"Fyodor's idea of composing his biography in the shape of a ring, closed with the clasp of an apocryphal sonnet (so that the result would be not the form of a book, which by its finiteness is opposed to the circular nature of everything in existence, but a continuously curving, and thus infinite sentence.)..."
'The Gift' by Vladimir Nabokov
The following piece was written in the form of a short story. It is a work of interpretive literature, written not merely for the enjoyment of the reader, but also as a guide through one's own mind, in order to better understand the memories of life. The purpose of such fiction is to enlighten the reader, expand their imagination around a world that, though foreign to them, is an aspect all too real to some. Thereby broadening empathy between the real and the unreal of perceiving life viewed through a kaleidoscope. While at the same time, assimilating an imagination without limits, of those lucky enough to be deemed “crazy”.
The storyline centers on a single main character, following the circumstances after a life-changing event. The main character’s “friend” is the only other active voice in this story, fulfilling the role as the protagonist in this conflict of “man versus himself”. The Introduction was used to set up the main character with not only a direct presentation of his attributes/conditions, but also his most recent circumstances in the present. It is to be noted that there is only one physical character in this story, with two distinct voices and the setting of the story takes place inside his head.
The rest of the work itself is divided up into sections; where, conceptually, each part is representative of a new entry into a journal. This was to give the reader the sense of a flow of time or a progression towards something when there is no actual time being recorded, only new entries being made. The Introduction also acts as a brief, vague summary for the reader of the events that had just transpired to the character, put together between Sections I – XI, all the while re-establishing clarity for the reader as it leads into the last section of the story, Section XII.
The style of the narrative is broken down into two parts, each representative of a different voice. The first voice, the main character, is written using surrealistic prose. In order to better demonstrate his state of mind, abstract words conveying an idea seemed best suited as his voice. The second style employed is made up of straight and direct dialogue and prose. This is used as a contradiction to the first voice, in order to keep the reader grounded and following the storyline, as well as enforcing the ideas conveyed by the surrealistic prose.
Lastly, we come to a brief summary of the storyline. The narrative illustrates the aftermath and the account of a tragic love leading up to the nervous breakdown of a schizophrenic. From here, the story develops the main character as he tries to recall the events leading up to his fall and what he must do in order to reclaim his irregular normal life. All with the help of his disassociated identity. It is a tale about time, anomalous love, betrayal, and renewal. This story best demonstrates how the path to love is always fraught with peril and self discovery; an undiscriminating quest that binds those few, who sometimes have to work a little harder in order to obtain it, into questioning what is real and what isn't. Ultimately, it is the workings of the heart that will lead a person to their ending, if it’s true to form and not merely the creation of the mind. That is the poet's way.
Neal Willis Syrette
