"Great Expectations Illustrates the danger of seeing status and money as the most worthwhile aims in life" - Discuss.

Pip's preoccupation with money and status! "Great Expectations Illustrates the danger of seeing status and money as the most worthwhile aims in life." Discuss Charles Dickens' Great Expectations is not so uncomplicated as to suggest that wealth is a destructive force. Instead it attempts to highlight the apparent dangers associated with becoming preoccupied with money and social status. In Pip, the book's chief protagonist, Dickens presents us with a character that misguidedly follows these ideals in a journey of self delusion. The abandonment of his childhood father figure -Joe - and his earlier virtues of decency and compassion are the consequences of his misconception that with wealth will come 'gentility'. Dickens' underlying message is that wealth and class are superficial, failing to give any indication of a person's quality or true gentility. This being said, it must be understood that Dickens' aim is not to condemn wealth and social 'niceties' such as good manners and a formal education, instead it is those who worship these false ideals and become preoccupied with them that are criticized. In characters such as Herbert and Mathew Pocket and, to an extent, Wemmick and Jaggers, we are presented with benevolent and harmless forms of class and privilege. Yet juxtaposed against this we have Pumblechook, Magwitch and Pip. Failing to realize what truly counts, these

  • Word count: 885
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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"How does Dickens teach both Scrooge and the reader a moral lesson in "A Christmas Carol".

"How does Dickens teach both Scrooge and the reader a moral lesson in "A Christmas Carol" Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" in 1843. It was a story that is designed to harness our emotions and rattle our consciences. His reasons for writing the book were to convince his readers for the need of reform. Dickens did this because he was aware of what life used to be like: many houses had an average of thirty people and children as young as nine were working. Charles Dickens intended to write a story with an uplifting moral. He showed this by Scrooge being visited by Marley and three sprits. Dickens did this because he felt he could make a difference to try and change wealthy people into giving money to the poor as he saw what poor people and himself went through. The spirit of Christmas Past, Present and Future all represented different parts of Scrooge's life and made him think about himself. Dickens' moral on the spirits of Christmases is that it is charity, generosity and kindness and it belongs to us all year round. When the spirits visit Scrooge his is taken on a journey of self-discovery. Dickens makes clear to us in the opening stave that Scrooge is a character who needs to learn a lesson. He does this by comparing Scrooge a lot to hard and cold words to create imagery. Scrooge is seen as miserly because he doesn't let Bob Cratchit have a decent fire. "; and so

  • Word count: 2605
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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"Is Heart of Darkness a racist novella

"Is Heart of Darkness a racist novella?" In this essay the question of racism in Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness will be discussed. Using this essay I will attempt to prove that it is not a racist novella. Liberal humanists believe that a text can be taken from the social environment of its origins, placed into any other timeframe and essentially any other environment and still be related with by its readers. Yet apply this theory to Conrad's Heart of Darkness the racial meaning within the text alters. This principal of liberal humanism is essential when considering racism in Heart of Darkness. Due to discrimination laws and human rights, Conrad's use of terms such as "nigger" would be deemed racist and derogatory in today's society, but the society at the time of the texts creation used such terms without any knowledge of the effects the term could cause and the consequences which could entail. Therefore the term had less power, less meaning and essentially in Conrad's Heart of Darkness less malice. This is important for the reader to note before analysing racism in the text. A key factor for readers and critics alike to take into consideration before

  • Word count: 1570
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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"Gothic...reflects humanity's quest to aspire to great things, but also to hide in shadowy spaces. It represents perpetual human ambition, and the constant threat of human failure"

"Gothic...reflects humanity's quest to aspire to great things, but also to hide in shadowy spaces. It represents perpetual human ambition, and the constant threat of human failure" The Gothic novel is characterised by horror, transgressive violence, supernatural effects and a taste for the mediaeval. Horace Walpole heralded the arrival of the gothic genre in 1764 with his archetypal novel: The Castle Of Otranto. The success of this catastrophic story led the way for an analogous torrent of gothic releases such as William Beckford's Vathek (1786) and Mathew Lewis' The Monk (1796). By 1818, Mary Shelley's perennial masterpiece; Frankenstein had been released, its arrival marked a new chapter in the gothic genre; by combining her knowledge of feminist authors such as Radcliffe and her reading of patriarchal tales such as those listed above, Shelly was able to actively critique previous gothic traditions while still managing to create a great myth. Like many of the stories before, Frankenstein reflects humanity's quest to aspire to great things. Shelley subtitled her novel; The Modern Prometheus, by doing this she is reinforcing her protagonist's great endeavours while infusing inevitable failure. The subtitle refers to the figure in Greek mythology who was responsible for a conflict between mankind and the gods. Prometheus stole fire from Zeus in order to help people

  • Word count: 3108
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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"Literature is not innocent. It is guilty and should admit itself so." What does Bataille mean by this, and is he justified?

"Literature is not innocent. It is guilty and should admit itself so." What does Bataille mean by this, and is he justified? When Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights1 was published, it was deemed by many to be a story of sinister and evil content, and this view was especially centred on the character Heathcliff. Many readers, in general terms, would see the novel as guilty as opposed to innocent (it must be remembered here that Bataille uses the words guilty and innocent not with their everyday meanings, but with meanings that he constructs for the purpose of his argument), and this is perhaps why Georges Bataille chose to include it in his study, Literature and Evil2, and also why the title quote is so relevant to the book. But what does Bataille actually mean in this quote? What is his definition of innocent and guilty? Also, how does this relate to Wuthering Heights (the text we shall concentrate on here) and is Bataille justified in the conclusions he makes? It is important then to firstly attain a good idea of the meaning of Bataille's terms, as a starting point for this essay. When we think of the word innocent, the word good also comes to mind. Innocence is the state of having done nothing wrong, and so something that commits no wrongs must then be good, and therefore free from guilt. Bataille gives this utilitarian based view of Good; it is "based on a common

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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"The Cask of Amontillado": Analyzed

Kimberly Gonzalez February 27, 2006 English 102 10 Short Story Essay "The Cask of Amontillado": Analyzed "The Cask of Amontillado," written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1846, is about a man named Montresor. Montresor seeks revenge on Fortunato by taking him on a journey and walling him up alive. Fortunato plays an ironic role throughout the entire story. This story is also told by the main character, which makes this story untrustworthy. In "The Cask of Amontillado," Poe emphasizes a revenge theme through his representation of journey, irony, and narrative point of view. Montresor's vengeance on Fortunato is the outcome of an insult. "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge" (Poe 136). In Montresor's attempt to seek revenge, he uses Fortunato's love for wine to lure him into the catacombs, where Montresor's dead family members remain. Once in the catacombs, their journey begins. Fortunato begins to cough and Montresor uses Fortunato's pride to keep him going. Montresor tells Fortunato that he will find someone else to taste the wine. Of course, since Fortunato thinks he is the best person to taste the wine and determine whether or not it is Amontillado, he agrees to continue on the journey. At the end of the dark and undesirable tunnel, which also represents hell, Fortunato is walled up and left to die.

  • Word count: 764
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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'The story I am telling is all imagination. These characters I create never existed outside my own mind.'(John Fowles). Discuss the way in which any two texts studied on the course problematise the process of storytelling and/or the role of the author.

'The story I am telling is all imagination. These characters I create never existed outside my own mind.'(John Fowles). Discuss the way in which any two texts studied on the course problematise the process of storytelling and/or the role of the author. According to Nelson Vieira, John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman: 'falls under the rubric of what is commonly known today as metafiction. Metafictional writers thus operate and function with a freedom of exposing illusion for what it is- a device used to mask narrative as a construct and a figment of one's imagination.'1 John Fowles has no qualms about admitting that literature is, in fact just an illusion. This is most noticeable in his telling the reader that 'The story I am telling is all imagination. The characters I create never existed outside my own mind'2. It seems then, that John Fowles, in destroying the reader's illusion, and also destroys the 'suspension of disbelief necessary in following a story told by an omniscient narrator'3 Fowles' destruction of this suspension of disbelief in reminding us of the fictitious nature of all characters and events taking place creates a gulf between himself, or his story, and the reader. To be drawn into the world of fiction, we must feel that it is true, and that we are a part of a real world, and not merely some illusion or magic trick. It is also impossible for the

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Snow Falling On Cedars - Chapter 1 Essay: Plot, Setting And Character.

Snow Falling On Cedars Chapter 1 Essay: Plot, Setting And Character By Lauren Reading The novel Snow Falling On Cedars by David Guterson is set on the fictional small island of San Piedro. The first chapter opens in a court room in the islands only town of Amity Harbour at the murder trial of Carl Heine. In this chapter are given insight into the ways of the island and it's inhabitants including the three main characters- Kabuo, Ishmael and Hatsue. In this essay I will discuss how Guterson establishes plot, character and setting. The story opens with the accused man Kabuo. It is immediately obvious that he has a strong character: 'Kabuo showed nothing- not even a flicker of the eyes.' The stress of being accused of murder has not visibly affected him. This may be a sign of his confidence, he knows he has nothing to be guilty of. It may also be due to his high sense of pride- he doesn't like to show weakness and therefore remains detached. With the help of the narrator, however, the readers get a view into his thoughts. 'he realized now.' Through this use of focalisation the reader learns a little about his thoughts. 'furious wind-whipped flakes against the windows- struck him as infinitely beautiful.' This highlights that he can appreciate nature but there is also a slight indication at anger. The snow may also serve as a metaphor- the fact he cannot feel or touch this

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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"A heavily satirical portrait" Discuss with reference to the description of the Prioress in "The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales."

"A heavily satirical portrait" Discuss with reference to the description of the Prioress in "The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales." The Prioress is the first of Chaucer's female characters, as well as being the first pilgrim whose life should have been dedicated to the church. She paves the way for the Monk and the Friar, her portrait, like theirs, shows religious deviance, although hers is to a lesser extent. Chaucer beings the portrait with a compliment on her smile referring to it as "ful simple and coy." The adjective themselves lend an air of naivety to her description but nuns should not smile and the adjective most suiting her should have been solemn and sober. He then informs us that "hir greeteste oath was but by seint Loy." Another sin as far as nuns are concerned but this may have been overlooked in its ironic gesture, swearing by a saint who never swore himself. Chaucer gives the Prioress a name, "Egletine" and once again presents us with the antithetical nature of this nun. Egletine is not a the name of a saint1 but that of both a wild rose and the name of a heroine in a romance story. The name itself connotes the whimsical nature of the prioress as well as highlighting just how ill-suited she is to ecclesiastical life. Chaucer, in his apparently artless way, compliments her singing, "entuned in hir nose ful semely." The word "semely" has a double meaning

  • Word count: 704
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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"Behind the Scenes at the museum" - Kate Atkinson Consider the effectiveness of the title. You may wish to consider the "behind the scenes" quality of the telling of the story and the notion of a "museum".

Coursework "Behind the Scenes at the museum" - Kate Atkinson Consider the effectiveness of the title. You may wish to consider the "behind the scenes" quality of the telling of the story and the notion of a "museum". "I exist!" So begins the novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum. Ruby Lennox has literally just been conceived and is already starting to narrate her life story. Although many of the chapters in the book are told from Ruby's perspective, commenting on the present, there are others that follow called footnotes. These depict stories from the past, explaining how and why certain things came to be, following various members of her family dating back to her great grandmother. At the beginning of the book, we are not quite sure how these footnotes are relevant, but realise after a short time that they are vital to the insight and understanding of many of the complicated characters in the book. The footnotes are spread throughout the entire course of the book, which means that the beautiful story unfurls gradually, leaping from past to present, fitting together magically in front of you, up until the very last chapter. To fully understand this book, you must first fully understand the title. The notion of a "museum" is interesting. Thinking about an actual museum, you can look at the exhibits, you can read the information on them, but you can never fully understand

  • Word count: 1208
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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