Essay Assignment Three

At least three of the characters in “The View from Castle Rock” write a history of the Scots who emigrate to Canada: Old James, Walter, and the mysterious “I” who appears late in the story. They all record—through oral account, journal and letter, and narrative—a “view” of what that history means. Write an essay, then, that takes one or more of these “historians” and argue what form of plot they give to their history. Use one of Hayden White’s archetypal plots or, more daringly, give your own name to the kind of history your chosen character(s) use. How do they shape events of the story to influence how we understand the meaning of those events? Use quotations; use of sources optional.

A review of Hayden White’s theory of emplotment:

Romance celebrates the triumph of the good after trials and tribulations. Comedy is socially integrative and celebrates the conservation of shared human values against the threat of disruption. Tragedy stresses the irreconcilable element of human affairs, and laments the loss of the good necessarily entailed when values collide. Satire sees only meaningless change in human life; human affairs display no pattern, and for the most part are governed by folly and chance.

Length: 800-1000 words (okay to go beyond, not to go below)