The Mirror Crack'd
I try to teach concepts that are universal, which means they should apply across genres and across time. That's why I try to include examples from older, classic literature as well as more recent releases. In this post, I will be illustrating the concept of "importance" using Agatha Christie's The Mirror Crack'd.
This book is written from a third-person point of view. Despite this, the world of the story is revealed through the eyes and mind of the main character, Miss Marple.
The most important thing in Miss Marple's life in this story is her garden. No one can care for her garden the way she can, and the first few paragraphs in the story center around the care of her garden.
After the garden, Miss Marple reflects on the village in which she lives. Rather than describing the village outright, Christie let's us see the village through the eyes of an aging woman who longs for the "good old days." In one part, we learn more about the village through what is no longer there than we do through what is there. Miss Marple's village is important to her, but only the village that was, not the village as it is.
Another thing important to Miss Marple is a more old-fashioned way of life. You can see this in her remembrances of Cherry Baker and the ladies from the Development as compared to "Faithful Florence" and the "nice little maids." This comparison also shows Miss Marple values practical skills over intellect and education.
Agatha Christie reveals Miss Marple's world slowly, starting close with her own home and garden and expanding outward into the village and the Development. She shows the reader the world through the eyes of her main character, focusing in on the things that are important to her. This incremental revelation of the story's world engages the reader quickly and draws them into it.
This book is written from a third-person point of view. Despite this, the world of the story is revealed through the eyes and mind of the main character, Miss Marple.
The most important thing in Miss Marple's life in this story is her garden. No one can care for her garden the way she can, and the first few paragraphs in the story center around the care of her garden.
After the garden, Miss Marple reflects on the village in which she lives. Rather than describing the village outright, Christie let's us see the village through the eyes of an aging woman who longs for the "good old days." In one part, we learn more about the village through what is no longer there than we do through what is there. Miss Marple's village is important to her, but only the village that was, not the village as it is.
Another thing important to Miss Marple is a more old-fashioned way of life. You can see this in her remembrances of Cherry Baker and the ladies from the Development as compared to "Faithful Florence" and the "nice little maids." This comparison also shows Miss Marple values practical skills over intellect and education.
Agatha Christie reveals Miss Marple's world slowly, starting close with her own home and garden and expanding outward into the village and the Development. She shows the reader the world through the eyes of her main character, focusing in on the things that are important to her. This incremental revelation of the story's world engages the reader quickly and draws them into it.
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