Sunrise on the Veld

27/02/2007

What is Doris LessingХs purpose in the following extract and how effectively does she achieve it? Comment on her point of view, tone and language and any other important aspects of style.

By Adam van Sant

The extract from Sunrise on the Veld was written by Doris Lessing. He purpose is to make us feel like we are inside the head of the main character. The main character has come across a dying buck in a field and is contemplating whether to put the buck out of itХs suffering. Lessing uses many aspects of style in her writing. Some include point of view, tone, word choice, conflict, sentence structure and atmosphere. As all of these aspects of style come together we are able to see deeper than just the words and are actually able to make our way into the head of the main character gaining greater connections with him.

The extract from Sunrise on the Veld was written in a limited omniscient point of view. This helps the author achieve her purpose because it conveys the attitude and emotions of only the main character/characters. In this extract, Doris Lessing uses limited omniscient point of view to show the emotions and feelings of the min character as he suffers to face a dying buck. Because of this writing style the author is able to show us deeper into the thought processes and emotions of the main character. For example, when the author writes, Т(He) felt in his own limbs the myriad swarming pain of the twitching animalЙУ If the author had not used this writing style, we would not know that the main character feels physical pain because of the bucks suffering. This knowledge is able to give us more of a connection towards the main character as we know his deepest feelings.

The author, Doris LessingХs word choice helps to portray the emotional attachment in which the main character feels towards the buck. Lessing uses the word ФIХ a lot, especially at the beginning of the extract, when describing the thoughts the character has about the buckХs suffering. This shows that he has connected on an emotional level with the animal and has taken responsibility for the animal on his own shoulders. We see this when the author writes, ТI canХt stop it. I canХt stop it. There is nothing I can do.У The constant use of the word ФIХ in this passage particularly shows the emotional connection the main character has with the buck. Without this we would think that the main character did not care what happened to the buck, but because we know that he cares, we are able to dig deeper into the main characters emotional side and gain a greater connection with him.

Doris Lessing also uses conflict to give us a deeper knowledge of the main characters thoughts. These occur in the head of the main character as he is deciding whether or not to kill the buck. It is almost as if he has a little devil on shoulder telling him one thing and a little angle on the other shoulder telling him the opposite. We see this at the beginning of the extract when Lessing writes, ТIt came to his mind to shoot it and end its pain; and he raises his gun. Then he lowers it again.У The main character then goes on to day, ТЙif I had not come along it would have died like