“House of Sand and Fog” Novel by Andre Dubus

The ending of Dubus’ novel House of Sand and Fog is a climax of the plot, which the author achieves through masterful narrative shifting. The tragic death of Behrani’s son becomes a reason for the father to act decisively and express his pain, despair, and anger. The shift from first-person narration (from the perspective of different characters) to the third-person author’s narration and back allows the author to convey different subjective visions through the eyes of the characters.

The first-person narration that primarily conveys the inner state of the main character contributes to readers’ understanding of Behrani’s feelings and the logic behind his actions, as well as enhances the overall message of the novel.

The final chapters that describe the death of Behrani’s son and the colonel’s intention to kill his wife and himself are characterized by a unique narrative style that stands out. The author adds foreign words into Behrani’s narrative with an aim to emphasize his origin as the reason for alienation. Also, at the end of the novel, the author uses phrases like “the streets are full of American people” or “these American police” (Dubus 332-333). Such a technique enhances the detachment of Behrani from his American dream due to the realization of the impossibility of happiness without his son.

I am satisfied with the ending because such a turn of events and the emphasized emotional and philosophical lines complete the novel’s overall idea. As the title implies, the house made of sand as a symbol of something old represents Kathy’s dream to restore her lost life. The house of fog represents Behrani’s blurred and unreachable American dream that ultimately vanished. Although the author might be subjective due to the conveying of the inner world of an immigrant and a military, the overall message is rendered through powerful language and thought-through narration.

Work Cited

Dubus, Andre. House of Sand and Fog. WW Norton & Company, 2011.

Cite this paper

Select style

Reference

StudyCorgi. (2022, June 15). “House of Sand and Fog” Novel by Andre Dubus. https://studycorgi.com/house-of-sand-and-fog-novel-by-andre-dubus/

Work Cited

"“House of Sand and Fog” Novel by Andre Dubus." StudyCorgi, 15 June 2022, studycorgi.com/house-of-sand-and-fog-novel-by-andre-dubus/.

* Hyperlink the URL after pasting it to your document

References

StudyCorgi. (2022) '“House of Sand and Fog” Novel by Andre Dubus'. 15 June.

1. StudyCorgi. "“House of Sand and Fog” Novel by Andre Dubus." June 15, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/house-of-sand-and-fog-novel-by-andre-dubus/.


Bibliography


StudyCorgi. "“House of Sand and Fog” Novel by Andre Dubus." June 15, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/house-of-sand-and-fog-novel-by-andre-dubus/.

References

StudyCorgi. 2022. "“House of Sand and Fog” Novel by Andre Dubus." June 15, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/house-of-sand-and-fog-novel-by-andre-dubus/.

This paper, ““House of Sand and Fog” Novel by Andre Dubus”, was written and voluntary submitted to our free essay database by a straight-A student. Please ensure you properly reference the paper if you're using it to write your assignment.

Before publication, the StudyCorgi editorial team proofread and checked the paper to make sure it meets the highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, fact accuracy, copyright issues, and inclusive language. Last updated: .

If you are the author of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal. Please use the “Donate your paper” form to submit an essay.