The+Other+Paris+Essay

="The Other Paris" Essay=


 * Prompt: The following passage is an excerpt from "The Other Paris," a short story by the Canadian writer Mavis Gallant. Read the following passage carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, explain how the author uses narrative voice and characterization to provide social commentary.**

The author uses characterization and narrative voice to provide the social commentary that marriage, during this time, was more of an equation of matching "the right conditions" as opposed to finding two people who are in love.

The author characterizes Carol as young, but fearful of never getting married. Carol is twenty-two but naive. She convinces herself that with the right conditions, she will fall in love with Howard, and the fact that haven't fallen in love yet does no tmake her uneasy. Rather than marry someone she loves, Carol rationalizes this marriage with Howard. Stating that "the illusion of love was a blight imposed b the film industry, and almos tentirely responsible for the high rate of divorce," Carol is more than willing to convince herself that love is an entirely unnecessary fantasy that plays no part in a good marriage. Rather than realize that (in the three weeks Carol has known Howard) she does not love Howard, Carol foolishly sits by believing that love is "like a geranium" that needs perfect conditions to grow. She convinced that, with the right ammount of money, Howard will just magically and effortlessly fall in love with her. Blaming the "illusion of love" in the film industry, Carol is hipocritical in believing money is the answer to love, a naive illusion.

The characterization of Howard is somewhat pathetic. Despite being "uncommonly cautious" Howard proposes to Carol having only known her for three weeks. Howard proposes, not out of love, but out of a combination of fear, loneliness, and (quite frankly) laziness. Howard, after a conversation with his sister, is fearful of becomming another seat to fill at dinner. He is also tired of taking care of the house and lonely. The author uses Howard to portray the belief that marriage, for men, was a way to avoid cleaning the house.

The fear in both Carol and Howard that they may never get married/forever be single is Gallant's social commentary that marriage become more of a convenience than about two people falling in love, and a foreshadowing of the unhappiness couples like Carol and Howard are likely to face.

The narrative voice lends a hand in this social commentary. With an attitude of sarcastic enthusiasm, Gallant foreshadows unhappiness with statements like "There was no reason for the engagement or the marriage to fail" and "This is what everyone expected, and she had nearly come to believe it herself."

Gallant also uses a bit of mockery to further highlight the pressure of getting married. Carol was only twenty-two years old, yet she was fearful that "she would be so old no one would ask her." Twenty-two is relatively young, and Gallant mocks Carol's fear to emphasize the ludicrous pressure girls like Carolw were under to hurry up and tie the knot.