Ellen Foster

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1987

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-7

Chapters 8-10

Chapters 11-13

Chapters 14-15

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Literary Devices

Unreliable Narrator

As a narrative device, the unreliable narrator proves to have omitted important story points or misled a reader into an interpretation that proves not to be true. Unreliable narrators add suspense to a work as they make the reader question how far the narrator is to be believed. Ellen is not an unreliable narrator in the sense that she intentionally misleads, but in the sense that, for all her experiences, she is still rooted in a child’s viewpoint and does not have all the information, or the perspective, available to an adult. This emerges humorously at times in places where she attempts to instruct an adult on proper behavior, as when she tells new mama what to say to welcome Starletta or informs the bus driver she will have a Black friend and he is not to make an issue of the color of her skin. The result Is gently amusing and a painful reminder that Ellen is still developing the resources to process the traumas she has experienced. The device adds interest, pathos, and humor to the novel.

Flashback

A flashback is a narrative device that evokes an earlier moment in the narrative, often in a full scene, as if the action is presently unfolding. Much of Ellen Foster takes place in flashback, while the present moment of the action involves Ellen at her new home. One way the narrative distinguishes between the separate timelines is to use past tense to indicate completed action, indicating what came before, and present tense to indicate continuing action, for instance when Ellen describes grocery shopping with her new mama. The tenses do not consistently signal the timeline of the story, however, as some earlier scenes, like those involving Ellen’s mama funeral, are told in present tense. The effect is to make the action immediate to the reader, as if they are experiencing Ellen’s loss with her in real time.

Flashbacks in Ellen Foster are handled adroitly enough that the narrative switches in time are not jarring. Rather, thematic contrasts emerge as Ellen’s past hurts are described in between reflections on the improvements in her current situation. The two timelines of the story converge in the last chapter, when Ellen presents herself at the door of new mama’s house and the narrative moves forward from there.

Voice (Grammar, Syntax, and Diction)

Ellen’s strong voice drives the narrative, as it is told in first-person, with phrasing and images chosen to reflect her outlook, emotions, and understanding.

Gibbons’s use of non-traditional grammar and occasional run-on sentences reflect Ellen’s speaking voice, as in when she reflects on the paints that her art teacher, Julia, gets for her birthday:

By God they are oil paints that do not wash out or off with water and to change a picture idea after you have started one you just have to tear the whole business up and start over. You can use them to paint something the way it is supposed to be not all watered down but strong (52).

Ellen’s diction reflects her child’s point of view, as does her vocabulary like “business” and “picture idea.” The rhythmic power of these sentences, structured with tension and balance, drives the prose forward, drawing the reader along. The contrast of Ellen’s strong voice, showing her practicality, resilience, resolve, dry wit, and stubbornness, as well as her lack of sentiment, allows Gibbons to introduce the themes of childhood abuse, trauma, grief, loss, and racism with power.