One thing that I noticed about Lorrie Moore's writing (aside from the different narrative styles), was the great number of cultural references in her stories, and their signification in context of the story. In class, we talked about the copy of Madame Bovary in the Doris Day biography jacket and how it mirrors the the plot in "How to Be an Other Woman." Often times they are used to emphasize a point, or to emphasize the setting. The two stories this features most prominently in are "How to Talk to You Mother (Notes)" and "Amahl and the Night Visitors: a Guide to the Tenor of Love."
In "How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes)," Moore intersperses events in the narrator's life with historical events. Some of them are used to tell parallel stories, such as the development of cardiac surgery. This is very important to the story, given that the narrator's father had died due to complications from a heart attack. Other than this there are many references to historical events, like "The Bicentennial" (85), "Nixon wins by a landslide" (89), or "Mankind leaps upon the moon" (90). Often the references seem irrelevant, but sometimes there is a slight connection. The last time the narrator talks of a romantic relationship is in the same year Carter lost to Reagan, and the narrator "distributed donuts and brochures for Carter" (85). But, in 1945, the narrator's brother becomes distant, and the narrator mentions the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. However, these references help to solidify the time period presented in the story, and the passage of time.
In "Amahl and the Night Visitors," the narrator's boyfriend, Moss, often alludes to operas when he talks with her. The references also serve to differentiate the narrator from Moss and his friends. At the dinner party, the singers mock and deride Amahl and the Night Visitors, when the narrator appears to like it. The narrator says, "She uses words like verismo, messa di voce, Montserrat Caballe" (103). These are all terms related to opera and singing. (Montserrat Caballe is an opera singer). The narrator is not familiar with these terms, and feels out of place. Then, the narrator says, "to me, La Boheme's just a lot of scarves" (104). This further divides the groups. One more subtle detail is the repeated mention of Dionne Warwick songs on the part of the narrator. Dionne Warwick was a popular singer, not classical. This shows the use of references to divide the narrator and her boyfriend.
In these stories, we see Lorrie Moore uses references for many different purposes, with the main ones being to separate characters, or to cement the setting. This is one very interesting feature of her work--the carefully chosen references to enhance the stories.
I found it interesting how Moore used these kinds of references in her stories both to present the setting/ time period (like you said) and also to define her characters. In "How to be an Other Woman", by stating that Charlene is reading "Madam Bovary", desguised as a biography of Doris Day, it sort of reflects on her character. How, on the outside, she seems fine with everything, but on the inside, she is having serious qualms about this relationship. This may be reaching too much, but I think, ultimately, the disguised book reflects upon Charlene's character and her current (or future I suppose) life situation.
ReplyDeleteIt is cool that Moore's use of cultural references add another layer to her stories, either by describing the setting or providing additional clues about the characters. Interestingly, I feel like her use of puns also add some depth to the stories. For example, "To Fill" contains a series of letters to Phillip.
ReplyDeleteI think that this use of cultural references really enforces Lorrie Moore's works. By mentioning things that the audience may be familiar with, it adds a sense of realism. Additionally, it makes it easier for me to believe that she is drawing on her own experiences when making these stories, which is also something I enjoy in a work of fiction. It makes me interested in what aspects of the story are embellished, or actually happened. For instance, I think "How to Become a Writer" made all of us question the real story behind it. Obviously, Lorrie Moore is now a successful writer, but is the protagonist of that story her to some extent?
ReplyDeleteI really like Moore's various cultural references. I feel like they make her writing more genuine and unique. Her details make her stories hers, and I think that's awesome. The details also help build more complex and intricate characters, especially since her short stories don't allow for a ton of character development.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and Zina. I think these references make her style distinctive. The references help us understand the narrators' lives outside of what they tell us.
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