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Sunday, November 11, 2018

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By Laura Wallace


There are books that will be forgotten immediately you close the last page. Others will have a lasting impact on your reading career years down the line. Behind the Blue Curtain is a marvelous title by Steven Millhauser. It features a young boy as the protagonist and opens as the boy makes a trip to the movie theater. He is usually accompanied by the father for these Saturday night movies but this time it is different.

The boy seeks to set own path by going beginning to go the movies alone. This unique path is also exemplified by his hunger for enlightenment and higher knowledge instead of material possessions. In fact, this boy appears to be way ahead of his peers in his actions and the things he seeks.

The author has cleverly used the first person narrative approach. The aim is to make it appear as though you are listening to a story straight from the mouth of the boy. This is different from reading a book or hearing about third parties. The style makes it easier to relate to the quest or journey of this main character. It is a journey of discovery because he feels that his father is protecting him from something dark.

The author is not straightforward on where the book is set. However, descriptions indicate that the events take place in summer. Most of these events also happen in the theater and in a period somewhere in the twentieth century. While the protagonist is a young boy, nothing in this narrative makes it sound like the flip flop boyhood narratives.

The story takes another trajectory with the appearance of a woman. The description given is that of mirrors and reflections. This is a clever style used by the author to show the similarities in the journeys of the lady and the main character. It forms part of the rich stylistics employed by the author to communicate.

Conflict in the narrative is pronounced as one is placed in a tricky position where you have to choose whether to live in the hidden past or embrace the new knowledge already acquired. A part of the protagonist has to die since he has acquired new knowledge. His is signified in him sleeping at the office of the janitor and waking up in a dream.

One can read the theme of transformation throughout the story. The writer cleverly uses lighting and the passage through candelabras to represent this journey of transformation. The description of scenes and development of characters are also unmistakable. Readers searching for literary stylistics are rewarded handsomely by the author.

Steven has done a great job in the story because it is easy for readers to relate. The curiosity in the boy existed in everyone at a certain point but is rewarded with knowledge and enlightenment. This is a story that everyone around the world can relate and also makes an excellent academic piece.




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