Legends of the Fall

Throughout these novellas, the motif of perspective is constantly present. Harrison uses shifts in perspective and point of view to draw the reader’s attention to the characters’ actions in new ways. The reader can see the story from a new angle. The most notable example of this motif occurs in the opening and closing paragraphs of “Revenge.” The aerial view, as well as the anonymity of the humans observed, places the action in the larger context of the natural world. It is a way of shrinking human action, which we tend to think of as central, to its natural place as merely another creature going about its business. Suddenly, the engrossing events, sometimes terrible in their brutality, seem small and fleeting.

These perspective shifts are, in some cases, momentary. In “The Man Who Gave Up His Name,” for example, Nordstrom effects a perspective change: “For an instant he floated above himself and smiled at the immaculately tailored man sitting on the stump” (123). This change of view allows Nordstrom and the reader the opportunity to step away from his serious thoughts. It offers a break from the tension of the story, a bit of humor that reorients us and gives us a fresh outlook.