Vignette (literature)

The word vignette means "little vine" in French, and was derived from Old French vigne, meaning "vineyard". In English, the word was first documented in 1751, and was given the definition "decorative design". This reflects the characteristics of a vignette; brief and spontaneous, with a sense of immediacy. == History ==

In the 19th century, vignettes were found in newspapers and acted as brief and vivid descriptions of the news article's subject, from the perspective of the writer. According to Norman Sims (2007), these vignette sketches "provided writers with something we often miss today: the opportunity to write about ordinary life." By blending fact and fiction, journalists could use their writing to explore their uncertainties and speculations about the subject. Journalism and literature separated into different, distinct branches of writing, until literary journalism emerged in the late 19th century. Due to the rise of post-modern and experimental literature after World War 2, attributes of vignettes resurfaced in popularity. Post-modern literature rejects the conventional "novel" structure and notions of a chronological plot and character development. Techniques in postmodern literature such as minimalistic, "slice of life" stories and fragmentation became popular, which are also key characteristics of vignettes. == Style ==

Vignettes are written in a brief, concise style. They are rich in imagery to create a vivid, detailed description of a moment in time and a character's immediate experiences. A vignette contains less action and drama than flash fiction, and places more emphasis on vividly capturing a single moment. This series uses the vignette style to vividly portray themes of the human condition, such as boredom and loneliness. Movies and television shows also use vignettes to reveal more details about the inner world and past lives of characters. Vignettes are also used in psychological research (see also: Vignette (psychology)) These vignettes may be based on previous research findings, or based on real-life examples. A potential limitation of using vignettes in psychological research is that individuals may respond differently to these fictional scenarios than their real-life response. Vignettes can also be used to provide a fictional example of a psychological concept. Vignettes have primarily been used by North American psychologists and in surveys. (see also: Vignette (survey)). == Writers of vignettes ==

Writers of vignettes include Margaret Atwood, Alice Walker, Ernest Hemingway, V. K. N., Sandra Cisneros, William S. Burroughs, and Tim O'Brien. Margaret Atwood Margaret Atwood is a Canadian writer whose works explore gender and identity. Written as a series of seven short vignettes, Margaret Atwood's The Female Body shows how perceptions of the female body differ between men and women. Only four pages in length, this series of vignettes highlights how the female body may be objectified. Ernest Hemingway Ernest Hemingway is noted for his novels and short stories, and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. The writing style of In Our Time consists of succinct, declarative sentences characteristic of the Modernist period. In Our Time explores World War 1 and its aftermath, depicting themes such as masculinity, adaptation, maturity and responsibility. Sandra Cisneros Sandra Cisneros is a Latina American writer, known for her bestselling novel The House on Mango Street. The House on Mango Street explores Latin-American identity through the eyes of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago.The House on Mango Street is a novel-length work consisting of individual vignettes that frame an underlying story. and that the vignettes can be read in any order: "Start anyplace you want. Start in the middle and read your way out. In short, start anywhere." Naked Lunch explores themes of drug use, homosexuality, violence, and paranoia. The Things They Carried blurs the lines between fact and fiction as the first-person narrator has the same name as the author (Tim O'Brien). Each vignette explores themes such as loss, displacement, memory, trauma, and the nature of truth. O'Brien's writing style in The Things They Carried is informal, colloquial, and straightforward. Some stories are told in first person from the perspective of protagonist Tim, while others are told in a more detached third person omniscient point of view. ==See also==