The Crucible - Act by Act Analysis

Act 1

First performed in January of 1953, The Crucible is first and foremost an allegorical tale relating the Salem witchcraft trials to their contemporary equivalent in Miller's time, the McCarthy hearings. The figurative Œwitch hunt' of McCarthyism becomes literal in Miller's play, which is constructed to illustrate how fear and hysteria mixed with an atmosphere of persecution may lead to tragically unjust consequences. Miller presents the play with traditional theatrical devices, relying on the dialogue and situations to illustrate his themes, but finds these somewhat insufficient; in the first act the play therefore contains a number of historical digressions that reveal the motivations of each character and which cannot be accurately conveyed through a strict stage interpretation.
Through these prose passages that interrupt the dialogue and action of the play, Miller establishes the particular quality of Salem society that makes it particularly receptive to the repression and panic of the witch trials. The Puritan life in Salem is rigid and somber, allowing little room for persons to break from the monotony and strict work ethic that dominated the close-knit society. Furthermore, the Puritan religious ethic informed all aspects of society, promoting safeguards against immorality at any cost to personal privacy or justice. The Puritans of Massachusetts were a religious faction who, after years of suffering persecution themselves, developed a willful sense of community to guard against infiltration from outside sources. It is this paradox that Miller finds to be a major theme of The Crucible: in order to keep the community together, members of that community believe that they must in some sense tear it apart. Miller relates the intense paranoia over the integrity of the Puritan community to their belief that they are in some sense a chosen people who will forge a new destiny for the world. This relates strongly to the political climate of the early 1950s in which Miller wrote The Crucible. After the end of the second world war, the United States found itself engaged in a struggle for political supremacy with communist forces, in particular the Soviet Union; just as the Salem authorities believe that witchcraft threatens their community, many Americans during this time saw communism as a threat to the American way of life.
However, the Salem witch trials as described by Miller have a sexual element that runs concurrent with the political aspects of the allegory. The community is one that promotes interference in all personal matters and intensely frowns upon any sinful conduct without allowing for any legitimate expurgation of sin. The witch trials serve as a means to break from this stifling atmosphere and publicly confess one's sins through accusation. This simultaneous fear of and fascination with sexuality is a theme that predominates throughout The Crucible, as demonstrated by the particular relationship between Abigail Williams and John Proctor and the sexual undertones of the dancing that instigates the witchcraft trials, and it also relates to the quality of 1950s culture in which the play was written.
The first act establishes the primary characters of the play who instigate the Salem witch trials. Each has his particular obsessions and motivations that drive him to push for the trials. The first and perhaps most reprehensible of these characters is the Reverend Samuel Parris, a man who symbolizes the particular quality of moral repression and paranoia that characterize the trials. Miller immediately establishes Parris as a man whose main concern is his reputation and status in the community and not the well-being of his daughter, for whom he shows little emotion. It is Tituba who shows more concern for Betty Parris than her father, who rules his household as an autocrat. When he discusses finding Abigail and Betty dancing in the woods, his concern is not the sin that they committed but rather the possibility that his enemies may use this sin against him. Parris will manifest a sharp paranoia concerning possible enemies, even when they may not exist. The particular quality of Parris that renders him dangerous is his strong belief in the presence of evil; even before the witchcraft paranoia, Proctor indicates that Parris showed an obsession with damnation and hell in order to strike fear into his parishioners. With the seeming presence of witchcraft in Salem, Parris now has a concrete, physical manifestation of the evil he so fears.
Abigail Williams is a less complex character whose motivations are simple; she is a clear villain with straightforward malicious motivation. Miller establishes that Abigail is suspected of adultery with John Proctor, a rumor that is confirmed later in the first act, while Abigail physically threatens the other girls if they disobey her. Abigail demonstrates a great ability for self-preservation: she admits what she must at appropriate times, and places the blame for her actions at the most convenient source, Tituba, when she realizes that it is the most savvy course of action. Abigail's lack of any morality renders her able to charge others with witchery no matter the consequencesThe third character who serves as a proponent of the witchcraft hysteria is Thomas Putnam. While Putnam's motivation is suspicion and paranoia and Abigail's is mere villainy, Thomas Putnam demonstrates that his motivation is his longstanding grudges against others; the witchcraft trials give Putnam an opportunity to exact revenge against others, and, as will later be shown, to profit economically from others' executions.
The final character who sets the witchcraft trials in motion is Reverend John Hale. Hale is perhaps the most complex character in The Crucible, a man who approaches religious matters with the conviction of a scientist and a scientific emphasis on proper procedure. Hale holds the contradictory belief that they cannot rely on superstition to solve the girls' problems but that they may find a supernatural explanation for the events. Since he lacks the malicious motivations and obsessions that plague the other instigators of the trials, Reverend Hale has the ability to change his position, yet at this point he finds himself caught up in the hysteria he has helped to create.
In contrast to these four characters stand the three main opponents of the witchcraft accusations. The Nurses are the most straightforward of these; Miller portrays Rebecca Nurse and her husband as near saints who rely on practical wisdom and experience. In contrast, Giles Corey has none of the noble character of the Nurses, yet he can oppose Parris and Putnam because of his contentious, combative manner. Giles Corey is a man who cares not for public opinion and may therefore choose whichever position he finds most suitable, even if it places him in danger.
However, Miller places John Proctor as the main protagonist of the story and its moral center. Proctor, as Miller writes, is a man who can easily discern foolishness and has the will to oppose it. He is a rational man with a brusque manner who, like Giles Corey, has no qualms about expressing his opinion. Miller portrays Proctor as a decidedly modern character, who eschews superstition for rationality and expresses skepticism for the trappings of organized religion, particularly the obsession with hellfire and damnation that Parris expresses. The particularly modern quality of John Proctor draws the audience sympathy to him, even if he is a self-professed sinner who had an affair with Abigail Williams. Yet this is the single sin that Proctor manifests and exists more as a plot point than as an organic character trait. The Proctor that Miller portrays throughout The Crucible seems hardly capable of giving in to lust for a manipulative and demonstrably wicked young girl.
Several significant themes emerge early in the play. One of these that Miller develops throughout the act is the capability for gossip and rumors to disseminate throughout the close-knit society of Salem. Miller establishes that Salem is a society in which little information is considered private; there is no line between public and private conduct, for all information is open to suspicion and question. This correlates to the McCarthy hearings, which probed into the lives of the suspected communists for evidence of their anti-American activity, no matter the actual relevance.
A second theme that Miller establishes is the ability of persons to choose whichever position suits their self-interest. Abigail Williams shows the ability to affirm or deny any charge against her based entirely on whether it serves her needs, while Tituba, when charged with witchcraft, denies it only until she realizes that admitting to the crime will save her from further punishment and that accusing others will shift the blame elsewhere. The shift of blame from one character to another will be a recurring plot point, as few characters will accept the consequences of their actions or directly confront the charges leveled against them.
Perhaps the most important theme that Miller develops in this act is the ability for accusations to snowball. The charges against the girls and Tituba become perpetually more significant: at first they are accused of merely dancing, then of dancing naked. The charges proceed until Tituba is deemed a witch and accuses others of conspiring with Satan. Legitimate charges of dancing and sinful activity increase in magnitude until charges of Satanism arise. The irony of this situation is that the fight against sinfulness in Salem will become more sinful and malicious than any of the actual events that occurred.

Act 2

While the first act takes place in the ostensibly Œpublic' setting of Reverend Parris' home, the second act moves into what should be considered the private sphere of the Proctors' home. The conversation between John and Elizabeth Proctor is intimate and even at times mundane, but there is a significant subtext of tension that remains between the couple that is undoubtedly caused by Proctor's affair with Abigail Williams. Elizabeth Proctor is intensely suspicious of her husband, worrying when he arrives at home late for dinner and adopting a condescending tone when her husband admits that he was momentarily alone with Abigail Williams. Miller establishes Elizabeth Proctor as a morally upright woman, respectable and dignified, yet with an air of superiority that renders her frigid and distant. Elizabeth has made her home into a repressive atmosphere, as she continues to punish her husband for his wrongdoing. Still, if Elizabeth Proctor adopts a tone of moral superiority it is because she is in a significant sense the superior of her contemporaries, with an unwavering belief in the capability of persons to remain moral.
Miller creates an atmosphere of guilt within the Proctor household that mirrors the similar conditions within the larger Puritan society. John Proctor has expressed contrition for his infidelity and asked for forgiveness, yet there is no sense of catharsis within his marriage nor ability for full reconciliation. The Proctor marriage is stagnant and stifling, as the weight of John's adultery is a perpetual consideration. Miller demonstrates this, in particular, when Proctor states the Ten Commandments; while John, likely motivated by guilt, wishes to forget the commandment against adultery, it is Elizabeth who offers him a sharp reminder. Miller seems to indicate that, like the rest of their Puritan society, the Proctors need an outlet to expiate John's sins and without this means for redemption they are committed to a perpetual obsession with the husband's infidelity.
Two major themes emerge in the second act of The Crucible. The first of these is the line between public and private. The chapter itself moves from the intimate conversation between husband and wife to more public matters, but the division between these two spheres becomes obscure. Even in setting, the public discussions of the Proctors' guilt or innocence occurs within the home. More importantly, Reverend Hale and the other court officials use private information for their public matters, such as information about the frequency with which they attend church and their belief in the validity of witches. The court officials investigate all aspects of the suspects' private lives. Under such intense scrutiny, these officials are able to find any information that may be may interpreted as evidence of guilt. This certainly relates to the intense public scrutiny of Miller's contemporary McCarthy hearings in which information about who was present at communist meetings years before was considered relevant.
The second major theme of the act is the ambiguity of evidence. This begins even before Hale arrives at the Proctors' home, when Elizabeth Proctor construes John's late arrival at home as possible evidence that he may be guilty of additional indiscretions. This continues with Reverend Hale's misinterpretation of John's forgetfulness of one of the Ten Commandments and the evidence against Martha Corey, which deems her a witch for reading books. The most significant symbol of this theme in the second act is Mary Warren's poppet. Although Miller makes it clear to the audience that Proctor did not use the poppet as a charm against Abigail Williams, its presence in the house certain attests to this conclusion.
The poppet demonstrates that Abigail Williams is more villainous than earlier indicated. In the first act she behaved solely out of self-interest. She was ready to do harm to others, but only to save herself. However, in this instance she purposely frames Elizabeth Proctor out of revenge, planting the poppet as a means to engineer Elizabeth's murder. This event even serves to break the icy exterior of Elizabeth Proctor, who deems that Abigail must be "ripped out of the world."
Miller creates a situation of bleak irony in this chapter with the arrest of Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Proctor. These characters are the most upright in the play, yet are accused of witchcraft by the two most ignoble, Thomas Putnam and Abigail Williams. The dynamic of the witchcraft hysteria has created a situation in which the accuser of witchcraft is automatically presumed holy, as Proctor notes, while even the most spiritual character may be suspected of a Satanic alliance. In this situation the evil persons of Salem may raise their reputations at the expense of the good.
An additional irony that Miller constructs in the act is in the plot structure. The Proctors and their allies can rely on a single person to save themselves from Abigail Williams' treachery. Yet this person, Mary Warren, is the weakest and most pliable character in The Crucible. She alone has the power to stop the hysteria of the witchcraft trials, but neither the strength nor resolve to effect this act. Mary requires intense coercion from John Proctor to even consider admitting to the falsehood in court. However, despite her weakness Mary Warren is as dangerous as Abigail, for the guileless girl betrays none of Abigail's malicious bearing and thus appears more overtly innocent. She is a pawn who may be used by the Proctors to prove their innocence, but Miller foreshadows that Mary Warren may be used by Abigail to serve her own purposes.
Among the characters in the play, it is Reverend Hale who demonstrates the most prominent character development. While the other characters remain fixed in their particular allegiances and beliefs, Hale demonstrates the debilitating effects of the witchcraft trials by the change in his character. When he reappears in the third act he has none of the enthusiasm of before; although he clings to his belief in the absolute certainty of finding proof of witchery within Salem, Hale appears more tentative about the results. He demonstrates a strong feeling of guilt for his actions, as shown by his reliance on what he grasps as indisputable evidence; like Pontius Pilate, to whom Proctor compares Hale, he wants to play only a passive role in the proceedings without any feeling of personal responsibility. Hale's growing disillusionment foreshadows his later repudiation of the court's actions.

Act 3

Among the characters in the play, it is Deputy Governor Danforth who seems to provide the most obvious symbol of Senator Joseph McCarthy. Danforth rules over the proceedings as if he automatically has assigned guilt to the accused suspects, and adopts a harsh and vindictive air. However, Miller does not make Danforth a direct equivalent of the irrational demagogue McCarthy; rather, Danforth is a stern, cold man of unfailing faith in his judicial powers. He does not manifest any particular political ambition, but instead acts to preserve the strength of the court over which he rules. This does make Danforth suspicious of any attack on the plaintiffs and the proceedings, but does allow him some room for flexibility. He uses reason to persuade Proctor to drop his charges against Abigail, telling him that his wife is spared for at least a year and that he need not worry about her execution. It is Danforth's stern rationality that makes him a more disturbing figure; he is not a malicious villain equivalent to Abigail Williams or Thomas Putnam, but rather a man who operates out of intense faith in the integrity of his court. He operates under the assumption that good and evil can be clearly and intensely defined, a flaw of tragic irony. In his desperate hope to sharply delineate good and evil, Danforth becomes the willing accomplice of those who obscure this line.
It is Reverend Parris who appears as the demagogue in this act of the play, denouncing all challenges to the court as challenges to Christianity and God himself. Parris is paranoid and foolish, demanding that all ninety-one people who attest to the good name of the three accused women be brought in for questioning. It is Parris' rabid defense of the trials that finally causes Hale to break from the court and offer a defense of the Proctors, Coreys and Nurses. Parris' demagoguery is placed into even sharper relief when one the true reason for the girls' admission of witchcraft is revealed. Parris knows that the trials are a fraud and that the girls are lying, yet continues to push against witchcraft to suit his ends.
Miller develops the motivations of the proponents of the witchcraft trials in this chapter. Reverend Parris remains motivated by suspicion and paranoia, while Thomas Putnam moves from an original motivation of grudges against others to unabashed greed. Abigail Williams, in contrast, has moved from self-preservation to a more general lust for power. However, upon the arrest of Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Proctor, Reverend Hale now eschews the supernatural explanations for more concrete, legal explanations. He redeems himself from his role as a Pontius Pilate by serving as an advocate for justice. This is significant, for it provides concrete evidence that opposition to the trials does not necessarily mean opposition to law and order.
Deputy Governor Danforth espouses the central irony of the witchcraft trials: because there can be no concrete evidence of witchcraft, one must automatically assume that accusations are true, for the only two persons who take part in the crime are the witch and the victim, and the witch will never accuse herself. This essentially negates the idea of evidence, taking opinion and allegation to be concrete fact. It is this flaw that on which Abigail Williams and the other girls capitalize when making their accusations.
Miller establishes that it takes only a simple accusation for a person to be convicted of witchcraft. Thomas Putnam uses this for economic gain, coercing his daughter into accusing George Jacobs so that he may purchase his land once Jacobs has been executed. Yet it is Abigail Williams who brings this particular quality into sharp relief. Abigail is intense and dramatic; she targets the weak-willed Mary Warren, knowing that she will easily break from her alliance with Proctor once challenged. When Abigail pretends to see a yellow bird attacking her, it is an obvious falsehood, yet the court accepts it as truth because they have established that such evidence is irrefutable proof.
The chapter culminates to encompass two central ironies. The first of these is that, to prove his own innocence and prove himself faithful to his wife, John Proctor must publicly declare his infidelity. To save Elizabeth and protect himself from an inevitable accusation of witchcraft, Proctor must tear down his name and condemn himself for the crime of lechery. Despite Proctor's obvious sin, this places Proctor as a martyr, sacrificing any chance for a good reputation in Salem, where public reputation is essential, in order to save his wife and others wrongly accused of witchcraft.
The second irony involves the testimony of Elizabeth Proctor. To save her husband from accusations of witchcraft, she must condemn him for lechery. Miller establishes that she is an honest woman who never lies, yet at the moment in which her honesty is most critical she chooses the noble yet practical lie that she believes will defend her husband. As Hale notes, it is a natural lie for Elizabeth Proctor to tell, yet an incredibly ill-timed one; Elizabeth Proctor chooses dishonesty at the precise moment that her integrity matters the most.
Miller continues the theme of revolving accusations in this act when Mary finally breaks down and accuses Proctor of witchcraft. Fearful of her own life, Mary realizes that the only way to save herself is to accuse Proctor of coercing her into attempting to overthrow the court. In this case the accusation contains some truth: Proctor did force Mary Warren into testifying, yet in this case the purpose is to promote true justice rather than to dispute it.
At the end of this chapter, Proctor condemns himself by claiming that God is dead. When he states this, he speaks metaphorically, lamenting a world in which a stock villain such as Abigail Williams may preside over the ostensibly just and moral society of Salem. Once again Proctor gives into melodramatics when faced with injustice. He may be correct, yet expresses his righteousness through means that make him an easy target for those such as Abigail and Reverend Parris.


Act 4

The fourth act of The Crucible largely concerns the perversion of justice that has occurred in Salem. Miller demonstrates this immediately in the comic interlude that opens the act. Tituba and Sarah Good are foolish comic foils whose claims of communing with Satan are intended to be absurd. Yet while these women are spared the gallows because they have confessed to witchcraft, persons such as Rebecca Nurse who refuse to admit to a crime they did not commit remain sentenced to execution. This large-scale inversion of justice is reflected in the larger workings of Salem society. As Parris claims, there is the possibility of rebellion because of the witchcraft trials, while the numerous people who remain in jail have caused the village to fall into shambles. This is yet another example of the irony of the witchcraft trials: while they meant to preserve the order of society, the trials throw Salem into a state of anarchy and rebellion.
However, since the previous act there has been a shift in the public opinion concerning the trials. Miller indicates that the citizens of Salem supported the trials when the victims were obviously disreputable members of the community, but now that the executions of the more respectable community members are imminent. This reinforces the idea that the Salem witch trials were in part vindictive; the purpose of the trials was not to remove witches from Salem, but rather to remove certain members of the community for other reasons. For the citizens of Salem, the executions only become unacceptable when they involve those honored members of the community, even if the charges against them have the same proof, or lack thereof, as those against the disreputable Bridget Bishop or Sarah Osburn. The implications of this are wholly cynical: the shift in public opinion is not a turn toward justice but rather an expression of personal preference.
If there is a sense of justice in The Crucible, it is meted out to Reverend Parris and Abigail Williams in this chapter. Reverend Parris reveals himself to be a fool capable of being easily manipulated by Abigail Williams, whose guilt seems obvious thanks to her sudden escape from town and theft of Reverend Parris' savings. However, even with these revelations which cast further doubt on the validity of Abigail's charges of witchery against others, the Salem court continues with the trials and executions. This demonstrates that the trials have taken on a life of their own separate from the accusations of the principles, who set legal machinations in motion that even they cannot stop. This therefore fulfills the theme of snowballing accusations that Miller established early in the play. The accusations began with Abigail Williams, but now, supported by the weight of the judiciary, the prosecution does not stop with her downfall.
Contrasting considerations of self-interest lead Danforth and Parris to beg John Proctor to confess to witchcraft. While Parris fears for his physical safety, Deputy Governor Danforth operates to defend the court from further attack. The change in Danforth's overt motivation is important: previously, Danforth meant to uphold the integrity of the court, but here he suggests corruption to simply preserve the political stature of the government; he even worries if postponing the executions might show weakness on the part of the court. By prompting Proctor to give an obviously false confession, Danforth indicates that he likely believes that the witchcraft allegations are false. This fully demonstrates how the witch hunts have gained a life of their own; considerations of reputation and the political dynamic lead the court to continue with prosecutions and executions even when the original proponents of the trials are proven disreputable and even when the political officials who run these trials show serious doubt concerning the validity of the charges.
The final passages of The Crucible concern ideas of martyrdom and justice. Miller places three of the accused as possible martyrs, each representing different methods and approaches to self-sacrifice. Giles Corey, the first of the noble victims of the trials, remains the comic tragedian even in the event of his death death. He does not passively accept the decision of the court, but struggles against the court's charges. Even when Giles Corey dies at the hands of the court, he chooses his fate, giving as his last words the order "more weight" when he is pressed by stones. In contrast, Rebecca Nurse accepts her fate passively, remaining consigned to her fate and thus placing herself as a long-suffering martyr to the court's injustice. Unlike the truculent Giles Corey, Rebecca Nurse only displays those most Christian qualities of resignation and turning the other cheek, but in behaving as such she does nothing.
The critical test for John Proctor in this act is whether he will accept the martyrdom of Giles Corey and Rebecca Nurse or choose self-interest. Proctor himself proposes the question of whether a sinful man may accept martyrdom by clinging to principles he has not always upheld. The saintly Rebecca Nurse may accept martyrdom because it suits her character, but the sinful Proctor questions whether or not it is hypocrisy to stand for his principles when he is an overt sinner. Miller implies that Proctor can choose self-sacrifice for his principles, for it is not a question simply of his reputation, but that of his family and his community. Proctor may not be an exemplar in all matters, but he could not serve as a father to his children if he were to so readily give up his name to preserve himself.
The second question of this chapter is whether it is a worse sin to lie to save oneself or to make a decision that directly leads to one's death. This is the fulfillment of the theme of self-preservation that has recurred throughout the novel. While Hale suggests that God damns a liar less than a person who throws one's life away, Elizabeth suggests that this is the devil's argument. Miller seems to support Elizabeth's position, for it is by giving self-preserving lies that Tituba and Sarah Good perpetuated the witch hunts.
Elizabeth Proctor serves as the moral conscience in this act of The Crucible. It is she who puts forth the most prominent arguments for Proctor accepting his own death, despite her stated wish that she wants her husband to remain alive. This could be interpreted as another manifestation of Elizabeth's cold nature, for she remains seemingly more concerned about abstract moral principles than her husband's life; Danforth even questions whether Elizabeth does have any sense of tenderness. However, Miller counteracts the possibility that Elizabeth Proctor is an unfailingly cold woman; she refuses to attempt to influence her husband even if her position is clear, and she even admits her failings, accepting some portion of the blame for her husband's infidelity. Elizabeth shows herself to be more fragile during this act of the play, allowing her to serve as the story's moral conscience rather than a proponent of abstract and harsh moral law.
The negotiations between Proctor and Danforth concerning his confession illustrate the theme of public versus private redemption. Proctor insists that his penitence remain private, while Danforth requires a public declaration of guilt and a further condemnation of other witches. It is this critical factor that turns Proctor to accepting his martyrdom when he chooses sacrificing himself to stop the perpetuation of the witchcraft accusations. Proctor thus answers his own concern about martyrdom, ending his life with an action that remains indisputably noble dispute the sins he has previously committed.

Ghost walk

Last year when we were looking at "The Crucible" the class and I went on an organised ghost walk which looked at the history of witch craft in Edinburgh and followed this with a meal at Jimmy Chungs. I was just wondering if any of you would be keen to do something similar?

Let me know your thoughts.

Evelyn

“Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit” by Jeanette Winterson


“Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit” by Jeanette Winterson is a semi-autobiographical novel about a girl growing up in an environment of obsession and religious extremism. This study will focus on how the author’s use of characterisation, word choice and imagery shows how this environment, which her mother brought her up in, makes an impact on Jeanette’s life.

Jeanette and her mother do not properly function socially within the public but instead within the confines of their own, religious community. From the very beginning Winterson shows through characterisation of her mother the snobbery which he has against certain people whom she considers heathens. Jeanette’s mother is seen to try to protect Jeanette from these people, as is shown from her attempt to stop her daughter from going to school, which she calls “the breeding ground”. This use of language makes the children seem like germs or animals through her eyes, and this opinion is in turn impressed on Jeanette. In the novel, Winterson provides no evidence to suggest that, as a child, Jeanette has ever socialised with children. All of her friends are within the church and share similar principles as her mother. Because of this, at school she has great difficulty communicating with the other children - owed a lot to the prominence and unintentional offence of her beliefs - and she is insecure. “It was clear and warm and made me happy. At school there was only confusion.” Winterson uses a blunt comparison with simple language to show the contrast of the cosy environment of the church to the complicated life Jeanette leads at school.

The idea of Jeanette’s mother sheltering her from the people and things that she considers impure is continued throughout the novel, and this ties in with the key theme of sexuality. The puritanical side of Jeanette’s mother is very evident in this area in particular. In the novel, she does not talk about sex other than when it is necessary for her to convey a negative idea of what she sees as a sin to her daughter. “we heard strange noises, like cries for help…My mother looked horrified. “They’re fornicating,” cried my mother, rushing to put her hands over my ears.” This is an example of her mother’s disgust at the thought of sex, her trying to hide her daughter from it, and Jeanette’s resulting naivety.

Crucially, her mother describes homosexuality as “unnatural passions”, when in fact there is evidence to suggest that she herself was once in a sexual relationship with a woman. “When I sat by her looking through the photograph album…she always stopped at the two pages called ‘Old Flames’….at the bottom of the page was a yellowy picture of a pretty woman with a cat…‘I don’t know why I put it there,’…Next time we looked, it had gone.” Winterson is implying that Jeanette’s mother herself may be in denial of her sexuality. She does not have an intimate but rather a convenient relationship with her husband and it seems merely a formality of having both a father and mother for her adoptive daughter. The church may also be a convenience for her, in the way of her being able to hide her sexuality.

The extremity portrayed of her mother’s negative, and perhaps hypocritical views on homosexuality make life difficult for Jeanette. When she herself begins to discover that she is gay, she is given the dilemma of accepting who she is, which would oppose what she has always believed in, or staying amongst the church community and struggling with her identity. This is evident firstly when she is confronted by the pastor at church about her relationship with Melanie, another girl at the church.
““I love her.” “Then you do not love the lord.” “Yes, I love both of them.” “You cannot.””

After her first relationship has been discovered by the church, Jeanette is unsure as to whether she is in the wrong and should repent for having felt this way for Melanie. The author uses a demon that Jeanette sees around her as a metaphor to convey this idea. “ “I want you to decide what you want.” And the creature hopped up on to the mantelpiece….“Demons are evil, aren’t they?” I asked, worried. “Not quite, they’re just different, difficult.” The demon in this instance is not seen as something evil, to be fought by Jeanette like she has been taught by her mother, but something that she has to deal with. By the demon saying that demons aren’t really evil, a change in her attitude is seen. This is an important turning point in the book, where the author is trying to represent Jeanette’s maturity – she is growing up and beginning to think more for herself and question the principles that she has always accepted in childhood. The demon that Jeanette sees is also an orange demon, which links back to the title, as her mother calls it “the only fruit”. Other fruit being - “Demon fruit, passion fruit, rotten fruit”. There is also imagery, such as “a wash of angry orange paint” to reflect this idea of evil and demons earlier in the book. Nearing the end of the book, however, once Jeanette has tired of the church people’s hatred for her “evil” and left the church, she sees oranges in a different light. “The only thing that worried me was the thought of having to work on a fruit stall. Spanish Navels, Juicy Jaffas, Ripe Sevilles.” Here, she is distressed at thought of having to work with the fruit, which her mother had identified as pure.

Winterson has crafted a novel that depicts effectively the effects on the life of a girl growing up amongst such extreme beliefs. They are, in turn, often detrimental to her and oppose her sexuality, a large part of her identity. The text shows how Jeanette grows up and begins to develop her own values and ideas, and not just believe in what the adults around her have taught her. This shift in the mind from the less questioning, more impressionable child into that of someone with opinions and values developed of their own accord is one that many readers can relate to. The novel, ultimately, portrays a heroine, she does not compromise her sexuality and live a lie for the church, though she loves her mother and she has spent years in her way of life, she will not deny her identity.

Iona

“Sense and Sensibility” by Jane Austen

“Sense and Sensibility” by Jane Austen, is a romantic novel which follows the story of the Dashwood family. The story focuses on the lives of the two oldest Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. This essay will look at the contrasting personalities of these two sisters, and show how each one takes on the roles of “sense” and “sensibility”

Henry Dashwood, the girls’ father dies at the start of the book. He leaves his money to his son from his first marriage so Elinor, Marianne, their sister Margaret and their mother are left with no home and very little money. They are soon invited to stay with their relatives, the Middletons’ at Barton Park. Elinor is sad to leave their house in Norland because she has grown close to Edward Ferrars, the brother in law of her half brother John. Marianne, however, is not enamoured by her sister’s choice of partner and she doesn’t mix her words when expressing her opinion. “ At first sight, his address is certainly not striking; and his person can hardly be called handsome.” This reveals Elinor’s romantic side, and she is simply worried the Edward isn’t the right person for Marianne.

Whilst staying at Barton Park, Elinor and Marianne meet various acquaintances., including Colonel Brandon and John Willoughby. John rescues Marianne after she twists her ankle whilst running down a hill in Barton in the rain. Following this, Willoughby openly “courts” Marianne and the pair develop a growing likeness for each other. Understandably, Marianne is surprised when Willoghby suddenly announces he has to go to London on business, and she is left miserable.

Meanwhile, Anne and Lucy Steele, relatives of Lady Middleton’s mother, arrive to stay at the Middletons’. Lucy starts talking to Elinor, and she informs her that she has been secretly engaged to Mr Ferrars for a year. Elinor assumes that Lucy is talking about Edward’s younger brother Robert, but she is heartbroken when she finds out Lucy was actually talking about her beloved Edward.

Elinor and Marianne travel to London with Lady Middleton’s mother, Mrs Jennings. Colonel Brandon tells Elinor that everybody in London is talking about Marianne and Willoughby being engaged. Marianne has not told her family of the engagement and so the news comes as a surprise to Elinor. Marianne is anxious to see John Willoughby, but is left deeply hurt when she sees him at a party and he ignores her, and sends her a letter telling her he never had feelings for her.

Anne Steele, lets slip about the engagement between her sister and Edward Ferrars. Edward’s mother is not happy at all with the news and she decides to leave all her money to his brother Robert instead.

On their way home fromLondon, the Dashwood sisters visit family friends at Cleveland, where Marianne catches a cold from walking in the rain, and falls serioiusly ill. John Willoughby arrives to visit Marianne, seeking forgiveness. She forgives him, realising he wasn’t the one for her anyway.

Marianne is on her road to recovery when Mrs Dashwood and Colonel Brandon arrive, and they all return home to Barton Park. They are unsurprised when they are told Lucy Steele is engaged to Mr Ferrars, but they are gobsmacked when they hear it is the newly inherited Robert with whom she is attached.

This therefore leaves Edward free to propose to Elinor, and soon after Colonel Brandon and Marianne become engaged too.

The reader sees that Elinor, the older sister, represents qualities of “sense” as she displays reason, responsibility and a caring for the well-being of other people. In contrast, Marianne represents “Sensibility” as she displays emotion and impulsiveness. Also, where Elinor keeps her feelings for Edward Ferars relatively close to her chest, Marianne willingly flaunts her love for John Willoughby. These different attitudes towards the way they show their affection to the men they love, highlight the contrast in the sisters’ temperaments. However, despite this contrast, Elinor is not always sensible, and she can display passionate qualities, the same way that Marianne isn’t always foolish. This shows that the novel isn’t all about a simple contrast.

Austen uses a third person narrative which is effective in this context. The way the novel is written is very elegant, and this reflects the characters in the story. As well qs being split in to chapters, the novel is split into three volumes. Beginning, middle and end. This was effective in outlining the main events in the story.

Overall, the novel had a happy ending, and it also showed that while two people can be so different, they can learn from each other too.

Kris

Specialist Study

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ is the sixth book in J.K Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ collection. This book is sculpted around the idea of how you should not judge a book by its cover. The ‘Half Blood-Prince’ focuses on the presentation of the anti-hero/villain as much as it does around Harry. From the first book in Rowling’s collection we have been given a stereotypical villain which is Draco Malfoy. From the first to the fifth book Draco has been presented in the same way. A strong, competitive juvenile who has no respect for the rules of the school or for any of the teachers apart from one, Snape. Draco’s upbringing has influenced him into believing in superiority of pure wizards (like himself) over mud-bloods (wizards with human parents). He is always racist toward mud-bloods when the opportunity arises and he only ever shows his strong, superior side. However, in the ‘Half Blood-Prince’ Draco is presented in a different way and actually seems human.

‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood-Prince’ is a more mature and advanced book than the previous five as it has a lot of hidden messages and the language of the book incorporates more intellectual words. As a result of this the presentation of Draco is very complex and in-depth. The first few chapters of the book show Draco in the same view; a wicked, boasting juvenile. On the train to Hogwarts (wizard school) Draco boasts to his friends about how the Dark Lord has set him a task to complete knowing it will impress them and make them idolise him “Clearly relishing the effect he had created”. As the train arrives at its destination we see the first encounter between Draco and Harry in this book. Draco has Harry immobilised and at his mercy “You didn’t hear anything I care about, Potter. But while I’ve got you here…” taking advantage of the situation Draco fiercely stamps on Harry’s face spurting blood everywhere. After the battle the reader is left thinking that Draco will be presented in the same stereotypical manner.

However, as the book progresses we see a change in Draco. Whilst at a Christmas party, Harry, for the first time in ages sees Draco close up “He now saw that Malfoy had dark shadows under his eyes and a distinctly greyish tinge to his skin”. This is the first time in all of the books that Draco has looked genuinely unwell but doesn’t make a fuss out of it like usual. In a confrontation later we see the biggest change in Draco so far as the teacher he has always respected and sucked up to, Snape, requests a word with him. As Harry eavesdrops on the conversation we learn that Draco has been avoiding Snape for some reason and even shouts at Snape for the first time. Also Draco denies the offer of help from Snape in accomplishing his mission for the Dark Lord and finally walks away from Snape as a sign of total disrespect. This is the first real change in Draco's presentation. Usually Draco would be trying to get Harry into trouble for silly offences but Draco has kept away from Harry and everybody else at Hogwarts so he can complete his mission. His deteriorating health and confrontation with snape are the first signs that Rowling has changed Draco’s intentions and Draco even seems more mature now that he realises the consequences of his failure- death.

Up until the last six chapters of the book Draco’s presentation has been different. As his health gets worse he does not go to the nurse and make sure everybody knows he is not well. Also he stays away from Snape and even stops playing Quidditch for his house. But the real change in Draco is not seen until the end of the book. As harry and Dumbledore depart on a dangerous mission to try and uncover secrets about the Dark Lord, Dumbledore is severely hurt and left ineffective as protection for Harry. As they make there way back to the school they spot the dark mark (sign the Dark Lord has killed) over the Astronomy Tower. Dumbledore quickly regains control of himself and he and Harry quickly fly to the tower to investigate. As Harry is about to open the door to the staircase he hears footsteps, he retreats and someone bursts through the door shouting ‘Expelliarmus’ (a disarming charm). Harry falls back against the wall like a statue still underneath the invisibility cloak as Dumbledore’s wand flies from his grip. As Harry ponders on how he has been frozen it finally hits him that Dumbledore had wordlessly immobilised Harry, but by doing so Dumbledore had lost the ability to defend himself. Without panic or distress Dumbledore casually addresses his disarmer “Good evening Draco”. A conversation between the two follows as Draco boasts about how he completed his task and was able to smuggle the Dark Lords henchmen into the school. As Dumbledore calmly speaks to him his hands shake, he begins to sweat but tries to maintain the fact that he has the advantage over a wandless old wizard. As time goes on four of the henchmen get to the tower were they are met by the image of Dumbledore helpless. After another conversation Draco still cannot find it in him to kill Dumbledore. After all the work and effort he put in all year to kill him he just can’t murmur the words. His feelings get in the way and he realises he is not a killer after all the threats he gave Dumbledore. Finally Snape enters the scene. With the knowledge that Draco cannot complete his task snape points his wand at Dumbledore and announces the dreadful words of the killing curse. Dumbledore’s body flies over the edge and the henchmen flee the scene.


Through the book Draco is presented in the same way as the he always has been at some points but as the book progresses his old presentation deteriorates and we see a completely new person. A fragile little boy with emotional difficulty instead of the strong superior outer shell that Draco has always shown. We finally see Draco as a human being with emotions and even the ability to cry. Rowling’s presentation of good versus evil in this book is far more complex than black and white. It is the struggle between those who are not afraid of showing weakness against those who are disgusted with emotions and feelings. Draco has an inner conflict between good and evil in this book as we see him in both views; able to show emotion at some points but avoiding them at others. This effect makes the reader sympathise with Draco and in the end even pity him as he is still just a fragile child trying to grow up to quickly. The book is therefore sculpted around the idea of not judging a book by its cover. On the outside we see Draco as a strong-minded juvenile with no care for others feelings and forever wishing to hurt people. On the inside however Draco is just a little boy with the same emotions as everyone else. The only problem is he just can’t show them as easily which leads back to his inner conflict. The story shows us that people are complex and everybody has emotions but some find it easier to show them and others conceal theirs like Draco.

Jordan-Leigh

* You have no idea how much was against me trying to write this thing! I couldn't think of anything to write and then when i was nearly finished my power went out and i lost the whole thing!!!! But woooop here it is finally... better late than never... doubt it was worth the wait tho lol! *




'The Penelopiad' - Margaret Atwood

'The Penelopiad' by Margaret Atwood is part of the myths series. The myths series is a set of novels written by famous authors which tell a common myth in a new and up to date way. 'The Penelopiad' tells the tale of Odysseus (told in Homer's "The Odyssey") from the perspective of his wife Penelope and the maid's who he killed. Giving the masculine tale a feminine narrative creates a new level of understanding to the novel and is effective in presenting a new side to the story. But how does Margaret Atwood create this feminine narrative and how does it effect the reader's view of Odysseus?

The main form of narrative is simple first person told by Penelope. It is through this narrative that the characters are created, both Odysseus and Penelope herself. The frequent interjection of the maids conveys a contrasting view and creates a new form of narrative; verse. It is through these two types of narrative that the title of the novel originates - 'The Penelopiad' - being a mixture of both Penelope and maid.

Opening the novel with "Now that I'm dead I know everything" the witty character of Penelope begins to unfold. Resentment, loyalty, jealousy, insecurity and love are among many of the characteristics we witness in Penelope throughout the novel, and it is with these characteristics that Margaret Atwood creates a strong, feminine narrative through Penelope. Describing herself as "nothing special to look at" we see the insecure side to Penelope; one of her characteristics many women can relate to. Her insecurity is also shown through the jealousy she feels towards her cousin 'Helen of Troy' and the way that Penelope constantly compares herself to her. "A women who'd driven hundred's of men mad with lust" here Penelope talks of Helen in comparision to herself "a plain but smart wife" to depict the beauty of Helen and the power she has over men. In the novel Helen is also the figure of Penelope's resentment, Penelope blames Helen for Odysseus' departure from Ithaca "Helen the septic bitch, root cause of all my misfortunes." but this resentment can also be interpreted as Penelope's love for Odysseus. Loyal to Odysseus while he is in Troy, Penelope wards of the suitors - reluctant to leave without her hand in marriage, by using her wit. Most known for being smart Penelope cunningly weaves a shroud and tells the suitors she will not marry until the shroud is complete - secretly she undoes all of the weaving she has done at night while the suitors sleep. It is through this plan that we see Penelope form a strong bond with the maids, "I was spoiling them" - Penelope treats the maids in a way that is frowned upon. When Odysseus returns and kills the maids for 'playing about' while he was away we see Penelope grieve for them but still, she remains loyal to Odysseus.

Odysseus is portrayed in many ways by Penelope.At the begining of the novel, now that she knows what he has done, she resents him and he is portrayed as cunning and evil. "What a fool he made of me..It was a specialty of his, making fools.. I knew he was tricky and a liar.." Here we see how Penelope really feels about Odysseus while she reflects upon her time on earth. "Hadn't I been faithful? Hadn't I waited, and waited, and waited - despite the temptation?" This quote shows Penelope's hurt and resentment towards Odysseus. This tone towards Odysseus is not carried on throughout the novel however as when Penelope begins to tell us the story she talks of him fondly and lovingly, as she felt for him at the time. "Odysseus was not one of those men who, after the act, simply roll over and begin to snore...No Odysseus wanted to talk." This shows that Odysseus was loving and kind towards her and this is one of the traits that won Penelope over in the end, as it was an, in a way, arranged marriage Penelope and Odysseus took their time to get to know eachother and grew to love one another. Odysseus is portrayed as cunning when Penelope talks of his plan to get out of going to Troy and when she talks of his plan to get back into the palace unknown to the suitors. The interpretation of Odysseus in 'The Penelopiad' is different to in 'The Odyssey' because in 'The Odyssey' the story is told by him and is very masculine.

The maids' narrative creates a totally contrasting veiw of the events and the characters. The maids' narrative is presented in the form of verse and each of the different poems depicts a different part of the story and their feelings throughout. The maid's decribe Odysseus as a hypocrit:
"with every goddess, queen, an bitch
from there to here
you scratched your itch

we did much less
than what you did
you judged us bad"
The maids are talking about Odysseus while he was on his trip and they are presenting their case of unfair judgement upon them when he kills them. The maids depict Odysseus as cruel and unkind and Penelope as the woman who let them down. This narrative gives the reader a further version of events to listen to and compare.

The different feminine narratives are effective in telling this myth from a new perspective. They create a new version of events which are non-bias to Odysseus and allow Penelope's side of the story to be heard. The maids' input allow a further perspective to take into account and allow the reader a choice of who to sympathise with. Penelope can be seen as a heroine as she is just a typical woman trying to do right by her husband without being seen as having no mind of her own. The reader can sympathise with her as we see all of the hardship she is faced with and the way she feels within herself. Without her husband Penelope has to stand on her own two feet and make her own choices. 'The Penelopiad' is also a contrasting view of Penelope from 'The Odyssey' as she is given her own voice and is not just seen as "the plain wife." 'The Penelopiad' portrays the story of Odysseus in a way many people can relate to with humor throughout which is up to date and enjoyable, the perfect example of 'there are two sides to every story.'

comment on michael thomas

good essay Michael kept me entertained and now you know how my gran acts.lol.your focus was clear through the essay and even though it was short it had the information you needed for each story.use i in an essay i would not my friend but apart from that it was good.xxx

commenting "the bell jar"

dunno if this is how you do it but aye..
i thought this essay was fabby :)Wooooooooo! it answered the question well and it helped me understand the novel more. i thought the second paragraph was the best. it was strong. i can't really say anything bad about this. WELL DONE!
x

Steph x

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Nicole

Specialist Study -‘The Comfort of Strangers’
By Nicole Grantham

On holiday Colin and Maria meet a strange man who has an unusual story to tell. The significance of the novel is not immediately obvious however the significance of the title ‘The comfort of strangers’ becomes clear as their holiday unfolds into a fantasy of aggressiveness as they are drawn into the trap. This study will examine how Ian McEwan uses narrative structure and the significance of the title.

‘The Comfort of Strangers’ was written by the author Ian McEwan which centres around the criminal mind of a stranger. The significance of the title and the narrative structure plays an important part which will be studied in more detail throughout the essay.

The choice of the title is not immediately obvious at the beginning of the novel so makes the reader question themselves as to what happens? And who is the stranger? By providing this odd title this questions the readers mind from the start making an interesting development of the plot. By having the words ‘comfort’ and ‘stranger’ in the same phrase, this indicates an extraordinary and unfamiliar setting as people are usually not at ease with strangers who they have never met before.

The title is highly personally to the protagonist as the protagonist is a stranger however he is also a stranger to the other characters. The protagonist is a stranger and murders and drugs the other characters. ‘‘He whispered he was going to kill me, but he’d said that many times before.’’ The title begins to gain a deeper meaning of the characters, setting and plot. This makes the title become more significant as Colin and Maria start to become suspicious of Robert and his wife ‘‘At breakfast Maria had repeated her story about the photograph, she did so without speculation, simply the facts in order they had presented themselves to her’’ this shows that Colin and Maria are not starting to speculate if Robert has been taking pictures of them.

The first impression of the title is that it is about people who are unfamiliar to each other but seem at ease as the title says ‘The Comfort of Strangers’ which suggests this idea of calmness however we later learn that there is a lot of violence ‘‘I blocked out with the pain. My back was broken and I was in hospital for months.’’ so the title suggesting something different from the actual story. This gives further support of the choice of the title and how significant it is to the overall impact of the novel.

The specificity in the title and the main focus of the novel allows progress of the characters and meaning of the title. The reader becomes aware of the relevance of the title as events are revealed in bits which keep the reader hooked. Dramatic effect is created by the title however the meaning is introduced more suddenly than the reinforcement for the initial beginning of the title presented at the end of the novel.

Characters lives in the novel give an initial meaning by the title as Robert tells the characters about his early life were he was brought to fear his father, ‘‘I believed he knew everything like god’’ suggesting that Robert murders Colin due to his childhood experience. The relationship between the title and the story becomes clear upon examination of the novel.

The text is told by the author using the third person and is written in a chronological structure. The word ‘stranger’ used in the title is symbolic to Robert as he meets Colin and Maria unplanned and persuades them to visit his flat even though they are complete strangers to each other. The novel is apparently set in Venice but is not named throughout the whole novel. This is symbolic as the landscape is full of tourists such as Colin and Maria; it is fee from traffic suggesting no signs of modern living and instead an older world. Roberts stories about his early life of fear and violence ‘‘My sisters! They hated me’’ help to convey the narrative as he is basically doing the same as his father and following in his footsteps. The only description of any of the characters in great detail is Colin. This suggests that he will be the main victim later on in the book. This results in Colin being murdered and Maria drugged.

The end of the book becomes significant to the title because as the narrative builds up it relates to the irony of the title as it is not calm and at ease when you first meet a new person who you do not know. The novel ends with Maria wondering why all of this has happened and leaves the reader slightly confused however overall the title adds to the impact of narrative structure and becomes clear to the reader why this is the title.

Grrrr!!!

Right, you horrible lot. A word of advice. When writing about either "The Trick is to Keep Breathing" or your specialist study, don't call them a book! Use the term novel. It shows that you know what type of book you are writing about! This is very important in the exam and not just one of my silly pet hates!!!

Callum

The novel “Things Fall Apart” by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe follows the life of Okonkwo and his family in their village in Lower Nigeria. The book is set in the 1890’s and the novel depicts the colonisation of Africa by the European Settlers and it focuses on individual members of Okonkwo’s tribe. Throughout the book we see Okonkwo’s life follow its path and we see the things happening around him. Is Okonkwo destined to his fate or was his inevitable downfall in his own hands? Throughout this essay I will try and answer this question by examining the characters the author has created and the theme of the text.

Some of the major characters created by Achebe are Okonkwo, Nwoye; Okonkwo’s eldest son and Mr Brown/Reverend Smith.

Okonkwo is plays a major role in the novel and is a very powerful man. He achieved fame in his and the surrounding villages by throwing Amalinze ‘the Cat’ in a wrestling match. He achieved this fame, as Amalinze had not been beaten for several years. Okonkwo’s greatest fears are that he will end up like his lazy father and he also fears that his son Nwoye will end up like him as well. Throughout the novel Okonkwo pursues achievements to make up for the shame that his father brought on him and on the village. He achieves great success becoming a warrior, a farmer, a Clansman, a husband to three wives and a father to several children. However Okonkwo is not the man he wants to be as he has his weaknesses and it is these weaknesses that destroy everything he has created for himself. He is determined not be seen as weak and internal and external forces drive this determination. His behaviour is often rash and impulsive usually involving violence and it is this behaviour that makes him break the ‘Week of Peace’, which is sacred in his village. “The evil you have done can ruin the whole clan. The earth goddess whom you have insulted may refuse to give us her increase, and we shall all perish.” A priest who is angry with Okonkwo for breaking the sacred week of peace by beating his wife says this quote. It lets us know that what Okonkwo did was wrong and that in his village everything is fair. It is his carelessness that results in his banishment from his village for seven years, and it is his fiery temper which makes him kill a white man and then pushes him into taking his own life. Okonkwo is a ‘tragic hero’ whom is superior to other characters however his temper and his actions lead him to destroy himself.

Okonkwo’s eldest son is called Nwoye and he lives in the shadow of Okonkwo. Okonkwo has high hopes for Nwoye as he hopes that when he dies Nwoye will be a strong man who will be able to run his fathers household when Okonkwo is dead. Nwoye however has different ideas and his interests are more similar to his grandfathers rather than his fathers. This earns him many beating from Okonkwo, as he is adamant that he will grow up to be a strong man. When Ikefuma arrives in Okonkwo’s house Nwoye takes a liking to him and treats him as an older brother who he looks up to. With the influence of Ikefuma, Nwoye much to his fathers delight begins to become more masculine. Okonkwo backs off Nwoye not beating him and Nwoye begins to win Okonkwo’s approval. Even with this masculine influence Nwoye Is still in conflict with himself. He makes a point of scorning feminine things to please his father however secretly Nwoye misses his mother’s stories. When Ikefuma is killed Nwoye misses him and retreats into himself becoming more and more alienated and wrapped up in his own thoughts. He begins to question some of the tribe’s customs and when the missionaries arrive he finds himself drawn to them despite his fathers hatred towards them. Nwoye’s joining of the Christians could be seen as a rebellion towards his father as he seems to find peace once he has left his father. Okonkwo disowns him and curses himself for giving birth to such an ‘effeminate’ son.

Mr Brown is the authors attempt to create a balanced colonial presence in Okonkwo’s country. Mr Brown is a friendly white man who listen to the villagers stories, beliefs and he listens most importantly to their opinions. This is how he succeeds in winning a large number of converts. Mr Brown accepts any coverts unconditionally and this shows his sympathetic nature towards the inhabitants of the villages. Mr Browns name hints at the fact that he can successfully navigate between the racial differences between the white people and the villagers. Mr Brown however is replaced with Reverend Smith who despises the villagers thinking that they are inferior to him and the coverts. Reverend Smith is the complete opposite to Mr Brown and he lets the coverts do whatever they please to annoy the villagers. Reverend Smith is a small-minded character and some of the things he says about Mr Brown after Mr Browns leaving illustrate the colonial’s intolerance towards any sympathy shown towards the villagers.

The text has two major themes, which are ‘the struggle between tradition and change’ and ‘varying interpretations of masculinity’. These play an important role in the novel.
The main theme of the novel is the struggle between change and tradition and throughout the novel we see how the change from their old ways of life to the new life of Christianity affects the characters. The new regime angers Okonkwo who is afraid in a way of losing her personal status that he has earned also he believes that the new religion is not manly. Many of the clan’s outcasts find that if they join Christianity they will have a new-elevated status and will not be placed below everyone else. Throughout the book the villager are caught between resisting and welcoming this new religion. Many are against this change like Okonkwo however many are for it. “Does the white man understand our custom about land?” “How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our customs are bad. How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” This quote appears in a conversation between Obierika and Okonkwo when they are discussing the white men. Obierika is another who believes that the new religion is bad and he talks about the impossibility’s of the Umuofian’s leaving their traditional methods of doing things for the unfamiliar customs of the white man. The new influence that the white men bring threatens to extinguish skills needed for the survival of Okonkwo’s tribe such as traditional methods of farming, harvesting, cooking and building. These skills were essential for the survival of Okonkwo’s people but now they are being eradicated by the influences of the white men.

A minor theme of the book is varying interpretations of masculinity. Much of Okonkwo’s violence came from him trying to be the opposite of his weak father. He see’s views such as his fathers to be weak and therefore he calls them feminine. Okonkwo’s clans society is very much sexist. The word for a man who has taken to titles in the clan is ‘agbala’, we as the reader are told that this also means woman. Okonkwo is so violent as he believes that anger is the only emotion a man should show and that any other emotions are feminine which is why he frequently beats his wives and occasionally threatens to kill them. We also see this in Okonkwo when he accompanies the men on the trip to kill Ikefuma, when the boy runs to him for help he cuts him down as he is afraid of looking weak. When Okonkwo is exiled he flee’s to his motherland where his mothers kin live. This is a chance for him to get in touch with his feminine side however throughout the exile he reinforces his ideology that men are better than women. Okonkwo’s feeling is that anything weak is feminine.

Was Okonkwo’s destined to his fate or was his downfall in his own hands? Throughout this essay I have looked at some of the main characters and at the themes of the novel. Okonkwo was in my opinion in control of his own life and if his temper and anger had not got the better of him or his desire to be the best then his life would have turned out differently. His fear of looking weak let to his own undoing.

Alastair

Higher EnglishWay To Go'
By Alan Spence

Alan Spence's novel, 'Way To Go', is an account of Neil McGraw's life, the main character in this novel. It is written in first person narrative in a biographical format. Throughout the novel, Spence uses techniques such as dialogue and charaterisation that allow the reader to understand Neil's changes and why he does so. These techniques used by Spence also make the reader grow to know and like this character.
The dialogue used in this novel is mainly Scottish slang with a lot of swearing. From the beginning of the book, this sets the scene and helps the reader understand the rough, environment that Neil is growing up in, in the large Scottish city of Glasgow. Although the theme of the book is death, this novel is very humerous as we soon learn Neil is a very funny character which is demonstrated in the dialogue he uses. The characterisation used is very clever as throughout the novel Spence refers to how much time has passed which makes the reader look for changes in Neil's character. Also there are a few key events that shape and mature Neil.

A lot of this novel is written using dialogue which helps the reader understand what the characters are really like. It also helps you to understand their feelings and their beliefs. At the beginning of the novel, it is clear that Neil is scared of his father who would often punish him by locking him in the coffin filled basement. His father ran an undertaking business that Neil insisted he would never join. This, along with the fact Neil's father blamed him for the death of his mother, who died giving birth to him, made this father - son relationship far from the norm. In an argument with his father after Neil had laughed at a time when his father was working, his father said, "You think death's a big joke? You think it's a laughing matter?" This was followed by a snigger of laughter from Neil which enraged his father."Right!" said his father before smacking him. This was in his father's eyes a justifiable reason to lock him down in the basement. This is a typical example of Neil's relationship with his father. At this point in the novel it is clear to see Neil's immaturity which you may expect of a school boy. Neil was obviously treated unfairly by his father which is probably why he found it difficult to socialise with people his own age. Also growing up without a mother figure is far from ideal.
When Neil finally accumulates enough courage to stand up to his father and escape from his life in Glasgow, he joins up with a group of hippies who seem to have a massive effect on his personality. Here, he becomes far more relaxed and easy going. He no longer had his father watching and punishing him. Humour is used throughout this novel and we see more signs of Neil's personality as the book unfolds. After having unprotected sex with a girl, she said, "Oh fuck!."
"Afraid we did," said Neil who goes on to tell the reader,'And inside I was punching the air in triumph, taking a lap of honour.' But then came the thought of pregnancy and disease, "I'm clean, and I'm on the pill," she said. Neil's thought: 'Yes! Wave to the main stand.' Throughout the novel dialogue is constantly interrupted by Neil's thoughts and feelings that add to the reader's like for the character.
After a few decades of travelling, experiencing different cultures on his way, Neil returns to Glasgow with his Indian wife when his father dies. Here he reaquaintes himself with some old friends and the reader really begins to notice a change in Neil. At this point he has matured and has finally found out who he really is. Despite being far more sensible, Neil hasn't lost his sense of humour which is clear to see. At a biker's funeral where their way of a good send off was to 'direct a stream of piss onto the grave.' Neil suggested to his friend and coligue," Time for a sharp exit?"
To which Des replied, "Be tears before bedtime if you ask me." This was a typical laugh between these two friends who although were never short of jokes aimed at each other, were all good at heart.
Towards the end of the novel you see a side to Neil that you certainly havn't seen before, and that is his pride for the business that he took over following his father's death. He rebuilt and reshaped the business and was adament he would never sell when a large company tried to buy the business. Neil told the company representative,"There's no point in wasting your time. I'm not interested. I've no intention of giving up our independance, being taken over by you or anybody else.....What a tosser!"

There was a few key incidents that played an important part in Neil's life that influenced his way of life. The first of which is when his father found him in one of the coffins in the basement having sex with a girl he had met. This was the final straw for Neil before heading for London. He probably felt he no longer had any relationship with his father and that nothing was keeping him in Glasgow. It turned out to be good for Neil as even though he lived with a very poor, rough standard of living in London, he was free to be who he wanted to be.
Leaving London was an important step for Neil as he never had anything going for him and was taking advantage of people's generousity. He was unemployed and unemployable and lived in a rough area where he often used illegal drugs. Not only did leaving mean he had to stand on his own two feet, it also meant he learned about different cultures which was to later come in handy.
The most important stage in Neil's life was returning to Glasgow to bury his father. He was facing up to his past that he would probably rather have forgotten about. This turned out to be a very positive move for him because he ran a successful business with the people he loved.

Neil,it would seem, never originally wanted to take over his father's business because he feared he would turn into his father. However when he does eventually take over, he shows how original his ideas are and how different he is to his father. He introduces themed funerals, something his old fashioned, steriotypically Scottish, father would never dream of. Also the fact he changed the company slogan from "Rest Assured" to "Way To Go" again symbolises his individuality.

Rebecca Carradice

The novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger is a novel, which centres around the theme of isolation. This study will examine this theme, along with the writer’s use of characterisation and setting, which help to convey the character’s eventual break down.

“The Catcher in the Rye” is a personal account told by Holden Caulfield, the narrator of the book. He recalls a weekend of his life from a psychiatric hospital, and throughout gives off an impression of his loneliness, and isolation from society. We see everything through Holden’s eyes, and so he cannot always be said to be a reliable narrator, however we still see him to have problems and so there is still room for an outside perspective.

Throughout the novel, Holden shows feelings of alienation. He says he feels trapped “on the other side” of life, and generally doesn’t feel he fits in with the world around him. He finds interaction with other people confusing and difficult, and so makes out to himself that he is above interacting with other people, and almost superior to anyone else around him. “I thought what I’d do was, I’d pretend to be one of those deaf-mutes. That way I wouldn’t have to have any goddam stupid conversations with anybody.” Holden tries to escape from social situations, as he finds them difficult to cope with and uncomfortable. However, as well as causing Holden problems, his isolation from society also acts as the little stability that he has in his life, and the only aspect he can control. As a sixteen-year-old boy growing up, these feelings of alienation could simply be seen as regular teenage emotions, however in Holden’s case his isolation eventually leads to him breaking down, and ending up in psychiatric care.

Holden is at the stage in his life where both society and his own body are telling him that he should be progressing into adulthood. He can be a very immature character, and even Holden himself realises this, but justifies it by saying he is going “through a phase.” He seems to want to resist the process of maturing, and fears the change and complicity of adult life. He enjoys the innocence, and lack of responsibility of childhood, and doesn’t want to swap this for the grown up and more serious things in life. However, Holden is attracted to some aspects of grown up life, such as independence, sexuality and alcohol. Throughout the book he experiences these aspects, but he refuses to accept the others. He believes that adulthood is full of “phonies,” and that many people around him are fake and superficial.

Having said this, Holden himself lies and deceits people throughout the story. He tells the woman on the train that he is the school janitor because he “didn’t feel like giving her his whole life history,” and he says himself that he is a compulsive liar, “the most terrific liar one could meet.” Throughout the book though, it is unclear whether people actually believe him, and so his deceitfulness and lies could be seen to simply help his own self-delusion, and be another part of him not understanding who he is.

As Holden cannot fully accept that he is maturing, and becoming an adult, he doesn’t appear to really know who he is. He seems to be trying to find himself in the story, and is looking for direction in life. We see this when he asks people several times where the ducks fly away to in the winter. This shows that he is searching for a way to lead his life, but is not sure where to go from his current situation.

During the book, Holden stays in the same place for very little time. He moves from his school, “Pencey,” to several locations in New York, and then ends up back in his hometown. This constant change of scenery reflects Holden’s feeling of not belonging, and shows that he is struggling to find his place in society. While at Pencey, Holden does not get on overly well with his classmates. After being thrown out of many schools previously, Holden is asked to leave Pencey, and so goes to New York City hoping to find something to do with himself. While in New York, he visits many places such as pubs and clubs. These places are usually seen to be for adults, and more mature people and so they act as a contradiction to Holden’s feelings towards adult life. While in the clubs Holden can experience the only aspects of adulthood that he is willing to accept, and so he goes in order to drink and meet new people.

After being in several places away from home, at the end of the novel Holden returns back to his hometown. Originally Holden’s intentions are to move away, and live away from his parents. However after speaking to his younger sister, he decides that he will stay at home. This shows that he is finally beginning to accept that he has to face up to real life, and deal with the things that truly matter such as his family. It is ironic however; that it is after talking to his younger sister that he makes this decision. She manages to convince Holden to stay put, and it is when watching her on the merry-go-round that he finally breaks down into tears and realises what is happening to him.

Holden does not finish the story, but ends it here, only going on to say that he is now in the hospital. While in the hospital it seems that he has had time to reflect on what happened to him, and possibly think about who he is as a person. After inventing his own fantasy of adulthood, full of superficiality, he must realise that all of his presumptions are not necessarily true and that he himself has been behaving in an unrealistic manner.

The character of Holden could be seen simply as a troubled teenager, however it is made more believable that the character does in fact have mental problems, having ended up in a psychiatric ward. “The Catcher in the Rye” raises issues of isolation and how Holden as a young individual deals with it. J.D. Salinger expresses very well how the character struggles to cope with life; its effects on him and the way he ends up, using the technique of setting and the development of Holden as a character.

Over the Weekend....

Okay. Well now that you have posted up your specialist studies you are going to do a little bit of peer marking. Once you know whose spec. study you are looking at I want you to make the following comments:

1. Have they answered the question that they set themselves?
2. What point/paragraph was their strongest?
3. What point/paragraph was their weakest?
4. Did you understand what the story/novel was about based purely on this essay?
5. Has he/she included enough textual evidence? (Remember Statement, Quotation, Analysis)
6. Has he/she explained his/her quotations fully?
7. Did you enjoy reading this?
8. Any points you would suggest for the next draft?

Remember to put your name at the end of the comment. This is only because I may add some comments too and the person needs to know who has written what comments.I am looking forward to reading your responses to one another!

Scott Leslie (Soooooooooooo Tired)

“Complicity” By Iain Banks

Statement of Intent
The novel “Complicity” by Iain Banks has a definite turning point and decisive moment.
This study will describe what happens at this point and will explain why this is so integral to the plot.
This study will refer to the characterisation, setting and plot building up to this moment.



“Complicity” tells the story of Edinburgh journalist, Cameron Colley and the situation he finds himself in, when what he thinks is a lead for a “juicy” article turns out to be part of a plot to frame him for a series of murders. An anonymous informant sends Cameron all over the country on various pretexts and calls him at pay phones with the next piece of information on the supposed “scoop”. The locations are actually the perfect cover for the real serial killer to put Cameron in the right place at the right time to look suspicious. Cameron is actually completely innocent but so much evidence is stacked against him that he is arrested and questioned. He realises that whoever is framing him has access to a lot of information about his present and his past which narrows the field. For example there is a note in his handwriting at one of the murder scenes and many of the victims were featured in an article produced by Cameron that was very much against them and what they stood for. “Introduce a real avenger…Somebody who’ll give people like James Anderton, Judge Jamieson and Sir Toby Bissett a taste of their own medicine” Two more victims are mentioned in this article and it begins to read like a hit list. Cameron wracks his brain and finally realises his childhood friend Andy is behind the murders. The reason Andy is never suspected before is because Banks “tricks” the reader into believing he is dead. This is because a man is described being murdered in Andy’s bed, in Andy’s house and then set on fire. The body is so badly mutilated that it is never identified but he is believed to be dead by both Cameron and the police, thus eliminating him as a suspect. This is the turning point on which this study will focus.

Banks uses two narratives within the novel. A first person narrative is used for Cameron’s side of the story, where he is the narrator. A third person narrative is used for the section describing the gruesome murders taking place, for example “You took the gun out once, reaching under your thin canvas jacket” This is why the turning point is so unexpected because the reader sees the man murdered in Andy’s bed and as the reader has no idea who the murderer is, automatically assumes Andy is dead. This moment sees the whole book turned round as it now becomes a hunt for Andy, before he strikes again. This keeps the reader in suspense to see if Andy is eventually caught.

The following three sections will look at the characterisation, setting and plot building up to this point.

This section will be directed towards how the characters are portrayed through their thoughts, dialogue and actions. It will also look at how Cameron sees his childhood as an almost idyllic period of his life. Cameron also has some very contrasting moods.

“I’m tempted to call in at the paper and pick up a copy fresh off the press” His story has made the front cover and he takes great pride in this. “It’s as bad as that television piece you did last year.” This shows his work is not always up to standard and is told to rewrite a piece. This is in contrast with the piece that made the front page as he can’t have taken pride in the article he has to rewrite.

“I dream of Strathspeld, and the long summers of my childhood passed in a trance of lazy pleasure.” He looks back on his childhood as heavenly and idyllic which contradicts the fact that Andy almost died, Andy is sexually assaulted and they murder his attacker!

The setting is integral to the plot because Cameron is in this situation because of his locations at the time of the murders. Banks also uses descriptions to vividly set the scene throughout the book. The fact that the book is set in Scotland, especially Edinburgh, will allow Scottish readers to identify places within the text.

“tour of Stockbridge by night looking for a parking place”, readers who know the area can identify with the fact that the streets are always packed with cars and that Cameron has to drive round the whole place to find a space.

“Eddie is sitting on – no; housed within – a throne of a chair, all black carved wood and buttoned red leather” This paints a vivid picture in the reader’s mind that Eddie is sitting in a very grand and imposing chair, to represent his authority as the editor of the newspaper.

“The mountaintops are smothered, black crags violent spattered marks against that blankness.” This describes the snow covered mountains with rock formations poking through as if they have had to fight their way through the snow.

The plot is what makes this book so clever and enjoyable. Almost everything that happens has some significance in the case. The reader takes on the role of the detective and is given small clues to the killer’s identity throughout the novel. Allowing the reader to become involved in the text, keeps them interested throughout. It also keeps the reader looking very closely for anything that could help to reveal the murderers identity. One of the biggest clues is when Cameron has a very strange phone conversation with Andy in which Cameron phones him but Andy claims to have phoned Cameron. It turns out that Andy was murdering one of his victims and it was a recorded message that Cameron was talking to, this provided Andy with an alibi. At the end the whole plot links back together and you realise how important all the things that happen are; in relation to finding the killer’s identity.

To conclude, the novel is very unpredictable and this adds to the reader’s enjoyment as you can never be sure which way the plot will turn. Many readers will also enjoy the fact that they can take on the role of detective. Banks is also very clever in the way he ties together the plot in the end. The way Banks “tricks” the reader and turns the plot around, means the reader is kept guessing all the way through the novel.

Rebecca Davidson =]

''The Collector,'' by John Fowles includes two main themes which are of love and obsession which are influenced by the overbearing mind of the character Ferdinand. This essay will explain how his love and obsession led him from collecting something simple such as a butterfly to something much more sinister, while also looking closely at characterisation and structure.

From the beginning of the novel Ferdinand's obsession which a young, beautiful art student named Miranda is very clear to the reader. His love for her grows to be an obsession. He begins to stalk her, recording the days he sees her and admiring her from a distance, ''I marked it in my observation diary, at first with X, and then when I knew her name with M.'' Ferdinand dreams or her as if they are lovers and sees her as the perfect women, even though they have never truly met and she does not know him at all, ''It seemed like we became more intimate, although of course we still did not know each other in the ordinary way.'' He has such high hopes for the life they could have together.

A chance pools win allows Ferdinand to collect and buy all the items he would need if himself and Miranda were together. He buys a house in a quiet area which contained a secluded that he seen as perfect to keep her in. Some of the plans he makes seem to happen without him fully realising what he is planning to do as if they are in his subconscious. He does not realise what he shall eventually be capable of, ''Of course, I thought it was only pretending''.

The novel is separated into two main chapters. Chapter one is told from Ferdinand's point of view, detailing all his deep and loving feelings for Miranda and his hopes for their relationship, ''The very first time I saw her, I knew she was the only one.'' Chapter two gives the reader and insight into Miranda's struggles as a captured woman in a diary which she kept secretly during her captivity, revealing also her past.

This structure is very important to the story and to the characterisation in the novel as it allows the reader to look closely into both character's and understand Ferdinand's obsessive behaviour, which helps the reader to see properly into the shocking ending.

One night Ferdinand follows Miranda and covers her mouth with a rag soaked in chloroform which knocks her unconscious. Ferdinand places her in the back of a van, whilst still being careful not to cause her any more harm, ''I heard her say under the cloth, no, no, it was horrible, but I made myself do it.''

Characterisation is also a key factor of the novel. Ferdinand does not treat Miranda as his prisoner many times throughout the story. He treats her like a queen or his wife by buying her everything she could have wanted, except her freedom which is what she wanted most, whilst hoping that she would like him more because of it, ''She liked it and so me for buying it''.

Ferdinand is the opposite of the stereotypical kidnapper, his love for her is clear throughout. Miranda is ironically the strongest character. She refuses to call Ferdinand, Ferdinand and instead refers to him as the much more sinister name,''Caliban''. Miranda wishes to be seen by, ''Caliban'', as strong minded but desperately needs him company to protect her state of mind. She begins to downgrade him by harshly analysing their conversations, describing him as being, ''pathetic''.

She tries to regain her freedom by making several escape attempts all of which are unsuccessful. These attempts reach their climax when she resorts to trying to seduce Ferdinand in the hope that he would then set her free, ''I will not give in, I will not give in''. Towards the end of the second chapter Miranda becomes sick, her diary entries begin to get shorter and her sentences a lot blunter, until they stop altogether.

Ferdinand sees Miranda to be very similar to the butterflies which he collects, ''And her hair in a long pigtail. It was very pale, silky like burnet cocoons.'' He sees her as a beautiful object which he can keep for his own pleasure. When Miranda dies Ferdinand quickly erases her memory and moves on to admire another girl from a distance and making plans, just like Miranda. Miranda was once his whole world and now she has became as insignificant to Ferdinand as one of his bad butterflies.

Polly

Specialist Study
“Brave New World”

“Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley depicts a sterile and loveless future in which there is no such thing as an individual and human beings are bred, not born, to fulfil specific roles in society. Set in London six hundred years in the future, Huxley’s “brave new world” draws the reader in as if they too are trapped within this inescapable future in which no one person has an identity of their own. But how does the author’s use of setting in time and place impact on the reader’s appreciation of the text as a whole?
The book is set in London in the year 632 A.F, or “After Ford”. Ford is the original creator of this “World State” which the Earth has now become, and is considered to be the equivalent of a God as there is now no religion in the new world. London has changed a lot in 600 years - Charing Cross Station is now the “Charing T Rocket Station”, Big Ben is now better known as “Big Henry” and Westminster Abbey is now a nightclub - the “Westminster Abbey Cabaret”. By referring to familiar landmarks and how much they have changed, the reader is able to build up a picture in their mind’s eye of London in this strange future and relate to the setting more.
Huxley describes in depth the extent to which the world has modernised. Now when you go to the cinema, not only do you watch what’s going on but you can feel it as if you are actually in the movie yourself. Also, rather than the car, the main form of transportation is now the helicopter.
However, by far the most noticeable change in this new world is that humans are no longer born but created and grown in laboratories and modified whilst still developing as foetus’ to have all the skills necessary for carrying out their future roles in society, whether they be in the lowest caste of “epsilon semi-morons” or the highest caste of “alpha plus’”. As infants, they are taught that “everyone belongs to everyone else” - already being discouraged to show any individuality - and that sex is the best form of entertainment possible. Emotions are discouraged - there is no such thing are love, marriage or commitment, and, if things get too intense, there is always the recreational designer drug “soma” distributed to everyone by the government itself. This civilisation is designed to be a utopia in which there is no disease or aging and death is just another part of life to be ignored, but ironically the scene that Huxley sets creates the complete opposite effect, making this “Brave New World” seem like a cold, heartless place where it is impossible to be your own person and you are punished for any self expression or if you resist to conform. It is as if everybody is a prisoner on their own planet, and yet so many are completely oblivious that this is so.
During the novel, two of the main characters, Bernard and Lenina, visit a “Savage Reservation”. The people who live in these reservations are known as Savages because they are still actually born, not grown, have parents and families, believe in religion and commitment, and lots of other completely normal morals that we ourselves are encouraged to abide by in this day and age. However, because of the surge of technology in the new world, Savages are primitive even to us and are thought of as disgusting by ‘civilised people’. On arriving at the reservation, Bernard and Lenina are reminded that the inhabitants are - “absolute savages” that “still preserve their repulsive habits and customs”. It is as if they see them as animals rather than humans. At this reservation lives John, a young man whose parents both originally were from the new world, yet he himself has grown up as a savage. His character says a lot about how times have changed in that the reader can relate to his beliefs as they are the most like those in present society. John himself is keen to visit the new world, in fact it is he who refers to it as a brave new world in the first place - “O brave new world that has such people in it…”. This shows that his view on the world outside the squalor of the savage reservation is that of an exciting, modern place full of new opportunities. John Savage is probably the most touching character in the book as he is depicted as a complete innocent who is totally overwhelmed by the new world. Tragically, he kills himself at the end of the novel, unable to cope with the corruptness of society. Therefore, this idea of a “new world” is heightened by the fact that the character most like the reader commits suicide showing that this so-called “Brave New World” is so terrifying that we, as savages, so to speak, in the present day, wouldn’t be able to survive it. His character is an effective comparison between our world and this future - even the term “savage” shows that how most humans live their lives today would be considered savagely in this new society. However Huxley’s storytelling portrays the opposite idea to the reader - the customs of those in the World State come across cold and emotionless: perhaps it is they who are the savages after all.
All of this, in a way, makes the Brave New World, the setting itself, the main character in this novel because everything links back to it and it’s impossible to escape, as if it is some sort of domineering dictator, enslaving a race of people, most of whom are completely oblivious.
This future seems particularly terrifying because anyone individual enough to want to escape this apparent nightmare of a world is silenced meaning humans are trapped in this setting, this ‘brave new world’, causing the reader to think about their own society and the role that they themselves choose in life, as well as what it really means to be human.

Polly Davidson
5G2