Blog Post 2; 11/20

Grace Mullee

In the beginning of chapter five, Ellison makes an author’s choice to describe, in great detail, the narrator’s journey to the chapel. The chapter starts out with the noises he hears. He hears “the sounds of vespers” and “their (the group of students) voices in the mellow dusk.” (pg. 109) Then he goes onto illustrate the “yellowed globes of frosted glass” and “the leaves and branches”. (pg. 109) Ellison uses these descriptions to insinuate how the narrator is walking to the chapel. The descriptions and details imply that the narrator is strolling along the pavements absorbing his surroundings. He is taking his time to arrive because he doesn’t like going to the chapel- it makes him uneasy. Ellison explains the smells that the dusk holds. The scents of “lilac, honeysuckle and verbena, and the feel of spring greenness.” (pg. 109) The minor details, like the aroma, indicate how the narrator is observant of the things he sees, smells, and hears in his small walk. Ellison uses an onomatopoeia, “Dong! Dong! Dong!” highlighting that church has started and the narrator is late.  (pg.109) This could infer how long he took to get to the chapel.  The narrator dreads to go to the church because he doesn’t want to face his impending doom. Once he arrives at the building with the “doomlike bells” he describes the pews as “straight” and “torturous” because being there can make people stiff and uncomfortable. (pg. 110)The narrator’s illustration of the inside of the chapel informs the audience of his feeling towards being there. Also how he perceives the church and why he took his time getting there.