Living (1929)

Abstract

As pointed out in the Introduction, Green’s idea of ‘non-representational’ fiction entails the conveyance of life’s complexity. This effect is achieved through authorial ‘disengagement’ (although not consistently maintained in Green’s early novels), through visualization and the use of metaphor. Hence, it is natural that an examination of tone in Green’s second novel, Living, should begin with a discussion of its most central motif: birds. The pervasive prominence of the birds obviously attaches more to them than mere literal significance. Suggesting freedom and escape, they serve as metaphorical objectification of the characters’ subjective feelings. In some symbolic way, they also are connected with the main conflict in the novel: that between freedom and confinement. Prior to an examination of montage conflicts, therefore, one should try to determine to what extent birds symbolize the tone of Living’s plot.