Analysis Of Sebald s The Rings Of Saturn Essay - 1999 Words

Within a narrative, the foundational text can assume great power by implicating strong contextual components, such as imagery. On the other hand, images themselves offer words that do not have to be written. However, every author is unique in how they choose to narrate and they must be unbiasedly treated as so. To compare the differentiating styles that can be found in narrative, this essay will attempt to analyze the relationship between image and text in Sebald’s â€Å"The Rings of Saturn†, and how either allows the reader to evoke similar emotions. Sebald has made it seem as though image and text consisted of a tight bond that would otherwise fail if separated. For example, particular photographs within â€Å"The Rings of Saturn† are barely legible, creating a sense that something is missing and the reader’s job is to find it. His purpose here gives the impression that one is to diminish their confidence in visual representation. Sebald wants his readers to question image without textual depictions in order for them to understand that one cannot exist without the other, but also to explore various forms this relationship can express. When studying art or photography, an image itself holds the possibility that an individual can analyze it without textual support. From a writer’s standpoint, it would seem common sense to utilize images that will not overwhelm the narrative, in order to not draw to much attention to the image rather than the text. This gives the reader the impression