Literary analysis of, “A Wagner Matinee” By Willa Cather
Willa Cather is recognized as one of the most prolific writers in American literature. Her short story, a Wagner Matinee, is narrated in the first person by a young man called Clark. The story is characterized by sentences with many adjectives, use of imagery, irony and is developed extensively through the use of narration. The effect of this style makes the reader understand the life of Georgiana in her book A Wagner Matinee. Willa Cather demonstrates her styles and narrative approach in dealing with the themes of struggle, isolation, and hardship.
Cather develops a sense of the hardship and physical suffering faced by Georgiana though out the story. Georgiana had eloped with Howard despite the reproaches and criticism of her friends and family. The narrator makes the reader aware that Howard was a carpenter who had no money. Both of them had eloped to the Nebraska frontier family. The extent of Georgiana’s hardship is evident from the narrator’s opinion of her when he describes her as having, “yellow skin as a Mongolian’s.” this use of imagery enables the reader to have a mental picture on the physical state of Georgiana when she returned from Nebraska.
Cather appears to be exploring the themes of isolation by stating that in thirty years, Georgiana had not travelled more than fifty miles from home. This suggests that Georgiana had isolated herself from the world. Though this was ironical, she had managed to do so. The theme of isolation also appears when Howard decides to elope to Red Willow County. The narrator describes Georgiana’s “incessant twitching of the mouth and eyebrows” to be a disorder brought about by isolation and monotony.
In conclusion, Cather style of narration mainly depends on the use of imagery. This style results the understanding of themes of hardship, struggles and isolation.