Willa Cathers Death Comes for the Archbishop A...

Willa Cathers Death Comes for the Archbishop: A Narrative When one thinks of a novel, a word that usually will come to mind is fiction. In fact, other meanings for the word novel are new and unique. Although an author may use real places, real time, or base their story on real events in part, their outcome is essentially a creation. We, as readers, are in a sense captive to the writers imagination and must conform to the rules of the worlds they create. If we accept this, then Willa Cathers piece Death Comes for the Archbishop must be seen as a narration, rather than a novel. She is not fabricating, but rather recounting the story of Father Latour (based on Father Lamy) and his experiences in New Mexico. Her descriptions of the†¦show more content†¦However, she does not attempt to change its reality. Since this book is written chronologically, based in actual history and set in a real location, we can see Cathers point was not to tell us a plot-driven tale with complex characters and heavy symbolism. It is more correct to read the book as a report and to be immersed in Cathers ability to describe, recount and narrate. Wherever she embellishes, she does not exaggerate. Her imaginative descriptions do not detract from the pith of Father Latours life experiences, but rather they enrich the meagerness of his survival. Death Comes for the Archbishop tells us an existing (not novel) tale with artistic narration. As readers of this work, we have both feet grounded in authenticity, but have our minds occupied with skillful imaginings. According to A Handbook to Literature by William Harmon and C. Hugh Holman, Novel is used in its broadest sense to designate any extended fictional narrative almost always in prose (350). As this definition states, it would appear that Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather is a novel, however, there are several reasons why it may be asserted that DCA is not a novel. I think that one of the main reasons could be that this book almost comes across as non-fiction. Cather tells such a great story, and when I read this book, I feel like I am right there traveling on horseback alongside FatherShow MoreRelatedInfluenced by Land and Man: Willa Cather and Catherine Porter, Writers of the Southwest1316 Words   |  6 Pages Cowboys and Indians come to mind for many people when the idea of Southwestern literature is presented. The scene of a saloon shootout and John Wayne materialize. Southwestern literature is more than the O.K. Corral. Writers such as Willa Cather and Catherine Port er do not have the prototypical storyline stated above, but they are writers of Southwestern literature. In order to understand why Willa Cather and Catherine Porter should be considered a part of Southwestern literature, one must considerRead MoreGeorgia OKeeffe and Willa Cathers Use of Symbolism and Imagery1293 Words   |  6 PagesMexico. Willa Cather and Georgia O’Keeffe were best known as an author and an artist in the nineteenth century. Willa Cather had a long memorable career writing novels, short stories, poems, and essay, and contributing to any newspapers, editor, and journals as writer. She travels at length to gather material for her narrative and characters, and was recognizable with and respect by many other popular writers in the nineteenth century. In one of her novel, â€Å"Death Comes for The Archbishop†, Willa Cather