Validity
... be coming, and that she will spend the night out with Franck, “A… is not returning for dinner, which she will take in town with Franck before staring back. She has said nothing about preparing anything for her return. Because she will not need anything…” (70). With his jealousy worsening, it is apparent that A… does not take her husband into account, and is always disregarding him, without ever interacting with him. As a character in the book, the narrator’s presence is limited, he is not always able to be in the same place as A…, and Franck, also he is not always able to hear their conversations. The narrator uses shadows and light, to illustrate how darkness affects what he sees, in the darkness, A… has moved as near as possible to the armchair Franck is sitting in, her right hand carefully extending the glass with his drink in it. She rests her other hand on the arm of the chair and bends over him, so close that their heads touch. He murmurs a few words: probably thanking her (13). He is unable to hear A… and Franck’s conversation assumes that she was thanking him. He’s assumption might not be completely true, because of his limited vision, and ability to hear them well. Using his detailed description of mapping the settings, he illustrates his disability of watching A… and Franck, “The two other chairs are placed on the other … The third, which is folding chair made of canvas… which has remained empty” (14). The narrator describes his position with accuracy, showing that A… and Franck can see each other clearly, but it would be difficult for him to watch them because of where he is seated. As a part of the story, the narrator is not as realist narrators with a God-like view of the plot, rather he is limited to what he can see and hear. Furthermore, his presence as a character affects his hearing ability, and he starts assuming what the characters are saying. “His sentence ends with ‘take apart’ or ‘take a part,’ without being possible to be sure who or what is meant” (17), as he tries hearing A… and Franck’s conversation he is unable to interpret what they are saying, and so starts skewing the truth of the plot by guessing what they are saying. He tries to watch what A… and Franck’s actions from away, so he leaves them and tries to go see what is taking course in the room where they are located; “A… is sitting upright and motionless in her armchair. She is looking out over the valley in front of them. She is not speaking. Franck, invisible on her left, is also silent, or else speaking in a very low voice” (27). His inability to see and hear what is actually happening, he assumes that they might be talking with a low voice. As he assumes what is taking place, he is varying the truth behind the actual events taking place. As the book progresses, the narrators jealousy grows, and he mixes truth with fiction, where his jealousy makes his imagination take control of what he sees and narrates. As he watches A… and Franck interact with one another, he starts focusing closely on their actions, and how close they are to one another. “The space between A…’s left hand and Franck’s right hand is approximately two inches” (18), he watches the slightest of details, and becomes very aware of A…’s closeness to Franck, paying close attention to their physical closeness. He then watches Franck’s actions and notices the attraction between A… and Frank, “But Franck, instead of watching the rising level of alcohol, fixes his eyes a little too high, on A…’s face” (25). He realizes that Franck is attracted to his wife, as Franck watches her pour the whine for him. With his jealousy increasing, the husband questions the fact that Franck never thinks about his wife –Franck’s- whom he always claims to be sick and taking care of their child. Franck never recognizes his wife, “If Franck wanted to leave, he would have a good excuse: his wife and child who are alone in the house. But he mentions only the hour he must get up the next morning, without making any reference to Christiane” (19). Franck never brings his wife, not even when he goes to the port with A…. With the narrator’s jealousy increasing, he continues to watch A… and Franck closely as much as he can. As the book progresses, the narrator starts questioning what he sees, and starts misinterpreting the actions of the characters. As he watches A…’s actions, “The white dress with the wide skirt almost disappears above the waist: the head, arms, and upper part of the body, filing the window opening, also obscure what is happening inside” (57-58), it is apparent that his jealousy is worsening as he watches her closely. When A… and Franck left to go to the city, becauses Franck wanted to purchase a new car, and A… wanted to go shopping, the narrator starts to question their delay, and imagines many actions taking place. He questions their delay, and assumes many reasons for it, “Nevertheless there is no lack of probable reasons for delay. A part from an accident… the driver’s fatigue which has made him postpone his return to the next day” (75). He talks about how it was probably the car breaking down, and they would not be able to make it because all the garages are closed, and that it also might be the fact that the driver is tired, and they would have to wait until the following day to come back to the plantation. His assumption has no bases, as he is not present and his imagination has caused him to think of fiction as a reality, assuming things that might not be true. As the narrator waits for A… and Franck’s return, he starts picturing what takes place between them as they spend the night together in a hotel. He builds a scenario and discusses their actions without even being present. “Then he comes back toward the bed and in passing hangs the towel on its metal rack near the washbowl” (80), the narrator is building plot of actions that are not taking place in reality. He imagines Franck’s actions in the hotel room, even though he is not present. He describes Franck’s actions as if they were actually taking place, altering the truth behind the plot. Furthermore, he starts imagining the car breaking down, and describes the actions to such great detail, as if he is present. In his haste to reach his goal, Franck increases his speed. The jolts become more violent. Nevertheless he continues to drive faster…The blue sedan is going to crash into a roadside tree whose rigid foliage scarcely shivers under the impact, despite its violence. The car immediately bursts into flames (80), the narrator is completely imagining the crash of Franck’s car, but describes it as if it is actually taking place. His ability to describe what he thinks is happening with such accurate details raises the question of his state of mind. The narrator turns fiction into reality as his jealousy grows making his imagination control his narration of the plot. After the retu...