Mr. Fox

In Chapters 3 and 4, Oyeyemi deepens the narrative through the construction of identity, storytelling, and literary devices that enrich the text’s complexity. By crafting layered narratives, Oyeyemi not only advances the characters’ development and the novel’s key themes but also continues to invite her audience to consider the interplay between fiction and reality and how storytelling shapes identity.

One of the central elements Oyeyemi explores in these chapters is the construction of identity through storytelling. Characters, particularly Mary Foxe, actively craft their identities through the stories they tell and those others tell about them. The author highlights Miss Foxe’s self-perception by her belief that her small presence in the world may be a power, something heroic: “Miss Foxe occasionally wondered if she had spent her life approaching invisibility and had finally arrived at it. She encouraged herself to see her very small presence in the world as a good thing, a power, something that a hero might possess” (74). Here, the text reimagines Miss Foxe’s invisibility as a form of strength, a way to reclaim her identity in a world that marginalizes her. Through storytelling, she can reinterpret her place in the world, emphasizing that identity is fluid and narrative can shape it.

By contrast, the text describes Fitcher’s quietness in a more sinister, controlled way: “And he was a quiet man but not in the way that she was quiet. His quiet was the measured kind, entered into to conceal his thoughts” (77). This contrast between Mary’s introspective quietness and Fitcher’s calculated silence reflects how characters in Mr. Fox use narrative not only to define themselves but also to manipulate others. Fitcher’s concealment of his thoughts through silence is a metaphor for how the men in the novel—namely, Mr. Fox—control narratives and limit women’s agency within those stories. Oyeyemi uses this characterization to critique the power dynamics inherent in storytelling, especially when it comes to male authors’ portrayal of female characters. In doing so, she further develops the theme of The Relationship Between Authors and Their Characters.

Personification is another literary device that enriches Oyeyemi’s narrative and contributes to the larger themes. In one story, she personifies stone to reflect the delicate balance between creation and destruction in the act of storytelling: “He took a chisel to stone with kindness and enquiry, as if finding out what else the stone would like to be” (89). This personification illustrates the idea that the creative process involves a dialogue between the creator and the material, emphasizing that characters and stories have their own intrinsic identity beyond the author’s control. This notion echoes Mary’s challenge to Mr. Fox: She is not merely a muse or an object in his stories; she has her autonomy and desires. Her assertion of her autonomy contributes to Subverting Traditional Gender Roles and the “Damsel in Distress” Trope, as her identity goes beyond what Mr. Fox expects of her. The personification of stone here represents the broader struggle between authors and their characters and the tension between creation and domination.

Oyeyemi also uses similes to create vivid imagery that enhances the novel’s tone and atmosphere. For example, the line “The sky passed above like glass” evokes a sense of fragility and transparency (91), setting a tone of tension and instability. This simile adds to the underlying sense of precariousness in the narrative, reflecting how the boundaries between reality and fiction are constantly being tested. Similarly, the sensory description of “it was like silence with sharp edges in it” (92) contributes to the novel’s unsettling atmosphere. Oyeyemi’s use of sensory language emphasizes the characters’ internal worlds, particularly the discomfort and emotional weight the characters experience.

Another key theme in these chapters is The Ethical Responsibility of Writers in Portraying Violence Against Women, which the author explores through Mr. Fox’s reflections on his past stories. In one exchange, Mary challenges Mr. Fox on his portrayal of violence: “When I saw that you had that chain on, I knew I was going to hurt you. I was going to get in there and hurt you” (113). This admission of premeditated violence speaks to how Mr. Fox, as a writer, consciously inflicts harm on the women in his stories. His awareness of this violence—and his willingness to act on it—raises questions about the role of authors in perpetuating harmful narratives about women. Mary’s presence forces Mr. Fox to confront this responsibility as an author, pushing him to recognize that the violence in his stories cannot be excused as mere fiction.

Oyeyemi further complicates this theme when Mr. Fox reflects on his relief at discovering his violent story was not real. Mr. Fox’s inability to distinguish between fiction and reality at this moment highlights the dangerous power of storytelling. His sense of relief that he didn’t inflict this violence, in reality, shows his disconnection from the consequences of his stories. The fact that he could imagine such violence reflects the ethical questions Oyeyemi is raising. Through this scene, Oyeyemi emphasizes that writers bear responsibility for the narratives they create, especially when those narratives include violence and control over women’s bodies and lives.