Introducing 

Prezi AI.

Your new presentation assistant.

Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.

Loading…
Transcript

The Wife of Martin Guerre

By Lachlan McDiven

Narrative Point of View (POV)

Narrative POV

In the book, the narration is in third person point of view with a focus on Bertrande's perspective. This makes the story not just a historical recount of the events but also provides an understanding of what it was like to have been Bertrande. I think the author wrote the book this way so we could be given the actual detail of the events as they happened but also connect with Bertrande's thoughts and feelings, and empathise with her at important times throughout the story. We particularly feel her sadness and anxiety when Martin didn't return home due to his fear of his father's anger, we are given insights into her thought process as she realised the returned Martin was an imposter and we are provided a sense of her despair when nobody believed her. Bertrande's perspective gives us a deeper understanding of how the events in her life affected her and how powerless she was. Reading about how someone's emotions are connected to how they are treated, helps us to recognise and support those in similar situations, leading us to become better human beings.

Definition

Authors don’t speak to us directly in literary works. They use an intermediary device called a narrator. Narrative point of view is that of the perspective of the narrator.

Definition

Image

Perspective

In the book, the perspective of Bertrande is very important to the story because her emotions described by the author gives the reader an understanding of what drove her to despair and to ultimately break down and give up. For example, when she was constantly called crazy for saying the imposter was not her husband, she began to doubt herself and we heard her say to herself that she must be crazy. We also found out that she felt extremely guilty for having a baby with the impostor and preferring him to her real husband and hated both men for it. This gives us a deeper understanding of her inner torment. Bertrande's perspective gives us a keen insight of how people feel when not listened to and how they may be experiencing problems we may not be aware of, such as loneliness and hopelessness, which gives us a chance to treat others better and ultimately become a better human being.

Definition

A particular attitude towards or way of regarding something; a point of view. Your perspective is the way you see something.

A Narrative perspective refers to a set of features determining the way a story is told and what is told. ... These factors, combined with a narrator's limited or omniscient perspective, his reliability and emotional involvement, form the narrative perspective.

Images

Themes

The most overpowering themes in this book are truth, loyalty and despair. Bertrande trusted the impostor at first because she thought he was her husband. The loyalty his family and Bertrande held towards Martin allowed them to blindly accept the impostor. However, she grew sad and ashamed as she realised that the man was an impostor and despite this she still loved him and was pregnant with his child. “Gladly she would have surrendered the responsibilities of the farm to her husband’s (the impostor's) care and surrendered herself to his love.” However, her loyalty to her real husband caused her to feel overwhelming guilt. Her baby died an hour after it was born and this symbolised the death of her relationship with the imposter and her loyalty towards him. She also felt despair in the fact that there was nothing she could do about the impostor and no-one believed her. After the real Martin returned, his lack of understanding and loyalty towards Bertrande caused him to accuse her of disloyalty. Nothing Bertrande could do was right and she was condemned to being the one who betrayed Martin.

Definition

The subject of a talk, piece of writing, exhibition; a topic. An idea that recurs in or pervades a work of art or literature.

Definition

Image

Context

It is important to examine the context of The Wife of Martin Guerre because it allows us to understand why the characters behave the way they do. In current Western society it would be unimaginable to marry children as we think that only an adult should be able to make the choice of who they marry, however in the 1500's, society accepted that marriages were arranged between families. The book also provides the context of Bertrande and Martin's relationship, which started on their wedding day when Martin, to show his distaste for her, scratched her face until his mother had to come and drag him off her, and how that poor beginning gives us the reason why it took them so long to feel affection for each other. Also, society's views on adultery at the time used to blame the woman so it is understandable that Bertrande felt as though she had "sinned" even though we know she was fooled by the impostor. Context, such as society's rules at the time and circumstances leading up to an event, allows us to understand why people act, think and feel the way they do in the story.

Definition

The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood. The parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning.

Image

Learn more about creating dynamic, engaging presentations with Prezi