enriches the narratives both aesthetically and in terms of meaning – by telling the inner emotions of the characters. However, while in Kitchen, the pathetic fallacy is employed throughout the text, in The Stranger, it takes centre stage only at the most crucial point in the book – with Meursault, the protagonist killing the Arab. This paper will examine the purpose of both authors in using the pathetic fallacy, and the significance each place on this technique. Yoshimoto places great emphasis on the pathetic fallacy, using it frequently. This frequency is due largely to the cultural context of the story. Kitchen is based in Japan, where a culture of covert and coded language abounds in daily life and conversation; in a country where there are two social modes – ‘honne’, one’s true but generally hidden feelings, and ‘tatemae’, the feelings which one shows when in public and which literally means ‘facade’[1]. Thus, the pathetic fallacy is Yoshimoto’s way of augmenting the ‘honne’ moments of her protagonist, Mikage. In the weather and the elements we see reflected, Mikage’s deep and true emotions; emotions which a culture of facetious conversations has made difficult to convey, even in moments of self conversation – the ‘honne’ In Camus’ The Stranger, the justification for the use of the pathetic fallacy lies, not in culture, as is in Yoshimoto’s Kitchen, but in characterization, Meursault being set up as the absurd man. Meursault’s killing of the Arab is at a crossroads in definition: Is it a murder, and thus an ‘act,’ or is it merely
Cited: 1. Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Trans. Matthew Ward. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. 2. Yoshimoto, Banana. Kitchen. Trans. Megan Backus. New York: Washington Square, 1994 3. Wiktitionary © Wikipedia. Wiktionary. 16 February 2010 . 4. Ruskin, John. Modern Painters. Vol. III. J.Wiley, 1856. ----------------------- [1]( Wiktitionary © Wikipedia) [2] Ruskin, John. Modern Painters. Vol. III. J.Wiley, 1856.