Narrative techniques and social criticism in three classic tales about animals : Black Beauty, I Am a Cat, and The Call of the Wild

Name: Kanok-on Tangjitcharoenkit

keyword: Narrative techniques

; Defamiliarization

; Indirect interior monologue

; Reader-response

Abstract: Animals have played a key role in human society since primordial time, and their existences have been presented in our tales for centuries. Nevertheless, in the literary world, the area that records human culture, history, emotion, feeling, philosophy, and social movement, animals are marginalized as minor literature. It can be roughly estimated that well over ninety percent of world literature is narrated by human protagonists. Within those other, “minor” works, animals typically have positions as symbols of human characteristics. Their natural behaviors have not been depicted, and their status remains an object of human comparison even in the literary works in which they play the role of protagonist. Hence, it is interesting to see animals as principal characters in novels whose persuasive narration invites the reader to get into their psychology. The research examines the role of animal protagonists and how it helps depicting the issues in relation to the author’s ideology, background, and issues of concern. Three classic works from different genres, cultures, and times are selected to investigate how these aspects affect the selection of animal characters as well as how the narrative techniques influence the reader’s response. Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty uses the horse protagonist with a narrative full of pathos to amplify the picture of animal abuse in the Victorian era. Natsume Soseki’s I Am a Cat uses the cat protagonist using de-familiarization in his narrative to encourage the readers to detach themselves from their social context, with explicit satirical effect. Jack London’s The Call of the Wild uses the dog protagonist with indirect interior monologue to explore the issue of self-awareness and to depict the concept of naturalism. The analysis comes to the conclusion that although the authors belonged to different genres, cultures, and literary periods, the animal protagonists effectively help depicting the issues we overlook without causing bias to the readers. Moreover, emotional engagement, distancing effect, and self-awareness are significantly enhanced by the genuine nature of the animal protagonists. They are more suitable than humans because they are not overridden or stained by social values and culture. Therefore, the reader is convinced that their messages are reliable. However, the narrative techniques of the story must be compatible with the nature of the selected animal so the readers could obtain the messages of the author. These prove that animals can become protagonist in story in much the same way humans can, and the appropriate narrative techniques have high influence in achieving the author’s objectives

Thammasat University. Thammasat University Library

Address: BANGKOK

Email: preserv@tu.ac.th

Name: Prapassaree Kramer

Role: advisor

Created: 2017

Modified: 2022-02-07

Issued: 2022-02-07

วิทยานิพนธ์/Thesis

application/pdf

DOI: 10.14457/TU.the.2017.1687

eng

DegreeName: Master of Arts

Level: Master's Degree

Descipline: English Language and Literature

Grantor: Thammasat University

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