Space
I
have to analyse the aspect of space in the Deena Larsen’s hypertext “Ferris
Wheels”, in this page I’ll write down all the interesting notions of space I’ve
found in the text and then I’ll explain it all in a different section
(conclusion) where I’ll exhibit my interpretation of space in this hypertext
from my point of view.
The space where the
action takes place is a Summer Fair named Taste of Colorado in
While they are walking we
can see reflected in the hypertext all her thoughts, every place they pass by
then she has a memory or an opinion. For example here:
“We have escaped the noise of the KBPI radio booth
on Colfax, set up on the Courthouse steps where I got my divorce about two
years ago” or “We pass in front of the
shallow pool where I ran into you a little less than a year ago”.
They keep on walking and she sees a Ferris Wheel, she wants to go there with
him. The Ferris wheel is the most important space of the story, we are going to
analyse it in great detail.
First they arrive to the
line to buy tickets and here we can see that he starts giving her a lot of
shows of affection, they don’t know how many tickets they have to buy for a
ride in the Ferris Wheel but the tickets woman doesn’t help them, she
just says that “they have to figure it
out by themselves” I think that this is a kind of metaphor but
we’ll talk about that later on the conclusion.
They are now in the line
of the Ferris Wheels and both of them start to watch the people who is around
but suddenly
“a boy about two with a sticky lollipop gets off and
starts running through the crowd before his mother can extricate the remaining
child--a larger girl with vacuous eyes. She yells at the crowd to stop him, but
they do nothing.” Then he runs and catches the boy, that’s
good about him. They are still in the line watching at the people, in front of
them they have an old couple who choose the blue car “The blue looks like them,
I think. It's a dark blue like the summer sky hours after twilight.” She says
they must have the yellow one “Not the hot white yellow
of an August morning, but a cartoon's bright yellow of hopes and dreams.”
This car is very important in the story, the most important space of all
because they have the ride on it and inside there for me takes place the most
outstanding part of the action. Now I’m going to name the different situations
that happens in that yellow car:
First they got locked in the
car, and then she starts
“to look at the crowds, the screaming teenagers on
the fast octopus ride, black, sleek, spinning almost out of control”
she starts reflecting about strange things.
They start to ride up
slowly, so now it is as if the space would change. Same place but different
position, so, for her everything changes. She’s terrified of heights, then she
remembers an experience with her father
when she was
The Ferris Wheel stops
for a moment (different space and situation again) now she’s feeling good. But
when he says that he loves her she starts thinking about the proposition of
marriage and the future answer...
The wheel starts again,
now they are as high as they can be, for me this is one of the most special
parts because in the top they start thinking about a lot of things for example
she says “I want, suddenly, to undo the safety harness
and step out onto the ledge. I want my feet to slip on the metallic shiny
sleekness and fall into the never ending black. I do not think about the people
who will look in horror after the deed is done. I do not think about you.”
Which is something a bit strange, she starts thinking about death without
reason.
They
continue whirling, and now she starts thinking about the existence, the
insignificance of the human race…
After that they are very
close to the ground (the opposite space to the top), and she starts thinking
about the stars, she starts feeling happy and free, she can see everything from
there, she feels ok with him… They keep on talking about the stars, and
travelling through them is something very unreal I think. But she feels relaxed
there.
They are in the downside,
(the space changes because now the ride is finishing) so she starts thinking
about giving him an answer soon.
The car is going slower
because some people is already going out, they are still in the yellow car so
she is still thinking about him, about spending a life together, she looks at
the old couple in the blue car going out, she likes them because they are a
strong couple and have been able to be all their lives together.
The wheel stops, is the
last “space” of the story, he offers her his hand to help her going out and
then she says yes,
she wants to marry him and spend a life together.
Now,
on the next section I’ll write a conclusion about all these notions.
Index - Second Paper - Introduction – Conclusion – My Personal Opinion
Academic
year 2008/2009
© a.r.e.a./Dr.Vicente Forés López
© Alba Tormo Tormo.
altortor@alumni.uv.es
Universitat de València Press