"The Amish Farmer" is a powerful tale that expresses the importance of point of view. Just as the plaintiff and defendant's testimonies create new perspectives to a court case, the narrator brings new meaning to his story with his point of view. The narrator of "The Amish Farmer", Vance, is a conflicted narrator. Although his point of view seems emotionally unattached and he refers to himself merely as the "raconteur" of the story, the narrator is torn between his true nature, similar to Noel's, and his desire to be like Daniel.
There are many instances in "The Amish Farmer" that suggest Vance is depicting Noel in the story as he would if he were the main character. This is evident at the beginning of Vance's tale. The narrator has the power to choose when and how to begin his story. This choice is very important, as it determines the point of view of the story and how the characters are to be viewed by the readers.
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Vance Stevens presenting at GLoCALL in Hanoi, 2007
vance_siewming_jb_GLoCALLHanoi2007By starting the tale when Noel states that Daniel had tried to kill him, Vance seems to seek the readers' pity for Noel and presents contempt towards Daniel. These initial characterizations can be seen as Vance attempting to defend Noel, much as he might defend himself.
Vance further justifies Noel's character when he states, "He probably looked archaic to some of his peers, but he looked just right to me" (p.480). It seems evident that by creating a sense of purity, naivety, and integrity in Noel's character, Vance is attempting to make up for any feelings of vulnerability that came from telling the story again.
Vance is even more vulnerable in that he does not understand women and falls victim to surprise and devastation from them. This misunderstanding is seen throughout the...