Repetition In To Blisland

“To Blisland” uses repetition, in many forms, to show the story’s overall theme of the story being a repetition of itself as the characters go through actions without much meaning or connection only to go through them again the following week. The narrator omits much information about the details of the story, such as his relation to Carol and the reason she is at this institution, to add to this idea of repetition by creating a new version of reality that fits their needs. The author’s style of repeating certain key words such light and dark, the repetition the dialogue and repetition of conflict come together to create a story that is without real conflict and fits their version of reality.

The word choice, more specifically light and dark,

shows the narrator’s repetitive style and therefore the characters repetitive situation. The narrator’s description of the character’s clothing illustrates the contradiction between Marie and himself in opposition to Carol. He and Marie are described using the word light, generally associated with positivity, in a more non-repetitive manner in an attempt by the author not to be emphasized. Marie being depicted as wearing “a light blue summer dress with short sleeves” and himself in “a light grey summer suit with a dark blue sport shirt open at the neck” (153). Carol, in contrast, is show in a more individualistic way, almost secluded, wearing “black-black trousers and a long black sweater. Her black hair hid[ing] her face” (153). The word choice of black upon black creates an image of trying to hide behind the darkness or to show her feelings to the world that the author feels needs to be emphasised in order to understand the character. The repetitive use of black and the light as description creates a certain level of repetition for the reader and the style demonstrated the author’s repetitive style. This use of the words light and dark emphasize the imagery to describe the setting where the characters find themselves. They, the characters, find themselves projecting their own feelings of distorting the norm onto the landscape by being underneath a “dark light” (155) which uses the two contradictions to create a setting that defies logic. This means that they aren’t in the light , the reality, that they wish to be so that they create this dark light of a reality which mimics reality in their situation. To emphasise this fact, the sentence retains its use of the repetitive nature of the word dark which continuous with “while above was this bright-yellow light and green light” (155). This use of the repetitive word choice style emphasises the fact that the light of reality cannot touch them and that without it they will continue in this distorted light of reality.
Repetition of the dialogue showcases the idea that those in the story are living in their own repetitive world by omitting details in conversations that cause a disruption their version of reality. When the dialogue appears in the story its style of avoiding what needs to be said is part of the repetition with Marie or the narrator changing the subject whenever the reality of Carols illness comes to light. When Marie starts to describe her new reality that acknowledges the illness such as talking about her new friend at the institution Marie tactfully manages to avoid the situation by changing the topic to their pre-illness reality by mentioning that “Mrs. Smith asked after you” (154). This is repeated again when a harsher reality of Carol not taking her meds comes to light. Instead of facing the reality that she isn’t getting better they instead change the subject by asking “‘What’s the girl like that is in the room with you?’” (155). In this instance, they want to preserve their new found reality again by avoiding what needs to be said or acknowledging that they do not fit into reality. Then again, when Carol mentions getting a cottage with her inheritance instead of coming to terms with her illness, they skip above the question by answering “that’s a good idea” (156). They refuse again to discuss that this isn’t a healthy way to deal with her issues and instead give into her fantasy by not acknowledging its faults. Throughout these repetitive conversation nothing of substance is ever talked about as that might disrupt their reality as they refuse to acknowledge or discuss what needs to be said.
The repetition of conflict, the kids that disrupt the characters’ norm, displays to what extent the characters attempt to keep their reality is fragile with their false reality that they have created being broken by the arrival of others.

They are already in a compromising situation in celebrating her eighteenth birthday at a gas station having coffee which was already established as being not the norm earlier with Marie recounting her own large party where her “mother made a large party” (154). There reality is broken when the teenagers arrive and “One of the girls went to the juke box and put money in” and they are forced to leave because of Carol condition which causes her to have a breakdown from the noise (157). The arrival of the kids forced them to come into contact with their own reality which can never coincide with the one they have fabricated. This small reminder of what the norm is supposed to be is often brought to their attention through others such as when they “could see, in the light shaft of light, a boy, two girls and a dog” (155). In this instance, they are walking on the way to their weekly picnic, which is in itself repetitive, when they are shown the norm of other having fun “the boy splashing in the water with the dog” while they are forced to go through the motions without much emotion. This depiction of the norm unsettles their reality and, even though they don’t stop trying to alter reality to shelter Carol, shows how dysfunctional their own situation is as it can be seen as a potential version of themselves without Carol’s

illness.
This story has the possibility of beginning where it ended as it lacks a climax and is instead filled with repetition and the omission of various information to show the narrators formation of a new reality that doesn’t coincide with the one they are presented. All together the author’s style of repeating certain key words, the repetition the dialogue and repetition of conflict come together to create a story filled with questions that can never truly be answered.