The story Birdland falls into the narrative category of Disjunctive structure. By definition from our text this means that the story must involve travel, movement arrivals and departure. This story is full of that. The parrots are a prime example of this in their migration to Elbow from Rhode island and back. They arrive and they depart in this repeated fashion.
The Blond traveling from New Hampshire to Elbow is another example of the Disjunctive structure, and she even departs at the end of the story, only to return once again. She travels as she follows the parrots around Elbow.
The football season, always arriving each year with renewed hopes of conquest and departing at the end of the season fits this structure as well. As you can see, this entire story is structured in this fashion, and it makes it easy for the author to keep the story rolling. I sure hope that I understand this structure correctly. It would seem that the Disjunctive would be the no brainer option.
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I agree with the Disjunctive theory for this piece of literature. Between the migration of the birds and the migration of the blonde, but I also believe this piece follows Contractual structures as well.
ReplyDeleteWe see the making/breaking of agreements in the release of the birds by Archibald. In his keeping of birds he agrees to take care of them for the rest or their lives, however in his state of dementia, he releases them to their own devices. Birds rarely make it in the wild if they were raised in captivity. The expectation for their survival once released would be low.
We also see an example of establishment/violation of prohibitions and the alienation or reconciliation between Dillard and Lookout. Dillard frequently violates socially acceptible behaviors towards Lookout, and they come close to fighting it out, but they come back together and are friends.
And in the end we see this same behavior between the blonde and Raymond. They have been together, for more reasons than convenience, the blonde will have sex with Raymond but will not stay the whole night in his bed, she leaves when she finds out she is pregnant, but in the end she comes back to him and they work it out so they both can be happy.