the catbird seat

Name:Hou Dewei, class:English 101, Student number:201008113

㈠ Abstract: The fiction “The Catbird Seat” is written by James Thurber who is an greatest humorist,cartoonist since Mark Twain in America. James Thurber was born in Columbus,Ohio, to Charles Thurber and Mary Agnes Fisher Thurber on December 8, 14. Both his parents greatly influenced his work. His father, a sporadically employed clerk and minor politician who dreamed of being a lawyer or an actor, is to have been inspiration for the small, timid protagonist typical of many of his stories. James Thurber described his mother as a “born comedienne”.

James Thurber has two brothers, William and Robert, William and Robert while playing a game of William tell. His brother William shot James in the eye with an arrow, and James lost his eye. Besides that, James has two marriages. “The secret life of Walter Mitty”, “The Catbird Seat”, “A Couple of Hamburgers”, “The Greatest Man in The world” were published after his divorce.

The analysis of characterization in this fiction is what I want to lay emphasize on. It is known to us all that the term character applies to any literal work. And if an author wants to write a good fiction he must pay enough attention to the characterization, for the character is closely connected with the plot of the fiction and the theme the author wants to convey, etc. Obviously, James Thurber is a genius in characterization. This paper is to analyze the methods of characterization through the fiction of “The Catbird Seat” and I also want to analyze James Thurber’s survival anxiety hidden on the conflict of “sex battle” through the literal work of James Thurber besides this fiction. James Thurber’s “The Catbird seat” focus on the battle between the protagonist Mr Martin and the antagonist Mrs Barrows. The battle between the two sexes, where the protagonist intelligently defeats his opponent .

㈡ Key words: characterization, James Thurber, “The Catbird Seat”, discrimination , “sex battle” ㈢ The characterization

As we all know, the characterization can be divided into two methods: direct and indirect characterization. Hence, let’s start with direct characterization.

(1) Direct methods of revealing character-characterization by telling-include the following:

① characterization through the use of names

Names are often used to provide essential clues that aid in characterization. Some characters are given names that suggest their dominant or controlling traits, as , for example, Young Goodman brown, the naive young puritan in Hawthorne’s story, and Mr Blanc, the reserved Easterner in Stephen Crane’s “The Blue Hotel”. Other characters are given names that reinforce their physical appearance, much in the way that Ichabod Crane, the gangling school master in Washington Irving’s “the Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, resembles his long-legged namesake,etc. The use of names can also be seen in this fiction. The author never changes Mr martin into Martin or his full name. This phenomenon can be explained like this: the author wants to remind the reader that Mr Martin is a cautious, conservative person. A negative attitude towards one of the Martin’s assistant whose name is Miss Paird can also be seen from her name. If we change the first two letters into “b” her name will become bird. Actually, Miss Piard just like a bird who chatters without stop. ② characterization through appearance

In real life, appearances are often deceiving. In the world of fiction, however, details of transparence often provide essential clues to character. Take ,for example, the second paragraph of “Mr Kingsman, Major Molineux”,in which Hawthorne introduces his protagonist to the reader. The several details of the paragraph tell us a good deal of about Robin’s character and basic situation. We learn that he is a “country-bred” youth nearing the end of long journey, as his nearly empty wallet suggests. His clothes confirm that he is relatively poor. This kind of description can also be seen from this fiction. For instance, in the eighth paragraph, James Thurber describes Martin like this, “his gloved hands felt moist and warm, his forehead cold”. We can learn from the deception of the author to Mr Martin that he is very nerves under his peaceful appearance when he is going to rub out Mrs Barrows. ③ characterization by the author

In the most customary of telling, the author interrupts the narrative and reveals directly, though a series of editorial comments, the nature and the personality of the characters, including the thoughts and feeling that enter and pass through the character’s minds. By so doing the author asserts and retains full control over characterization. The author not only directs his attention to a given character, but tells us exactly what our attitude toward that character ought to be. The author uses the words “quacking voice” and “braying laugh” in the third paragraph. Besides that, James Thurber uses “shout”, “yell”, “bowl”and “scream” instead of “say”, “speak”, “talk”to describe Mrs Barrows. When it comes to Mrs Barrows’s action. “look”, “see”, “watch” never occurs. Instead, the author describes like this, “Mr Barrows had bounced into his office”. “she had begun to wander about the office, taking it with her great, popping eyes”.what’s more, James Thurber even says that Mrs

Barrows “the obscene woman”. Obviously, an abhorrent attitude towards Mrs Barrows has conveyed to the reader by the author. (2) indirect characterization: showing ① characterization through dialogue

We can analyze the character through the way he talks, the words he uses,etc. In this fiction, there are lots of conversations between Mr Martin and Mrs Barrows which totally proves that. Specifically speaking, in the third paragraph, the conversation between Mrs Barrows and Mr Martin goes like this, “ Are you lifting the oxcart out of the ditch? Are you tearing up the pen patch? Are you hollering down the rain barrel? Are you scraping around the bottom of the pickle barrel? Are you seating in the catbird seat? When finished reading the five questioning sentences without halt. Readers can feel that Mrs Barrows is a person who is very aggressive, forceful, arbitrary and low-educated. However, when it comes to Mr Martin’s dialogue, it is totally different from Mrs Barrows. The way Mr Martin speaks like this, “That is correct,sir” “twenty two,sir” “I trust so,sir” “I beg your pardon” all of these sentences reveals that Mr Martin is a painstaking, assiduous and polite person. Besides the sharp contrast between the way Mr Martin speaks in Mrs Barrows’s apartment and out of the apartment pushes forward the plot in this fiction without any doubt. In Mrs Barrows’s apartment , Mr Martin speaks like this, “Here’s nuts to the old windbag. Fitweiler” “which will blow the old goat higher the cell” to seduce Mrs Barrows to get on hook. ② characterization through action

The idea that one’s behavior is a logical and even necessary extension of one’s psychology and personality is widely shaved. What a given character is is revealed by what that character does. In brief, the single most important and defi native method of revealing character, this fiction never lacks of characterization through action. Take , for an example, in the tenth paragraph, the author describes Mr Martin’s action like this, “He got inside fast, closing the door behind him” “He was up the steps and in the small vestibule in no time” there are also five “as usuals ” in the deception of Mr Martin’s action. Readers can learn from the deception that Mr Martin is a cautious person. In the eleventh paragraph, “He rushed past her like a football tackle, bumping her”. “Miss Paird could not hear what the woman was saying, she went back to her desk”. It reveals that she is a gossip woman.

㈣ James Thurber’s attitude towards women hidden on the conflict of “sex battle”

As we can say, there are only two female characters in this fiction, Mrs Barrows and Miss Paird. But what impressions these two female leaves to us when finished reading this novel. Obviously, an negative attitude towards the female in this fiction by the author. In the author’s eye, Mrs Barrows is a arbitrary, low-educated, aggressive forceful woman and

she also wants to dominate the company, to put it another word, she wants to overcome men. And Miss Paird, totally a gossip girl. This is not the only fiction that James Thurber put the female character into this situation. I have read his another fiction “A Unicorn on The Garden” and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” which are totally simi liar with this fiction about the attitude towards the women. In these three fictions, men are all in a disadvantaged situation, ironically, the outcome of these three fictions are all ends up with the victory of men. Besides that, these three fictions are all written after the divorce of the author. I believe that the attitude towards women of the author relates to the divorce to some extent. As the author says himself, “ I have unambiguous comprehension to my fantasy fictions”. In a word, James Thurber’ prejudice towards women reveals to us clearly through his fictions. ㈤ Conclusion

In presenting and establishing character, James Thurber uses two basic methods at his disposal, one method is telling which relies on exposition and the direct commentary by the author. The other method is the indirect dramatic method of showing, which involves the author’s stepping aside, as it were. To allow the characters to reveal themselves directly through their dialogue and actions. And James Thurber employ a combination of the two. Besides that,we can also see the author’s attitude towards women from his fiction. The prejudice of women may be not accepted by the reader. However, it is the result of the experience that the author had gone through. We can not merely say it is right or wrong.

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http://baike.baidu.com/view/714422.htm?subLemmaId (3) 译林 2007年第三期， 184

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