Friday, August 29, 2008

What literary techniques are used in Lucy Christopher's novel Stolen?

One of the most prominent techniques that Christopher uses is flashback. A flashback occurs when an author takes the audience away from the present time of the narrative to an earlier time. In fact, Christopher's novel is one prolonged flashback; however, the reader does not catch on until the end, when it is revealed that Gemma is telling her saga through the letter she is writing to her captor, Ty. 


Though this exaggerated use of flashback is engaging, it is not a new concept. Christopher's flashback technique used in Stolen is similar to that found in Homer's Odyssey. Much of the first part of The Odyssey is from the perspective of Odysseus telling his tale to King Alcinous's court. A huge difference between the two, however, is that Homer's audience is aware that they are engaged in a flashback, whereas Christopher's audience is left guessing until the end, which adds to the novel's intrigue. 

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