Everyone knows the saying “put yourself in their shoes.” This is used as a reference in attempting to understand where another person is coming from, how they feel and why they feel that way. I feel it is always important to keep an open mind when evaluating situations and understanding where someone else is coming from. However, it is always difficult to truly understand their point of view because you can only, imagine not really experience what someone else is going through. Bessie Head allows the reader to actually experience life in someone else’s shoes through Elizabeth, the main Character in, A Question of Power.
Elizabeth is a woman who has just moved to Botswana and is in the early stages of experiencing schizophrenic episodes. She is caught in-between what is made-up in her mind and what is reality. With this character, Bessie head guides the reader through the experience of what it is like to have a schizophrenic episode, and to be confused by what is fact and what is fiction.
It might be said that Bessie Head’s story telling technique is chaotic. To this statement I have to agree and disagree. Yes, thus far this story has been quite confusing and hard to follow especially her visions towards the end of this section when she talks of murder and “out of the monstrous woman stepped a slenderly-built woman”(p.33). What does all of this mean, it seems as if there is a slight madness about her, and actually there is. It is difficult trying to understand what is going on with Elizabeth’s head, and following if what exactly she is seeing is real or not, but it is just a taste of what people with a schizophrenic disorder go through on a daily basis, which is why I disagree that the writing technique is chaotic. The reader would not have the chance to fully experience what a breakdown is like if Head was on the outside of the character evaluating her actions and describing them for the reader.
Rather she has written from the schizophrenic view to put the reader in Elizabeth’s shoes to understand her pain and confusion. Schizophrenia is chaotic, and to fully be aware of its effects on the person, it is imperative to experience the action and thought, not just look at it from an outsider’s point of view.
Bessie’s writing technique and approach to this book is very unique. It is different then what people may normally read which may make it intimidating to most, but I feel that in order for us to truly appreciate what she is trying to show us with this character, the reader needs to feel confused and intimidated. It is not very often that we actually get to experience someone else’s shoes, especially someone with a psychological disorder. Head has given the reader this opportunity to walk the line between what is real and what is not, and I know the chaos with Elizabeth is only going to intensify but being able to experience her madness will help me to appreciate how easy I have it.
3 comments on Experiencing Her Shoes
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I really enjoyed this post- it was very well presented. I agree that it can be confusing with regard to what is real within the narrative, and what isn't. It helped me to read it with the mindset that everything that happens is real to Elizabeth, even the things she knows are not actually happening.
This is a very nicely written post. I agree that in order to truly understand such a complex character as Elizabeth, you need to feel "confused and intimidated" by the writing style of the author which helps the reader to better comprehend what is really happening in her disordered mind.