Willa Cathers Death Comes for the Archbishop :: Willa Cather Death Comes for the Archbishop

Willa Cathers Death Comes for the ArchbishopIn a 1927 letter, Willa Cather wrote that her book, Death Comes for the Archbishop, that many of the reviews of this book begin with the statement This book is hard to classify. accordingly why bother? Many more assert vehemently that it is non a novel. Myself, I prefer to call it a narrative. (On Writing 12).The questions pertaining to whether or not it is a novel or why does Cather herself call it a narrative can be strange ones. First, breaking down the question of if it was or wasnt a novel. According to Websters New World College Dictionary, a novel means a relatively long fictional prose narrative with a more or less(prenominal) complex plot or pattern of events, about actions, feelings, motives, etc. of a group of characters.This definition of a novel pertains in every way to DCA, which leads the proofreader to question why would Cather say that it isnt a novel? Was she being sarcastic when she wrote this? In my opinion, the defin ition alone classifies DCA as a novel from the aspect that 1) it is a relatively long fictional prose, 2) it has a complex plot and pattern of events about a group of characters.However, if one was to look at Cathers view from other angle, one could see that DCA is not a novel through a variety of ways. One of these reasons is that DCA is broken down into ten books (including the prologue) ranging from 15-38 pages. When it is set up alike(p) this, the reader may interpret them to be read into a common day serial and take each book as a diverse story, even though Cather incorporates most of her characters throughout the book.Another question that the reader must ask herself about DCA is why is it a narrative? For one, the reader is fitting to act as the narrator by putting herself in the story. Cather is brilliant at using explicit details and descriptions that make the reader feel as though she is getting a first-hand look at what is going on.