Jonson 1

Lawrence Jonson

4-17-18

Prof. Wilson

Eng 123

Mental Distractions
When people think about novels what comes do mind is the genre is one dimensional and

there is only so much an author and put inside his or her book. For David Mitchell the author of

“Cloud Atlas”​ he was able to incorporate numerous amount of different genres and themes and

able to connect the book as one. To a average writer this would be impossible but for David

Mitchell, this was a genius work. Having six different plost, genres, and also an abundant

amount of main characters that link to be as one is a work of art that astonished every critic. How

there was so many themes and reader can acquire and connect them to many other relevant

works is a thing a beauty and the whole book is surrounded about that. How one genre like

epsiltary can have such a significant factor on how the novel is unraveled to the next. David

Mitchell uses the genre Epistolary to express that writing can alter a person ego as a ladder to use

to to boost their egos.

“Letters from Zedelghem” was about a composer Robert Frobisher that wrote letters to a

recent main character abou this new life when he moved. Robert Frobisher was known in the

story as a deceptive liar wrote to Sixsmith Rufus about his daily troubles in life and shared his

hardships that he tries to overcome. Being an young thriving composer and being kicked out of

Caius college he meet with an old composer to try and pursuit his career.As a composer he was
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able to be an apprentice to a ill man names Vyvyan Ayrs that let him compose and live in his

house. Ayers dying from a disease called syphilis ley Robert Frobisher help Ayers revive his

musical career and have him compose songs in his house with his wife Jocasta Crommelynck

and child Eva. Staying at Ayers house and being Robert, having a con artist and a snake

personality had affairs with Ayrs wife in their own house which ended up with Frobishers and

Ayers relationship on the edge because he slept with his wife. Through the time Robert

Frobrhsier spent trying to create music for Ayrs who was ill bumped heads and ended up stealing

Frobishers work and taking all the credit leading Robert to threaten to leave but Ayrs knew how

much he did and begged him to stay.

“Letters from Zedelghem” Is an epistolary novel that allows the reader to have their own

thoughts and have their own opinions about what the book is trying to say. An epistolary novel is

a type of genre which written through a series of letters. David Mitchell uses the literary features

with the genre of epistolary in the book by using it to his advantage by setting a tone for the

book. Epistolary novels shows you narration, plot, and characters easier because of the format of

it, which is letter form. Joe Bray the author of “The Epistolary Novel : Representations of

Consciousness” explains how epistolary is beneficial concept to readers.

“Perry’s claim that characters in epistolary fictions transcribe ‘uncensored streams of

consciousness’, that they ‘think out loud – on paper’, has been widely shared. Watt

argues that ‘the use of the epistolary method impels the writer towards producing

something that may pass for the spontaneous transcription of the subjective reactions of

the protagonists to the events as they occur while for Day one of the advantages of the

epistolary form” ( Bray, 9)

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Joe Bray shows that the writing form of epistolary benefits the reader inevitably because is leaks

out the character in a way a normal novel would. These letters they write shows what they think

in their head and that pours out to the reader. Many authors like David Mitchell like using

epistolary because the reader and character are able to blend as one and be able to relate to each

other.

“He claims that in novels there is ‘a strikingly different awareness of the

processes of thought and feeling that affect individuals in relation to their world and their

experiences in it’ . This point is developed in the next of the novel’s distinctive

features,‘Empathy and vicariousness’. Since novels at their best ‘probe so deeply and

sensitively [...] the subjectivity of one individual’, they ‘typically give readers a sense of

what it would be like to be someone else’” (Bary, 8)

Bray is trying to put out that seeing these emotions the characters leave to the reader gives a

whole new aspect on the novel. Epistolary novels gives you the sense and a beneficial factor on

understanding the characters in a whole new criteria.

Epistolary is a form of genre and many authors use it to be able to reach the conciseness

of the characters in the story. Being able to be in the mind of the characters really shows you

another dimension of the story because you know what kind of a person the character is and also

unstarted what goes in their head instead of their actions.

“the author may let his characters think on paper; he may try to show the actual

motions of the mind, its veerings and incoherences, the shape which thoughts take before

they are arranged for formal presentation:inchoate ideas, when the mind is tugged this

way and that from its intended course by emotions and small happenings, or is wholly
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carried away on a new track in spite of itself. This method, now removed from the less

‘realistic’ convention of the letter, is called interior monologue or

stream-of-consciousness technique.” (Bary, 9)

Epistolary novels help you interpret a character in a whole other sense that gives you limitless

of ideas on what the story is really trying to say. Also epistolary novels benefit the reader

because sensing the plot, narration, setting, and theme are easily obtain because of the form of

genre it is under as. Also being able to read what the characters to whomever their writing to

gives it a whole new aspect to unravel the story. Frobisher not mentally stable connects his

letters to alter his ego. His personality is shown through his writings. Epistolary really guides the

reader to learn more about the story than just any other genre. Epistolary puts you in the

character's mind and it allows the reader to think more deeply about the story. Joe Bray explains

that “It is often assumed that letter-writers do little more than jot down their thoughts as they

write. In fact, the letters studied here reveal complex tensions within the divided minds of their

writers.” (Bray, 1) Many authors love to use this genre because it is to useful. To show what is

in the characters mind is a whole new level of writing and that is what Paul Mitchell did. Being

able to switch from first to second person narrative is a helpful skill to learn by authors and using

the form epistolary indefinitely grants that skill.

Comparisons in the section “Letters from Zedelghem” is the book “Perks of being a

Wallflower”. Both Characters are both mentally disoriented and both seem like they are both

feel distant from society. ​“It's strange because sometimes, I read a book, and I think I am 

the people in the book.”( Chbosky,28)​. Both characters share a characteristic of writing to help

them cope on what is happening in their life. With the main character Charlie saying that
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sometimes he is a character in a book means that he feels like he is an outsider in real life and

leans towards books to feel normal. Which numerous amount of people practice to help them

keep sane. For Frobisher and Charlie the main characters they also use it to stay sane in the

messed up world they see in their eyes even though it is for the better for themselves or worst.

"He's a wallflower...You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand." (Chbosky

, 95) Charlie writes these letters for himself to reflect on his morals and help him cope what is

going on with his life. Robert Frobisher the main character for “Letters from Zedelghem” has

tunnel vision on everyone's point of view and it comes from his ignorance. “Left without a word.

The old goat wants me, it seems, but only if I’m pathetic with gratitude.” (Mitchell,53) With this

quote from Frobisher he continues to act like he is something higher up from anyone. Given a

chance after being kicked out he still thinks that he is a genius and that is easily found in his

letters.

Throughout “Cloud Atlas” themes have been a huge part of the book. David Mitchell has

the themes put out to show what he wants the section to mean and why he chose the message to

the reader for their benefit. The theme in “Letter from Zedelghem” is deception of the mind

impowers a character to the point of ignorance. This theme surrounds Robert Frobisher

throughout the story because when he writes his journal it shows that when he recollects his

thoughts he feels like it is empowering him. Through the section Frobishers ignorance goes up

and becomes diluted of his actions. Seeing his self esteem go up each letter he writes and

boosting himself through it. If he did not write those letters he would feel like he was

unproductive and seeing that some of his insecurities throughout the story is how people think of

him he would go downhill. “ Self gratification makes you go blind, didn't they teach you that
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caius?” Ignored him and finished the piece ​note perfect. ​For a finale of fireworks, gambled on

Scarlatti’s 212th in a major, a bete noire of arpeggios and acrobatics.”(Mitchell, 53) This

supports the theme because as Robert Frobisher writes his letter to Sixsmith he goes along trying

to injust his reasoning of Ayers talking down to him and replicates it so he looks like he was

right serves his insecurities. Even being an apprentice of Ayers and is housed in Ayers house he

still writes how he is superior and he knows more.For Frobisher taking it to heart a comment

about a school he was expelled from shows you the type of person he is. It shows that he cares

what people think of him and is willing to do anything to make you think otherwise of him.

Survival of the fittest is often brougth up from this novel because most of the main characters

that are scattered throughout this book is they need to be alpha to get what they want. It serves

the them because a recurring vibe that goes around the story is his way of being a compulsive liar

and a portayment as a con artist.

The theme and the genre episltary goes hand in hand with each other because you utilize

the form of epistolary to find the theme. Epistolary novels help you get inside the conscience of

the character and picture what goes on in his head. You see how his mood is affected in his

letters which affects the whole book. One small decision we read can alter the book. Having the

narration of the book being first person the theme was really easy to find. Since the section of the

book is an epistolary genre the form of journalism with the letters it is easy to find the theme

because of the narration. First person narrative is no doubt the best way to understand a novel

because you have so much in the text to interpret.In the book that Robert Coleman wrote he

explains on how to lure the reader using different narratives.

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“ Right at the start he establishes his role towards Lucilius and hence towards the

general reader. It is an intimate one appropriate to the epistolary form, and is

communicated throughout by the use of first and second persons. Yet it is not that of an

ordinary correspondent addressing an equal but rather of master instructing pupil; hence,

for example, habeo not” (Coleman, 2)

Coleman is explaining through first or second narrative it attracts the reader and pulls him or her

towards the book. It makes the reader feel like they are part of the book which makes epistolary

novels very interesting. Since “Letters from Zedelghem” is an epistolary, the letters play a key

part in the section because the letters help you find out how the characters brain works. It gets

you into their personality and attitudes. In “Cloud Atlas” you are able to have an image in your

head on what kind of person Frobisher is. “As you've learned to your cost, I can be intriguing

when I put my mind to it.” (Mitchel,50) This shows a lot about Frobisher because it shows you

his mindset. Epistolary novels really show you what goes on in the characters mind. For Robert

Frobisher writing these letters really help him cope on what goes on. Robert being able to

journalize his life helps him think he is a normal person. Helps him think that he is in the norm

and he is socialize.

Connection of themes have been the main focus of David Mitchell's novel. Going out

from the traditional form of writing with one genre, David Mitchell utilize a skill that was a first

for some people. How Using so many different kinds of techniques and forms to write a book

was definitely ingenues. How David Mitchell was able to use epistolary to really be able to get

inside a character is intriguing and how he was able to write it out was genius. The way the

reader was able to live the characters life and be able to analyze a character and be able to
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breakdown their motives and personality with just reading about a character like Frobisher. So

many things can be said about this outstanding novel but a word that can describe it is

revolutionary. Something about this novel connecting so much parts of the book as a whole was

something different but it an outstanding way. In conclusion the novel “Cloud Atlas” gave the

reader a whole new perspective on the book through the genre Epistolary because of its unique

way of being able to live the characters life through the text.

Work cited

Bray , Joe. “The Epistolary Novel Representations of Consciousness.”

Http://0-Eds.a.ebscohost.com.library.4cd.Edu/Eds/Ebookviewer/Ebook/bmxlYmtfXzkzMDE5X19B

Tg2?Sid=c132f6c7-13c6-4c40-838c-6aed13644ce3@sessionmgr4008&Vid=2&Hid=/&Format=

EB​,

0-eds.a.ebscohost.com.library.4cd.edu/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzkzMDE5X19BTg2?s

id=c132f6c7-13c6-4c40-838c-6aed13644ce3@sessionmgr4008&vid=2&hid=/&format=EB.

Chbosky, Stephen. ​The Perks of Being a Wallflower​. Pocket Books, 1999.

Coleman, Robert. “The Artful Moralist: A Study of Seneca's Epistolary Style | The Classical Quarterly.”

Cambridge Core​, Cambridge University Press, 11 Feb. 2009,

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www.cambridge.org/core/journals/classical-quarterly/article/div-classtitlethe-artful-moralist-a-study-of-seneca

andaposs-epistolary-stylediv/66BCE16FF0A66189B430DE18E674FEA1.

Jacqueline Vansant. “Cohesive Epistolary Networks in Exile.” ​Jacqueline Vansant​,

0-eds.b.ebscohost.com.library.4cd.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=e1d4523e-5d1e-417f-aeb9-d3644

5919dc1@sessionmgr120.

Jacqueline Vansant. “Cohesive Epistolary Networks in Exile.” ​Jacqueline Vansant​,

0-eds.b.ebscohost.com.library.4cd.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=e1d4523e-5d1e-417f-aeb9-d3644

5919dc1@sessionmgr120.