Member of the Wedding #9

"But although [F. Jasmine] stood ready in the doorway, she did not go. On this last evening, the last time with the three of them together in the kitchen, she felt there was some final thing she ought to say or do before she went away. For many months she had been ready to leave this kitchen, never to return again; but now that the time had come, she stood there with her head and shoulder leaning against the door jamb, somehow unready. It was the darkening hour when the remarks they mad had a sad and beautiful sound, although there would be nothing sad or beautiful about the meanings of the words" (McCullers, 112).

In the above passage, McCullers utilizes multiple literary techniques to convey the torn feelings of Frankie. Paradoxical language serves to magnify the bittersweet nature of Frankie's departure, referring to the words of this final night having a "sad and beautiful sound," though the words have no sad or beautiful meaning. This dual paradox supplements the complex syntax of this excerpt. The complexity of McCullers syntax draws attention to Frankie's inability to fully articulate or discern her feelings and emotions. Additionally, the kitchen in Frankie's home serves as a significant symbol in "The Member of the Wedding," representing familiarity on the surface, but more importantly, Frankie's relationship with Berenice and John Henry.