In terms of sensibility, there are remarkable similarities and subtle differences between Smith's "Desmond" and Williams's "Letters Written in France", especially in regards to the display of human emotions and their relation to love and attraction.
In Smith's letter XX on page 129, the use of the periodic sentence heavily imbued with emotionally charged words leads the reader to assume the role that the writer is trying to convey. The same thing happens in Desmond on page 51, but in a slightly different way.
The speaker in "Desmond" elicits an emotional response from the audience by drawing upon the notions of sensibility. She does this by using emotionally charged words as well, but without the use of Williams' overly exalted, flowery language. Smith's Desmond refers to the object of his affection as having a "soul-soothing voice" that "vibrates in [his] ear". This brings to mind aspects of sensibility because it demonstrates the heightened affects of emotions and compassion of the speaker, as well as a romantic undertone of sensuousness.
I found Desmond easier to read for this exact reason, that the language wasn't as "over exalted" and "flowery." I find the way that epistolary texts portray events and information fascinating in that it cuts out any aspect of omniscience, and even in first person, cuts out any true, all-encompassing account of an event. "Desmond" shows a more believable account, I think. Maybe it's because Smith is writing about fictional characters, whereas Williams is recounting real people and real events with passionate, over-the-top language.
ReplyDeleteYou would think It would be the opposite though! That it would be easer to read Williams' because it is based on true events, compared to Smith's which is based on purely fiction. I also found "Desmond" a lot easier to read because it wasn't over exaggerated. Desmond does seem to be more believable, except for his over the top feelings he had for Geraldine. I guess you can see him in the "honeymoon" stage of a relationship.
ReplyDeleteEmotion and sensibility play a strong role in both Williams' and Smith's works. But I would argue that, with Williams, she is effecting more pathos (i.e. sorrow, pity) than Smith. Their intents are, more or less, the same: to promote English sympathy towards the Revolution. But they seem to be going about it differently. Sympathy is employed in the case of the Breton in Desmond's story, yes, but it evokes laughter more than it does pity (although, pitiful it may seem). Both are utilizing sensibility, but in markedly different ways.
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