Eudora Weltys The Ponder Heart as Dramatic Monologue :: Eudora Welty The Ponder Heart

Eudora Weltys The hypothesize Heart as Dramatic soliloquyDramatic Monologue, Edna is defined as the filter through which we see everything.What we commonly telephone point of view-- is the nexus of our interpretation of thenovels characters, events, and thematic significance(Nissen 1, tenseness added).According to Nissen Weltys narrators are often ignored or misconstrued by critics.In The Ponder Heart, Edna Earle is an exemplary storyteller at her best and at herworst defined by critics as bossy, narrow-minded and dumb (Nissen 2, violenceadded). Edna Earle fits none of these negative lashes. She is a Southern woman whocares for her family and community and tries to vex them in their best light for heraudience. The form of dramatic monologue has dogged been a way for authors to confidetheir audience an inside view by allowing us to be voyeurs we are not part of the story,but scarcely folks who are difference by the actions at hand. With this genre sheet already inplace, we bring to our reading certain expectations. In a sense, we never read a storyfor the first time we bring into our reading the expectations that previous encounterswith the genre have created (Nissen 2).Nissen sees Edna Earle as putting herself morsel in the line of splendour to thestory she tells with Grandpa Ponder and Uncle Daniel as the primary forces that shapeher narrative. She sacrifices her own needs in order to come across those of Grandpa and UncleDaniel. That she has been taken for granted must be painfully hold to the narrator aswell as her audience (Nissen 9). In this way, she arouses benevolence from her audiencemuch in the same way as if we were passing by her on the street while she told her story to a friend. We date her, but are not free to help her. We are strangers in herworld and cannot affect the outcome of her circumstances.In closing, Nissen rewrites the end to reflect the importance of Edna Earles voice asnarrator. Id like to warn you again, Edna Earle m ay try to give you something--maythink shes got something to give. If she does, do me a favor. Make out like you deliverit. Tell her thank you (Nissen 9).I agreed with Nissens article, but believe he could have stated his points moreconcisely. This article was long for the amount he really had to say. There is clearly noarguing the point that The Ponder Heartis a monologue, yet he spends three pages