How does Dickens tell the story in Chapter 27 of Great Expectations?
How does Dickens tell the story in Chapter 27 of "Great Expectations"? "I'm wrong in these clothes, Pip" is the unashamedly tactful realisation that Joe imparts upon Pip towards the close of Chapter 27 of "Great Expectations", and echoes the train of theme of the chapter and indeed the novel of what identity truly means, and how for Joe at least, true identity will rise above the divisions between "the blacksmith" and "the goldsmith". Dickens narration of the chapter, and indeed the entire novel also carries the weight of realisation through its structure, as Pip's past experiences are narrated to present omniscience in their factual content but to the subjectively negative, ironic tone of the latent reflector that is Pip himself- "I had begun to be decorating the chambers in some quite unnecessary and inappropriate way". This allows the realisation on Joe's part to carry even more understated emotional gravity, his false, yet entirely gentlemanly "if there's any fault today, it's mine" carries intense personal and universal depth- it challenges his perceptions of himself as "old Joe" for leaving his own surroundings, and also challenges the theme of gentlemanliness and its meaning as a whole, but his character does not require an ironically knowledgeable secondary perspective to reach this simple false, yet hugely important fact. This contrast in intelligence and perceived
The Theme of Industrialization in Carlyle and Dickens
The Theme of Industrialization in Carlyle and Dickens The invention of the steam engine and the development of the railways brought England a profound change by proliferating the Industrial Revolution, which created deep economic and social changes by the beginning of the Victorian age. "Hundreds of thousands of workers had migrated to industrial towns, where they lived in horribly crowded, unsanitary housing and worked very long hours -fourteen a day or even more- at very low wages. Employers often preferred to hire women and children, who worked for even less than men."1 Victorians debated the good and mostly bad sides of industrialism due to its great effect on the society and economy. Many philosophers and thinkers suggested a number of solutions for the problems of harsh working conditions, the unemployed poors and child labour. One of the most debated theories on the poor was "Utilitarianism" based on Jeremy Bentham's idea that pleasures, in so far as they are pleasures, are capable of being compared with each other as regards their quantity: a calculus of pleasures and pains is possible. The end pursued by morals and legislation is the greatest happiness of the greatest number, or . . . the identification of the interest of all with the interest of each. . . . 2 He argued that pain and pleasure was universal and they could be calculated as concrete objects. As he
What appeared to you to be Dickens' major concern in 'Hard Times?' How does he present these to the reader?
What appeared to you to be Dickens' major concern in 'Hard Times?' How does he present these to the reader? 'Hard Times' is an example of Dickens' concern for social issues, but also his feelings in regard to the soul of the nation and how it was being affected by the industrial age at the time. In the social theory of utilitarianism, Dickens felt that a purely realistic view of human relations robbed humanity of its soul and we learn that utilitarianism has its place with material things, but it is not appropriate in dealing with emotions; utilitarianism which is emphasised in the form of "Facts." Furthermore, the way Dickens presents character in 'Hard Times' is an essential aspect in dealing with the major concerns of the novel. Dickens has a surprisingly complex character foundation - he deliberately presents both the simplistic characteristics of a character developed for symbolic purposes, as well as the intricate qualities of 'real' people. 'Hard Times' is a one-sided attack on the utilitarian value system for the period based upon emotional proletarian appeals for labour sympathy that are not uncommon in today's corporate environment. Dickens gives us a close-up look into what appears to be the ivory tower of the bourgeoisie of his day; yet these middle-class characters are viewed from a singular perspective, the perspective of those at the bottom of the social
Select ONE or TWO brief passages (2 or 3 pages each at most) from Dickens's fiction - Analyse the use of dialogue OR the presentation of the narrative voice.
P3/T3 CHARLES DICKENS Reading Semester I 2001/2002: Module 326 and 380 Select ONE or TWO brief passages (2 or 3 pages each at most) from Dickens's fiction. Analyse the use of dialogue OR the presentation of the narrative voice.1 'Shrinking back' as 'she rose up' Florence put 'out her hands to keep her off'. This may sound like the beginning of a gothic thriller, but it is in fact an opening line from the reunion between Edith and Florence in Charles Dickens's Dombey and Son. The dialogue that proceeds is highly melodramatic and intensely passionate. In many ways the choice of diction, syntactical arrangement, content, gesture and tone not only illuminates the two heroines at the heart of the novel, but the encroaching world, symbolised in Cousin Feenix, that contains them. In this climatic confrontation, almost a contribution to the contemporary debate of what constitutes womanhood,2 we meet the two distinct females 'looking at [each] other over the gulf of the irrevocable past'. Florence's panic-stricken 'shrinking back' from Edith suggests she has entered the depths of hell and illustrates the polarisation between the virtuous and the fallen. The anthesis of her scream 'No, no! Mama!' in which she both shuns Edith and calls for her suggests an almost attraction-repulsion dilemma for Florence. This figure of grace is being made to confront the darker-side of the social
The Meaning of Symbolism and Imagery in the Writings of Zora Neale Hurston.
The Meaning of Symbolism and Imagery in the Writings of Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston uses symbolism and imagery to capture emotions and guide the reader through the story through the eyes of the characters. In her short fiction story, The Gilded Six-Bits, Hurston entertains the emotional and visual senses of the reader by using several symbols and images to give light to the story and character settings. Hurston starts out the story by portraying a couples' relationship and giving it a sense of security, love and trust. However, as the story develops it is clear that know matter how true love is - greed can falter love. Symbolism is shown strongly through colors in Hurston's story. White is used as a symbol of purity. It portrays the relationship between Joe and Missie May as a clean and untouched relationship as described by Hurston, "The fence and house were whitewashed. The porch and steps scrubbed white." (252) Joe thinks of the image of his white house on the way home from work right before he discovers Missie May and Slemmons together. Gold is used frequently throughout the short story as a symbol of social status and greed. Otis D. Slemmons is respected by Joe in the beginning of the story and depicted as being of great importance because of his gold teeth, a five-dollar gold piece for a stickpin and a ten-dollar gold piece on his watch chain. Slemmons
A literary and linguistic comparative study of three treatments
A literary and linguistic comparative study of three treatments of the theme of the dichotomy that exists between country and city life, especially with regards relationships. Texts used for this study: Charles Dickens's Great Expectations T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City Word Count 3601 INTRODUCTION The dichotomy that exists between city and country life is a theme that many writers have been drawn towards across the centuries, not least since the Industrial Revolution. Typically, the country is associated with idyllic life, a place with a strong sense of community, where relationships are wholesome and meaningful and life ambles past at a leisurely pace, uncomplicated and relatively trouble free. In contrast, city life is most often portrayed as being full of complexities, where individuals work hard and play hard, and where life is self-orientated and relationships are often futile. Through a literary and linguistic comparative study of their works, Great Expectations, The Waste Land, and Tales of the City, respectively, I will attempt to show how Charles Dickens, T.S. Eliot, and Armistead Maupin deal with this theme, showing to what extent the depiction of city and country life within these texts corresponds or contrasts with the stereotype. In so doing, I will concentrate most fully on the relationships hat exist between the
Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll can be used in school psychology courses to teach adolescent development.
"Alice In Wonderland can be used to give interesting examples of many of the basic concepts of adolescent psychology" (Lough 305). The article titled Alice In Wonderland and Cognitive Development: Teaching with Examples, by G. J. Lough, describes, with examples, the many ways that the book Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll can be used in school psychology courses to teach adolescent development. Though Alice herself probably is not yet at the age considered adolescent, she goes through adventures that can be compared to what adolescents go through in real life. Lough first explains physical development and identity formation with the example of the Caterpillar and the mushrooms. The Caterpillar tells Alice how the mushrooms can control her size. This can be compared to mood swings in adolescents. At first, it is hard for Alice to regulate her size with the mushrooms, just as it is hard for adolescents to regulate their moods at times. "The feelings of being '10 miles high' one day and 'about 2 feet tall' the next, are an uncomfortable, but normal, phenomena" (Lough 306) experienced by adolescents. The mushrooms can also represent the growth spurt, which may cause rapid change in size and weight. In adolescents, a drastic change in body image can lead to a drastic change in self-concept, which can lead to an identity crisis. For adolescents, everything is based on images,
a Month in the country
a Month in the country The Next day was Wednesday and I awoke very early. I could not stop thinking about what Alice was saying about the mural. She said the most intelligent and profound things. When talking about the mural she said " It looks like it came together like a jigsaw ". Only Alice could utter such simple words and yet it seemed so meaningful to me. I am in a dilemma as to what to do, my work here in Oxgodby has come to an end yet I do not want to leave. Half of me wants to tell Alice how I feel and run away with her into the night, but it is not to be. I could not understand why she even married Mr Keach, he is so different to her. She has imagination and flare and he has no idea about anything he is completely blind to art! I could make her happy, but I must stop thinking like this. After an hour of lying in the sun deciding what to do about leaving, I decided that I could not hide my feelings any longer. I had fallen for Alice just like the painter that fell from the scaffolding, with a bump! But the question is how I am going to tell Alice. Do I go to see her before I leave or write her a letter? That's, what I will do, I will write her a message telling her how I feel and asking her to come back to London with me. Darling Alice, For months now I have wanted to tell you how I feel about you. Everyday when you come to visit me at the church, your beautiful
Irish Emigration.
IRISH EMIGRATION A glance in a phone book almost anywhere in the world, will inevitably lead to the recognition of Irish surnames. Spreading them-selves across the globe, emigration has been a mainstay in Irish life since at least the eighteenth century.1 Roger Swift describes it as 'the great fact of Irish social history from the early 19th century'.2 It has seen the spread of the Irish throughout the globe. The impact of Irish emigration on the world has been so vast that at census time in the United States of America, 43 million people state their ethnic origin as Irish.3 As a result of such widespread emigration, Saint Patrick's Day is now a major celebration not just in Ireland, but across the globe. Many view the Great Famine as the cause of this widespread emigration, but the suggestion that the Famine of 1845-51 brought about a fundamental change in the pattern of emigration from Ireland can only be thought of as an exaggerated one. While it did indeed perpetuate the tradition of emigration, it did not markedly transform it. The transformation that did however occur can be seen as the transformation of traditional Irish attitudes towards it. According to Tim Pat Coogan, the pattern of Irish emigration began in the sixteenth Century. 4 The invasion of Ireland under Elizabeth I, and the attempt to spread the Anglican Reformation, may be said to have started Catholic
Assess the subversive politics of gender and masquerade Louisa May Alcott's Behind a Mask
Assess the subversive politics of gender and masquerade in Louisa May Alcott's Behind a Mask Written in 1866, Louisa May Alcott's sensationalist novella Behind a Mask explores the subversion of gender by sex itself, and through masquerade. The central character, Jean Muir, 'a haggard, worn, and moody woman of thirty at least' (**), is an actress, playing her way through the reductive gender politics to gain security and social status. The Victorian "Cult of True Womanhood", as it was known, was an established view amongst the middle and upper classes that women should embody perfect virtue, through piety, purity and domesticity. This was in accordance with the "Separate Spheres" ideology, in which women's domain was the private, domestic sphere and men's was the public. However, there is obvious crossover in these spheres, for example, women educating their children in the home who were then to go into the public environment. These blurry distinctions and the pressures of submitting to expectations, combined with the significant lack of protection from the law made it almost impossible for women to advance themselves in society and 'actually encouraged people to subvert it' (Keyser 1993:49). Women who had broken out of these expectations, given into seduction or sin were "fallen women" who were disregarded by society. As the 'divorced wife of a disreputable actor'