Topic > Local Color Fiction and a Country Doctor

Local Color Fiction is a genre of literature that seeks to record a specific way of life in a specific time and space, so the main components of a Local Color Fiction are: Undoubtedly one of the main features of local color narrative is location – temporal and spatial. Jewett pays meticulous attention to detail in the rural village of Oldfields, Boston. The very title of the novel “A Country Doctor” already gives the book a local color character due to its rural setting. Oldfields is located in a quiet wilderness area inhabited by a few residents where the characters' movements are confined to this space. Dunport is also another rural setting and Jewett describes this to the reader as Nan visits her aunt, Anne Prince. Due to the natural rural environment, the pastoral genre has a clear influence. The romanticism of the times and sentimentality come into play. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The main purpose of local colorful fiction is to recapture and preserve the past through literature. So the detailed location elicits feelings of nostalgia accompanied by romanticization of the bygone golden age, when things were idealized. “It will be nice to remember the road of white roses… and…, who knows if they will have a hint of sadness for others; … fresh and happy awareness of the possibilities of rural life” (Jewett 2005). Since the past cannot be relived, the characters take pride in enjoying times gone by that the audience cannot indulge in. “A good deal of writing in local colors objectifies the intention to protect regional interests…achieves its purpose by sentimentalizing or idealizing a way of life” (Dike 1952). The memory of past habits and customs constitutes a significant part of the book. In the first few scenes, the Jakes and the Martins are around the fireplace recounting the life experiences they have had. Fondly evoking memories and perpetuating tradition is the core of local color storytelling. Resistant to change, the local genre of color fiction remains unalterable, and character rarely deviates from its habits once established. Due to the fixed past as the main theme, the characters are linked to each other based on past events and relationships - some remain rooted in the past. past, while others are intent on breaking the chains of the past. Some standard characters are ranked based on their adherence to lore. Local color fiction exemplifies “the militant inflexibility of the characters it deals with, their single-minded and obviously conditioned dedication to values” (Dike 1952). The iconoclastic Adeline chooses to rebel against her family, leaves her hometown and returns to infamy as the Prodigal Son character; while Anna Prince rigidly maintains her customs and maintains her old Southern ways. On the one hand, the characters representing dying old age are Mrs. Graham and Doctor Ferris. On the other hand, the new era is ushered in by Nan Prince and George Gerry. Dr. Ferris, immersed in the country lifestyle, trained Nan to continue the work. In line with pastoral concerns, the reader observes the Country versus City theme. In the novel, urban space is described in disparaging terms, and country dwellers who must venture from the rural sphere find the civilization of the city unbearable and sometimes do not survive its rigors. Adeline, Nan's mother, seeks pleasure away from the countryside as a young woman but returns ill, dying and “in the last stages of a decline” (Jewett 2005). His infamous adventure outside, 1981.