My Grandmother's Style

A typical conversation with my grandmother goes like this:

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"Hi grandma. How are you?"

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Usually, when you ask people how they are, their response is no longer than 5 words. My grandmother takes this question pretty seriously. After thinking about it for some time, she'll answer something like:

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"What can I tell you... I'm happy because I've been walking without a cane. But I do feel tired all the time. I've had a good week though. I saw my dear old friend Inesita. Inesita de Gonzalez. Poor Inesita, her husband Alberto is sick again. Do you want some cookies? I bought them yesterday. The cashier was so nice. Her name was Anita. Ohhh, I didn't tell you. Your cousin Anita is playing the flute. I never liked that instrument but I wasn’t going to tell her that...”

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She will go on and on, jumping from one topic to the next. After some time, you will not understand how she's able to connect so many things together. By the time you two stop talking (if she stops talking, that is), you will not remember what she was going to tell you in the first place. I love my grandmother, but if you're willing to have a conversation with her, you have to prepare yourself for several hours of boredom.

A Simple Soul, is similar to my grandmother. It starts talking about Madame Aubain’s life. Then it starts describing the rooms in the house. Before you know it, you’re reading about how “Her father, who was a mason, was killed by falling from a scaffolding” (PDF).

The difference between my grandmother and A Simple Soul, is that Flaubert is able to link topics successfully. His links are strong and logical. In fact, they are so successful, they become our eyes and mind inside the novel. Through his words, we are able to visualize what's going on, and understand why things happen, thanks to the links he makes.

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Confused?

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Think about walking to class. As you do, you look around, focus on details, and notice things you hadn't seen before. Your mind starts making connections, remembering past experiences, identifying new things. One memory takes you to another. Before you know it, you've created a chain of anecdotes, feelings, and different topics.

We do this all the time. Flaubert does it in his novel. It's a very risky thing to do. The reader may get lost and bored the way I do with my grandmother. Instead, every change of topic is like a wake up sign. It makes us alert. It triggers curiosity.

Where will he take us next?