Though commercially touted by writing critics as a writer whose experimental techniques are both incomprehensible and beyond literal understanding, Gertrude Stein is an interesting writer, having written works that are an “exact description of inner and outer reality.” As she works to develop her craft, Stein is more experimental in her writings, using her 1925, 900-page novel, The Making of Americans: Being a History of a Family’s Progress, as a primary milestone. The novel has no dialogue or action, beginning as a chronicle of a representative family and the general wanderings as well as mental development of three generations of families. The story progresses as a chronicle of the history of “everyone who ever existed, is, or ever will be.” Stein uses simple language, recurrent phrases, idioms and other literal devices to create the distinct feeling of a protracted and lingering present that is constantly “beginning again and again” (Stein 56).
Though the book went unpublished for a very long time over two decades, since the publisher would argue that her work did not follow the standard that book writing are excepted to adhere, but that did not stop Stein believed in her unique literature of originality and typical language in expressing herself and not trusting narration to communicate the complexity of human conduct. In this book complete networking in the relation and the chronicle of the family encompass her version of personality and emotional relations. She tries to expand her argument in describing the behavior of the human where human see their sins in others and all they do is critic of the other without practically evaluating themselves. Stein then introduces the concept of continual repetition where “mostly everyone” is aggravated and annoyed by people committing the same “sins” over and over again (Stein 97). As she puts it “is often irritating to listen to the repeating they are doing,” generally causing pain and perplexity to those not yet used to this constant erring (Stein 121). In this regard, Stein sets out to show the reader, through a series of her own repetitive technique of writing, that it is possible for them to see themselves in others and vice versa as well. Through this method they learn to understand and love reputation as “one way of being,” realizing that even though they might view their own “sins and faults” as a charms of character and harmlessness, once they see them repeated by others they realize that their character is one that passes over annoyance into patient understanding (Stein 346).
Stein ensures her readers discern her special style of writing in direct relation to human behavior, which in many occasion may confuse and infuriate reader due to the grammatical fault and seemingly illogical and absurd her own method of figure of speech. Stein will then ensure that in the process of your confusion through her literature it follows beautifully and orderly and you master the art of listening and scrutinize the repeating of being. Stein will help readers by assisting them with material to understand the poems, she ensures that if the reader understand the poem, then the repetitive of being in life, will make sense to them (Stein 566)
Throughout the book, repetition is heightened in all aspects, though her distinctive approach to English which is far from constituting a style, but she is proud of her collection of “bad habits” where she relied strongly on “being and that” to try and teach the reader to stop “being busy with it” and appreciate the learning in it and finally come to love it (Stein 732). Stein wants you to reflect on the previous lines, in her literature, that are mostly using the combination of similar words that you are using to refer to the previous lines, and in case you don’t understand it, don’t worry she will say it again and has already said it before.
In conclusion, Stein has used this exclusive style in literature to enlighten people on that which is important to know, and that which you see and recognize and tell. By this form of repetition the idea slowly develops and the reader might possibly come to understanding of her artistic purpose replicating her hope for humanity. Favoring prolonged outpourings, she carries the reader on a tale of self-examination in which they eventually realize the inherent character that is natural to all human beings.
Works cited
Stein, Gertrude. The making of Americans: being a history of a family’s progress. New York, NY: Dalkey Archive Press, 1995.