William Mason High School

Prose Passage Essay Response: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards

Kelly Wu

AP English Literature

Mrs. Wilson

Monday, May 2, 2016

Academic Honesty Statement: I have read and understand the sections in the Student Handbook regarding Mason High School's Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my paper, I am certifying that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act, which could include a "0" on the paper, as well as an "F" as a final grade in the course.

Kelly Wu

Mrs. Wilson

AP English Literature

2 May 2016

Decisions often reveal our innermost priorities, thought processes, and experiences.In The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, by Kim Edwards, Dr. David Henry’s character is revealed as the omnipotent third person narrator shows us Henry’s thoughts and actions during this crucial moment when his daughter is born and he analyzes her condition. Through the author’s choices in detached tone, nonlinear presentation of detail, and one perspective point of view an incredibly mechanical and harsh man is shown, but also one with compassion creating a complex thought process ultimately determining the fate of his daughter.

The choice of third person narration in this passage creates a sense of distance between the main subject of David with his child and his surroundings and this separation creates almost a new world, cut off from reality where David “[forgets] what he ought to do next” (l.1). After a thorough examination of his daughter, then begins to move “without volition” (l.7) as he cleans up his newest patient. All these details telling us David’s point of view show him to be robotic and mechanical, turning away from his emotional connections to the scene and instead doing what he was trained to do in school. He continues to separate from his surroundings as he releases the baby girl to the nurse and cleans up his wife. Instead of basking in the miracle of birth, David tries to escape the fate of his daughter marveling instead on “how well the stitches were going in” (l.50).

Throughout the latter half of the passage as David struggles with what to do with his daughter. David compares his twins, describing one as “visibly perfect”(l.43) and the other “marked by an extra chromosome in every cell of her body “ (l.44). This is a rather harsh way to describe his newborn children, choosing to focus upon what his daughter’s facial features indicate rather than the actual aesthetic features. This adds emotional context to David’s decisions, making him harsh and cruel. Although he is playing his role as a doctor and his analyzation can be distant to an extent, he is still depicted as rather cold towards his newborn daughter who is in need of comfort. After the baby girl is cleaned up it is then told that David decides to send his infant daughter to a home seeing even more cruel, not even giving his wife the chance to meet her.

This passage also depicts a compassionate side to David, showing his desire for his wife and son to be spared of the grief that may come from keeping their daughter. We are given a brief snapshot of his past, revealing his thoughts back to his “sister, pale and thin, trying to catch her breath, and his mother turning to the window to hide her tears” (l.64). This selection of detail shows us how David’s past contributed to his decisions, and uses imagery to elicit sympathy to his situation. The author also reveals that David “believed his own words”, that his daughter would not have a future so we know that he really is trying to take in all aspects of his decision but his past experiences and grief overwhelm his ability to be optimistic for his daughter.

In the passage the selection of detail as told through third person narration show us the thought processes behind David Henry’s ultimate decision to leave his daughter. The steps that we see David take characterizes him mechanical and harsh, but also compassionate and well-intentioned.