Sunday, 11 November 2018

Summary Review Of Behind The Blue Curtain

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 setting remains a matter of deduction. We are not told when or where. However, you can tell that it is summer of some year in the twentieth century. The choice of movie theater as a setting also helps to build the idea of existence of a mystery behind curtains. While the main character is a young boy, the author is not exploring boyhood fantasies. The themes perfectly target an adult audience.

A woman appears midway and is described as a reflection, to add a twist to the tale. The emphasis on mirrors by Steven is exemplary and stylistically ingenious. Though the boy and the woman portray conflicting personalities, their personalities and fate reflect on each other. There are similarities that are stylistically positioned to point at Mirror Reflections as a hidden literary image.

Conflict is excellently displayed in a character who has to choose between living the false bubble or the enlightened reality. If the old is to go, death must occur. This happens as he falls asleep in the office of the theater janitor. Rising up or reborn is signified by his awakening in the form of a dream. This is a resolution of prevailing conflict and justification of enlightenment.

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.

The story has numerous elements that will make it unforgettable. These aspects range from a captivating narration style, character development and setting, among others. It is also accommodating and easy to relate for readers from allover the world. This is the perfect story for both academic and leisure reading.




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