Behind the Scenes at the Museum

Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson

E. M. Forster says that the first thing all novels have in common is that they tell a story. In your experience, what else do novels do? Discuss examples from the novel you have studied.

In addition to telling a story, novels also communicate a vivid sense of experiences and attitudes to the reader. They do this by allowing the reader an insight into another person's, or group of people's lives. Experiences and attitudes are clearly communicated to the reader through the style that the story is told in, the language used and the ideas that the novel introduces to the reader. This helps the reader to feel a part of the novel as they share experiences with the characters.

Novels make the reader aware of an idea, which they may not have thought about, prior to reading the novel. An idea in Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson is how attitudes can affect the way people relate, change and develop. We see the significance of this idea through the differing family relationships shown through Bunty's seemingly uncaring attitude to her children and Patricia's negative disposition towards her family and her life. Bunty revealed her regret of being burdened with a family

. . .

View the whole essay, without interruption

We can see the limited omniscient narrator, Ruby, giving the reader an insight into another character's life during Footnote (iv) - Bonny Birds when she lets Rachel's point of view intrude on the story, "He'd be hers soon enough. The prospect of life continuing as it was, was often too much to bear, resulting in the women taking any opportunity that offered escape from their current situation. The reader is introduced to the events which occur in Ruby's journey of self-discovery and is able to gain an insight into the views of some of the other characters in the novel. Although Patricia's facade appears to be one of toughness and self-containment, she, in fact, longs for the love and support that her family does not give her.

The language in Behind the Scenes at the Museum helps to maintain the reader's interest through its directness. Atkinson is quick to establish an intimate relationship with the reader through the use of conversational tone. She had two broken engagements (due to the death of both fiancees) before she was finally successful in her attempt to become married. This makes Ruby's experiences easier to relate to. She'd take Alice's place - be a second wife, or near enough anyway. ' (Although what Mummy's actually doing is wondering what it would be like if her entire family was wiped out and she could start again. To substitute for her family's negligence Patricia finds a boyfriend who can make her feel wanted and loved. Ruby's character can be revealed through her childlike language, without the need for great detailed description from the author. The women took these chances without thinking of the consequence. " (Ibid page 164) By using this direct approach to tell the story, the reader gains a very realistic look at how Ruby saw life for herself and her family. Ruby narrates the story as a child throughout the earlier chapters, as she is growing up.

Approximate Word count = 1225
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Simply subscribe to view this paper, and 100,000 others.