Look at the past AP Lit open essay prompts and find one which you think would suit Jane Eyre, Earnest, and Frankenstein (one for each). Oh, and obviously tell us how and why they would work! Here are the essay prompts in case you have misplaced the handout:
http://homepage.mac.com/mseffie/AP/APOpenQuestions.html
These are due on the blog by Wednesday March 10th 3:00pm
Earnest:
ReplyDelete2006-Analyze the country setting and its importance value to the work as a whole.
I choose that prompt because I can talk about Jack's real identity being represented in this country life and how it was more innocent and "Earnest" and it served as a contrast to the city's lifestyle.
Frankenstein:
1979-complex character that might be alone, considered evil or immortal explain how and why the character makes the reader react sympathetically.
I think that this prompt could be well supported if I talk about how the creature is rejected by society just for being the "monster" and he is found isolated, depressed and confused about his existence and how his creator does not love him. He is seen evil by the innocent acts that he does and of course by his features. The fact that the creature looks to be loved makes his character sympathetic.
Jane Eyre:
2000-Identify a character's mystery and explain how the investigation illuminates the meaning of the work as whole.
The mystery in Jane Eyre would be Rochester's secret (Bertha). Rochester was ready to move on regardless of his marriage, but when the secret was revealed Jane could not interfere with that relationship and she left. Bertha, the secret, made an obstacle for Jane and prohibited her to find true love and happiness.
BTW I summarized what the prompt asked :)
ReplyDeleteJane Eyre:
ReplyDelete1980-A recurring theme in literature is the classic war between a passion and responsibility. For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a literary work in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. In a well-written essay show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work.
This essay is relevant because it connects with Jane’s morals and her decision to leave Thornfield despite still being in love with Rochester. She feels that it is her duty to stay true to the integrity she has (that is, not marrying Rochester while he is technically a husband to Bertha Mason). This essay categorically gives the writer freedom to elaborate on how Jane’s internal struggle obstructed her goals and desires (that were appropriate during the Victorian era).
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Earnest:
1991- Many plays and novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose a novel or play that contrasts two such places. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work.
This prompt immediately reminded me of the play, which was centered between the city and the country lifestyles of Victorian England. They symbolized how city life could possibly be corruptive while the bucolic standard of living was considered pleasurable. The essay gives the writer the ability to compare and contrast and explain how the characters’ actions are based on where they live (ex-Lady Bracknell v. Algernon’s behaviors). It would also allow the writer to explain the meaning of being earnest that Wilde is trying to pun; it comes from one’s background.
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Frankenstein:
1978-Choose an implausible or strikingly unrealistic incident or character in a work of fiction or drama of recognized literary merit. Write an essay that explains how the incident or character is related to the more realistic of plausible elements in the rest of the work. Avoid plot summary.
I feel as if this essay could definitely be used with a work such as Frankenstein. The creature could undeniably be considered unrealistic. The “more realistic elements” could surround his emotions; in this case, the love he develops. Solitude also belies the creature; these connect to give a human perspective of the character to the reader. The writer of the essay would be able to elaborate on this and emphasize how Victor Frankenstein’s creation could be considered ambiguous (realistic because of feelings/unrealistic due to his actual physical form).
Earnest-1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.
ReplyDeleteExplanation: This should be quite easy not only because we wrote a similar essay in class but because the entire book is a satire of the standards of the society of the characters and in which the book was written. For example, various activities such as "bunburying", the character's conception of marriage as less about love and more about politics, and the ubiquitous lying would all qualify as support for societal standard's implications on the characters.
Jane Eyre: 1978-Choose an implausible or strikingly unrealistic incident or character in a work of fiction or drama of recognized literary merit. Write an essay that explains how the incident or character is related to the more realistic of plausible elements in the rest of the work. Avoid plot summary.
Explanation: In the book, these supernatural experiences often come when Jane is in a state where her subconscious, or inner self is revealed (i.e. when she "hears" Rodchester's name). These "supernatural experiences" as truly expressions of what she really wants but deprives herself of help to convey the theme of dualism created by the strain between what she wants and what seems "right."
Frankensiten: 2005, Form B. One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you discuss how a character in a novel or a drama struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.
Explanation: This actually seemed kind of cool. Both Victor and the creature strive for power in some sense. Victor strives for power via knowledge, which is why he is so dilligent in studying the sciences. The ultimate manifestation of his power was doing the impossible, creating the creature. Once the creature was created and he realized the grotesque nature of his dream (both literally and figuratively), he sought the power to destroy it, however, the creature sought power as well. THe creature sought power over Victor in order to coerce him into creating a companion to assuage the creature's loneliness. The creature's power comes through both the threat of violence and the actualization of those threats. This power struggle is not only central to the progression of the plot but it helps to convey the theme of insatiability (i.e. the way the creature, although the most exemplary display of Victor's newfound power, is nowhere near what he dreamed/envisioned).
Jane Eyre:
ReplyDelete1970:Choose a character from a work of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (A) briefly describe the standards of fictional society in which the character exists an (B) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.
I would elaborate on Jane's environment in Lowood, and society in Jane's world. And describe how her reactions towards it and the changes she endures in her character through her experience.
- Helen Dying
- Mr. Brocklehurst being a rude fictitious man
- Jane's closeness to Ms.Temple and her leaving Jane
Frankenstein:
1981: The meaning of some literary works is often enhanced by sustained allusions to myths, the bible, or other works of literature. Select a literary work that makes use of such a sustained reference. Write a well-organized essay in which you explain the allusion that predominates in work and analyze how it enhances the works meaning.
Promethous -how he stole the devine right of the gods and gave it to man. FIRE!!! For this act of deffiance he was condeemed to forever be chain to a mountain to relive the torcher of have his entrails ripped apart by eagles.
Who later rescued by Hercules, whom took his place on the mountain.
Victor - created life ( god's one and only job man must never have) he suffered with the murder of his loved ones by his own creation until his own demise.
( Question: I thought how theoretically God creates man, and man destroys god's other creation. Motif, Theme???)
Earnest:
1985: Select a literary work that produces this "healthy confusion." Write an essay in which you explain the source of the "pleasure and disquietude" experienced by the readers of the work.
How Gwendolen and Cecily want to marry and man named Ernest. The hilarity of their shallowness in a choice for a marriage makes the characters as a whole enjoyable And the measures the men go through so they can become Ernest.
1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a good essay for The Importance of Being Earnest. You could use either Jack or Algernon and describe how they create false personas to escape social obligations. Pretty straightforward.
1980. A recurring theme in literature is the classic war between a passion and responsibility. For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a literary work in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. In a well-written essay show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work.
I would use Jane Eyre here. It would be easy to write all about her thing with Rochester, how she ran away and put herself through so much in order to uphold her moral standard over her passion.
2002. Morally ambiguous characters -- characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good -- are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which a morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
I think this would work well for Frankenstein, because the creature is such an ambiguous character. That ambiguity is important to the work because it raises the question of whether society or the creature should be blamed for his suffering.
Frankenstein Prompt:
ReplyDelete1979: Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character's actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.
This would work for Frankenstein because of the creature. Most consider him evil or immoral but it can be debated whether or not he is purely evil. He was mistreated and scorned by society and thus forced to react in such ways and such can be supported in this prompt.
Jane Eyre Prompt:
1995: Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Choose a novel or a play in which such a character plays a significant role and show how that character's alienation reveals the surrounding society's assumptions or moral values.
This prompt I feel would work excellently for Jane Eyre. I would stress her foul treatment at Lowood.It is part of her aunt's nature, as well as society's to not kindly treat those of low wealth who in addition who are not particularly easy on the eyes. Her isolation elaborates on the Victorian society as a whole, and its morals.
Importance of Being Earnest:
1991: Many plays and novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose a novel or play that contrasts two such places. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work.
The difference between the life in the city and the life in the country, the lives of Algernon and Jack vary immensely in the work and illustrate great significance to the work as a whole. That is why this prompt would be perfect for the play. It contributes to the emphasis on the character's identities and adds a specific essence to the play and the society in which it is in.
Jane Eyre:
ReplyDelete2005. In Kate Chopin's The Awakening (1899), protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess "That outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions." In a novel or play that you have studied, identify a character who outwardly conforms while questioning inwardly. Then write an essay in which you analyze how this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid mere plot summary.
The reason I selected this poem is because I feel as though throughout the entirety of the novel Jane is conforming to what she feels is morally expected of her or what others call for her to do (i.e. allowing herself to be wrongly accused by Brocklehurst because she thought it would not be her place to object; preventing herself from outwardly expressing her love for Rochester because she is of a lower class and then upon admitting her love refusing to be with him because he has an insane wife; her incessant need to do as St. John says without being entirely aware as to why; her inner struggle whether to go to India simply because she feels its the right thing to do although she doesn’t necessarily wish to and almost conforming to a loveless marriage to do what was "right."). Ultimately this contributed to the work as whole as this inward struggle allowed the character to realize that there was the blessing of free will and inherently contributed to the theme as to whether we should be guided by moral restriction or our own desires.
The Importance of Being Earnest:
1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.
I selected this essay because I feel as though it most appropriately reflects the Victorian era in order to suggest the materialistic and egocentric qualities of the upper class, through the character John Worthing. He exists in a society that is heavily weighed upon the money you have and inherently the class that you fall under. As a result John feels as though he must compensate by pretending to be of the highest class so that he may get closer to the one he loves. This contributes to the work as a whole as it introduces the fact that ultimately sincerity is not key as, in this society and in manner others, people rather see what is greater than what is reality.
Frankenstein:
1995. Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Choose a novel or a play in which such a character plays a significant role and show how that character's alienation reveals the surrounding society's assumptions or moral values.
I feel this essay is most appropriate for this novel because the creature of Frankenstein is isolated from society on the basis that he different. This contributes to the understanding that he lives amongst a society that is both judgmental and in a sense inhumane, as they may recognize his suffering (i.e. Frankenstein) yet refuse to act on this in a positive way because it interferes with their conventional views of what is "normal." As a result one inherently questions who is the immoral one, as people are generally characterized by this quality but they don’t seem in the least compelled to do the right thing unless it is convenient to them.
(IVE GOT YOUR BACK CREATURE :D)
Jane Eyre: 1980 essay
ReplyDelete“Choose a literary work in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. Then show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work.”
Throughout the novel, Jane feels that it is her personal duty to stick to her moral standards and stay true to her beliefs. When she is proposed to by Rochester, she thinks that her life will soon be perfect and she will forever be one with her true love. However, when she learns the truth about Bertha and realizes that marriage would result in her being Rochester’s mistress, she cannot go on with the ceremony. She leaves him immediately, despite her resulting misery. Thus, Jane’s self-honesty and moralistic views conflict with her passion for Rochester.
Earnest: 1987 essay
“Some novels and plays seem to advocate changes in social and political attitudes or in traditions. Choose such a novel or play and note briefly the particular attitudes or traditions that the author apparently wishes to modify. Then analyze the technique the author uses to influence the reader’s or audience’s views.”
Wilde humorously satirizes the shallowness of the English in the late 1800s to the early 1900s, as shown in his portrayals of marriage and the caste system. He believes they were selfish and lacked depth, so he emobidies this typical persona in simple, hollow characters. Thus, he wishes to show the reader from his perspective the absurdity of such attitudes and behavior.
Frankenstein: 1999 essay
“From a novel or play choose a character whose mind is pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling desires, ambitions, obligations, or influences. Then identify each of the conflicting forces and explain how this conflict within one character illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.”
In the novel, Victor Frankenstein is confronted by the creature whom he has brought into existence. The creature explains his passionate hope for having a mate, a creature like himself, whom he can spend time with and love. Victor knows the creature is hideous and dangerous, yet Victor pities him in his lonely misery. Hence he is brought to the position where he must decide: will this new creation bring peace or destruction? This conflict accentuates the theme of creation and also use of power for good or evil.
The Importance of Being Earnest: (1975)
ReplyDeleteUnlike the novelist, the writer of a play does not use his own voice and only rarely uses a narrator's voice to guide the audience's responses to character and action. Select a play you have read and write an essay in which you explain the techniques the playwright uses to guide his audience's responses to the central characters and the action. You might consider the effect on the audience of things like setting, the use of comparable and contrasting characters, and the characters' responses to each other. Support your argument with specific references to the play. Do not give a plot summary.
This is a great one for Earnest because as a satirical work, his play has a lot of different parts which are put in only to make the audience think about the triviality of society. You could talk about the introduction of Bunburying to the plot which is clearly put in to emphasize the lies of high society, the obviously ideal ending that resembles three part novels and simplifies the human experience, and the differences between country and city life (AICE? Eh?).
Frankenstein: (1992) In a novel or play, a confidant (male) or a confidante (female) is a character, often a friend or relative of the hero or heroine, whose role is to be present when the hero or heroine needs a sympathetic listener to confide in. Frequently the result is, as Henry James remarked, that the confidant or confidante can be as much "the reader's friend as the protagonist's." However, the author sometimes uses this character for other purposes as well. Choose a confidant or confidante from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you discuss the various ways this character functions in the work. You may write your essay on one of the following novels or plays or on another of comparable quality. Do not write on a poem or short story.
The entire story of Frankenstein is being told by Victor to Walton, which makes Walton a confidant that alters his views because of Victor’s story. This gives a lot of room to talk about what Shelly’s goal in writing Frankenstein was, and how this character represents a version of Victor before the tale of the monster. His change in opinion allows for a conversation on every part of the plot and the changes it created in Walton.
Jane Eyre: (2007) In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present activities, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a novel or play in which a character must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which you show how the character's relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
The Byronic nature of Rochester makes this essay very quick and painless. Clearly, he has to contend with both the personal and societal responsibilities of marrying a woman who ends up going insane. This spills over to most characters in the plot, since they are affected by his decision to hide his wife first in Jane’s marriage and then when the woman sets their home on fire.
Jane Eyre - 1980 Choose a literary work in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. In a well-written essay show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work.
ReplyDeleteThis prompt works perfectly for this novel because it can work for basically every part of the story. The novel is packed with support about Jane's conflict between what is right and what should be right.
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Earnest - 2006 Many writers use a country setting to establish values within a work of literature. For example, the country may be a place of virtue and peace or one of primitivism and ignorance. Choose a novel or play in which such a setting plays a significant role. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the country setting functions in the work as a whole.
This play is based on the main character living separate lives in the country and in town. The country plays a signifcant role in underscoring one of his lifestyles. The Importance of Being Earnest would be perfect for this.
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Frankenstein - 1978 Choose an implausible or strikingly unrealistic incident or character in a work of fiction or drama of recognized literary merit. Write an essay that explains how the incident or character is related to the more realistic of plausible elements in the rest of the work. Avoid plot summary.
While the creature in this novel is obviously not real in any way, we can still see the significance of its realistic and human like qualities, which help to set a foundation for the entire novel. This prompt would allow the writer to detail and analyze the creature and its realistic qualities.
1980: " A recurring theme in literature is the classic war between a passion and responsibility. For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a literary work in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. IN a well written essay show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work"
ReplyDeleteFor this essay about the "classic war between passion and responsibility" I would choose to write about Jane Eyre. Throughout the entire book Jane has an outlook on life that involves following her desires, whether it is her duty or not. For example, when it comes to her decision to leave Gateshead, to leave Rochester, to visit Helen in the hospital when it is not permitted, and the like. However, as said in our discussion in class on monday, I would keep my essay on more of a general scale and just use these incidents as "apt and specific support". In this essay you could also bring in characters like Helen who were the complete opposite of Jane, and who always let responsibility prevail over passion.
1990: "Choose a novel or play that depicts a conflict between a parent (or a parental figure) and a son or daughter. Write an essay in which you analyze the sources of the conflict and explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work"
For the 1990 essay I would choose to write about Frankenstein. The parental figure being the creator, and the son being the creature. The creature is constantly looking for a parental figure, or companionship and to be loved. Frankenstein never gives him that love, as a father should. This is exactly the reason for why the creature beings to kill people. Because Frankenstein is so horrified at his creation, he abandons his son. This conflict contributes to the main idea of the novel.
1987: "Some novels and plays seem to advocate changes in social or political attitudes or in traditions. Choose such a novel or play and note briefly the particular attitudes or traditions that the author apparently wishes to modify. Then analyze the techniques the author uses to influence the reader or audience's views."
The Importance of Being Earnest would be a perfect fit for this essay. The author uses satire in the play to influence the reader's or audience's views. The author is satirizing the standards of the society to show his disapproving attitude. Bunburying and how fast couples to jump into marriage are just a few examples of how he satirizes the society.
Jane Eyre:
ReplyDelete1973. An effective literary work does not merely stop or cease; it concludes. In the view of some critics, a work that does not provide the pleasure of significant closure has terminated with an artistic fault. A satisfactory ending is not, however, always conclusive in every sense; significant closure may require the reader to abide with or adjust to ambiguity and uncertainty. In an essay, discuss the ending of a novel or play of acknowledged literary merit. Explain precisely how and why the ending appropriately or inappropriately concludes the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.
I think after our long discussion about the ending of Jane Eyre, this prompt fits it perfectly. The ending of Jane Eyre is quite unrealistic but it can also be argued that it is romantic and the typical "happy ending".
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Earnest
1975. Although literary critics have tended to praise the unique in literary characterizations, many authors have employed the stereotyped character successfully. Select one work of acknowledged literary merit and in a well-written essay, show how the conventional or stereotyped character or characters function to achieve the author's purpose.
The Importance of Being Earnest would be quite fitting for this essay because the whole point is that they are stereotypical characters. Wilde does this on purpose, of course, in a successful attempt to satirize what he feels is wrong with society. For example, only marrying someone based on their name is ridiculous but it highlights the fact that marriage is not treated like it once was.
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Frankenstein
1978. Choose an implausible or strikingly unrealistic incident or character in a work of fiction or drama of recognized literary merit. Write an essay that explains how the incident or character is related to the more realistic of plausible elements in the rest of the work. Avoid plot summary.
The creature could definitely be characterized as "strikingly unrealistic". For example, a large part of the novel is the language of the characters and specifically, the fact that the creature sounds so educated. But, this relates to the more plausible idea that even the creature has a need to be loved and to fit in.
Jane Eyre:
ReplyDelete1973. An effective literary work does not merely stop or cease; it concludes. In the view of some critics, a work that does not provide the pleasure of significant closure has terminated with an artistic fault. A satisfactory ending is not, however, always conclusive in every sense; significant closure may require the reader to abide with or adjust to ambiguity and uncertainty. In an essay, discuss the ending of a novel or play of acknowledged literary merit. Explain precisely how and why the ending appropriately or inappropriately concludes the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.
This prompt is a good fit for Jane Eyre because the ending shows how Jane's love will prevail even with Rochester being crippled and nearly blind. The novel would not be quite so romantic if the ending had been changed or was not concluded in the same manner.
The Importance of Being Earnest:
1991. Many plays and novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose a novel or play that contrasts two such places. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work.
The Importance of Being Earnest could be used to write this essay because Wilde uses the country and the city to contrast the differences in the social hierarchy. The country represents the laid-back ideology, while the city represents the stuck-up, uptight rich people.
Frankenstein:
1995. Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Choose a novel or a play in which such a character plays a significant role and show how that character's alienation reveals the surrounding society's assumptions or moral values.
The creature is alienated from the rest of society because of his physical appearance. This helps the reader see how shallow society is and that its judgment is only skin deep. His alienation depicts that society is unwilling of being accepting only due to appearances.
Jane Eyre
ReplyDelete1994:
"In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is a significant presence. Choose a novel or a play of literary merit and write an essay in which you show how such a character functions in the work. You may wish to discuss how the characters affect action, theme, or the development of characters."
This prompt would easily work for the character of Bertha because although she is not a main character she has a significant presence in the novel. Her existence in the novel causes there to be friction between Rochester and Jane's relationship, therefore influencing the action in the novel as well as Jane's character. When Jane discovers the existence of Bertha she is disillusioned about Rochester and his moral values, causing her to end the relationship abruptly. Even though Jane still loves Rochester, she hides and attempts to neglect her emotions in order to forget about Rochester. The minute existence of Bertha in the novel, insignificant as it may be portrayed, influences Rochester and Jane’s relationship as well as the Jane’s character itself.
Frankenstein
2002:
“Morally ambiguous characters- characters whose behavior discourage readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good- are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which a morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay showing how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole.”
The creature would be a perfect morally ambiguous character for this prompt because he is neither purely evil nor purely good. The creature is longing for the acceptance of ordinary humans and is failing at obtaining it due to his monstrous physical appearance. The rejection he feels from society causes him to perform morally ambiguous activities such as killing Frankenstein’s best friend and his wife. Nevertheless, the creature still shows emotions and is only reacting this way because of society’s lack of affection and understanding toward his inevitable condition.
Earnest:
1987
“Some novels and plays seem to advocate changes in social and political attitudes or in traditions. Choose such a novel or play and note briefly the particular attitudes or traditions that the author apparently wishes to modify. Then analyze the technique the author uses to influence the reader’s or audience’s views.”
Oscar Wilde satirizes the constructs of society in the Victorian Era of England throughout the novel. Wilde depicts the shallowness of the characters and their preoccupation with materialistic objects as opposed to real love in marriage. He alludes to the idea that they viewed important things such as marriage as minute and insignificant. Wilde reveals the immature and shallow perception of life through the eyes of the English in the Victorian era through satire.
-Laura
It's 3:35 (ish) and I want to grade this and go home!
ReplyDelete