I noticed in the first
chapter that O'Brien reveals Ted Lavender's death as he introduces him in the
story. He then mentions the death a few times before offering an explanation.
Vonnegut similarly reveals the Miltons' deaths before the deaths are elaborated
upon. These revelations made me consider an authors reason for including such a
"spoiler."
If
looking at a writer’s manipulation of a reader’s emotions, these “spoilers” may
prevent emotional attachment by the reader or perhaps amplify it. They may
serve as a warning for the reader to avoid attaching him or herself to the
character. If the reader were to connect with the character, the sense of
impending doom would perhaps amplify emotions. In any event, the information changes one's perception of the character. In my case, it instilled a sense of pity in both Cat's Cradle and The Things They Carried.
These “spoilers” may also
serve as a reminder to the reader of the authors perspective and scope of
knowledge. In Cat’s Cradle, it’s
important to remember that the events presented to the viewer have happened and
have been analyzed by Jonah. In the case of The
Things They Carried, O’Brien allows the reader begin to understand his
scope of knowledge. Although it is unclear at the beginning that this is a memoir, it makes sense in retrospect and creates a smooth transition into this form
of narration.
I hadn't looked at either book in this way, but now I definitely will. I think you make a great point, the spoilers in Cat's Cradle really do prevent us from becoming attached to the Miltons while O'Brien clearly wants us to be as attached to Ted Lavender as the character Tim O'Brien was. It seems to me like it is another layer of manipulation to be aware of; the authors can control how we perceive characters and how attached we become to them.
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