Write about and compare 'Across the Barricades' (Post 1914 book) and 'Far from the Madding Crowd' as examples of conventional love stories.

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Stacey Barlow                                                                        5/2/02

                                                                        Eng/Lit C/wk

Task: Write about and compare ‘Across the Barricades’ (Post 1914 book) and ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ as examples of conventional love stories

Source: Class discussion of love stories and the texts named above

Conditions: Home/School

A conventional love story is a tale relating to love and the possible effects that this strong emotion can have.  The basic plot is when a boy meets a girl and they fall in love.  The middle of the story usually contains a problem or several obstacles that the couple encounters.  A traditional love story concludes happily for the original two in love.  Stories like these arouse your anticipation, expectation and emotions.

I believe that the only true conventional love stories are fairy tales (containing the love genre).  For example, Cinderella is a conventional love story.  The basic plot adheres closely to that of a conventional love story.  Cinderella and the Prince meet and fall in love.  The obstacles they face include Cinderella’s Stepmother and two stepsisters who hate Cinderella, and the fact that the Prince does not know his lover’s name after she rushes away from the ball leaving behind only her glass slipper. The Prince eventually finds his true love by using the shoe and the tale ends happily when they get married.

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A very well known example of a love story is Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. They meet at a ball given by the Capulet family (Juliet’s family.)  Romeo’s family, the Montagues, are at war with the Capulets, a major problem for Romeo and Juliet!  The two lovers face great difficulties in attempting to meet each other.  When violence breaks out and Romeo is banished.  A radical solution is worked out involving Juliet taking a drug to fake her death.  When messages go astray Romeo thinks that Juliet is really dead.  In the confusion and mix up they both commit suicide. ...

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