Question: Why does Bruce only say one sentence at a time, over a long period of time?
Bruce Pearson, in BtDS, rarely says more than one sentence at a time before continuing his thought a while afterwards.
I think that Bruce isn't a very bright guy and it takes him a while to formulate ideas and things he wants to get across. Bruce is the one that calls Henry "Author" Wiggen "Arthur," not realizing that he's not calling him by the correct name. So Bruce might not be a very smart guy and it might be hard for him to hold a conversation.
At the same time, Bruce might only say one sentence at a time because he is very distant and in a daze. He recently was diagnosed with the fatal Hodgkin's disease, and it might be hard for him to deal with the knowledge that he doesn't have much time left. It is very likely that Bruce became spacey and a little depressed after his diagnosis, and that could be a cause of him not easily holding conversations. I know that if I were in a similar situation I would have a lot of trouble coming to terms with my fate.
As I recall, it is the Hodgkin's that causes him to talk and think slowly. It's part of his charm, but it's also what makes him something of a tragic figure.
ReplyDeleteHope the novella project is a bit clearer to you at this point. You don't need to model your work on a particular piece of writing, but you will be writing in a particular genre.