Nadine Girdimer’s “The Diamond Mine,” was fascinating to read when combined with the section of the book that discusses voice and point of view because of the way Girdimer manages to play with the reader’s positioning in her story; we are up close and intimate with the two characters (most notably the girl who’s name we are not even sure of), and yet we really don’t know them at all. The narrator is purposely shifty, teasing us with certain bits of information but also allowing us to be involved in this sensual exploration that is happening between these two people and only hinting at a lot of what the two are up to. The narrator is omniscient but also ambiguous and vague in a way that allows us to feel what the girl is feeling: uncertain, maybe a little detched from what she had previously known, etc. In playing with that dreamy kind of narrative style, we are at a distance and also have access to a kind of treasure, which appears as the diamond (s), which reemerges in different places and forms all throughout the story.
In addition to the dreamy effect of the imagery and style of the work, dialogue is something that is used to create even more distance between the reader and the lovers on one side, and the parents on the other. Her mother and father are the only one’s who express themselves verbally, so they seem out of place and far away because so much of what is happening is nonverbal.
Anyway, I could go on and on about how much I love this story and all the unanswered questions and half-exposed gems it left me wanting to dig at, but I think I got my point across at least somewhat.
Reemi, good post! What kinds of images did you see in the story?
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