A Journey Through the Genres of Art and Literature
There is always a setting; it does not matter if the type of literature or piece of art is a play, short prose, or a poem. It all needs to start somewhere. Throughout this essay, there will be a focus on three different genres in literature and how they are different. The variety of these genres will include a play written by Stephen Massicotte, “Mary’s Wedding,” a poem by author Margaret Atwood, “Death of a Young Son by Drowning,” and a short story by Alistair Macleod, “The Boat.” Understanding the importance of the analysis of setting in each piece, the point of view of the characters, the importance of change in the settings, and the impact this change had on the characters directly or indirectly is imperative in gaining insight into these works of art and literature.
The settings of the three genres are differently structured to pass different messages to the audience. First, let us begin with the setting analysis of “Mary’s Wedding” by Stephen Massicotte. The play takes place on the backdrop of World War 1. The use of a dream motif literally and metaphorically becomes a structuring device throughout the play. The play is opened the night before Mary’s actual wedding. Then there is the poem “Death of a Young Son by Drowning” by Margaret Atwood, and this setting is very different because it takes place inside of a mother’s heart and mind after the loss of her child due to a drowning accident. Another type of genre that is popular in literature is a short story. The setting analysis of “The Boat,” by Alistair Macleod takes place in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The setting includes the fishing boat, which is very common for this town. The sea is where the work is, and the house is where the mother and father both have different perspectives on how life should be and how to raise their children. The mother lives for the seasons and teaches her daughters gardening and cooking. The father believes life on the sea and fishing is most important because that is the way he grew up, and that is how a man takes care of his family. However, in the father’s heart, he would much rather be far away from this type of lifestyle.
The three genres have different speakers or character’s point of view, which changes at some parts of the genres. The speaker’s point of view in the poem, “Death of a Young Son by Drowning” is that of sadness and hopelessness. This is contrary to how the poem begins with a description of the calmness of the river, which symbolizes how life can be peaceful and calm at one moment. The point of view of the speaker changes in the 16th stanza when she says, “the air locked, he was hung in the river like a heart.” The point of view changes from happiness to sorrow when she realizes that the dream will not be reached with her son gone. Mary’s point of view in “Mary’s Wedding” changes from furious and aggressive emotions, to love, and to sadness again. This is evident considering how she dreams of a thunderstorm when she discovers love with Charlie. Their happiness disappears when they remember the current war situation. The point of view from the father in the short story, “The Boat” changes at some point. The father wanted to be an academic, but that was pushed aside from him so that he could focus on being a fisherman since this was the way to support his family in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The story is told from the son’s point of view, and the setting starts with him in the present day. The setting later changes to flashbacks, with the son narrating the memories of his past. The setting where the father’s true passion laid was in his room, and that was the passion for literature. His room was littered with magazines and books because he was interested in gaining knowledge, but instead, he lived a life of disappointment since he did not attend university, and it is a reminder of how his life will never be. Instead, he gave his life to the sea and that of being a fisherman.
The change of setting in the three genres impacts the characters or speakers, both physically and emotionally in direct and indirect ways. The impact on the characters regarding the changes in settings was direct because both the father from “The Boat” and the speaker from “Death of a Young Son Drowning” experienced a type of loss and heartache. The father felt disappointed with his life because he never followed his dreams and missed out on that part of his life, which was a direct impact. The speaker from the poem, “Death of a Young Son Drowning” was affected indirectly but felt the pain and loss that was described by the tragic event and will carry that heaviness inside him. Each of the works in this essay is deep in meaning and context. The poem and the short story are both characterized by loss. The loss of life can be the death of a person in its full form or death of the person in spirit and soul. There was not only loss of hope but also an awareness that life can change rapidly sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. The play is expressed as a dream and is the opposite of the other genres discussed. The play is about love and beauty, innocence, and courage. All these themes and settings help these works of art flow and guide one’s mind as to what they can discover in the journey through literature.
Reading and watching different types of literature and works of art can open one’s mind to an array of different experiences and insights. “Mary’s Wedding,” “Death of a Young Son by Drowning,“ and “The Boat” carry out different settings and meanings that bring to life that which the authors wish to show to the audience. Tending to the analysis of settings, the points of view regarding the change in settings, and how the change of settings impacted the characters and/or speakers indirectly or directly helps to understand the works from top to bottom. Anywhere in the world, it is a familiar fact that a person can get lost in a poem, play, or book.
Works Cited
Atwood, Margaret. “Death of a Young Son Drowning.”
Macleod, Alistair. “The Boat”
Massicotte, Stephen. “Mary’s Wedding.”