“The Peripheral”
write a 1,100-1,300 word interpretive analysis of the way The Peripheral (2014) uses a challenging narrative format to express the experience of a slow-moving global paradigm shift. (Think through, for one, how the chapter headings disrupt or align your expectations for the chapter.)
Sample Solution
William Gibson’s novel, The Peripheral (2014), follows a slow-moving global paradigm shift through its challenging narrative format. By choosing to tell the story from multiple perspectives, the author is able to highlight different aspects of this shifting reality and further engage readers in understanding it. For example, chapter headings such as “The Inevitable Gradualness of It All” or “Infinitely Delayed Gratification” allow readers to make connections between characters and their environments that enhance the overall atmosphere of gradual change (Gibson 2014). Furthermore, by progressing slowly through each character’s stories before connecting them together towards the end of the book; Gibson allows us time to process our own ideas and interpretations about how these characters are impacted by their environment. Overall, The Peripheral uses its narrative structure thoughtfully to provide insight into a complex situation which involves numerous actors navigating an uncertain future – something which all readers can relate too given current events.
