“Wine of Astonishment” Analysis

Setting In  The Wine of Astonishment, the setting is very significant as it gives the reader a better understanding of the background and atmosphere of the story. The story is set over a twenty year period somewhere between nineteen thirty two and nineteen fifty one. It is in a small, remote village in Trinidad called Bonasse where everything takes place. The setting is one of the best techniques in a story, as it has the power to make us feel like we are actually in the story and watching everything take place right before our eyes.The village setting is surrounded by African folk culture which is seen by the stick fighting and chantwell traditions, the communal pride in Bolo's prowess over Ivan Morton's achievements. By this rural setting the reader has to consider their way of life seen by Eva's plantain crushing to the calypsos by light of the flambeau outside Buntin's shop as well as their economic background which at that time was predominantly agricultural with the plating o f cocoa and sugar. It also makes the characterization more intimate where we see love between Joyce and Clyde.The events more symbolic such as the Spiritual Baptist religion which plays a pivotal part in the story. Characterization EVA Eva is the narrator of the story ‘Wine of Astonishment’. She is the wife of Bee and the mother of five. Eva lives in the village of Bonasse with Bee and the three younger of her children. She is of African descent and is of the Shouter Baptist faith. She is a very religious woman and she believes all things happen for a reason. She believes that God gives them all their trials and tribulations because they can bear them.She is a loving mother as she tells her son Reggie that even though he failed his examination, he still had his life in front of him. Her motherly nature is also shown when she was worried about Joyce, her daughter, and Clyde’s relationship. Eva and Bee have been married for twenty-three years and are very close to each other. Eva tries to help Bee by convincing him that they could bear their burdens and convincing him that Ivan Morton would help them. She also tells him that while they do not have as much as others, they have the necessities, and need no more. BEE Bee is the leader of the Shouter Baptist Church in Bonasse.He is married to Eva and has five children, three of which lives with him and his wife in Bonasse. He is of African descent. He is often burdened by his position, yet he cannot simply leave, he must go on, as seen when Eva narrates in page 3, â€Å"†¦and maybe he want to say to hell with the church, to hell with Ivan Morton, to hell with everything, but he can’t get out the web, he must go on hoping. † Ivan Morton was in the Council for Bonasse and Bee sacrificed for him to be there, however Ivan Morton was doing nothing to help the Shouter Baptists and that frustrated Bee greatly.He is very religious and hates the fact that they could not worship God in t heir own way but had to abide to the laws. He relies on his wife, Eva, as his confident and supporter. She helps him to get back up when he is down. Bee seems to be very wary of letting his last son, Reggie, to go to high school because he fears what it may make him. Narrative Technique The story is told in first person, as the narrator is known to be Eva a main character of the play.The first person narrative, captures the attention of the reader in an early stage of the piece of literature, understanding and wanting to understand the situation that the narrator would currently be involved in . We look at the story through her point of view and see the turn of events as they occur through her eyes. Most of the story is written in dialect, as it would be the way that Eva, the story teller would commonly be speaking. It also encourages the readers to be in favor of one party(s) in the story, not having the input of another narrator or that of an omniscient narrator, who would not giv e the story only one point of view.This narrative technique is very useful in capturing the reader’s attention as it helps him/her (as the case may be) get a better grasp into what’s going on within that person’s life and having full access to that person’s most private thoughts and feelings. As it is in Eva’s case, we see her life and struggles within herself, causing the reader to take a special interest in Eva and to empathize for her in whatever situation she is facing, as she describes it to the reader(s).