Comparison of Tickets, Please and Tony Sykes

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COMPARISON OF TICKETS, PLEASE AND TONY SYKES

Tickets, Please is a 20th Century story written by D.H. Lawrence. The protagonists are Annie and John Thomas a rather good-looking man who enjoys gallivanting. Annie wants her revenge on him as he drops her when she takes too much "intelligent interest" in him whereas in Tony Kytes, the Arch Deceiver written by Thomas Hardy the male protagonist is anxious to marry and settle down.

Both stories are set in different periods. This affects the way in which the characters behave. The girls in Tickets, Please are "fearless young hussies" whereas Milly - a female character from Tony Kytes is a "nice, light, small, tender little thing". They have a many similarities as well as differences. The main reason for this is the period it is set in. We know Tickets, Please is set in WW1 as the narrator mentions: "Since we are in war-time".

The tram system was also entirely conducted by girls, which was very common for that time as most of the male populous were at war. The "Co-operative Wholesale Society", "Statutes fair", the "hat pins" John Thomas won for Annie, the "quoits" he threw on the table, the "colliers" all point to WW1. The women had many more opportunities and thus became increasingly confident and fearless. A quote that supports this is "They fear nobody-and everybody fears them".

The women in Tony Kytes, in comparison to those of Tickets, Please are very feminine. They had no opportunities and were obliged to get married. Hannah wore her "bonnet and jacket", which was very typical of the period. Tony Kytes and Milly were thinking of "giving out the banns that very week" to make the engagement official. It would then be impossible for the couple to back out.

Annie is described as well built and manly. She is "perfectly at ease", independent and makes a good job of working on the trams. She was assertive, forward, liberated, strong and powerful as she "defied convention". She is someone peremptory suspicious and "ready to hit first". She will "pounce on youths" and "push off the men". The tram car step is her "thermopylae", meaning a pass between the mountains and the sea in Greece. Annie is a tartar as she unexpectedly turns onto John Thomas. She was a leader and at Annie's signal "they all flew at him". She is considered a "hussie". Milly however is very feminine, passive and obliging. When she was asked to crawl under the sacking she replies: "I don't mind to oblige you, Tony".

An activity such as crawling under a sack for a woman in the 1840's was a very appalling thing to do but because Milly has a polite manner she obeys him. She calls him "Mr. Tony" and is eager to please as well as being fragile and delicate.

The social and historical forces shape the lives of these women that is why the women in Tickets, Please took on non-traditional jobs such as working on the trams and Milly would have worked on the farms.

There is a strong bond of co-operation between the women in Tickets, Please. They all work together and as a team to get their revenge on John Thomas. In contrast the women in Tony Kytes are all competing against each other to win Tony Kytes: "I should have made 'ee a finer wife"

This is because of the importance of marriage in the 1840's. These women had to be virgins if they wanted a chance to get married but women like Annie and Nora had personal and sexual freedom because of the "darkness and lawlessness of war-time".

Annie wanted to move the relationship further with John Thomas and wanted to "consider him a person" whereas in Tony Kytes the women did not worry about the "intelligent interest". Marriage was the issue rather than the choice of partner. It was more of a social custom.

In Tony Kytes Hannah is "most dashing" and "handsome". Her tone is more forceful and aggressive as she calls Tony Kytes "stupid". Still her father plays a vital role in her life as he decides for her: "My daughter is not willing".

Here, parents play an important part in their lives. Tony Kyte's father makes it very clear that if a respectable woman mounted on the horse and wagon without invitation she was not worth marrying. Tony Kytes however disregards the opinions of his father.

In Tickets Please the women earn a living. They are forceful as they can control a whole tram car packed full of "colliers" who are notorious for their rowdy behaviour and bad language. Although the women had to work extremely hard on the farms they didn't earn a living from it. They were expected to work on the farms for their fathers and husbands. Still the girls in the time of Tony Kytes are weak and feeble as Hannah can't even control the reins of the horse and she totally lacks control of the horse and wagon.

In Tickets, Please the narrator frowns on the women's short skirts and "shapeless old peaked caps". The women in Tony Kytes had to dress more modestly. The dress, which they would have been expected to wear, would include long dresses and hats.

Both women Annie and Milly have very different reactions to being turned down. Annie is "staggered" and she then weepy with "fury, indignation, desolation and misery". Finally she felt "despair" towards him before feeling vicious, angry vindictive and maybe even regretful as she tells the girls to "shut up".
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Annie was allowed to show her emotions. She didn't need to rely on men for her safety and security. Milly's expression of annoyance goes as far as a 'little pout'- a slight look of bother. If she expresses how annoyed and angry she really is she could jeopardise her chance of marriage. Milly has an immense amount of respect for Tony, as even when he tells Hannah that he hasn't "quite promised her" yet: "Settled it? I don't think I have!" and then bursting out "My sweet Hannah!", Milly only gives a 'little screaming squeak'.

Annie is ...

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