The Accidental Tourist: A Study
The Accidental Tourist, by Anne TylerThe Accidental Tourist is one of Anne Tyler's most acclaimed novels. Published in 1985, in the same year it was awarded by the NBCC or the National Book Critics Circle (a prestigious association of almost seven hundred book reviewers in America), and in 1988 was made into a major film. The title of the novel is crucial, both thematically and metaphorically. In the novel, the accidental tourist is the name of the conservative travel guide that is written by Macon, the main protagonist. This guidebook is tailored towards reluctant travelling businessmen; it details how to avoid the 'foreign' and how to travel without feeling as though one has left home. Macon himself is a champion of this philosophy, as is revealed in his actions, attitudes and interior monologues. However his fear of the foreign does not limit itself to travel alone; he intentionally ostracizes himself and travels through life avoiding the foreign. The fact that the word 'accidental' features in both the title of Macon's travel book and the novel itself is similarly equally as significant. The accidental is a major theme, and events occur in an accidental fashion, as I will expand
The narrator could be accused of withholding information given the fact that such a vital piece of information, the death of a son, and the details are not explicitly spelled out at the beginning; yet this proves not to be so. This summary details the form order, which is simplistic, chronological and causally connected. His family's intolerance of Edwards's behaviour leads in turn to the hiring of Muriel as dog trainer. 8) Muriel's anger, yet persistence and fighting spirit leads her to follow Macon to Paris - this induces admiration by Macon. To fill the silence, he told them that his wife was terrified of driving in reverse:"Could you really drive a car without reversing? What about at intersections, where a bus driver pokes his head out his window and asks you to roll on back a few yards so he can turn? Would she refuse? Macon imagined her, staunch and defiant, glaring straight in front of her and pretending not to notice. As narrators can be fantastical, it is reasonable to conclude the narrator is an unspecified omniscient 3rd person narrator. Ethan's life and death is before the narrative begins; yet his influence is paramount. In chronological order, the content order would begin with Macon's earliest childhood memory and end with Macon's going back to Muriel. It could be argued the novel is structured around the three shortest chapters. By chapter 10, Macon kisses Muriel, on page 177, which is half way through the book. Had he left the back door unlocked?". Smudged and dishevelled and battered, she held her other hand up.
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Acceptance Essays
