Mulvaneys

The narrator of Joyce Carol Oates' novel We Were the Mulvaneys is youngest son Judd. In this particular passage from near the end of the novel, Judd Mulvaney is contemplating his life and the truth of human nature and human existence. In order to convey the importance of Judd's discovery, Oates utilizes certain literary devises which are intended to inform the reader and to manipulate how that reader sees the narrative. The most important literary techniques used in this passage are first person narration, epiphany, and bildungsroman in order to tell the story of how Judd Mulvaney changed from an innocent young boy into a jaded and unfortunately knowledgeable young man.

A first person narrator is a literary technique which authors use to add voracity and honesty to the events that they write about. Using the first person puts the reader into the position where they witness the events...
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