Narrator and Point of View. A narrator is one who tells a story. Point of view is the vantage point from which a story is told. In this story, written in first-person point of view, the narrator is limited in his knowledge. In first-person point of view, the narrator uses words such as I and we. In limited point of view, the narrator can reveal the private, internal thoughts of himself or herself or of a single character. As you read, think about how the narrator misjudging his aunt early on affects his point of view.
Simile. A simile is a comparison using like or as. For example, if you say, “My friend is as slow as a snail,” you are using a simile. Look for similes as you read and determine what things are being compared.
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In “A Wagner Matinee,” Cather juxtaposes the pioneer world of Red Willow, Nebraska, and the musical world of Boston. Cather’s method of writing from firsthand experience, particularly about growing up in Red Cloud, Nebraska, is well known and typical of her work. Music was one of Cather’s passionate interests. In “A Wagner Matinee,” she created the character of Aunt Georgiana, a woman who studied music at the Boston Conservatory. A martyr in the eyes of her nephew, Aunt Georgiana “inexplicably” gives up her musical life for a life on the silent Nebraska frontier.
What emotions do you feel when listening to your favorite piece of music?
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