Brief Review Of Behind The Blue Curtain

By Laura Wallace


There are books that will be forgotten immediately you close the last page. Others will have a lasting impact on your reading career years down the line. Behind the Blue Curtain is a marvelous title by Steven Millhauser. It features a young boy as the protagonist and opens as the boy makes a trip to the movie theater. He is usually accompanied by the father for these Saturday night movies but this time it is different.

At the age of the protagonist, boys love the company of their fathers. The main character sets himself apart by deciding to make the journey alone. His aim is to get enlightenment instead of going for material wealth that characterizes the desires of many boys at this age. The courage and curiosity displayed make this boy different from most of his peers.

The author has cleverly used the first person narrative approach. The aim is to make it appear as though you are listening to a story straight from the mouth of the boy. This is different from reading a book or hearing about third parties. The style makes it easier to relate to the quest or journey of this main character. It is a journey of discovery because he feels that his father is protecting him from something dark.

Steven is very clever with the setting of his story. He has deliberately concealed it, leaving you to guess that it is in summer at a movie theater. According to the description, it is the twentieth century. Though the main character is a boy, the target reader and ideas explored are not for boyhood fantasies. They are meant for a mature audience and not the flip flop of boyhood.

A woman appears midway and is described as a reflection, to add a twist to the tale. The emphasis on mirrors by Steven is exemplary and stylistically ingenious. Though the boy and the woman portray conflicting personalities, their personalities and fate reflect on each other. There are similarities that are stylistically positioned to point at Mirror Reflections as a hidden literary image.

Conflict is excellently displayed in a character who has to choose between living the false bubble or the enlightened reality. If the old is to go, death must occur. This happens as he falls asleep in the office of the theater janitor. Rising up or reborn is signified by his awakening in the form of a dream. This is a resolution of prevailing conflict and justification of enlightenment.

The theme of transformation is perfectly explored in his desire to shed boyhood ignorance and gain knowledge or light. The author uses the image of light and walking through the candelabras to signify this transformation. The writer has also perfectly developed his characters especially the description given to this boy. The reader has a clear picture of who he or she is dealing with and can judge the actions of this boy in the required fashion.

The story has numerous elements that will make it unforgettable. These aspects range from a captivating narration style, character development and setting, among others. It is also accommodating and easy to relate for readers from allover the world. This is the perfect story for both academic and leisure reading.




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