Discussing Lewis’ style in the Moths in the Arc Light Photography is one of the key inventions of the humanity. The famous saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” shows how much can be conveyed through a single picture. Yet, it can be ambiguous and be perceived differently by people. There are writers who, however, are able to create meticulous descriptions that are on par with photographs in the sense of imagery. Moreover, there are also authors whose style in general resembles a process of creating, or looking at series of snapshots, who can construct a story based on observing, rather than doing. E.M. Forster, one of the great British writers most famously known for A Passage to India, declared that Sinclair Lewis, American novelist, …show more content…
Almost all of the plot is made by the assumptions made by the Bates during his observations. He does gain more influence on the surrounding during the course of the story, but for a long time he is passive. Additionally, there are gaps between the events – it is often unclear what happens to the narrator when he is not working. Moreover, some information are mentioned only for a moment, and forgotten later - Lewis moves from one concept to another. The story seems to be constructed from fragments that seemed important to Bates – the snapshots of the moments he wanted to remember. In that sense, it also resembles a diary – with time, consisting almost only of the notes on Bates’ new “neighbour” in the opposite building – mysterious “Emily”. She is actually the connection between the loose threads, and thanks to her it is easier to see through Bates’ personality, goals and dreams. With her appearance everything seems more linked. Bates pays more and more attention to her overtime and is less interested in the rest of the view he has from his office. He is zooming in on one image and makes different impressions of his