Analysis of Structural Elements in "Brooklyn" Chapter 3
Chapter 3 of "Brooklyn" by Colm Toibin focuses on the significant romantic relationship between Eilis and Tony. The chapter delves into themes of duty, family, and the protagonist's emotional journey. Structural elements such as chapter function, narrative technique, and reader positioning are explored in depth, providing insights into the storytelling style and character development.
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Brooklyn by Colim Toibin
Chapter 3 Analysis of the structural elements of novel
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF A NOVEL Title Chapter function Relation with the other chapters Narrative technique Position of the reader The use of language Themes Characterization of the characters Setting The message
Title and chapter function There is not a specifically title, but only a reference to the number of the chapter. approximately a hundred of pages indeed it is the most important, where is concentrated the most relevant part of the story. The main topic of these pages is the touching romance between Eilis and Tony, an Italian young man. The 3th chapter has
Relation with the chapter before On the contrary, between the second and the third chapter there s no connection. Indeed there s an absolute separation, since the part before the one analysed shows an Elis that isn t able to integrate herself, to take distances from her motherland (she always thinks about her family). On the other side
Relation with the following chapter: The main theme that connected the third chapter to the fourth one is the death of Rose, Eilis sister. That will lead to the protagonist s decision to return to Ireland, due also to a big sense of duty to her mother, now left alone.
Narrative technique: The narrator is an third person singular: setting and the characters are seen through Eilis s eyes interior monologue Multi-perspective: thanks to the dialogue the reader can understand also the other character vision of the situations Showing: the characters create themself through dialogues and their thoughts Telling: the narrator tells about the characters and the setting
Position of the reader: Sometimes it may be difficult for the reader to put himself in the protagonist s shoes. By the way, thanks to the showing technique the reader is more participant to the events.
Use of language Concrete Simple Common Rich of coordinate clause in the dialogue Rich of subordinate clause
Themes The romance The wane of racial discrimination against colored people and Jews The American society The religious authority The feellings for the loss of a loved person Homesickness
The Romance The theme is the central idea of the whole chapter. All is based on a sequence of events between Tony and Eilis. In every events Eilis' feeling are ambiguous. The reader can see it in many scenes like at Coney Island. When she will stay in his arms, but at the same time she is afraid. All their relationships depend on Eilis' behavior; she has all the power in the couple.
The wane of racial discrimination against colored people and Jews The American society of the immediate post war is presented as a fragmented society, where people were characterized by the origins and the social status. You can find an example of this mainly in prejudice and racial discrimination against colored people, Jews and at times Italians. T ib n describes also this aspect inside the book, though he dwells on an innovative element: the tolerance. As an example the sale of stockings to colored women. In the dialogue between Eilis and Miss Bartocci she says: " We'rey going to welcome colored women into our store as shoppers. Reference to the holocaust, connect to the figure of the law Professor of her College. Eilis becomes aware that her Professor is Jewish from a bookseller, but this theme is still debate with skepticism and fear.
The American society The theme of the American society is present in all the book. It shows their passion for the baseball which occupies a relevant part in the love story between Eilis and Tony. Indeed he speaks a lot about it, about the Dodgers which are a famous baseball team in the 1950s in America. Another aspect is the fashion. Even so it is shows in Eilis' housemates, who gives lots of importance to the appearance. There are lots of parties where this aspect it is clear: Hefferman checked themselves in the mirrors and applied more make upand lipstick and mascara or you and your friends are famous for yours style
The religious authority The reader can suddenly notice the important role that religion plays in Eilis's life, especially thanks to her behavior, both directly and not. Example: during all the chapter (and not only), the protagonist rely on Father Flood: he finds her a job in Brooklyn, he reassures her after her sister's death ( " It's very sad... but she's in heaven now. That's what we should think about. And she will be watching over you. And we'll have to pray for your mother and for Rose's soul, and, you know, Eilis, we have to remember that God's ways are not our ways." p.171), and he will help her to make the decision to return to Ireland. Eilis is extremely moral and tied to the religious dogmas. This will be clear to the reader's mind especially when, at the end of the third chapter, Eilis makes the decision that herself and Tony would have had to confess after their unfaithful night, or, again, when, after Tony's proposal to marry in the city hall, she wondered surprised if it was possible.
The feellings for the loss of a loved person The loss of a loved person, of course, is the saddest part of the novel, in this case it is the death of her sister Rose. Thanks some adjectives like "last, almost hysterical, sobbed" the reader can easily understand Eilis feelings. Furthermore, Toibin used also the expedient of Jack's letter to Eilis, telling us about the death of their sister.
Homesickness The topic of the homesickness due to the distance from her family return in this chapter, as the others which came previously, especially in the final part after the death of Rose and the arrival of the letter from her brother. To the reader all arrives through the description of a sequence of Eilis' feelings and behaviors. For example you can notice the expressions: " She become almost hysteric" , " She was sobbing so much . She feels like in a nightmare, she could not realize that she will not see her sister anymore.
Characterization of the characters Eilis Tony Father Flood Rose The others characters like the housemates, Mrs Kehoe, Tony s family, two other priest are relevant only for the story line
EILIS In this chapter she has a personal growth, she opens her mind Even if the mother and the sister are faraway she is pycological depended from them She is unsure about her feelings for Tony She has a high sense of duty She has rooted religious believes
TONY A sentimentalist, protective, cheerful, emotional and determined boy He is a plumber, he belong to the middle class Physical appearance : blond, blue eyes He comes from a religious family, and it has a resistant family environment which helps him in every situation
FATHER FLOOD Protective figures for Eilis, it is like a father for her Willing to help her in every occasion Authoritative behaviour He represents the religious values
ROSE She is not directly present but plays an important role inside the chapter: she influence her sister behaviors Always praised by Eilis for her social status, her self- possession and self-confidence
Setting Time: In the chapter the time runs fast, it passes from winter to summer in a blink of an eye. The days and also the weeks are well divided: Friday night Eilis and Tony goes to the dancehall, on Wednesday Tony fetch Eilis at the Bookkeeping lessons and on Saturday night they go to the cinema At the beginning of each paragraph there are reference to the time: tomorrow, today, later, during the week
Setting Space: The story is set in different places but at the same time circumscribed in the area of Brooklyn: Mrs. Kehoe s house Parish dancehall Tony s flat Outside the district of Brooklyn the novel take place in: Coney Island Manhattan
The message The intention of Toibin in this chapter is to comunicate a message: never give up! Despite every obstacle and complication, the sadness for being far from home, every sacrifice and the suffering for the loss of loved person; you can create a better future finding the balance and the happiness in an world completely unknown.
