My Personal Reading Of The Fox

Dean Cristina

IV A

2009-2010

The Fox

Title Meaning

The Content

Characters

Main charactersSecondary characters

The title is a metaphor.

The fox is a smart, clever, intelligent animal and the other animals are in danger in front of him.

A common reader can imagine a story of animals.

The intelligent reader understands that the text might talk about a clever and intelligent person.

March

Banford

Henry

Banford’s grandfather

Banford’s father

Narrative Technique

Narrator/s

Effect

A third person omniscient narrator

Characterization

March

Banford

Henry

Setting The country - England

Bailey Farm

A small village

The wood

ATMOSPHERE

The Message

WARTIME

poverty

Women’s condition: they had to replace the men because they went to fight.

RELATIONSHIP

Between two women unmarried and without a male presence

SEXUALITY: the fox represents a male-related sexual relationship

Between a woman (March) and a man (Henry)

Jealousy (Banford)

THE CONTENT

The Fox tells the story of two women of nearly 30: Banford andMarch. They decide to start a new life on a farm (Bailey Farm) inEngland in the country. It is wartime and life is not easy. They lookafter the animals (chickens, poultry, cows, ducks). Banford is thin and frail while March is strong and she is the man ofthe place. A fox starts to kill their chickens so the two women feel disheartened. One time March meets the fox but she doesn’t kill him: it seems as ifshe were possessed by the animal. The months pass. Then a young soldier, whose name is Henry, comes to stay with thegirls and March immediately recognize a link between Henry and thefox. Henry is fascinated by the retiring March but the presence ofBanford is an obstacle for him. So a triangular relationship begins toevolve. Henry wants to marry March but there are some problems. Atthe end Banford is killed by Henry but it seems as if it were an accident.

EFFECT

There is a third person omniscient narrator who filtered all. He uses the technique of telling and the reader is not totallyfree to make up his mind and to make his personal conclusions. The narrator uses few dialogues and conversations. He adopts instead a particular position: he makes commentsand through his metaphors the reader can immediatelyunderstand his values and his point of view about the situationand the characters.

He is omniscient so he knows everything of everybody.

MARCH’S CHARACTERIZATION

March is the surname with which the narrator refers to one of the twoprotagonists. It immediately recalls the third month of the year when thenature starts to blossom. Therefore it might hint at alive and a reactivenature. In addition if March refers to the verb “to march” it immediatelyrecalls the idea of an army and soldiers. The writer wants already tounderline some aspects of the character. Then the reader can imagine March because the narrator decribes herphysical appearance. After that the narrator gives information about her skills and hereconomical situation. During the story the reader can also understand March’s personalityand behaviours. As the matter of fact the omniscient narrator allows thereader to enter into March’s mind and to know her thoughts.

BANFORD’S CHARACTERIZATION

The narrator refers to this character using her surname:Banford. It immediately recalls the verb “to ban” which means to take distancesout. First of all there is a physical description of the character. Then the narrator gives information about her social, economicalsituation and family background. The reader can also know her clothes. Later the narrator makes the reader understand her personalitythrough her actions and dialogues. The reader can also know her thoughts so he can imagine better howBanford is.

HENRY’S CHARACTERIZATION

When Henry arrives at Bailey Farm the narrator gives a lot ofinformation about him. First of all he describes very carefully her physical appearance and inparticular his clothes. The narrator describes in detail his actions. But it also allows the reader to know Henry’s past: he tells why he isat Bailey Farm and what he does in his life. The reader can know his social, economical and family background. The narrator gives information about his work: he is a soldier. After that the reader is able to understand his personality because ofhis actions and skills. But he can understand carefully Henryespecially through his thoughts. As the matter of fact the narratorunderlines them.

ATMOSPHERE

The setting is one of the most relevant structures of the novel. Itmade have a face value but it can also have a metaphoricalassociation.The story takes place in the country, in England during wartime(1914-1918). The two protagonists live in a farm, called Bailey Farm. It is anisolated place because there are only fields and woods near the farm.The two ladies live in a secluded area, completely immersed in thenature. This particular setting, which is described in detail by the narrator,creates an atmosphere: the two women are alone and the settingaround them increases their distance and their separation fromthe world. The only contact that they have with other people is a smallvillage near Bailey Farm. But they prefer not to have relationships withits inhabitants. The setting creates sadness, anguish and solitude into the reader’smind.