"Now this was the day that the rumor started- the rumor so terrible that the town and all the country about were stunned by it. The rumor was started by a weaver called Merlie Ryan" (Carson, 13)
Like Faulkner's A Rose for Emily a good portion of A Ballad of the Sad Cafe is told from the perspective of the townspeople. Most of this information is gathered from events that the townspeople have witnessed, but other information is fabricated with in their minds and then spread to be the truth. The particular rumor mentioned above is immediately proven false by the narrator informing the audience that the story was spread by Merlie Ryan who has "the three day-malaria" and started the rumor in his fever. However, like all decent rumors it caught like wildfire and brought the town to action against Miss Amelia.
Rumors can be a powerful tool in a narrative. They can help progress the plot by brining about action and they cause curiosity and raise doubt within the audience. Yet, unlike Faulkner's tale, Carson gives the audience a glimpse into the main characters life. She explains Miss Amelia's character and her actions in detail though his/her own words, not the townspeople. Thus, taking away the effect the rumors could have had on the audience.
Question:
So, What role do rumors play in the story? What role do the townspeople play in this story?
"The bleak night, after the gruesome talk of the day, put a fear in some people, and they stayed home close to the fire. Others were gathered in groups together. Some eight or ten men had convened on the porch of Miss Amelia's store" (Carson, 15)
ReplyDeleteI too thought of A Rose For Emily as I read A Ballad of the Sad Cafe. Even from the start I saw resemblances to A Rose For Emily as the narration began the story by describing the house in its fallen stature reminiscing on what used to take place there many years before. The population of this town was a collective body that shared many customs but of them the one that struck out the most was the collaboration and rumors among one another involving a person in the spotlight. In both stories the celebrity person who either held the most nobility or just character was the talk of the town and people doubted their innocence or guilt on things. Many saw Miss Amelia as a strict businesswoman who was only out to make profit and had no time to give handouts. As it turns out Miss Amelia was not that way and she even was a Jack (Jill) of all trades who offered professional medical help free of charge. Miss Amelia was of far different character than Emily Grierson but the townspeople were strikingly similar to me which seems to be a reoccuring theme of southern town populace as a whole. This quote shows how after rumors spread of the newcomer in Miss Amelia's life a number of the townspeople banded together to figure out what was going on. In A Rose For Emily similar things happened as many of the townsfolk from Jefferson banded together to investigate a strange smell eminating from Emily Grierson's house.
Discussion Question - Many of the stories we have read in this class have had a higher figure under the scrutiny of the more common townsfolk spreading rumors and small talk. How similar do you think we as a society today are like this when it comes to celebrities in the spotlight such as actors, singers, or professional athletes.