Narrative Analysis: Comparing Two Short Stories and Their Techniques

This essay provides a detailed analysis of two short stories, 'A Dill Pickle' and 'You Gave Me Hyacinths,' examining the narrative techniques employed by the authors. The essay compares and contrasts the narration styles of the two stories, highlighting how each approach influences the reader's understanding and emotional response. It explores the importance of figurative language in establishing the themes of 'You Gave Me Hyacinths,' focusing on how the setting, characters, and cultural differences contribute to the story's overall meaning. Furthermore, the essay delves into the methods of character construction used in 'A Dill Pickle,' analyzing how physical descriptions, speech patterns, and inner thoughts reveal the characters' personalities and motivations. The analysis demonstrates how narrative choices and literary devices shape the stories' impact and meaning, providing a comprehensive understanding of the texts.

Understanding narrative fiction

Table of Contents
Comparing and contrasting of narration of two stories...............................................................2
Importance of figurative language in order to establish the theme of ‘You Gave Me Hyacints’
.....................................................................................................................................................3
Methods of character construction used in ‘A Dill Pickle’.........................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

Comparing and contrasting of narration of two stories
A Dill Pickle is the short story that tells about a women who meet again with her
husband and they both did not seen each other from last 6 years. It has a limited perspective with
a reader who are being encouraged in order to see the unplanned reunion of both. Thus this story
is based upon the third party narration where a woman really loves a man but she also broken the
relationship with him. She came from rich family while man belongs to poor family but they
both loved each other. The man go around many countries which they both dream to go together
and this made a woman hate him. Further, the man is so self- engrossed and unconcerned
regarding his beloved and he was always busy with himself but they both have some similarity
i.e. egoist, loved each others and has a dream to go Russia (Zuo, 2019). They both sat in a café
and share their life. Then man said that he spent time with travelling to many countries that also
includes Russia where the woman actually wants to go, but not reach it yet. When this incident is
shared, the lady personality is clearly reflected that she is a one dimensional character and her
personality is define purely about her reactions. But the lady is sat quite for some time but when
man did not stop the conversation, she walked down without any signs.
On the other side, man called a waitress to take an order of food by interrupting her talks
and this incident reminds her that its same and nothing is change even after six years. He also
retell about the sweet memory at Kew Garden where he did not know the names of any flowers
but he knew it one by one. But that incident was very bad for the woman because the man felt
embarrass in front of many people with his behavior. Thus, she recall every bad memory when
they wants to create a romantic evening like other people but unfortunately they suffered. At last,
mad start to tell that he also spent some days on a river boat on Volga and the life of Russia is
so free such that peasants are so splendid and they also offer a dill Pickle to him as well.
Also, when the conversation is run of Russia, the attitude of narrator appears to be
measured and withdrawn as well (Walshe and Dublin, 2018). It is so because Russia is cold
place and women hates cold. Thus, man suddenly input into a conversation and women go
without any warning but obly provide an expression of her coldness towards him. Further, it is
analyzed that there is a dispassionate tone of ‘A Dill Pickle’ in which a feeling of being kept at
arm’s length and there is a vibrant interaction that gives a sense of immediacy to another tale.

On contrary, ‘You Gave me Hyancinths’ has a completely different tone from the first
story, it is so because there is a sense of being present, of being aware of te characters sensuality
such that how one could react in a particular situation, while in the case of Dill Pickle it is not.
Therefore, here ‘Get Inside the character’s head’ is used as a first person narration and it can be
also argued that the choice of narration actually affects the purpose instead of telling a meaning.
So, as per the story of Dill Pickle, that is all about the pas relationship with a coincidence
meeting, on contrasting it with ‘You gave me Hyacinths’ where a narrator is completely
engaging in her own change that reflect the growth.
So both stories are powerful in their own ways and effectively fulfilling their own
purpose. But there is a difference between both the stories with regards to style of narration,
voice and tone. Like, in Dill Pickle, there has a cold time that affect the distance between reader
and author, while on the other side, as per another tale, that is present in first person narration
shows a more immediate and intimate experience (Kimber, 2018). Though these stories are
varies from their personal matters and as a result, the choice of the narration contrast but each
successfully deliver or convey the meaning.
Importance of figurative language in order to establish the theme of ‘You Gave Me Hyacints’
There are three types of theme which were used in the tale i.e. sub-tropical locale, a
school in small town in order to establish he teach and student relationship, last is interior setting
of teacher’s thought so that they grow a sexual awareness of young female teacher. Further,
some sub- themes are also used i.e. culture, age and racial difference etc. In the first para of the
story, there is a general tone and a broader setting off linear time in 1960s. Moreover, the setting
is also an important because it is important for the story because it place the reader in the middle
of Wet season and a sense of heat and sweat as well. Further, it is also important to describe the
character of Gian whose precursors suddenly blackbirded and that is why, he is taken and
forced to work in the Queensland’s cane fields. Moreover, Gian is provides an archetypal
masculine sensuality, charming, tall as well as handsome boy (McKay, 2014). But on the other
side, Gian has a Incredible eyes with a long silky lashes and charming but they all give a hint of
danger and recklessness.
The town is also another reason for the existence of the sugar mill which actually
suggests the small town mentality of that era and less than a hundred miles away, there were

thousand people where a local city in which men swilling their beer outside a pub and setting in a
bench outside a pub. But at time, Dellis bored the attitude clearly shows that she is not in the
situation to understand the situation of that time and lace thus, this situation analyzed that Dellis
is lack of ambition and she did not know how to deal with the situation. At that time, teacher ask
that you are not suppose to finished the high school then what would you do? At that time, this
situation describe that there is a need to be a proper setting of a theme so that it will help to
narrate the story.
Moreover, the setting of the narrator’s inner self is root of the story and it is so because
it helps to share their motives and desire in order to bring the beauty of a poetry and specifically
for that younger girl. While on the other side, the narrator is a school- teacher and they supposed
fount of knowledge. So, this reflect the use of first person voice that gives a reader to access an
aspect of her enlightenment. On the second part, there are some characters who are also dislocate
because the teacher is in her first year at a small town school and as per the story it is clearly
reflected that teacher is out of her comfort zone. Further, Dellis as a child bearer and wide is also
restricted by the necessity in order to attend the lesson where she has no interest, and also, Gian’s
family is also removed from their homes and then placed to the foreign country as well.
So, these character difference is also shows the conflict and resolution off the story and
even there is a minimal difference in the character’s ages i.e. teacher is 21, while Gian is a only
17 and Dellis is 15 and this also reflect the level of maturity differences too. Among all, the
teacher is enough mature and tries to provide better things to their students. While on the other
side, racial difference is in Gian’s Polynesian heritage, the culture difference is varied. Further,
there is a difference between the teacher and a student such that student come in blue- collar
class while teacher comes from white- collar or from the professional background. So these all
the setting are quite important for the theme in order to establish better scenario and make it
worth to highly credible context as well. Therefore, there is a need to develop the theme that
helps to make the entire scene worth and better.
Methods of character construction used in ‘A Dill Pickle’
Physical Description: It is the first method which is used to construct the characteristic in
the story. It is the type of the method in which the physical description of the individual is
describes to construct the characteristic. Characteristic can be describe as tall, thin or used to

describe the look of the individual. As in this story author used to describe the look of the
narrator. As in this story they used to explain that you are looking great in current scenario.
Author used to highlight the same by quoting that "You've changed. You've changed very
much," he said, starring at her with that eager, lighted look. "You look so well. I've never seen
you look so well before." Not only has that author also highlighted that she has lost the dreamy
vagueness. Also Author analysis the cloth of the individual by highlighting that “His clothes
were admirable, and at that moment he pulled a Russian cigarette case out of his pocket”
Speech description: This is the type of the method in which the characteristic of the individual
is understand by the individual by analysing the way the other individual used to converse with
others. It is another method which is used to highlights that It is another characteristic
construction method which is used by the Author in describing the characteristic. As in this story
the author used to describe that he was very lightly in speaking most of the time they were
having the conversion also there were some situation in which author has highlighted that she
was looking very intelligent speaker. It was highlighted by the author in the way that “As he
spoke, so lightly, tapping the end of his cigarette against the ash strange”. Also Author has
highlighted that she was very intelligent and warm speaker. Author has highlighted the same
with the lines "You'd like almost everything about Russian life," she said warmly. These are few
example there are many such incident which has highlighted by the author about the different
speech which has been used by the other party.
Inner Thought: Inner thought is the character construction method in which the author
used to build the characteristic by identifying what are different felling of other individual and is
he used to explain the same to the other individual or not. This is another method which can be
identified as the used method in this story to construct the characteristic of the individual. As in
this story individual used to explain different feeling through which he has gone through when
he was in the Russia. Also in one of the line the individual used to explain that he loves to live
the Russian life. Some of the other line which used to coat the same in the story are I was in
Russia, and I found that we were not peculiar at all and "Yes, I am afraid I must aware with it”
This story reflect the layer like an onion where suddenly two people meet in a café and
thus, the former relationship is recognized. Thus, the writer used this method in order to show
the man’s non- psychologized character is consider primary state while, the method of indirect

presentation as well as strong symbolism is also describe the character of a woman which is
secondary method. So, it is reflected that the reader actually given the access of women’s though
means there is a limited perspective but they both emerges as a strong character in the entire
story.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Kimber, G., 2018. Katherine Mansfield’s modernist short stories. Gale Researcher.
McKay, B., 2014. Transformative Moments: An Interview with Janette Turner
Hospital. Queensland Review. 11(2). pp.1-10.
Walshe, E. and Dublin, F.C., 2018. Heather Ingman~‘A Living Writer’: Elizabeth Bowen and
Katherine Mansfield. The Elizabeth Bowen, p.30.
Zuo, H., 2019, May. Characteristics of Stream of Consciousness from the Anaphoric Perspective.
In 2nd Symposium on Health and Education 2019 (SOHE 2019). Atlantis Press.