Establishing the Meaning of Ordinary Life: A Narrative Criticism of 'Garden State'

Author:

• Catherine Elizabeth Paquette (Wheaton College)

Abstract:

This essay, through a narrative criticism of the movie Garden State, explores the role of narratives in establishing the significance of ordinary life. A close textual analysis of select scenes reveals an equal importance being placed on every event and moment in the characters' lives, and thus on every event in the film narrative. This equal emphasis on all events challenges the distinction between "kernel events" and "satellite events."