Imagery often becomes a crucial part of a story, reflecting particular ideas. By describing the surrounding environment, the authors can illustrate a variety of elements essential for the plot. In certain cases, these aspects contribute to the audience’s understanding of the scene or the characters, adding references and descriptive characteristics that allow the reader to become fully involved in the storytelling. However, as Glissant claims, in the Creole novels, such imagery is not used, with the descriptions of the heroes’ surroundings remaining very simple and not detailed. Glissant states, “What is striking is the emphatic emptiness of the landscape in the Creole folktale; in it, the landscape is reduced to symbolic space and becomes a pattern of succeeding spaces through which one journey” (Glissant 129). Therefore, in contrast to the stories where visual representations are an integral part of the storytelling, these illustrations are omitted in the Creole language.
The focus on the movement instead of the surrounding environment’s features is a fascinating aspect of Creole tales. Although detailed descriptions of the literary scenes are supposed to aid the reader in perceiving the story easier, Creole novels create a feeling of emptiness that occupies the space around the characters (Glissant 130). Furthermore, its features remain hidden and undescribed even in such instances where a location is indicated (Glissant 130). These patterns suggest that the landscape in Creole folktales does not possess any aspects that could improve the story, remaining uninhabited and lacking any interesting features. In fact, such absence of scenery is closely connected to the passage of time, the way that the time in the story is distributed and managed (Glissant 130). It is expected that attention will be given to such significant events as actions and movements while nature occupies an unessential role in the plot.
A contrary situation can be observed in the European literature, which relies heavily on the descriptions of the natural environment. Glissant excellently notes that “In European literature, an intimate relationship with the landscape is primarily established” (Glissant 145). As such, Glissant explains that “From this has evolved a stylistic convention that has for a long time focused on meticulous detail, exposition “in sequence,” highlighting harmony” (Glissant 145). From this perspective, while American literature does not engage scenery and considers it a non-significant story element, European literature adopts a different approach to this matter, highlighting the importance of nature and its qualities. For a European author, the surrounding environment can become a means of expressing the characters’ feelings and traits or creating a more vivid perception of the scene (Glissant 144). However, most importantly, it is vital for the author to establish a sense of harmony between nature and man, expressing how crucial is the connection between these two entities.
In this regard, many European stories and novels are embedded with significant detalization. Contrary to American storytelling, where open space and emptiness prevail, in the European tradition, the aspects of the natural environment occupy a significant portion of the tale (Glissant 145). Of special concern is the beauty of nature, which becomes especially evident in springtime and provides additional material for descriptions (Glissant 145). Thus, natural events can become connected to particular parts of the story, hinting at the importance of specific features. Nevertheless, such storytelling can also become meticulously detailed, swaying the reader from the plot and concentrating on the surroundings rather than developing the novel. This limitation is easily avoided in American tales, as the scenery is not considered crucial to the story.
Work Cited
Glissant, É. (1992). Caribbean Discourse: Selected Essays. University Press of Virginia.