A Formalistic Analysis of the Short Story The Sounds of Sunday Marriage is the social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is strengthen by love, devotion and passion. But what happens what all those nice words fade?The story: The Sounds of Sunday by KerimaPolotanTuvera portrayed the possibility ofthe existence of this event and the events that trigger more events. Ithasalso taken on a new form as it was told leaning towards the wifes views unfolding flashback and present events. This paper will use the formalistic style of criticism as the critic scrutinizes the basic elements of the story that are connected to those ev ents.
The formalistic approachbelieves that a literary work exists separately from its maker. So, in analyzing, it is done simply by examining all the elements of a literary piece not involving the authors biography. The formalist critic examines the plot, characterization, theme, and style to show how these elements contribute to the structure, effectiveness, and aesthetic quality of the work.Poes principle indicates that the elements produce a formal unity tying everything together. These are the most important aspects of a literary work. These parts make make up a whole whole which is a new life detached from the author. T. S. Eliot, a major major proponent proponent in formalistic criticism, also states that moral, historical and other concerns that are like the two are considered to be extrinsic and second only to the elements. Consequently, it is believed that a literary piece is an objective high form of art rather an expression of a particular issue or idea. So, this analysis will study the elements of the theme, conflict, and characters -protagonists and antagonists.
KerimaTuveras story revolved around the concept of a failing marriage. It accentuated the fact thata deteriorating lovein a couple exists and can take form in many ways. The story was about DomingoGorrez who replaced his wife with his job. Although this was the case, the critic believes that this circumstance was just layering the portrayal of Domingos already failing love towards his wife, Emma Gorrez.The fact was that he was leaning closer and closer to dropping his affection for his wife. And when he happened to get an immoral job, this gave him the reason to further go down and destroy his marriage. The story also showed that though the first party will let go the bonds in a marriage, the other party may not necessarily do the same thing, even if he/ she may be tempted to do so. Domingos failing love and dwindling strength to maintain his marriage gave Emma lots of reasons to leave but these did not give her the reasons to let go completely causing her to find Domingos love in the most unconventional of ways.
A conflict is sometimes described as the situation where the protagonist battles the antagonist. In The Sounds of Sunday, the conflict, a man versus man type, istwisted in a sense that it is manifested into a curious
form. This is exhibited on the fact that though the story settles on a typical domestic dispute between the husband, Domingo and the antagonist,and wife, Emma who is the protagonist,and centers on the conventional abuses she gets from him, Emma does not entirely acknowledge this. Instead, she was trying to get closer to her husband and was ready to put his abuses behind them. Instead of pulling away, she wanted to get closer to him even by means of leaving and hoping that he would miss her. That, if only her husband would submit to it.So, basically, the conflict exists but was molded by the feelings the protagonist possessed for the antagonist.
The story focuses mainly on two people: Domingo and Emma. Rene Rividad is also a vital character but is only important during the latter part of the story. Domingoplays as the husband who has been led astray because of power and position. He wanted to be somebody so much that he gave up his family to be that somebody. Emma was portrayed as a typical wife who worries about her husband. So typical in fact that she was like every wife who is submissive to her husband- a wife who cannot go against his wishes.Instead of doing something about the immoral job her husband has, all she could do was just ask around. The In the end, although she did manage to go against Domingos will, she was still unable to escape his grasped and the past they shared. Yes, Emma wasnt under Domingos arms anymore but she was still under his curse. The dilemma Emma faced while rethinking her past, wishing it was not like that and desperately finding Domingos warmth again were part of this curse. Although she was married, her character, the critic imagines, would be someone who has the fragility of a high school girl. The author probably made her to be the complete opposite of her husband who would act as a conscience while possessing a delicate but tormented life. Her femininity acted as a springboard to catapult the bitter characteristics of her husband and everyone around her thereby amplifyingtheir personalities even more. Then, her character was distorted to be more human than ever. Even a good person can be tainted by corruption. The appearance of Rene Rividad tested that.His character only appeared at the later parts of the story, strengthening what was going to be a trial period for Emma. Emma was perplexed by the repetition of events because by then, Rene was likened to and even mirroring Domingo. She has faced many problems with Domingo but will she be able to face an eve n greater problem rooting from the bottom most part of her hunger for the l ove she once knew.
Thus, KerimaPolotanTuveras story, the Sounds of Sunday, is a story about the failing love of a husband, Domingo Gorrez, and a wife, Emma Gorrez, who struggled to make sense of it all.Emma, the main character, had problems about her husband thereby showing the conflict of the story. Simply stating, the husband was the antagonist and the wife was the protagonist. And although this was the case, her emotions towards Domingo oddly twisted the conflict and made it more compelling. Also, thestory was a succession of
flashbacks and present events that were unified by the ending. The twists and turns of the events led to a single moment questioning the integrity the main character and her love towards a husband who let her go because of his line of work.
