In what way is the 'profound duplicity' exhibited by Jekyll a reflection of the Victorian way of life?
IN WHAT WAY IS THE 'PROFOUND DUPLICITY' EXHIBITED BY JEKYLL A REFLECTION OF THE VICTORIAN WAY OF LIFE? Robert Louis Stevenson was a famous author during the Victorian era. He was born in 1850 and as a young child had many nightmares which he brought to life in his books. His nanny also influenced his stories with her strong Calvinist beliefs . He wrote many well known stories including a horror novella called 'The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.' Simplistically, this fictional story shows how two worlds co exist; the rich and the poor and there are many detailed descriptions which portray the stark contrast. ' The dismal quarters of Soho...with its muddy ways, and slatternly passengers...like a district of some city in a nightmare.' 'The street shone out in contrast to its dingy neighbourhood, like a fire in a forest; and with its freshly painted shutters, well polished brasses and general cleanliness and gaiety of note...' The diversity between these two quotes shows how the higher and lower classes differed which reflect the Victorian way of life. However, if you look at the story in more depth, the reader begins to see a deeper meaning hidden in the words of the novella. Stevenson brings his own influences of his Calvinist beliefs into the novellala and writes about his theory of man. He believes that there are two parts of man, one that is purely good and
Choose two characters from the novel 'Of Mice and Men' who illustrate what life was like in America in the 1930's
Choose two characters from the novel 'Of Mice and Men' who illustrate what life was like in America in the 1930's Laura Pottle. st draft America in the 1930's was a class-based society where women had no choice. The Wall Street Crash in 1929 meant the 'Great Depression' was occurring, people living in poverty because of this but most would travel round to find work. Racism was still a critical problem in this time so this was affecting many lives, only white people could get a decent job, if a black person could it would be living in the same conditions as slaves, even though slavery was abolished in 1865- over 60 years before. Crooks is the stable buck and is black, he is a clever but lonely man who just wants some companionship. Curley's wife is seen as a 'tart', we see that she is also lonely and very misunderstood. In the novel, even though Steinbeck had made the characters an isolated group, they all represent different sides of the society, this allows him to criticise what he sees as problems. Slavery started in America in the 15th century, thousands of slaves arrived looking for a better way of life than what they had left, but infact their 'new lives' were worse. Slavery meant big business in America. In the north most Negroes were free but in the south it was the way of life. Slaves were employed as either field workers; they worked long hours, lived in huts
"The Catcher in The Rye" is a novel by J.D. Salinger.
"The Catcher in the Rye" "The Catcher in The Rye" is a novel by J.D. Salinger which addresses the themes of self-discovery, the transition of child to adult and mental breakdown. The novel is a monologue narrated by Holden Cauldfield, a sixteen-year-old prep school boy who spends three eventful days in New York. To begin with I found Holden a rather unattractive character, but towards the end of his narrative I felt sympathetic towards him as I became aware of his social and emotional difficulties and his impending breakdown. Holden's story gives account of a boy struggling to become a man but who succumbs an emotional and mental collapse. It is a sad and sometimes funny portrayal of the final decline into the breakdown of an adolescent; most of all however it is a convincing account of his breakdown. Early on in the narrative a discerning reader could recognise that the speaker, Holden Cauldfield, is emotionally unstable: "Besides, I'm not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything. I'll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me around late Christmas just before I got pretty run-down and had to come out here and take it easy." This is typical of the way Holden speaks, and here reveals a first hint of instability which becomes clearer as he is about to leave Pency Prep when he tells us he has very pronounced mood changes. One moment he tells
Longstone - creative writing
Longstone The wind howled and huge waves struck the break water at Seahouses harbour. The small fisherman's cottages that made up most of the coastal village shook with each onslaught from the vicious storm. Most of the men of the village had gone for the safety of their local pub, Ye Olde Ship, to wait out the storm. However, no one touched their drink now, as the patrons of Ye Olde Ship were staring out of the harbour side window and over the stormy sea. There loomed the Farne Island. Normally a place of ill-repute, avoided by local fishermen and regarded with fear, today it looked doubly threatening. Ten foot waves pounded the cliff face of the north side and lightening flashed above. The rocks clawed at the sky, hungry for the blood of sailors. Many lives had been lost around the Farne Island, there were countless submerged rocks and dangerous currents waiting to catch the unwary and carry them to a watery grave. But that was not what was commanding the attention of the men in the tavern. No it was Longstone lighthouse sitting upon the Farne Island that was so captivating. Tall and imposing it was a lifeline to those daring and foolhardy enough to try and navigate the dangerous waters surrounding the Island. The light was preserved by the three lighthouse keepers who lived on the island; they performed any necessary repairs and generally maintained the light. However
"The character of Jay Gatsby symbolises the corruption of the American Dream in 'The Great Gatsby.'"- To what extent do you agree with this statement?
"The character of Jay Gatsby symbolises the corruption of the American Dream in 'The Great Gatsby.'" - To what extent do you agree with this statement? "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by God, Creator, with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. This is a dream. It's a great dream." Martin Luther King, Jr As evident in the words of Martin Luther King Jr, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are key aspects of the life of any human being. This American dream is a major preoccupation throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, 'The Great Gatsby', and is no more apparent in any feature than in the character of Jay Gatsby. When studying literature, we often search for an extraordinary character. Jay Gatsby, has such a unique personality that narrator Nick Carraway, feels he may never again find a person similar to Gatsby. Throughout the novel, Gatsby remains determined in his goal to reunite with Daisy. His love and passion for the pursuit of a dream never subside, and his true dedication to Daisy and eventual self sacrifice highlight the strength of his character. In a time when the economy was thriving, and lifestyles were extreme, the contemporary scene, the extravagance of Gatsby's parties, the superficiality of the guests, and the hint of Gatsby's
How significant is the theme of violence in of mice and men?
How significant is the theme of violence in of mice and men? The novel 'of mice and men', written by John Steinbeck, is a tale of an extraordinary friendship between two ranch workers who fight for survival in the harsh times of the 1930s, the great depression of America. The essay concerns the role of violence throughout the novel and explores the theme of violence in different parts of the tale, as well as looking how specific characters use violence for different reasons. Specific areas of which the novel will explore are parts such as the death of Curlys wife, the fight between Curly and Lennie and the death of Lennie. The content of the book as a strong historic and social element, as well as a literary one. The social element refers to the way they lived. This would have been poorly, as they were in a great time of depression, where most of America lived in poverty. This also links to the historic element. America was very poor at the time. The literary element refers to the structure of the novel. The novel is written in play form, which makes it particularly easy to turn into a play. The theme of violence is a major theme in the novel, and the violence in speech between characters is a regular occurrence. This is noticeable in the speech between George and Lennie. From the very start of the novel we can see examples of George becoming irritated and enraged with
Animal Farm.
Animal Farm Orwell's use of simple characters to express the effect of power and revolutions on normal people can be interpreted in two ways. For some readers, Animal Farm could be seen as an innocent fable or fairy story. However it hides a much more complex story a much more complex story. Its deeper meaning is that of revolutions, dictatorships and also a warning of what can happen under a totalitarian state. Orwell uses the fable as a way of putting the story across in a simple, understandable fashion. The fable style makes the story more accessible to a large audience. Animal Farm was written by Orwell to put his vies of revolution across. He questions if there is any positive outcome from rebellion or revolution and if it does actually make everyone have equal benefits from the poor to the rich and leaders. Orwell's representation of historical figures is accurate. Each character is a portrait of a person involved in the Russian Revolution and its progression to dictator-led communism. The book is written in a way so we almost instantly loathe the pigs as characters and also for what they represent. They never worked in the fields but told the other animals what to do. Napoleon is the clear leader almost from the beginning of the story. Napoleon is described by Orwell as: "not much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his own way." Snowball seems a more
How does Charles Dickens use setting in the novel Great Expectations?
How does Charles Dickens use setting in the novel 'Great Expectations'? Dickens uses setting in a variety of ways in Great Expectations. He uses it as a way to mirror the feelings of a character and to expand on the characterisation towards Pip. This allows him to create an environment that the reader can empathise with. In Chapter One, we connect with Pip in a graveyard. The dark, dismal feelings portrayed by the negative adjectives mirror the feelings within Pip - specifically, the feeling of loneliness or abandonment that Pip is suffering from at this stage. The dead nature of the graveyard, and the subsequent introduction of Magwitch, could connate Magwitch's death further in the novel. As Dickens was an outspoken socialist, the graveyard could also be used to represent the high mortality rate as a result of extreme poverty within the 19th century in England. This is specifically represented by the reference to 'five little stone lozenges' - siblings of Pip who have already succumbed to the void. A 'distant savage lair' provides the hint of an introduction to Magwitch. Magwitch could also be represented by the brittle, brutal nature of the landscape. This is particularly reinforced by the uncultured, colloquial way in which he speaks, that shows his roots and the time he has spent in prison. However, as the chapter evolves, we see the perspective of Magwitch change.
Explore the way in which Westall and Dickens create suspense and mystery in the two ghost stories,
Explore the way in which Westall and Dickens create suspense and mystery in the two ghost stories, "The Call" and "The Signalman". The two ghost stories "The Call" written by Robert Westall and "The Signalman" written by Charles Dickens, both create suspense and mystery to engage the reader's attention. "The Call" is narrated by a person who did not experience the events of the story but heard it from other people, and he also knew the characters. In contrast "The Signalman" is narrated by one of the characters in the story, and is therefore in first person. The ghost story genre has had enduring popularity over the past few centuries. It can even be found as far back as the Elizabethan era, where Shakespeare used ghosts as characters in his plays. For example in Macbeth, the ghost of Banquo comes back to haunt Macbeth. This genre has been so popular because the phenomenon of the supernatural cannot be explained and it ignites a fear in many of us. This was more so when the subject of ghosts were fairly new in literature, around the time when Dickens wrote "The Signalman", and therefore the story would have been quite different for readers. However when Westall wrote "The Call" in 1989-some 120 yrs after The Signalman was written, society was much more sceptical about the integrity of the issue of ghosts and therefore the story would have to be more persuading over its
'The Color Purple' - How realistic is the presentation of the Olinka? What contribution does the story of Olinka make to the novel as a whole?
This essay if on 'The Color Purple' by Alice Walker. Part of the A2 syllabus for English Lit. How realistic is the presentation of the Olinka? What contribution does the story of Olinka make To the novel as a whole? The Olinka tribe sub-plot in 'The Color Purple' widens our knowledge of the themes and particularly the struggle of black women outside America. It is interesting how far comparison can be made between the African village and Celie's hometown in America, and this perhaps makes the presentation of Olinka realistic. There is examples of a similar patriarchal society and male dominance. There is also the notion of white superiority in that they are dependent on a white trader from the coast, and are helpless when the English move through Olinka with plans for rubber factories and the road which splits the village. Therefore, the social structure has a similar base to that in America. Being reliant to the white trader on the coast is similar to the blacks being subservient to white authority in America, however on the whole the Olinka tribe are self sufficient and produce their own food. Nettie writes in Letter 61, 'the people here catch and eat.' Education is an interesting part of the social structure. Similar to Celie being denied an education in America after falling pregnant due to rape, women are not allowed to be educated in the Olinka tribe as education
