Alicia Harper's "S.O.S." attempts to blend two disparate narrative voices in order to create a dramatic tension for the reader. Through what appear to be possible letters (though this is not specified, but intuited by the reader) the story of a man trapped on a desert Island takes shape. The narrators James and Peter become more certain that someone else is on the Island, unaware of each other. Over time it becomes clear that the two are one, and this suspicion is confirmed by a sound-bite from a news reporter at the end who is broadcasting the disappearance of Peter Joseph James, who was last seen sailing away solo on his yacht.
The difficulties that arise out of such a scenario revolve around how much is revealed and when. For an example of a similar story one could turn to Dennis Lehane's "Shutter Island." The book plays out the scenario of the main character being lost on the Island, but the revelation is only half about the mental delusion. The other revelation is one that reveals character. Perhaps "S.O.S" would benefit by focusing more on the character traits of Peter Joseph James. This could benefit by taking the burden of the story off of the mental illness, that way the reader does not feel as if the piece is trying to pull a "gotcha" moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment