Memoirs of a Midget · Question
How does Memoirs of a Midget develop the theme of Otherness and Identity?
Answer
Memoirs of a Midget by Walter de la Mare develops Otherness and Identity across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The protagonist's dwarfism makes her a perpetual outsider, forcing her to grapple with how she is perceived as a 'curio' or 'marionette' while asserting her inner self, mind, and soul against a world that fixates on her physical difference.
The narrator's physical difference defines their social interactions and self-perception, highlighting the tension between how they see themselves and how others see them.
The narrator's small stature and the false newspaper account emphasize her sense of being misrepresented and physically different from others.
The narrator becomes aware of her small stature as a source of difference and disappointment to her parents, and grapples with her identity as a 'midget.'
Evidence in the book
- Memoirs of a Midget
The narrator's physical difference defines their social interactions and self-perception, highlighting the tension between how they see themselves and how others see them.
- I
The narrator's small stature and the false newspaper account emphasize her sense of being misrepresented and physically different from others.
- II
The narrator becomes aware of her small stature as a source of difference and disappointment to her parents, and grapples with her identity as a 'midget.'
- VIII
The narrator's sense of being different—her small size, her mourning, her new surroundings—is highlighted as she navigates her new home and relationships.
- XII
Miss M. questions the concept of 'norm' and her own identity as a midget, challenging Dr. Phelps's assumptions about human variety and social conformity.
- Wanderslore
Miss M. Percy's oddities and the narrator's sense of alienation highlight themes of otherness.
- XXVI
The narrator's reflections on her small stature and her comparison with 'ordinary' people highlight her sense of otherness.
- XXXIV
Miss M. is acutely aware of her small stature and the way others perceive her, from Percy's 'toadlet' taunt to Mrs. Monnerie's experimental interest. She struggles to understand her own feelings and place in the world.
