From whose point of view is “Sonny’s Blues” told? How do the narrator’s values and expectations affect his view of the story? How would this story change if told by Sonny?

CASE STUDY

In continuation of our study of short fiction, Chapter 2 focuses on the literary element of Point of View. You should read all of Chapter 2, paying close attention to key literary terms (many of which are in bold face type). You will be quizzed on these terms elsewhere in this module. Additionally, pay special attention to the short stories “A Rose for Emily” and “Sonny’s Blues.”

Instructions

After reading the short stories “A Rose for Emily” and “Sonny’s Blues” (found in Chapter 2 of your textbook), provide a substantive, analytical response to the following questions:

“A Rose for Emily”

1. Why does the narrator of the story use the pronoun “we”? Who or what does the “we” encompass?
2. What does Faulkner accomplish by not presenting the story in chronological order?

“Sonny’s Blues”

1. From whose point of view is “Sonny’s Blues” told? How do the narrator’s values and expectations affect his view of the story?
2. How would this story change if told by Sonny?

Be sure to provide examples from the text to support your ideas/observations. Number your responses, and make sure each response to each question is between 100-125 words in length. Your paper should be double-spaced and in MLA format.