Life in the Eyes of Carol Shields
Through the writings of Carol Shields, "one is not only reminded of why literature matters, but also why individual lives, and forces which make up those lives, matter a great deal"(Jacobs). Carol Shields, a woman born and educated in Oak Park, Illinois in 1935, and immigrated to Canada in 1957, has marked herself in history through her award winning novel, The Stone Diaries. Through her style of writing, use of characterization, and use of theme and symbolism, Carol Shields has earned herself the recognition as "the master of the perfect sentence"(Rabinowitz 1996).
One cannot read The Stone Diaries without being struck by the various styles in which it is written. From an autobiographical point of view, Shields has created a character named Daisy Goodwill, who narrates her life story by flipping back and forth between first and third person: "Her gentle diction, her matter-of-fact delivery and almost emotionless tone are reflective of Daisy's life. The presentation style skillfully mirrors the tone and feeling of the text"(AA.B). Through this form of narration, the reader is kept in between the internal and external life of the character. Shields use of narration is amplified by her use of language. Her literature is easy to read and full of figurative language, enabling Shields to write "solid and unalarming language which is also full of risk and improvising"(Rabinowitz 1996). Carol Shields, a woman "who began as a miniaturist, has come full bloom with this latest exploration of domestic plentitude and paucity; she's entered a m!
ature, luminous period, devising a style that develops an earlier whimsical fabulism into the hard-edged lyricism perfect for the ambitious bicultural exploration she undertakes"(Kirkus 1993). Through her various styles of writing, Shields leaves her trademark in all that she writes.
Carol Shields is not only recognized for her style of writing, but as well ...