In any event, point of view can be the most crucial perspective for the understanding of meaning and importance in a particular situation. This can be demonstrated by reading the accounts of the life of Emma Gudger from two very different perspectives: that written by Emma, “So I Sung To Myself”, and another written by James Agee, “The Gudger Family, 1936”.In his portrayal of a poverty-stricken life in the south, James Agee focuses on one particular member of the Gudger family. Agee’s choice of narrating his story around the life of the youngest daughter, Emma, best expresses the difficulty of life in poverty. Within the Gudger family, Emma has the most interesting and complex life as a result of her adolescence. Her sister, Annie Mae, is already older and married with a husband and their own house. Additionally, her father’s life is a fairly simple one, characterized primarily by his work.Furthermore, Agee’s focus on the life of Emma is a result of his obvious infatuation with her. In his opening line Agee explicitly states, “I am fond of Emma”. Throughout Agee’s writings he incorporates a sexual undertone, which the reader may interpret as somewhat of a secret lust for Emma. Agee refers to Emma as a “young queen” and later writes, “Each of us is attracted to Emma”. This gives the reader a false sense that Emma’s life is purely sexual when in reality, her character is much more complex than this.Whether a result of Emma’s complex life or Agee’s attachment to Emma, Agee’s choice of a narrative voice only presents her life through one limited point of view. This may sometimes cause the reader to miss Agee’s point. For example, after reading Emma’s first person account of her own life the shortcomings of Agee’s perspective are made evident.After reading Emma’s first person account of life in the s...
