Eudora Weltys The Ponder Heart as Dramatic Monologue :: Eudora Welty The Ponder Heart

Eudora Weltys The Ponder Heart as Dramatic monologueDramatic Monologue, Edna is defined as the filter through which we see everything.What we commonly call point of view-- is the nexus of our interpretation of thenovels characters, events, and thematic significance(Nissen 1, emphasis added). consort to Nissen Weltys narrators argon often ignored or misconstrued by critics.In The Ponder Heart, Edna Earle is an exemplary storyteller at her best and at herworst defined by critics as bossy, narrow-minded and dumb (Nissen 2, emphasisadded). Edna Earle fits none of these negative lashes. She is a Southern woman whocares for her family and community and tries to put them in their best dismount for her auditory modality. The form of dramatic monologue has long been a way for authors to givetheir audience an inside view by allowing us to be voyeurs we are non part of the story,but simply folks who are passing by the actions at hand. With this genre tag already inplace, we bring to our rea ding trustworthy expectations. In a sense, we never read a storyfor the first time we bring into our reading the expectations that previous encounterswith the genre have created (Nissen 2).Nissen sees Edna Earle as set herself second in the line of importance to thestory she tells with Grandpa Ponder and Uncle Daniel as the primary forces that shapeher narrative. She sacrifices her own needs in order to worry those of Grandpa and UncleDaniel. That she has been taken for granted must be painfully clear to the narrator aswell as her audience (Nissen 9). In this way, she arouses sympathy from her audiencemuch in the same way as if we were passing by her on the street while she told her story to a friend. We hear her, but are not free to help her. We are strangers in herworld and cannot affect the outcome of her circumstances.In closing, Nissen rewrites the end to reflect the importance of Edna Earles voice asnarrator. Id the like to warn you again, Edna Earle may try to give you so mething--maythink shes got something to give. If she does, do me a favor. Make out like you acceptit. Tell her thank you (Nissen 9).I hold with Nissens article, but believe he could have stated his points moreconcisely. This article was long for the amount he really had to say. There is clearly no parameter the point that The Ponder Heartis a monologue, yet he spends three pages