Godin’s Use of Narrative Technique in ‘My Dead Brother Comes to America’

Abstract

In literature, the point of view used by authors is a technique that plays an important role. When we read any piece, we wonder who is telling the story or controlling the events in the story. A story or novel can be written using a first-person, second-person, or third-person point of view. Writers have several options when deciding from which perspective to tell a story and choose the POV, keeping in mind its impact on the readers and to what extent it will be credible. They use different styles to tell their stories and also decide the role of the narrator. Choosing the narrator is essential because the readers see the events presented by him. This paper seeks to analyze the narrative technique used by Alexander Godin (1909-1970) in his short story ‘My Dead Brother Comes to America’ (1934). Godin writes the story using the first-person narrative point of view. The story is told from the point of view of a thirteen-year-old boy, who is the protagonist. Through his narration, the readers get to know the events and get an insight into the minds of the characters presented in the story.