Drowned Rose Essays

Drowned Rose Essays Drowned Rose Essay Drowned Rose Essay Essay Topic: Drown The Drowned Rose Show how different points of view in the family community are developed in the story and how it affects the reader response. The Drowned Rose by George McKay Brown Is a ghost story about a doomed love affair which takes place In a close knit community and Is pieced together through various pollens by locals. In this essay I will show how different points of view can influence reader response through characterization, theme, symbolism and structure. The story tells us about a young school teacher called Sandra Macmillan, who was avian an affair with a married man named John Germinations. On the isolated island which they live on the close knit community have different opinions about the young couples affair. One night Sandra approaches William Reynolds the new school master at the local school as she mistakes him for John. William Reynolds immediately attracted to Sandra and Is desperate to find out more about her. Later on In the story when Mr. Reynolds Is playing a game of chess with the local molester Reynolds had seen her ghost. One of the main characters who influence the reader throughout the story is William Reynolds. He is immediately attracted to Sandra Macmillan and is fascinated by her and introduces the reader to them main theme in the story which is love. Throughout the story he doesnt have anything negative to say about her. She was certainly a very beautiful girl, with her abundant black hair and hazel eyes and small sweet sensuous mouth. This quote draws the reader in straight away and makes the reader become interested and eager to find out ore about her. Also the use of alliteration Small sweet sensuous helps the reader create a powerful Image of Sanders beauty. Another character who influences the reader throughout the story is Mr. Hendrickson. He is Mr. Reynolds next door neighbor and is very noses. He did not approve of Sandra and Johns affair and has nothing good to say ab out either of them. Mr. Hendrickson was a stereotype islander, very gossipy, bitter and narrow minded. Mr. Reynolds, I consider it my duty to watch, yes, and to report to proper quarters if necessary. This shows that Mr. Hendrickson watched Sandra and John throughout their affair and felt that he had to, when really he Just wanted to know everything that was going on between the young couple. This antipathies how noses and gossipy Hendrickson Is. Also George McKay Brow uses symbolism to empathic Hendrickson character because Henderson only gossips over his garden wall to Reynolds and the walls surrounding him symbolism his narrow mindedness. Due to his disapproval and deedless for the young couple the reader becomes aware that one of the mall themes in this story is persecution as Hendrickson was strongly against the couples Sandra was the school mistress at the local primary school before she died and the children at the school add to the readers response. The children really warmed awards Sandra and enjoyed having her as a teacher. She would take them on nature walks to let them see the wild flowers and would take them to the beach to collect shells. She made all the children feel special and they became almost obsessed with her. Miss Macmillan Miss Macmillan Miss Macmillan The name scattered though the school as if a rose had shed its petals. This quote shows the childrens obsession with their old teacher by using the repetition of her name. The way in which the children look up to their teacher and how they admire her encourages the reader to eel sympathy towards Sandra because she was Judged and seen as a bad perso n. Also Brown uses symbolism to show Sanders character and symbolisms her as a rose. A rose is the symbolism of love and the color red can suggest danger. This shows she is in love with John and is also dangerous toward Reynolds as he could end up very hurt and broken hearted. This also shows effectively the theme of love. George McKay Brown uses symbolism again when talking about the children. The class- room had been murderous as a beehive. This simile shows that the bees are symbolizing the children in the classroom. This s very effective because bees are attracted to flowers such as a rose therefore this antipathies the childrens feelings towards their old teacher. The local minister Donald Barr is also another important character in the story. He is the complete opposite of Mr. Hendrickson, he keeps himself to himself and doesnt like to talk badly about anyone especially Sandra Macmillan. Donald Barr is the person who reveals to Mr. Reynolds that Miss Macmillan is actually dead and is not keen at all to talk about her and how she died. This is because he will not talk wrong about the dead. Never ask me for a partial account. It seems to me they were happy. I refuse to wrong the dead. This shows the ministers loyalty towards the people in his community as he refuses to Judge the lovers for what they did and will not talk badly about it. This makes the reader think the same, what they did might not have been the right thing to do but they should not have been treated differently because of it. As well as characterization, theme, alliteration and symbolism I also found the structure of the story particularly effective. George McKay Brown wrote th e story in flashbacks. By using this structure it allowed the reader to form their own opinion of Sandra Macmillan as it takes you back to when she was a school teacher and lets the reader see what she was like with the children she taught. It also lets the reader see how the events in the past have effected the present day. In conclusion to this The Drowned Rose by George McKay Brown was a very interesting story to read and had a few twists which added to the enjoyment of reading it. After studying the story I grew to like Sandra Macmillan although Mr. Hendrickson was so critical towards her and because he was very much against her made me sympathies for her as he is a nasty individual.