Explore the Stylistic Conventions of Both "Notes from a Small Island" and "In Patagonia" and account for their different audiences.
Explore the Stylistic Conventions of Both "Notes from a Small Island" and "In Patagonia" and account for their different audiences. Bill Bryson and Bruce Chatwin both participate in the ability to Travel write. Travel writing is were one would travel and then list in chronological order what they have experienced. Bill Bryson is able to do this in an entirely different fashion, to Bruce Chatwin. Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951. Bryson settled in England in 1977, and lived for numerous years with his British wife and children in Yorkshire. Bryson then went back to America, but has now returned to England. As well as writing 'Notes from a small Island' Bryson has also written 'down Under' 'Notes from a big Country' 'A walk in the Woods' 'Made in America' 'Neither here nor there' and 'The lost Continent'.1 Bruce Chatwin was born in Sheffield in 1940. After attending Marborough School he began work as a Porter at Sotheby's, which is an auctioneer. Chatwin became one of the youngest directors at Sotheby's and then Chatwin abandoned his job to explore the world, as his dedication was travel writing. During 1972 and 1975 Chatwin worked for the Sunday Times and quickly announced his departure for in a telegram; 'Gone to Patagonia for six months'. This journey motivated to write the first of his books which was simply named, In Patagonia. In Patagonia won
How does Peter Medak create sympathy for Derek in Let Him Have it(TM)
How does Peter Medak create sympathy for Derek in 'Let Him Have it' Peter Medak directed this Film from a very biased point of view. He presents one side of an opinion - in this case sympathetic to Derek Bentley though exact events are not certain. At nine am on the morning of the 28th January 1953 Derek William Bentley was hanged at Wandsworth Prison London, as an accomplice to a murder which was committed by a friend in the course of a robbery attempt, it created a cause célèbre leading to a 45 year long and ultimately successful campaign to win him a posthumous pardon. The Trial took place before Lord Chief of Justice for England and Wales, Lord Goddard, at the Old Bailey London. Medak gains a lot of sympathy for Derek by showing his misfortune throughout. The beginning of the film indicates a very somber atmosphere. Immediately after the credits we encounter a Blitz scene with Derek buried under the rubble of an old building during the bombing. As an audience you soon realize that he has suffered a physical, mental and emotional trauma which has left him with brain damage. In the next scene Derek is four years older causing mischief vandalizing a shed with a group of other boys. The boys, however, are rumbled and managed to escape but Derek gets caught and, put in a difficult situation, experiences an epileptic fit. We fast forward again a few years, the camera
Many Characters in The Wasp Factory Seek to Exert Control over Themselves, Others and the Environment. What does Iain Banks have to Say about the Idea of Control in the Novel?
Many Characters in The Wasp Factory Seek to Exert Control over Themselves, Others and the Environment. What does Iain Banks have to Say about the Idea of Control in the Novel? Throughout the whole novel of the Wasp Factory, the story is based around a recurring theme of control and whether it’s through Frank his Dad or a higher power intervening, control or lack of it is the key element to Frank’s personality. Anger, ambition and his dad control him while he controls everything he can, even making his own death factory for wasps trespassing on his island as a hierarchy of “God complexes” take shape. Yet can he even stay in control of himself? it turns out no, but can anyone? Iain Banks leaves the reader pondering some very interesting questions about the extent to which we control our own lives or we all just God’s own wasps in a factory where are actions are dominated by other people’s choices. At the very beginning of the book, Banks draws our attention to the differences of the Cauldhame; their isolation from society and the strange way in which their family goes about their days. The first scene we get of Frank is of him fixing up a sign warning off “intruders” saying that the island their house is on is “private property”. The reader immediately gets a first and lasting impression of Frank’s unusual aggression and control hungry personality. And in
Character is Fate - Choose three episodes from the novel and discuss whether this statement is true of Michael Henchard.
'Character is Fate' Choose three episodes from the novel and discuss whether this statement is true of Michael Henchard. In this essay I shall be considering and discussing whether Michael Henchard's character can be described as fate. Michael Henchard's character can be described as fate. The actions in which he takes throughout the novel are mostly unfortunate and could be argued as fate or just generally his misfortunate character. Fate can be defined as "the development of events outside a person's control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power"(www.dictionary.com). The subtitle of the novel is "the life and death of a man of character" this subtitle sums up, extremely briefly Michael Henchard's fate prone character and tells us that the novel is about his whole life, from his unknown origin to his lonely death. To understand the question and how fate links in with Michael Henchard's character, the definition of character is "the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual"(www.dictionary.com) this is important as there are many different contexts in which this word can be used. In my opinion in the novel of 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' Michael Henchard's could have been described as fate. To expand on my theory I shall be looking at three particular episodes which strongly support my personal opinions. These episodes will be the key event from
Explore the ways in which Collins presents the relationships between men and women in The Moonstone. Do male or female characters have more influence in the novel?
Explore the ways in which Collins presents the relationships between men and women in The Moonstone. Do male or female characters have more influence in the novel? In this essay I will explore the relationships between male and female characters in the novel 'The Moonstone'. This essay will evaluate all of the key characters, from the annoyingly religious Miss Clack to the caring and loving Gabriel Betteredge. I will explore the characters personality and decipher whether male or female characters have more influence in the novel. The book is split into eight narratives written by different characters to show what each character is thinking and to give different perspectives as the events unfold. This technique also adds tension as certain secrets are hidden from individuals so not everyone knows the whole truth. Out of the eight narratives only one is written by a woman (Drusilla Clack) whilst all the others are written by male characters. The female characters in the novel are all very atypical, as they stand up for themselves and do not just give way. This was uncommon in the Victorian era as women had few rights and were not expected to be hot tempered. Miss Rachel, a young lady born into a rich family, acts in an unlady-like manner at certain points in the story, especially when she refuses to give information on what she knows about the diamond. Betteredge, one of
Macbeth Essay
"Was Macbeth responsible for his own downfall or are there other factors that have to be taken into consideration?" Life is a play. You can choose between right and wrong, but either way the decisions that you make will alter someone else's future. Macbeth has a great deal of trouble distinguishing between right and wrong decisions throughout his rise to power. He is a weak character, despite his noble reputation, and his weakness allowed him to be seduced by the witches' prophecy; the very same weakness that resulted to him being manipulated by his ambitious, power-hungry wife, Lady Macbeth. And it was, ultimately, this weakness that was the cause of his demise. However, despite this flaw, Macbeth was not solely to blame for his downgrade; the witches' prophecy ignited the hidden desire, within Macbeth, to be king and Lady Macbeth was even more determined than her husband. The witches' role should not be overlooked. In the opening scene, through clever use of stagecraft and language, Shakespeare creates an eerie and ominous atmosphere. He opens with "thunder and lightning", the cue for three witches to enter, and they begin to speak in rhyming couplets - "Fair is foul, and foul is fair \\ Hover through the fog and filthy air." And they state their target specifically, by their words, "There to meet Macbeth" Thereupon, Shakespeare, with this opening scene,
'No reader of The Woman in Black Can be left in doubt about its conscious evocation of the Gothic. It is full of motifs and effects associated with that genre,' How far would you agree with this statement of the novel?
'No reader of The Woman in Black Can be left in doubt about its conscious evocation of the Gothic. It is full of motifs and effects associated with that genre,' How far would you agree with this statement of the novel? I agree undeniably, with the above statement, as the novel is a pastiche of the Victorian/Edwardian ghost story which is a sub-genre of the Gothic. Thus consciously evoking the Gothic. However, it could be argued that Susan Hill at times cleverly manipulates the motifs and effects associated with the Gothic genre. It is theses motifs and effects that are present in the gothic genre, which I will discuss in 'The Women in Black' (1983). I will begin by briefly discussing this essay on the genre itself The Gothic genre is a genre that has been burning artistically for centuries, ever since it was more or less invented by Horace Walpole in the
The Badness Within Him - Short Story Analysis
Short Story Assignment The Badness Within Him By Susan Hill . Setting The story takes place in the summerhouse that Cols family owns but the time can be divided into three parts – childhood, present (before father’s death) and uncertain future (after father’s death). . Page 58, paragraph 11, “He remembered how great the distance had seemed as he jumped from rock to rock on the beach, how he has scarcely been able to stretch his legs across and balance.” This sentence describes the beach. 2. Page 63, paragraph 1, “People only spoke of baths and hot drinks and telephone messages, scarcely looking at one another as they did so, and the house was full of strangers moving from room to room.” This sentence describes the summerhouse they live in. The setting directly creates the initial climax for the story in which the narrator is speaking from. It also connects with the protagonist’s character development through his adolescence. 2. Character The protagonist is Col, an adolescent who is transiting from a young kid to an adult. i. The author does not have any documentation on what she thinks about her character although I can predict that this character maybe an inspiration from her childhood. ii. Jess, his sister who is a few years older than he is may perceive him to be a bit immature. She used to be close to Col when they were younger children
Prose Study - How important is setting in Gulliver's Travels?
Prose Study How Important is Setting in Gulliver's Travels? Gulliver's Travels was written in 1726 by Johnathan Swift. Swift was a very outspoken member of the Church of England. His previous book, The Tale of a Tub satirized the feuds between Catholics and Protestants, and ruined his chances of being a bishop with its unpopularity. Swift uses setting in Gulliver's Travels to reveal his own criticisms of humanity and his views on society. He presents several different societies, which each represent an exaggerated aspect of 18th century Europe. The eponymous 'hero' is Lemuel Gulliver, whose name indicates his nature: He starts off extremely gullible. As Gulliver travels through Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, Glubbdubdrib, Luggnugg, and the Land of the Houyhnhnms, he becomes disillusioned with his own humanity and ends up disgusted by other humans and spending his life talking to his horses. In Lilliput, Swift draws parallels with England, the nobility and parliament in particular. The emperor is small-minded and probably represents George I. George I was German and never learnt to speak English. He was reputed to be vain, like the emperor, who needs long introductions and fancy title to boost his ego. In Lilliput, Swift also introduces the idea that the stature of a human is proportional to the generosity, kindness, and wisdom of a human, contrary to Gulliver's
Discuss the techniques Gaskell uses to present Margaret, Thornton and workers in the riot scene. How is she commenting on Victorian society?
Discuss the techniques Gaskell uses to present Margaret, Thornton and workers in the riot scene. How is she commenting on Victorian society? North and South is set in the mid nineteenth century at the time of the industrial revolution. It is an industrial novel, which means that it portrays the difficult lives of the working class during the industrial revolution. This was a genre with few female writers; due to the "seriousness" of the work, it was not considered appropriate for women. The riot scene is a watershed, a turning point, much like the industrial revolution in the 19th century. The themes are ... It is a book of contrasts. Mr Thornton represents the business-minded north and is juxtaposed with Margaret Hale who represents the rich, delicate south. The violence of the riot scene causes understanding and what the characters have done wrong. It shows us that our impressions of the characters are wrong and their impressions of each other. Everyone has misjudged each other. Gaskell is challenging her Victorian readers' black and white stereotypes and asking them to revaluate their views. The North-South divide exists in Great Britain. It refers to both the economic and the cultural differences between South England and North. The North is usually seen as poorer and more left wing, and the South as richer and more right wing. The South can be seen as much more
