The plot of Charles Higson’s novel Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen published in 1996 is fairly straightforward. In the first chapter of the book the protagonist or anti-hero of the novel, who is telling the story at the same time, stabs Mister Kitchen with a candlestick during a quarrel they have while Mister Kitchen is visiting the protagonist to buy his car. In the course of the text the anti-hero desperately tries to get rid of the (more or less) dead body, a task that becomes both his destiny and burden. Whenever the protagonist seems to get one step closer to dispose of Mister Kitchen, he is thrown back at least two steps due to a consistent unfortunate concatenation of events. Finally, all of the protagonist’s bad luck combined with his inability to a make plans that work literally lead to his downfall. It is this ending of the novel that raises the most challenging question since the protagonist’s further fate is up to the respective reader’s interpretation. In addition, the reader does not only never gets to know the narrator’s name, but he/she also does not know his motivation for telling the story. However, these matters basically revolve around the central question whether the protagonist dies or stays alive at or after, respectively, the end of the novel.
The main aim of this paper is, therefore, to examine whether the story is or can be told by a dead narrator. This problem will be discussed by means of relating it to and embedding it into a general analysis and description of the novel’s narrative techniques. Since the topic of this paper is narratological in its character and since there is an obvious relation between the subject-matter of this essay and the novel’s narrative situation, this is of crucial importance to fully grasp the issue and to discuss it comprehensively. Thus, this paper is basically divided into two main parts. The first part presents a general overview of the novel’s narrative techniques and particularly focuses on characterisation in the novel and on the reliability of the narrator. In the second part of this essay some readings that either support or oppose the fact that the story is told by a dead or dying narrator are specified. All these interpretations will be based on evidence from and related to the text itself. On the whole, this essay will encourage different approaches to answer the underlying question of this essay, namely whether Charles Higson’s novel Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen features a dead narrator.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The Author and General Aspects of the Novel
- The Novel's Narrative Strategies and Techniques
- Characterisation
- Reliability
- A Dead Narrator?
- The Purpose of Dead Narrators
- A Dying Narrator
- A Flashback of His Life
- An Interior Monologue
- The Circle of Life
- Thinking Reasonably
- A Dead Narrator
- A Story From Hell
- When Soul Meets Body
- Consistently Grotesque
- A Living Narrator
- The I of the Book Cannot Die in the Book
- Survival of the Fittest
- A Fib, a Hoax, a Lie
- He Is Not Pronounced Dead
- He Wipes the Slate Clean
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The main objective of this paper is to analyze whether the narrator in Charles Higson's Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen is dead, dying, or alive. This analysis will be achieved through an examination of the novel's narrative techniques, including characterization and the narrator's reliability. The paper is divided into two parts: a general overview of the novel's narrative techniques and an exploration of interpretations supporting or opposing the idea of a dead or dying narrator.
- Narrative techniques in Charles Higson's Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen
- The reliability and characterization of the narrator
- Interpretations of the narrator's status (dead, dying, or alive)
- The role of humor and genre blending in the novel
- Ambiguity and reader interpretation in the novel's ending
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces Charles Higson's Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen, summarizing the plot as the protagonist's increasingly desperate attempts to dispose of a (possibly) dead body after stabbing Mister Kitchen. The chapter highlights the ambiguity of the ending, leaving the protagonist's fate open to interpretation, and establishes the central question: is the narrator dead? The introduction outlines the paper's aim to investigate this question through a narratological analysis of the novel's techniques.
2. The Author and General Aspects of the Novel: This chapter provides biographical information about Charles Higson, highlighting his background in comedy and its influence on his writing. It classifies Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen as a farce blending surrealism and slapstick comedy, noting the use of black humor and elements of thriller genres. The chapter establishes the novel's tone and style, pointing out the frequent use of dark humor and exaggerated situations.
3. The Novel's Narrative Strategies and Techniques: This chapter delves into the novel's narrative structure, identifying the first-person retrospective narration and the close connection between the narrating and experiencing self. It discusses the internal and fixed focalization, restricting the reader's perspective to that of the protagonist. The chapter also touches on the use of analepsis and prolepsis within the chronological narrative flow.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Charles Higson, Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen, narrative techniques, first-person narration, unreliable narrator, dead narrator, dying narrator, farce, black humor, ambiguity, reader interpretation, characterization, narrative reliability.
Frequently Asked Questions: Charles Higson's *Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen*
What is the main objective of this analysis of *Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen*?
The main objective is to analyze whether the narrator in Charles Higson's Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen is dead, dying, or alive. This is done through examining the novel's narrative techniques, including characterization and the narrator's reliability.
What are the key themes explored in the analysis?
Key themes include the narrative techniques employed in Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen, the reliability and characterization of the narrator, interpretations of the narrator's status (dead, dying, or alive), the role of humor and genre blending, and the ambiguity and reader interpretation of the novel's ending.
What is the structure of the analysis of *Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen*?
The analysis is structured into two parts: a general overview of the novel's narrative techniques and an exploration of interpretations supporting or opposing the idea of a dead or dying narrator. It also includes chapter summaries and keywords.
What are the key narrative techniques discussed in the analysis?
The analysis delves into the novel's first-person retrospective narration, the close connection between the narrating and experiencing self, internal and fixed focalization, and the use of analepsis and prolepsis.
What is the genre of *Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen*, and how does this influence the analysis?
Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen is classified as a farce blending surrealism and slapstick comedy, utilizing black humor and elements of thriller genres. The analysis considers the impact of this genre blending on the narrative and interpretation.
What is the significance of the narrator's reliability in this analysis?
The narrator's reliability is a central aspect of the analysis, as determining whether the narrator is dead, dying, or alive directly impacts how the reader interprets the events of the novel. The analysis explores the potential unreliability of the narrator.
What is the role of ambiguity in *Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen*?
Ambiguity, particularly regarding the narrator's status and the novel's ending, is a significant theme. The analysis examines how this ambiguity shapes reader interpretation.
What is the importance of humor in the analysis of *Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen*?
The analysis acknowledges the prominent use of black humor and dark comedy in the novel and considers how these elements contribute to the overall narrative and its interpretation.
What are the chapter summaries included in the analysis?
The analysis includes summaries of the introduction (introducing the central question and the novel's plot), a chapter on the author and general aspects of the novel (including genre and style), and a chapter on the novel's narrative strategies and techniques.
What are the keywords associated with this analysis?
Keywords include Charles Higson, Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen, narrative techniques, first-person narration, unreliable narrator, dead narrator, dying narrator, farce, black humor, ambiguity, reader interpretation, characterization, and narrative reliability.
- Quote paper
- Andreas Raab (Author), 2006, A Dead Narrator in Charles Higson’s Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/125575
