THE ITALICIZED SECTIONS
Morrison creatively inserts passages of italicized sections to reflect Pauline’s past. These specific passages are told from the first person point of view from Pauline, instead of the third person, which is the format by which the rest of the novel follows. There could be numerous reasons as to why Morrison chose these first person passages and why he chose them to be about Pauline. It is evident that there are many layers and mysteries behind Pauline. The impression is given that she is a woman filled completely with anger and hatred; for example by the way she reacts to her own daughter’s birth by calling her ugly (126). However, the italicized sections allow the reader to experience a different perspective about Pauline and where she came from. Readers learn about her past and her relationship with Cholly and how that relationship has become strained over time. Beginning after they had moved up north to begin a new life together, Cholly’s drinking habits and the unfortunate occurrence of Pauline losing her tooth, lead to the ultimate tension which the reader sees earlier on. They show what a difficult life Pauline has had to endure and the constant feeling of loneliness she has always had to live with. Working all her life and having no friends or supportive family members truly takes a toll on Pauline’s overall well-being. But, most importantly, these passages almost justify her actions in a sense. Knowing about the past that shaped Pauline as a person and the feelings that she had endured ever since knowing Cholly, the reader can easily see where she is coming from. Thus, these italicized passages truly add to the novel by allowing the reader to experience an unfamiliar character in depth which in turn, allows for the understanding of other characters.
NON-LINEAR NARRATION
Morrison’s style of non-linear narration truly adds to the story by giving past details to help the reader understand the present events. Morrison’s decision to write like this, gives the reader so much more insight and depth to characters. Such as when he uses non-linear narration with the italicized sections to describe Pauline, the reader gets so much more out of this than if the story were told in a linear manner because then the story is set up in a way by which the author can give vast amounts of information without being confusing. In the preface of the novel, when readers learn that Pecola is pregnant with her father’s child, this style allows readers to have an idea about who these characters are before they are even introduced. Overall, in a story like this, where the characters have many layers and complicated pasts, a non-linear narration works best to convey all that needs to be told.
