There are a variety of different form and narrative structures in the short stories, “Trees Can Speak”, “The Persimmon Tree” and “A Double Because its Snowing.” All of these are modernist stories with a one sided perspective of reality. The stories also tend to have a prescence of the unsaid in their narration, which make the stories very powerful.

We definintely see this idea of Beverley Farmer in the onset of “Trees Can Speak.” The storekeeper says, “This man never speaks.” 1 The movements of the man and the expressions on his face are the only clues the narrator has to understanding him. However, there is something more powerful about a man who does not speak. Its leaves people guessing and not having all the answer laid out in front of them. It allows them to get spiritually closer to the person, like the narrator who is focusing on the mans every movement and facial expression. It is also much more personal and half of the time, the narrator does not even realize the man is not talking. At one point the narrat

The “Persimmon Tree” by Marjorie Barnard has no dialogue in it, yet is very powerful. We only hear the thoughts of the narrator and we watch what is going on around her, but at no point are we part of it. We see the story as being enclosed within the frame of a window with a limited one sided view. It is a lot more personal than the others because you are looking through solely one characters eyes. There is no need for the narrator to speak, because this story is not intended for dialogue but is intended to be an inner monologue of a woman. There are many things left unsaid in this short story, which make it all the more powerful, because it keeps us guessing. Was it a voluntary choice for her to lose the child? and the thing we are dying to ask ourself at the end of this story is, who exactly this other woman behind the curtain is. However we do not find this out, because this story is based on the inner thoughts of the narrator and she does not feel these are important things to tell us.

In the “Persimmon Tree” there is an interesting form and narrative structure. We have access to the narrators thoughts and feelings and empathize with her throughout the story. She seems to have a desire to experience everything alone and doesn’t talk to anyone. At one point the narrator says, “I knew her quite well. . . the way you know people when you are sure you will never be put to the test of speaking to them.” 6 Here she even points out that she intends to speak to no one. The story is written as a kinda of inner monologue about a lonely person looking out on a world foreign to her. She does not say anything to anyone else, yet keeps her thoughts and feelings to herself. The woman envies the woman across from her in the window, and sees herself earlier in her life when she was grounded. I think it is interesting that we never are told the central womans name in the story. This proves her sense of not belonging and paralells her not wanting to communicate with anyone; in fear they will find out who she really is and not like it.

or even says, “His expression changed to one of decision and I answered the unspoken intention as if it had been conveyed to me i

Some topics in this essay:
Marjorie Barnard, Ben Okri, Beverley Farmer, Double Snowing”, It’s Snowing”, Lisa Mahon, Literature Essay, throughout story, narrative structure, form narrative, “trees speak”, “a double, Persimmon Tree”, access narrators feelings, speak story, access narrators, narrator saying, short story, story narrator, form narrative structure, “a double snowing”,