Novel_Structure

Novel Structure The novel consists of two parts, structured in three sections. The first part of the novel consists if one section titled 'Home' and takes up the first twenty four chapters. Each of the odd numbered chapters tells, through Gemma's words and Rebecca's (more commonly known in the book as Becca) eyes, the story of Sleeping Beauty. Each of the even numbered chapters in this first section tells the story of Becca and her quest to find out the truth about the identity and past of her grandmother Gemma. Themes Several themes are developed in Briar Rose including love, identity, truth redemption and hope. While the Holocaust is central to the novel as a whole, the use of the Sleeping Beauty metaphor is also used to explore history and memory. Love - is looked at in the novel in the following ways: • o Family love, such as the love between Gemma and her family, is clearly established in the early chapters. o Romantic love is explored through the developing relationship of Stan and Becca and the relationship between Gemma and Aron. Sexuality - in particular, homosexuality is explored through the characters of: • o Merlin Brooks, Becca's creative writing teacher o Magda Bronski (for eg. on pages 128,129) o Josef Potocki Identity - our quest for a sense of self, and a knowing and understanding of who we are and how we are, is explored through: • o Becca's quest for her heritage and Gemma's past o Stan seeking his birth mother o Magda's decision to practise 'being jewish' Redemption - is closely linked to the need people have to make sense of their lives and their place in 'history'. Some examples are: • o Fort Oswego Museum o Father Stashu o the experiences of Josef Hope - for a more positive future is expressed through the narratives of Josef and Gemma, when, in the final chapter, there is a 'happily ever after' (pg 239) History and Memory - (in order to fully understand these themes, you must actually read the book lol) These themes are explored in the following examples: • o Josef and Harvey Goldman's memories of the past are accessible to themselves and therefore to others in a way that Gemma's are not, but again we sense that their enduring pain is beyond describing with words. o Harvey is silent when Becca says 'Kulmhof' to him over the phone (pg 95), reinforcing his earlier statement that the Nazis could never be dead (pg 85) o Many readers will find that both Harvey's and Josef's memories of the Holocaust are similar to actual survivors' accounts they have heard or read. o Through its use of metaphor, Gemma's version of history serves to assert that humankind should never forget the terrible past that the Holocaust represents, but should instead tell and re-tell the story of it down through the generations. -TECHNIQUES- Motifs and Images In the early chapters of the novel a sense of mystery is established through setting up the Sleeping Beauty motif as the central link to the truth of Gemma's identity in the following ways: • o Mrs Berlin says that her mother spoke of no husband or family at all, for 'everyone in the castle had fallen asleep and she had been rescued by the prince' (pg 30) o Certain images are used to symbolic effect, such as the carved rose and briar on the lid of Gemma's wooden box. Repetition of imagse and words (eg. roses, mist, barbed wire, castle, curse) are used to link the dual narratives. • o It is significant that the princess in Gemma's story has red hair, for so do Gemma and Becca o Each of Gemma's retellings contributes a piece of the puzzle that eventually forms a whole. Interwoven throughout the novel, but mainly in Gemma's narratives are references to the aspects of the Holocaust survivors' experience such as barbed wire, resurrection, death, loss and renewal. o Each of the chapters on Gemma repeats elements from the Sleeping Beauty story but also adds new layers of meaning. Metaphor and Allegory Briar Rose uses the story of Sleeping Beauty to act as a metaphor for Gemma's experiences during the Holocaust. Becca's quest is to find 'the castle in the sleeping woods' (pg 16) and tell her grandmother's story. At a broader level the metahpor extends to include all victims of the Holocaust. Through Gemma's re-telling of Sleeping Beauty we come to understand the metaphor she is weaving around her identity and past. Becca understands that 'it's like the story is...like a metaphor...' (pg 13) and is therefore able to take up the quest that Gemma sets up for her. She knows that through unravelling her grandmother's story she will find a part of her own heritage and identity. Gemma has obviously used the story of Sleeping Beauty to disguise the truth, but clearly embedded within her story are despair, pain and an enduring sense of loss. Thus, the story is not only a metaphor but also an allegory that relates to the real past and events of the Holocaust. In her quest, Becca is able to uncover these truths and to share her knowledge with her family. Characterisation Characterisation is another technique used by Yolen to further the plot and develop the narrative, and to shape the reader's response to the experiences of Becca, Gemma and Josef. Becca is the most developed of the characters and the one whom readers most engage with. Through Becca's interaction with the other characters, including her dialogue, we develop an understanding of her sensitivity and youth.