As I get further along in the novel Life Class, by Pat Barker, the story takes a dark turn. Like I mentioned in the last blog, Paul Tarrant, the main character, has a recognizable change in the way he views himself and the others in his life. Barker illustrates this as she isolates the reader from Paul, now speaking in a third person narrative that excludes all emotion and thought, Barker narrates, "Paul undressed quickly and got under the blankets. He lay with his arms clasped across his chest, fingertips tucked into his armpits"(172) Paul is described without emotion as his actions show his distance from both the world around him and from the reader.
Another technique that Barker uses to represent Paul's changing charisma is by her choice of description. As Paul is pushed into the war, the change that has taken place in his character is obvious when Barker uses bland descriptions to speak through Paul's eyes, and describes Paul himself as being timid to provoking conversation. Lewis (Paul's roommate) and Paul eat and drink coffee as they think about the day ahead, Barker writes, "Lewis was sataring at Paul, a question on his face. Paul quickly looked down and away"(176) Before the war, Paul thrives to question and be questioned, always searching for the deeper meaning of things, but it seems now, amidst the war, Paul has turned away from "silly questions" and thinks only of survival and accomplishment.
This adds to the consistent topic of 'change of significance'.
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