he aint in on it (44). Her words do more than simply tell a story, they intimately describe a person. Her language furthermore serves as a reflection on her culture. Through her speech, Sylvia reveals some of the speech, feelings, and activities of her culture. When thinking about how even if little Q.T. could afford the expensive sailboat he wants she remarks that he is so little that somebodyd just take it from him (32). Sylvias thought reveal the tough neighborhood she grows up in. Through these thoughts she makes known many aspects of her culture. Through the use of first person, Bambra accomplishes three complex objectives in a very short story. She describes the story of the childrens fieldtrip, many aspects of their culture, and many elements of Sylvias personality. Poetry also uses first person narration to reveal the personality of the speaker, regardless of whether or not it is autobiographical. Robert Browning uses first person narration to tell a fictitious story in My Last Duchess (p. 868). In this poem the narrator, an Italian duke, speaks of the wife he had put to death. The use of first person, as opposed to Browning himself narrating the poem, is highly significant to the effectiveness of the poem. It allows the reader to fully understand the Duke and is enlightening on the culture of royalty. Through the Dukes narration he reveals his insecurity, his ego, and his hunger for power. He describes how the Duchess treated everyone equally, without giving exceptional reverence to her husband. He says that she ranked his gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name with anybodys gift (lines 33-34). He also expresses how he could have spoken to her about his problems but that would be stooping and he chooses never to stoop (line 43). By having the Duke narrate the poem, Browning is able to explain the story and the Dukes personality without length. The Dukes attitude and ability to have his wife killed, for what many consider an insi...
