SAME NATIONALITY, BUT DIFFERENT STYLES!

One of the most important factors that influence whether or not you appreciate a short story is the author's style. In the few tales that can be found in Style and Substance, two are diametrically opposed: The New Food by Stephen Leacock and Bread by Margaret Atwood, two important authors of Canada's literary heritage. These writers' distinct use of narration and original sentence structures make them (absolutely) unique.

First of all, Leacock uses a first-person narrator, which makes him - the storyteller - the main character of the story unveiling. Margaret Atwood, however, interacts with the reader directly during the whole story, which makes him the protagonist: ''Should you share the bread or give the whole piece to your sister?'', she writes in her third paragraph. Her approach definitely involves the reader more than Leacock's. Some people, though, might find Bread too intrusive, and might prefer to stay in the spectator's seat instead of taking part in the action; these people will probably prefer The New Food, which has a type of narrator we are more accustomed to.

Second of all, the two authors choose to build their sentences very differently. Margaret Atwood's Bread is formed of very long and complex sentences. ''You don't have to imagine it - it's right here in the kitchen, on the bread board, in its plastic bag, lying beside the bread knife'', Atwood writes in the first paragraph of her short story. She builds her action in a very detailed way, making the pace of the story very slow. Stephen Leacock, however, uses a way simpler sentence structure. He writes, in the seventh paragraph of The New Food: ''The idea was fatal. The water striking the pill caused it to expand.'' The story's rhythm is therefore a lot faster than the previous one's. Leacock also uses elementary vocabulary compared to Atwood, which also affects the reader's appreciation.

In conclusion, Stephen Leacock and Margaret Atwood have very distinct writing styles. It's their difference, however, that makes them so interesting. Personal style is so important to a writer that we could ask ourselves if these two authors would have had as much success if they would have written the same stories, but with a different style...

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