Ever wonder about those interior monologues or the long sweeping views of scenery that often interrupt a narrative or movie. Well, oftentimes, those seemingly incomplete “stories” or scenes are providing useful information or setting the tone and mood for what is to come. Still not sure what that means, please continue reading below.
What is Vignette?
Vignette is a literary device used to describe a brief, evocative scene or moment. Often described as a brief pause in the story, vignettes interrupt the story and break the natural flow of time within a narrative. Vignettes are a form of brief used to create a vivid and detailed picture of a person, place, or event. It is usually written in the form of a brief story or scene and is often used to set the tone for a larger work.
Vignettes can be used to introduce a character, describe a setting, or provide a glimpse into a particular moment in time. They can create atmosphere, set the mood, or evoke an emotional response from the reader, set the mood or atmosphere of a story, or to provide a glimpse into a character’s life.
Vignettes are typically concise, descriptive, and often focus on a single moment or event. Unlike the flashback or the anecdote, vignettes do not have a beginning, middle, and end. Rather, they focus on a specific moment in time.
How to pronounce Vignette?
When do Writers use Vignette?
Writers often use the vignette when they want to highlight and focus on a defining, emotional moment in a character’s story. A vignette can be used to build and develop a character, set the mood and tone for a story, set the atmosphere, or evoke an emotional response from the reader.
Here is an example of a vignette:
“The room was warm and stuffy, but in a comforting way. It had the heavy but pleasing odor of musty books and old upholstery, with an overall air of ash and cedar from the fire that was always burning low the stone hearth, crackling and spitting quietly. There was a patchwork blanket resting over the side of the sunken but cozy couch, its squares tattered by the love and wear of time. A wooden clock ticked reliably on the wall.”
How Should a Writer Develop a Vignette?
Vignettes are powerful literary tools. While a vignette may not contain all the elements of a complete story (beginning, middle, end), it still must be carefully crafted to add value to the narrative. Below is a useful compilation of tips and guidelines for how to create a successful vignette.
- Start with a strong image: Develop a strong image that will draw the reader in and set the tone for the rest of the piece.
- Focus on a single moment: A vignette should focus on a single moment in time, not a longer narrative. This moment should be vivid, memorable, and able to stand on its own.
- Use sensory details: To create a vivid image, sensory details such as sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch are needed. Sensory imagery allows the reader to feel as if they are there with the character in the moment being described.
- Keep it brief: A vignette should be no more than a few paragraphs. This will help to keep the focus on the moment and prevent the piece from becoming too long and drawn out.
- Use dialogue: Dialogue can be used to add depth and emotion to a vignette. This can help to bring the characters to life and make the moment more vivid for the reader.
Vignette in Literature 📚
“In Our Time,” Ernest Hemingway writes,
“‘Maera lay still, his head on his arms, his face in the sand. He felt warm and sticky from the bleeding. Each time he felt the horn coming. Sometimes the bull only bumped him with his head. Once the horn went all the way through him and he felt it go into the sand … Maera felt everything getting larger and larger and then smaller and smaller. Then it got larger and larger and larger and then smaller and smaller. Then everything commenced to run faster and faster as when they speed up a cinematograph film. Then he was dead.’”
And in The Call of the Wild by Jack London when he describes the longing, desperate cries of the Husky pups,
“With the aurora borealis flaming coldly overhead, or the stars leaping in the frost dance, and the land numb and frozen under its pall of snow, this song of the Huskies might have been the defiance of life, only it was pitched in minor key, with long-drawn wailings and half-sobs, and was more the pleading of life, the articulate travail of existence.”
Vignette in Film and Pop Culture 🎥
In film, vignettes are a common feature, although not as easy to identify at times as you might think. Oftentimes, movies become a type of vignette through the weaving of stories together in a single film. Some of the most recognizable “vignette films” include Short Cuts (1993), Four Rooms (1995), and Love Actually (2003).
In this opening scene from Love Actually (2003), we listen to the narrator, who is also a major character, describe how he views Heathrow Airport and the impact it has had on his life as seen through his eyes over the years.
And in Orange is the New Black, the series frequently uses vignettes to introduce the female characters to the viewer, providing useful background information about how they wound up in the prison.
Vignettes in Advertising 📺
In advertising, a vignette ad is a full-page ad that displays over the web page once a certain point on the page has been reached. When vignette ads appear, the user always has the ability to skip them. However, as these ads become more like the go-to for web advertising, users will need to get used to them as not all will be able to be blocked.
Vignette is Often Confused with or Mistaken For . . . related literary devices 👥
- Flashback – A literary device that interrupts the natural flow of time in a narrative that takes the reader back to a previous time. This story is a story within a story and includes a beginning, middle, and end,
- Anecdote – A short, self-contained story which interrupts a narrative to add humor, irony, or make a point. The story can often seem unconnected to current events but does serve a purpose.
- Flash fiction – A very short work of fiction less than 1,000 words. It follows a normal story arc with beginning, middle, and end except that it usually starts in around the middle of the conflict or action.
FAQ 🤔
What is a vignette in literature?
A vignette is a short, descriptive piece of writing that focuses on a particular moment, character, setting, or object, often evoking emotion or atmosphere without following a standard narrative arc. Vignettes are used to add depth to a larger narrative, give insight into characters, or create vivid imagery.
How does a vignette enhance a text?
Can vignettes stand alone or be part of a larger work?
Vignettes can stand alone as independent pieces of prose or poetry but are also often integrated into larger works as chapters, scenes, or interludes that contribute to the overall story or theme. When part of a larger work, they can provide insight or add complexity to the narrative without following the main plotline.
Why do writers use vignettes?
How can I identify a vignette in a literary work?
To identify a vignette in a literary work, look for short passages that focus intensely on a single scene, character, or idea, often with rich descriptive detail and emotional resonance. These sections may not advance the plot but will deepen your understanding of the story’s world or themes.