McCarthy deliberately
rejects obvious time
markers to demonstrate
the lack of time's
importance in the new
world
When evident at all, time
markers are indistinct "he
thought the month was
October"
Shows the loss of old world
importance of time:
deadlines no longer exist,
time is no longer counted
Life is now a race for survival rather
than a race to get things done
McCarthy uses unannounced
shifts in time, often in the form of
anelipsis, to describe the man's
recollections
For example, the
disaster itself -
unspecified and short,
not immediately clear
what its referring to
For example, flashback to
wife + stockings
Shows his yearning
for old world,
emphasising loss
Breaks monotony and bleak
nature of journey: concerning as a
"man in peril dreams of peril", so
this foreshadows the death of the
man
LAWRENCE
Lawrence uses flashbacks to characterise
the protagonists of his stories and elucidate
their present situation
This is evident in 'The White Stocking' where Lawrence uses a
lengthy flashback to the night of a company dance. Through this
he establishes the flirtatious nature of Elsie and demonstrates the
way in which she neglects her future husband in favour of a more
exciting proposition (the dance with Sam)
This characterises her by her fickle and provocative actions,
pre-empting her teasing show of the stockings to her husband,
makes her seem irritating and ungrateful
The flashback serves to
provide background to the
suppressed argument of the
couple, and allows the
reader to feel sympathy
towards the provoked
husband
Lawrence uses
linear chronology
in 'Odour of
Chrysanthemums'
to build tension
and draw out the
wait for Mr Bate's
return
One of the ways in which he does this
is through use of clear time markers
(e.g. it was 5.30) to indicate to the
reader the progression of time and Mrs
Bates's awareness of it - showing her
growing worry
This builds suspense as seems to lengthen
the passing of time, and so allows the reader
to grow in concern as the protagonist does.
Additionally, as time passes, dread grows,
creating tension up to the climactic moment
when he is brought in dead
BROWING
Browning uses
chronological order to
shape the direction of
the poem,
emphasising their
definitive and often
climactic endings
Evident in 'Fra Lippo Lippi',
which occurs over the space
of one night and is
progressed by time markers
such as "morning star"
BUT uses anelipsis,
breaking the linear
sequence of events
Through this, describes Lippi's
formative events in his childhood
(e.g. "a monk they made of me"),
allowing Browning to elucidate his
present position
Progresses the narrative as,
by explaining to the reader,
he simultaneously talks
himself out of trouble with the
night guards
Makes reader feel sympathy for
his deprivation as "you cannot take
a boy and make him promise never
to kiss the girls"
Browning uses shifts in time, for
example changing tenses, to
illustrate the progression of a
characters thoughts and position
Exemplified in 'The Patriot', where
differing tenses are used to
demonstrate the change in status
of the protagonist
Poem begins in past tense, "was roses",
seeming nostalgic and fond. Ends with
the present "I go in the rain",
highlighting the harsh reality of present
status and the inescapable punishment
Emphasises character's change in status and
presumable character. Used by Browning to
show fickle nature of humanity - he condemns
worship of patriotism by showing it does no
equivocate to heroism