Memoirs of a Midget · Question
How does Memoirs of a Midget develop the theme of Mortality and Memory?
Answer
Memoirs of a Midget by Walter de la Mare develops Mortality and Memory across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The memoir is framed by the death of the narrator's mother and father, and she repeatedly contemplates ghosts, graves, and the persistence of memory, seeking to be remembered 'as if we had shared the world on equal terms.'
The dedication invokes the memory of the author's mother, directly engaging with themes of loss and remembrance.
The chapter is built on vivid childhood memories, the death of great-aunt Kitilda, and the mother's 'absentness' foreshadowing loss.
The discovery of the maggot-ridden mole carcass and the killing of the wren force the narrator to confront death and decay.
Evidence in the book
- Dedication
The dedication invokes the memory of the author's mother, directly engaging with themes of loss and remembrance.
- I
The chapter is built on vivid childhood memories, the death of great-aunt Kitilda, and the mother's 'absentness' foreshadowing loss.
- III
The discovery of the maggot-ridden mole carcass and the killing of the wren force the narrator to confront death and decay.
- IV
The chapter is dominated by the mother's death and the father's subsequent decline and death, with the narrator reflecting on her memories and regrets.
- V
The narrator reflects on her father's death, the funeral, and the choice to remember the living face rather than the dead, exploring how memory shapes grief.
- VI
The narrator recalls her mother's death, the loss of her parents, and the passing of time as she contemplates the sale and her birthday.
- VII
The narrator recalls her parents' graves and Miss Fenne's morbid conversation, while the dying cow and the fleeting beauty of nature evoke thoughts of loss.
- IX
The narrator recalls her mother's favorite hymn, her father's absence, and the melancholy brought by the church bells; Mrs. Bowater speaks of reunion on another shore.
