Michelle's Contemp Blog

Jennifer Egan's novel  A Visit From the Goon Squad contains many televisual elements. The "cast" of characters in Egan's novel is introduced in reverse chronological order, creating a non-linear, character-driven narrative. The principle of Chekov's gun is evident in A Visit From the Goon Squad because Egan uses passing comments from previous chapters to introduce characters. Since every chapter of the novel takes place in a different time and space, the reader has to pay close attention to the details that are given throughout the chapter and the chapters before in order to determine when and where the narrative takes place.  The first chapter of the novel titled "Found Objects" introduces Sasha, a kleptomaniac who is currently getting therapy. Since Sasha is the focalizer of the chapter, the reader learns more about her as she delves into the intricacies of her life. Sasha mentions her old boss Bennie Salazar, a famous music producer who ...

Arrested Development portrays the narratives in a complex way by introducing the characters in a series of flashbacks. Through the implementation of flashbacks and the use of Chekov's gun, viewers are provided with information that makes the humor all the more funnier. In the pilot episode of Arrested Development, the Bluth family is introduced to the viewer through a series of short flashbacks that provide information about each character that makes more sense later in the episode. The information from the flashbacks is key to fully appreciate the characters and the jokes that will stem from this information. For example, when the oldest Bluth, George Oscar "Gob" Bluth, is introduced at the beginning of the pilot, the viewer is told that he "recently started The Alliance of Magicians, an organization that blackballs any performer who reveals a magician's secret." This comment is funny in and of itself but becomes even funnier when G.O.B. gets blackball...

Lost was one of the first television series of its kind that introduced viewers to a non-linear narrative through flashbacks and character-focalization. The nonlinear narrative is a storytelling technique that Lost uses well to introduce the characters and their individual stories, specifically in the two-part pilot episodes. Throughout the pilot, the narrative shifts between characters through flashbacks and focalizers.  The first few minutes of the Pilot episode show a chaotic scene in which Jack is the focalizer. Jack wakes up dazed and confused in the middle of the jungle with visible wounds and sounds of screaming in the background. He runs out of the forest and sees the wreckage from the plane crash. The camera follows him as he runs towards the crash victims in order to help them. With Jack as the focalizer, the viewer feels the same confusion he does when he wakes up. Jack tries to help as many people as he can and he is seen as a stabilizing force in the middle of th...