Week 2 Analysis: Close Reading on "About-the-House Girl"

Close Reading: “About-the-House Girl” -Karok p.40-50

For my Close Reading I would like to discuss the introductory paragraph of “The About-the-House Girl” and how it plays a role in creating a scene, but also as a means of characterization. Karok, the author of the story, uses multiple literary devices to not only create a place and time and to introduce a character, but to paint a character that we can later compare to his final form as well as to Ifapi. Overall, this passage effectively sets a starting point or, problem, that we can then watch morph into a solution.

In the opening paragraph, the author uses a multitude of literary devices to describe a scene. Imagery is made by combining parallelism, circumlocution, and euphony to portray a natural, flowing, and harmonious environment. He starts off by describing how Patapir’s music rolls through the village of Rekwoi.The flute sounds are described by Karok as it “drifted upstream, sometimes shrill and sharp with the thrills and runs of songbirds, sometimes bright with the ripples of running water, sometimes low and sad with the sighing of the wind through the trees” (40).  The repetitive use of “sometimes with” along with the clean-sounding adjectives, i.e; shrill, sharp, low, and sad, help us imagine a natural setting flowing with life. The length of the sentence, an example of circumlocution, can also emphasize the size and length of the area and how his flute’s tones travelled across it.

Karok then goes to explain Patipir’s character. He uses the same parallelism that he uses to describe the sounds to then describe the protagonist, this time using cacophony. “He hunted and fished…cut down trees …and split the wood…he sweated himself and prayed” (40). The harsh-sounding adjectives this time accentuates Patipir’s masculinity, but by describing the fluidness and gentle flute sounds before addressing his physical appearance, it puts readers into a state of shock. It wouldn’t be as impactful as the other way around. Here, we picture an innocent and gentle man to find a strongly-built and hard-working one.

Both the characterization of Patipir and the description of the flute sounds are a preset as to what comes. The flute’s long trailing sounds as it passes through the village is directly related to Patipir’s longing for love and the gentle side of his nature. This is where we are presented with the problem. The protagonist is desiring companionship, but not with just anyone, but someone who is as different as he, the village Flute Player. This is then where we embark into the story of Ifapi, who we later find out fakes illness to avoid getting married to possible suitors as she waits for the right one. She too is the village odd-one and also longs for companionship. Instead of the physical “ill” appearance, her hidden side is actually a well-to-do maiden, similar to Patapir’s gentle nature juxtaposing his harsh appearance.

Within this short passage of the text, we are presented with a lot more information than it seems to be. Not only are we getting literal depictions, but we are using those depictions to represent a character and find his inner turmoil. His longing is represented by the songs he plays, and regardless of his outward appearance, the author gives him a hidden side; one of compassion and gentleness. This side of him makes him perfect for our second character, Ifapi, who too has an outward appearance unlike her true self. It is because of his ability to play his flute, to let his feelings show, that Ifapi does the same towards him and agrees to fulfill his longing for love and companionship.

Works Cited:

Karok. “About-the-House Girl.” The Literature of California. Native American Beginnings to 1945, Zuniversity of California Press, 2000, pp. 40–50.