"The Immoralist" is a controversial story by Andre Gide about a young man who narrates a self-discovery story about his inclinations towards homosexuality. The story is told by Michel, a young man married to Marceline. Throughout the story, Michel presents himself as a self-obsessed storyteller with a sense of individualism. The story about his discovery is narrated to Michel's friends whom he acknowledges in the opening of the story. He goes on to give the story from the first-person point of view which allows him to own the account of events he describes in the narrative. Michel can be regarded as a good storyteller based on his ability to capture his audience, vivid description, and his ability to enhance coherence in his story.
Right from the beginning of the narration, Michel demonstrates his ability to capture his audience. The audience in the story is his friends. He opens the statement saying, “My dear friends, I knew you were faithful. You have answered my summons as quickly as I should have answered yours” (p.1). His constant use of rhetorical questions is a way of engaging his audience and ensuring that are within him throughout the journey of self-discovery. His ability to establish the audience has two primary advantages. First, it gives him credibility as a narrator and secondly, it allows him to confine his stories within the realms of his friendship.
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The story is told from the first-person point of view. A story told from this perspective allows the main character to tell the readers the story through their lenses. It also enables them to narrate events as they witnessed. As such, this allows Michel to gain the success he has had in outlining his life story. For instance, this is evident when he says, "What is important is that I came to think it a very astonishing thing to be alive, that every day shone for me, an unhoped-for light” (p.5). The use of the first person pronouns “I” and “me” have ensured that Michel focuses on his personal issues which have contributed in expounding on his journey of self-discovery and inclination to homosexuality.
The success of Michel's narration can be attributed to the use of vivid description in many instances of the story. From the very beginning of the story, he seeks to establish himself as an individual hell-bent on giving a detailed account of his life in a manner that his friends could understand. On a broader perspective, the story could be viewed as a description of an awakening in the life of the protagonist. For example, he says, "I had a bad cough and a curious feeling of discomfort in the upper part of my chest. We are going towards the South, I thought; the heat will put me to rights again” (p. 3). This is a perfect example of a vivid description in the story as the narrator communicates his condition, movement, and thoughts to the audience.
Lastly, there is a general harmony in the expression of his thoughts and feelings to his friends. His reliability stems from the fact that he shows patience by incorporating his previous experiences in life. The story flows in a chronological manner, and he manages to put his audience in constant suspense which builds the story and makes it even more interesting.
In conclusion, Michel can be regarded as a good storyteller based on his ability to capture his audience, vivid description, and his ability to enhance coherence in his story. He has shown reliability right from the beginning by acknowledging his audience and providing a vivid description of his self-discovery story.
