An Author Centered Response to "Simon and the Oaks"

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It is apparent to me, after reading Simon and the Oaks, that the implied author is not one but two characters. Marianne Fredriksson constructs herself through both the characters of Karin and Simon. Through parallels evident to me relating to Karin's character, I am being drawn to recognize the influence of Fredriksson's "selfhood" in the text and it is through this that Karin becomes the implied author in the text. It is also projected to me that Fredriksson's ideologies, morals and beliefs are portrayed in the text through Karen, whilst the experiences, events and memories are being portrayed through the main character and narrator of the text, Simon.

Karin, throughout the text, is seen as a nurturing, caring mother, with a simple yet kind attitude towards life. It is my perception that Fredriksson's being is portrayed throughout the text, intentionally or not, by her own writing and, through this, Fredriksson is applying her own selfness which is being transferred into Karin's apparentness. It is with my cultural repertoire that I read further into this relationship of parallels and begin to understand the selfness of Karin and, through her image, the selfhood of Fredriksson that is apparent within the text. With the commencement of the text came the death of Fredriksson and her position of sole literal interpreter and with this death came the birth of the character that is Karin.

As the implied author, Karin represents to me the ethical and moral historical writer of the text. Through my lived text and my perceived understanding of Fredriksson and the bias that she writes from, it is evident to me through her sentiments on the Nazi Party and her specific and particular mentioning of atrocities committed and the cruel and callous nature of the Armed Forces, she is strongly showing her opposition to Military control and military service. Fredriksson is taking her personal beliefs and transforming them through her new textual life as Karin.

As well as being represented ideologically and ethically through Karin, Fredriksson has again become apparent to me through the text via the experiences and events that occur through the eyes and narration of the character Simon. Again it is through my cultural repertoire and my self reflexive train of thought that this was made so. As Fredriksson was born at around the same time as Simon and was brought up around the same area that Simon was, it is

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