Commentary on Tash Aw’s Harmony Silk Factory Essay

The sticker down from the novel The uniformity Silk Factory by Tash Aw, faces to serve as an introduction inwardly the large context of the complete novel. The central theme of the extract is the concept of coming into court VS realness some things atomic number 18, in reality, not what they appear to be. Through the rehearse of depiction and fit, the author manages to bring turn up this theme. In addition, the work of setting and characterisation creates a degree of tautness within the extract, and draws the consumeer into the fable. depiction plays a major part in the extract. The main character of the extract is in any case the teller. The fibber is characterised finished the enforce of many literary devices through his narration, aspects of his indivi bivalentality are revealed to the ratifier. We find that the trading floorteller has both sides the face he shows the populace around him and the side that the contributor is introduced to through his na rration.The side that the bank clerk shows to the world around him and the side of him revealed to the reviewer are two antithetic personalities. His external sort is one of a compose, non-existent, seemingly inconsequential person as can be seen from the fact that none of the visitors ever notice him. However, this quiet exterior belies the fact that he observes all the comings and goings within the silk harmony factory. From my upst blood moving ins window, I saw e precisething unfold. With step to the fore sustain ever saying anything to me. The narrator is fully aware of all his fathers smuggling activities opium and heroin and Hennessy XO and bribing of the Thai soldierswith American cigarettes and low-grade gems subtletys solely never lets his father match on to that fact.The narrator in addition states that he is only of modest brain and this is supported by his fathers belief that he would ever so be a dreamer and a wastrel. We find however, that his quiet deme anour conceals an observant, keen intellect. Contrary to his self-deprecating tale, we notice that he displays an preternatural sense of awareness in a pincer of his age, suggesting that he is exceedingly intelligent. Even as a child he was aware of what his father did. His action of lifting the linoleum and pressing his ear to the floorboards to listen into his fathers Safe Room reveals to us his ingenuity and is a reflection of his intellect. firearm he does not mange to discern any information, he is sharp passable to realise that the low, muffled rumble was the tipping of diamonds onto the green baize table. While the narrator may appear to be of merely modest intellect, it seems that in reality he is incredibly intelligent for a young child. His self-deprecating statement also serves to highlight his actual cleverness and quick mind.The theme of demeanor VS reality can also be seen in the characterisation of two minor characters the general and the young lady in the car. The narrator tells us that the general didnt look much like a soldier, but he had a Mercedes-Benz with a woman in the back rear, which would indicate a fairly high level of affluence and spring which comes with the rank of a general in the army. With his cheap grey garment and metal(prenominal) teeth, the man may not arouse looked like a general, but other signs would have exposed the reality of what he in truth was.This is similarly echoed in the characterisation of the young woman in the back seat of the car. The narrator describes her as having fair skin, almost pure exsanguine, the vividness of salt fields on the coast. The narrator then goes on to state that she was young and beautiful, and when she smiled I saw her teeth were small and brown. This demarcation line between the state of her teeth and the colour of her skin come along highlights the theme of look VS reality while she appears to be pure and white on the outside, her teeth are dirty and decayed. This c ontrast is highlighted also by the use of visual imagery salt fields when describing the colour of her skin.Furthermore, the contrast between the general and the young woman also emphasizes the theme of fashion VS reality. The general wears a grey shirt, while the young woman is exposit as having white skin. Where the generals teeth are gold in colour, hers are small and brown. From this we can see that outward appearance does not seem to be a very proper exponent of what the reality really is.Finally, the setting also contributes back to the theme of appearance VS reality. The name of the factory The harmony silk factory, which becomes synonymous with the shack, gives no indication as to the activities of vice conducted there. Both physically and figuratively, the narrators house seems to be hiding behind the factory. The theme of appearance VS reality is manifested in the physical setting of the Harmony Silk Factory.The characterisation and setting, besides bringing out the t heme of the appearance VS reality, also serves to create tension in the story and cause the reader to want to read on.The setting of the house, with its small stick-in-the-mud(p) courtyard which never got enough sunlight gives the location of the extract an air of mystery the lack of light and dampness of the place (as can be seen by the growth of moss) further builds upon the mysteriousness of the setting. This description appears in the root line of the extract, and the readers curiosity is pricked as to what actually goes on within the Harmony Silk factory.Also, the characterisation of the narrator serves to lead the reader on to read the nap of the novel. How is this achieved? Firstly, the narrator is a nameless, world-class person narrator. The use of the 1st person narration serves to give the tone of the extract a perception of intimacy, or closeness to the subject matter. At the same time, his lack of a name distances him from the reader, again creating an air of myster y which surrounds him.Secondly, the tone of the narrator is very matter-of-fact. He describes somewhat shocking, illegal proceeds with the same tone one would use to describe everyday activities. He matter-of-factly states Mainly he smuggles opium and heroin and Hennessy XO and I knew what he was up to and whom he was with. The narrator describes theses happenings with a certain detachment which seems nonchalant or could be due to the fact that he is already used to this sort of behaviour. In fact, the narrator comes crosswise as unfazed by all his fathers wrongdoings and does not seem affected in any vogue.This matter-of-fact tone is further highlighted by the narrators use of literary devices such as vocal raillery. The use of communicatory irony is evident throughout the extract. One of the first instances is in the 2nd split in which the narrator describes the type of good deal who visit his house. He describes his Fathers clients as if they were guests or VIPs. main cour se was strictly by invitation with privileged few being granted get at he states that only the liars, cheats, traitors and skirt chasers of the highest order are allowed in. These individuals have been seemingly elevated to a position of importance but by describing them in this way, the narrator has revealed them to be merely the scum of society.Another instance of literal irony is in the line Now I would give everything to be the son of a mere liar and cheat. The irony is in the fact that the narrator views his father is so vile that he would kinda be the son of someone who only cheats and lies. Also further irony can be found in the line my crime-funded education to good use. We find that he is right away using his education, paid for by his fathers crimes, to uncover his fathers crimes. The use of verbal irony builds upon the narrators characterisation, as parts of his personality are slowly revealed to the reader.The narrator also uses an extremely convoluted and verbose wa y of narrating known as periphrasis. His manner of speaking is roundabout and elaborate. He uses ellipsis to interrupt his own report, partly for convenience the only people who came partly because my fathers varied The narrator constantly interjects his own narrative with interruptions and unnecessary lines such as gold, real solid gold. The use of unnecessarily long paragraphs to say a simple thing also add on to his convoluted manner of narration. The second last paragraph could have been shortened by saying I am now at peace and am not ashamed to reveal the story of my fathers life. However, he instead says there is other reason I now feel particularly well layI am at peace.The use of periphrasis also heightens the melodramatic way the narrator leads the reader on. Phrases such as that wasnt all he was and I have searched for this all my life. Now, at last, I know the truth and I am no longer angry. In fact, I am at peace serve to heighten the tension within the paragraph . He describes his fathers past as fearful and the title he gives to his tale, The true story of the infamous Chinaman called greyback, seems to elevate his fathers story to one legendary importance. The use of the phrase true story also lends a sense of credibleness to his account. The revelation of the title to the reader is the climax of the tension that has been building in the last few paragraphs, albeit a somewhat anti-climatic one. This climax (or anti-climax) serves to leave the reader wanting more and leads the reader on to continue reading the rest of the story.The narrators self-deprecating and quirky way of narrating serves to endear the narrator to the reader. We also discover certain facts about his childhood through his narration. At no point in the extract does a narrator comment his mother. This may only be a conjecture, but the lack of a motherly figure in his life, a lack of love, may have contributed to his strange and unusual way of narrating and also his se lf-deprecating attitude. Also, we find that he may have endured physical abuse as a child from the line I had become used to this kind of punishment in response to his father twisting his ear.This makes the reader increasingly sympathetic to the narrator as the narrative progresses. Thus, when the narrator begins using melodrama to capture the attention of the reader and lead the reader on to the rest of the novel, the reader follows with little resistance. This characterisation and narration, coupled with the mysterious atmosphere created by the setting, creates a sort of tension which compels the reader to read on. It engages the reader and draws the reader into the world the author has created.As we have seen characterisation and setting both have a dual purpose. If this extract is the beginning of the novel, then the author has succeeded in drawing the reader into the novel. By using both characterisation and setting to bring out the theme and simultaneously create tension, the author has succeeded in creating a world with characters that engage readers and has successfully written an effective and exciting beginning to the novel.