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English Advanced Essay Marking (Modules Only)
jamonwindeyer:
--- Quote from: _____ on October 01, 2017, 04:34:32 pm ---Pretty generic essay, think it'll suit being moulded to other questions. Left it short so I have room to adapt. Concerns:
--- End quote ---
Hey! Happy to give you some comments on this ;D
SpoilerShakespeare’s Hamlet continues to engage audiences through its dramatic treatment of struggle and disillusionment.
In the light of your critical study, does this statement resonate with your own interpretation of Hamlet?
In your response, make detailed reference to the play.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet portrays the struggle between chivalric duty and Renaissance-era morality. Good concept, I'd like you to explain it a little futher.Therein, feudalistic concerns for honour pressure Hamlet to enact revenge, eventually leading to a genuine delusion. Be careful you don't rely on the plot to portray your concepts too much. The prince is characterised as a philosophical humanist, reflecting disillusionment with the medieval social fabric of the Danish state. Ideological conflict accentuates Claudius’ regicide, his manipulative tendencies emphasising Hamlet’s morality and the corruption of the state in which the prince finds himself trapped. Through Hamlet’s perceptive characterisation in attempting to resolve the injustice and understand our mortality we are positioned to empathise with his struggle, Shakespeare’s portrayal of his quest enabling the drama to engage audiences through intricate characterisation, integral to the tragedy’s textual integrity. Perhaps delving a little too far into the characters and such for the introduction - But works well on the whole ;D
From the first act Hamlet is positioned as utterly disillusioned with Claudius’ corruption and life in general through portrayal of a putrid, rotting society. A character focused Thesis, not the most sophisticated approach possible but it does respond to the question nicely. Provided you analyse effectively, no dramas. The prince labels Denmark an “unweeded garden,” imagery emphasising Hamlet’s malcontent with the “speed[y]” marriage of his mother and his father’s death, disillusionment with Claudius’ control of Danish power structures elucidated through metaphor of Denmark as a “prison.” Remember to attribute techniques to Shakespeare - These characters are his puppets. Moreover, Hamlet compares his father to “Hyperion,” saying he is “like the herald Mercury” while describing Claudius as a “satyr,” juxtaposition through mythological allusion highlighting the injustice of the king’s regicide. Retell. Indeed, Hamlet’s uncle is characterised as a repugnant villain, diction in labelling Hamlet’s grief “unmanly” illustrating the villain’s egotism. The prince labels him a “…treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain,” cumulative listing emphasising his malevolence and the prince’s discontent. How do these ideas relate to discontent? The motif of decay continues as Claudius admits his offence “is rank” and “smells to heaven,” reinforcing the pervasive corruption of the king’s reign. Retell. Thus, Shakespeare explores a fundamental disillusionment with the powers-that-be, Hamlet’s grief engaging the audience as we are encouraged to empathise with his struggle. Great textual evidence, but a lot of textual retell. Shakespeare represents his characters in these ways - He deserves more attention! :)
While coming to terms with Claudius’ guilt, Hamlet finds himself forced to resolve the injustice as the son of the victim. Don't retell the plot - Marker has read it! No proper Thesis set up here either. The prince’s disillusionment with chivalric duty is reflected from the first meeting with the ghost, after which he laments “O cursed spite / That ever I was born to set it right.” Rhyming couplet expounds Hamlet’s humanist philosophy, as he curses the medieval customs which pressure him to enact revenge. As an easy way to improve flow, ensure quote and technique are always in the same sentence. Indeed, the ghost symbolises external pressures, demonstrating the conflicting forces the prince must reconcile. As the prince finds Claudius in prayer, he remarks “A villain kills my father, and, for that / I, his sole son, do this same villain send / To Heaven.” Parallelism of “father” and “son” emphasises the significance of filial duty in the Elizabethan era. Is this the idea of this paragraph? I'm not getting a clear concept, primarily because the introduction didn't give me one. However, Hamlet resists, ambivalent tone in “Now might I do it pat” denoting resistance to external expectations to avenge his father. We can trace the prince’s fall into genuine madness from this point forward, as he is overcome by the emotional anguish precipitated by his dilemma. Retell. Metaphoric comparison of a human being to “a rat” conveys the abandonment of Hamlet’s moral codes, as he kills Polonius in an errant display of irrationality. The plot element is irrelevant here - The metaphoric comparison (the TECHNIQUE) is the important bit. He later tries to excuse the murder to the victim’s son: “Was’t Hamlet wronged Laertes? Never Hamlet.” Illeism contrasts starkly with prior usage of first person pronoun “I”, subversion denoting the tragic hero’s ultimate failure to reconcile humanist ideals with filial duty and his resulting downfall into genuine madness. Polysyndeton in “Sith I have cause and strength and will and means / To do’t” further reinforces Hamlet’s madness, as he is under armed guard and has no “means” of acting on his words. Hence, Shakespeare encourages the audience to empathise with the prince’s struggle, his tragic fall into delusion and untimely death continuing to resonate even with contemporary responders. Why does it resonate? Is it a universally relevant theme or is it the techniques? Again, fantastic paragraph for evidence/quotes but not the best for the quality of your arguments!!
Moreover, Shakespeare encourages the audience to engage with Hamlet’s struggle through the prince’s insightful metaphysical analysis of our mortality, reflecting the Renaissance-era rejection of the traditional understanding of death. This sentence highlights the issue of perspective - The prince is not offering a metaphysical analysis, Shakespear is doing that using the characters as puppets! Indeed, metaphor of an “undiscovered country” delineates Hamlet’s willingness to question fundamental Christian notions of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. How would this have impacted the predominantly Christian audience? The tragic hero asks whether it would be better “To die, to sleep / To sleep, perchance to dream,” infinitive verb highlighting disillusionment with the corruption of the state and Claudius’ malevolence. Retell. Hamlet notes “Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust,” allusion demonstrating a realisation that death is the ultimate leveller of all humans, rejecting the idea of an afterlife. What is it alluding to? Indeed, Hamlet’s epiphany foreshadows the violent catharsis, repetition of “dies” in stage direction conveying the blunt finality of death as Claudius faces the consequences of his regicide. Therefore, Hamlet’s insightfulness in the struggle to understand our mortality encourages the responder to side with the enigmatic prince, engaging the audience in Shakespeare’s exploration of regicidal greed. Fantastic examples/quotes, but again, not really doing enough with them yet!
In Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays a humanist misfit struggling for justice in a decaying Denmark. The prince’s perceptiveness expounds his disillusionment with the state and with flawed Christian notions of our mortality. Furthermore, Hamlet struggles to reconcile internal concerns for the morality of taking a human life with chivalric filial pressure to avenge his father, catalysing a genuine delusion which engages the audience to empathise with his fall from grace.
In response to your questions:
--- Quote ---1. Should I be so obvious in responding to the question in English? Should I use some other way of saying "engage the audience" or is it fine to keep repeating this so they know I'm considering the question?
--- End quote ---
It is okay to be blatant - But mixing it up is good too. Try and use a few different words instead of "engage" perhaps, if you are worried about it? :)
--- Quote ---2. I don't know why but it seemed appropriate to use verbs in the introduction for module B like "emphasising" as if I were talking about techniques. Should this be avoided?
--- End quote ---
Nah that's okay - If you feel it works better roll with it, gut instinct is good instinct ;D
--- Quote ---3. Only one mention of textual integrity, does pointing out that it resonates with contemporary responders count or should I say textual integrity specifically?
--- End quote ---
I actually didn't mention the idea literally in my essays and I always did fine - It's that the ideas are there that really counts ;D
Overall a solid essay, especially in terms of analysis, but analysis and concept are lacking! Ensure each paragraph gets a fully formed, standalone motherhood statement and conclusion, and remember for analysis:
TECHNIQUE
EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS COMMUNICATING
AUDIENCE RECEPTION/IMPACT
If you take a quote, identify the technique, link it to an idea then explain how that affects our perceptions - You've got all the pieces. Also remember that all techniques are attributed to Shakespeare and not the characters!!
_____:
--- Quote from: jamonwindeyer on October 07, 2017, 01:38:24 am ---Hey! Happy to give you some comments on this ;D
SpoilerShakespeare’s Hamlet continues to engage audiences through its dramatic treatment of struggle and disillusionment.
In the light of your critical study, does this statement resonate with your own interpretation of Hamlet?
In your response, make detailed reference to the play.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet portrays the struggle between chivalric duty and Renaissance-era morality. Good concept, I'd like you to explain it a little futher.Therein, feudalistic concerns for honour pressure Hamlet to enact revenge, eventually leading to a genuine delusion. Be careful you don't rely on the plot to portray your concepts too much. The prince is characterised as a philosophical humanist, reflecting disillusionment with the medieval social fabric of the Danish state. Ideological conflict accentuates Claudius’ regicide, his manipulative tendencies emphasising Hamlet’s morality and the corruption of the state in which the prince finds himself trapped. Through Hamlet’s perceptive characterisation in attempting to resolve the injustice and understand our mortality we are positioned to empathise with his struggle, Shakespeare’s portrayal of his quest enabling the drama to engage audiences through intricate characterisation, integral to the tragedy’s textual integrity. Perhaps delving a little too far into the characters and such for the introduction - But works well on the whole ;D
From the first act Hamlet is positioned as utterly disillusioned with Claudius’ corruption and life in general through portrayal of a putrid, rotting society. A character focused Thesis, not the most sophisticated approach possible but it does respond to the question nicely. Provided you analyse effectively, no dramas. The prince labels Denmark an “unweeded garden,” imagery emphasising Hamlet’s malcontent with the “speed[y]” marriage of his mother and his father’s death, disillusionment with Claudius’ control of Danish power structures elucidated through metaphor of Denmark as a “prison.” Remember to attribute techniques to Shakespeare - These characters are his puppets. Moreover, Hamlet compares his father to “Hyperion,” saying he is “like the herald Mercury” while describing Claudius as a “satyr,” juxtaposition through mythological allusion highlighting the injustice of the king’s regicide. Retell. Indeed, Hamlet’s uncle is characterised as a repugnant villain, diction in labelling Hamlet’s grief “unmanly” illustrating the villain’s egotism. The prince labels him a “…treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain,” cumulative listing emphasising his malevolence and the prince’s discontent. How do these ideas relate to discontent? The motif of decay continues as Claudius admits his offence “is rank” and “smells to heaven,” reinforcing the pervasive corruption of the king’s reign. Retell. Thus, Shakespeare explores a fundamental disillusionment with the powers-that-be, Hamlet’s grief engaging the audience as we are encouraged to empathise with his struggle. Great textual evidence, but a lot of textual retell. Shakespeare represents his characters in these ways - He deserves more attention! :)
While coming to terms with Claudius’ guilt, Hamlet finds himself forced to resolve the injustice as the son of the victim. Don't retell the plot - Marker has read it! No proper Thesis set up here either. The prince’s disillusionment with chivalric duty is reflected from the first meeting with the ghost, after which he laments “O cursed spite / That ever I was born to set it right.” Rhyming couplet expounds Hamlet’s humanist philosophy, as he curses the medieval customs which pressure him to enact revenge. As an easy way to improve flow, ensure quote and technique are always in the same sentence. Indeed, the ghost symbolises external pressures, demonstrating the conflicting forces the prince must reconcile. As the prince finds Claudius in prayer, he remarks “A villain kills my father, and, for that / I, his sole son, do this same villain send / To Heaven.” Parallelism of “father” and “son” emphasises the significance of filial duty in the Elizabethan era. Is this the idea of this paragraph? I'm not getting a clear concept, primarily because the introduction didn't give me one. However, Hamlet resists, ambivalent tone in “Now might I do it pat” denoting resistance to external expectations to avenge his father. We can trace the prince’s fall into genuine madness from this point forward, as he is overcome by the emotional anguish precipitated by his dilemma. Retell. Metaphoric comparison of a human being to “a rat” conveys the abandonment of Hamlet’s moral codes, as he kills Polonius in an errant display of irrationality. The plot element is irrelevant here - The metaphoric comparison (the TECHNIQUE) is the important bit. He later tries to excuse the murder to the victim’s son: “Was’t Hamlet wronged Laertes? Never Hamlet.” Illeism contrasts starkly with prior usage of first person pronoun “I”, subversion denoting the tragic hero’s ultimate failure to reconcile humanist ideals with filial duty and his resulting downfall into genuine madness. Polysyndeton in “Sith I have cause and strength and will and means / To do’t” further reinforces Hamlet’s madness, as he is under armed guard and has no “means” of acting on his words. Hence, Shakespeare encourages the audience to empathise with the prince’s struggle, his tragic fall into delusion and untimely death continuing to resonate even with contemporary responders. Why does it resonate? Is it a universally relevant theme or is it the techniques? Again, fantastic paragraph for evidence/quotes but not the best for the quality of your arguments!!
Moreover, Shakespeare encourages the audience to engage with Hamlet’s struggle through the prince’s insightful metaphysical analysis of our mortality, reflecting the Renaissance-era rejection of the traditional understanding of death. This sentence highlights the issue of perspective - The prince is not offering a metaphysical analysis, Shakespear is doing that using the characters as puppets! Indeed, metaphor of an “undiscovered country” delineates Hamlet’s willingness to question fundamental Christian notions of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. How would this have impacted the predominantly Christian audience? The tragic hero asks whether it would be better “To die, to sleep / To sleep, perchance to dream,” infinitive verb highlighting disillusionment with the corruption of the state and Claudius’ malevolence. Retell. Hamlet notes “Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust,” allusion demonstrating a realisation that death is the ultimate leveller of all humans, rejecting the idea of an afterlife. What is it alluding to? Indeed, Hamlet’s epiphany foreshadows the violent catharsis, repetition of “dies” in stage direction conveying the blunt finality of death as Claudius faces the consequences of his regicide. Therefore, Hamlet’s insightfulness in the struggle to understand our mortality encourages the responder to side with the enigmatic prince, engaging the audience in Shakespeare’s exploration of regicidal greed. Fantastic examples/quotes, but again, not really doing enough with them yet!
In Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays a humanist misfit struggling for justice in a decaying Denmark. The prince’s perceptiveness expounds his disillusionment with the state and with flawed Christian notions of our mortality. Furthermore, Hamlet struggles to reconcile internal concerns for the morality of taking a human life with chivalric filial pressure to avenge his father, catalysing a genuine delusion which engages the audience to empathise with his fall from grace.
In response to your questions:
It is okay to be blatant - But mixing it up is good too. Try and use a few different words instead of "engage" perhaps, if you are worried about it? :)
Nah that's okay - If you feel it works better roll with it, gut instinct is good instinct ;D
I actually didn't mention the idea literally in my essays and I always did fine - It's that the ideas are there that really counts ;D
Overall a solid essay, especially in terms of analysis, but analysis and concept are lacking! Ensure each paragraph gets a fully formed, standalone motherhood statement and conclusion, and remember for analysis:
TECHNIQUE
EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS COMMUNICATING
AUDIENCE RECEPTION/IMPACT
If you take a quote, identify the technique, link it to an idea then explain how that affects our perceptions - You've got all the pieces. Also remember that all techniques are attributed to Shakespeare and not the characters!!
--- End quote ---
Thanks a lot for the help!
Am I missing the point of module B? I was under the impression that a heap of textual detail and judgement of the characters was essential to demonstrate "an informed personal understanding of the text" from the prescriptions. So here:
We can trace the prince’s fall into genuine madness from this point forward, as he is overcome by the emotional anguish precipitated by his dilemma. Retell. Metaphoric comparison of a human being to “a rat” conveys the abandonment of Hamlet’s moral codes, as he kills Polonius in an errant display of irrationality. The plot element is irrelevant here - The metaphoric comparison (the TECHNIQUE) is the important bit
Do I need to qualify this fall into delusion before mentioning it, like saying Shakespeare discusses the fundamental tension between morality and duty or something? Or should I abandon it? I'm struggling to come up with better overarching themes without turning it into a module C essay (authorial intent) or a module A essay (context) :-\
sarahhamilton:
Hey, I know it's a bit late to be asking for some essay marking or revising, but I could definitely use the help! This is my Discovery essay: The Awakening by Kate Chopin and To Room Nineteen by Doris Lessing. Thanks!
This was my Trial question, so any feedback would be great!
Q: The value of a discovery is measured by its ability to challenge and shape views of ourselves. To what extent do you agree?
SpoilerAll individuals live in worlds that are impacted by their perspectives, beliefs, and discoveries. Each person’s view of themselves is shaped by discovery, and it can be extremely challenging in a society with restrictions. Feminist writers, Kate Chopin and Doris Lessing, wrote of the reality of women within a ruling patriarchy, and the challenging discoveries of self-identity and the value of their livelihood within strictly defined roles. The Awakening (1899) is a prose fiction piece by Chopin, which explores the cultural imprisonment and contextual domestic roles of women in the 19th Century. Lessing’s short story To Room Nineteen (1978) addresses traditional and redundant maternal roles, and questions their place in society. Both texts create a clear view of the unequal reality of housewives with a lack of independence, who crave their husband’s agency.
TA is representative of a fin de siècle woman’s search for her own identity. “If it wasn’t a mother’s place to look after children, whose, is it?” Edna’s rhetorical question emphasises domestic roles within her society. Edna’s awakenings are first triggered by crying after Léonce’s returns from Klein’s hotel. “The tears came so fast to Mrs. Pontellier, the damp sleeve of her peignoir no longer served to dry them… She could not have told why she was crying.” The allusion of ‘Mrs. Pontellier’, refers to the maternal role she plays. This trigger opens her mind to possibilities beyond motherhood; her housewife persona developing into one of an independent woman. While Léonce only see her as insane, Edna knows that she must discover who she is without restrictions. “I’m going to pull myself together for a while and think – try to determine what character of a woman I am”. This foreshadowing narrative displays Edna’s understanding of the condemnation she will face, and acts anyway. Edna transforms from a subservient Creole housewife, expected in historical context, into a woman that is not restricted by societal boundaries. Chopin herself questioned her identity during her "pursuit of independence apart from her children." She has acknowledged her writing was autobiographical.
In contrast, Lessing’s TRN, a representation of 1970’s women in the ongoing patriarchy, Susan is an independent, and intelligent woman, not obliged to conform to gender roles. This is illustrated in the couple’s equality: “both had well paid jobs … both, before they married had pleasant flats”. This differs from the traditional maternal role Susan coincides with once married, causing her discovery process to be delayed. Susan is unable to express her emotions due to her dominant intellectual ability and beliefs of the patriarchy. She is triggered by constant childbearing, and her decline as a mother, as her children grow up “…because she knew what happened to a woman of fifty, with grown-up children who no longer needed their full devotion”. This allegory is representative of woman in patriarchy, in which mothers becomes redundant. Susan discovers that her ideas, thoughts, and identity were stultified by the contextual expectations of society. The discovery of her identity emerges from her curiosity of what lives beyond motherhood, traditional gender roles and male dominance. Susan takes a room of her own to gain what little control she can. Her contentment is revealed in simple sentences: “she was free, she sat in the armchair, she simply sat. She closed her eyes and let herself be alone”. Through basic diction, and sibilant repetition followed by active verbs, it becomes apparent that Susan has evolved. Susan’s self-discovery, emerged from her deliberation, emphasises her struggle with the oppressive patriarchy, and her previously over valuing intellectual aspects of her identity.
Gender roles were an integral part of the society’s functioning, where woman were expected to be devoted housewives. Edna has allowed herself to gain power and allow her to uncover repressed desires and awaken her self-discovery. The ultimate meaningful fragment of Edna’s awakening was whilst swimming on her own for the first time. This revealing moment is demonstrated as a form of baptism: “she was like the little tottering, clutching child, who of a sudden realises its powers and walks for the first time alone.” The strong imagery of her as a child highlights how substantial this act is as a part of her awakening as an independent woman. This displays Edna’s relationship to the sea as a catalyst in her discovery. This romantic sensuality to the sea contrasts Edna’s sensual affair with Arobin. Despite the pleasure, Edna realises she is still just an object: it is after this sexual liberation that the sombre atmosphere of Edna’s death is set. The anaphora “He did not know; he did not understand; he would never understand” illustrates the process of her realisation of Léonce’s lack of empathy, and the finality of her decision; the reasoning for her suicide. Although Edna had found segments of her identity, she came to the final realisation that she would never be free from patriarchy, ending in her final act of emancipation.
In the 1970s, attitudes of sex began to change as society became more liberated due to advances in contraception. Yet, Susan chooses to abandon her sexual desires. This heavily contrasts Edna’s embrace of her desires. Susan’s decision is displayed in the collection of truncated sentences and rhetorical questions: “The idea made her want to cry from the sheer effort of the thing … Good lord, why make love at all?” The caesura and exclamatory ‘Good lord’ reveals Susan’s thoughts as she uncovers a revelation. She can avoid the effort of physical union by just withdrawing from it totally. This emphasises her realisation that to find herself, she must disassociate herself. Susan chooses suicide as she realises she will never escape oppression. Susan’s fate is depicted through the ominous: “because she did not want, today, to be surprised a knock at five o’clock.” The sentence structure of the violation of the word ‘today’ through the employment of caesuras, highlights that she will not awaken. Her death is symbolised in: “she was quite content lying there listening to the soft kiss of the gas that poured into the room, into her lungs, into her brain, as she drifted off.” The personified ‘gas’ becomes Susan’s final lover, macabrely setting her free. Comparably to Edna, Susan experiences the connection to water within her death, triggering a spiritual discovery. The drowning represents her suffering and it emphasises connotations of freedom and solitude, and escaping from society.
All individuals shape their views of their worlds and themselves through discoveries. The ability to challenge creates a more intense value to the discovery. The Awakening and To Room Nineteen present two women who wish to escape, and their challenging discoveries lead to consequences which negatively impacted their worlds, but gave them true freedom from their oppression.
armtistic:
--- Quote from: sarahhamilton on October 08, 2017, 09:50:28 pm ---Hey, I know it's a bit late to be asking for some essay marking or revising, but I could definitely use the help! This is my Discovery essay: The Awakening by Kate Chopin and To Room Nineteen by Doris Lessing. Thanks!
This was my Trial question, so any feedback would be great!
Q: The value of a discovery is measured by its ability to challenge and shape views of ourselves. To what extent do you agree?
SpoilerAll individuals live in worlds that are impacted by their perspectives, beliefs, and discoveries. Each person’s view of themselves is shaped by discovery, and it can be extremely challenging in a society with restrictions. Feminist writers, Kate Chopin and Doris Lessing, wrote of the reality of women within a ruling patriarchy, and the challenging discoveries of self-identity and the value of their livelihood within strictly defined roles. The Awakening (1899) is a prose fiction piece by Chopin, which explores the cultural imprisonment and contextual domestic roles of women in the 19th Century. Lessing’s short story To Room Nineteen (1978) addresses traditional and redundant maternal roles, and questions their place in society. Both texts create a clear view of the unequal reality of housewives with a lack of independence, who crave their husband’s agency.
TA is representative of a fin de siècle woman’s search for her own identity. “If it wasn’t a mother’s place to look after children, whose, is it?” Edna’s rhetorical question emphasises domestic roles within her society. Edna’s awakenings are first triggered by crying after Léonce’s returns from Klein’s hotel. “The tears came so fast to Mrs. Pontellier, the damp sleeve of her peignoir no longer served to dry them… She could not have told why she was crying.” The allusion of ‘Mrs. Pontellier’, refers to the maternal role she plays. This trigger opens her mind to possibilities beyond motherhood; her housewife persona developing into one of an independent woman. While Léonce only see her as insane, Edna knows that she must discover who she is without restrictions. “I’m going to pull myself together for a while and think – try to determine what character of a woman I am”. This foreshadowing narrative displays Edna’s understanding of the condemnation she will face, and acts anyway. Edna transforms from a subservient Creole housewife, expected in historical context, into a woman that is not restricted by societal boundaries. Chopin herself questioned her identity during her "pursuit of independence apart from her children." She has acknowledged her writing was autobiographical.
In contrast, Lessing’s TRN, a representation of 1970’s women in the ongoing patriarchy, Susan is an independent, and intelligent woman, not obliged to conform to gender roles. This is illustrated in the couple’s equality: “both had well paid jobs … both, before they married had pleasant flats”. This differs from the traditional maternal role Susan coincides with once married, causing her discovery process to be delayed. Susan is unable to express her emotions due to her dominant intellectual ability and beliefs of the patriarchy. She is triggered by constant childbearing, and her decline as a mother, as her children grow up “…because she knew what happened to a woman of fifty, with grown-up children who no longer needed their full devotion”. This allegory is representative of woman in patriarchy, in which mothers becomes redundant. Susan discovers that her ideas, thoughts, and identity were stultified by the contextual expectations of society. The discovery of her identity emerges from her curiosity of what lives beyond motherhood, traditional gender roles and male dominance. Susan takes a room of her own to gain what little control she can. Her contentment is revealed in simple sentences: “she was free, she sat in the armchair, she simply sat. She closed her eyes and let herself be alone”. Through basic diction, and sibilant repetition followed by active verbs, it becomes apparent that Susan has evolved. Susan’s self-discovery, emerged from her deliberation, emphasises her struggle with the oppressive patriarchy, and her previously over valuing intellectual aspects of her identity.
Gender roles were an integral part of the society’s functioning, where woman were expected to be devoted housewives. Edna has allowed herself to gain power and allow her to uncover repressed desires and awaken her self-discovery. The ultimate meaningful fragment of Edna’s awakening was whilst swimming on her own for the first time. This revealing moment is demonstrated as a form of baptism: “she was like the little tottering, clutching child, who of a sudden realises its powers and walks for the first time alone.” The strong imagery of her as a child highlights how substantial this act is as a part of her awakening as an independent woman. This displays Edna’s relationship to the sea as a catalyst in her discovery. This romantic sensuality to the sea contrasts Edna’s sensual affair with Arobin. Despite the pleasure, Edna realises she is still just an object: it is after this sexual liberation that the sombre atmosphere of Edna’s death is set. The anaphora “He did not know; he did not understand; he would never understand” illustrates the process of her realisation of Léonce’s lack of empathy, and the finality of her decision; the reasoning for her suicide. Although Edna had found segments of her identity, she came to the final realisation that she would never be free from patriarchy, ending in her final act of emancipation.
In the 1970s, attitudes of sex began to change as society became more liberated due to advances in contraception. Yet, Susan chooses to abandon her sexual desires. This heavily contrasts Edna’s embrace of her desires. Susan’s decision is displayed in the collection of truncated sentences and rhetorical questions: “The idea made her want to cry from the sheer effort of the thing … Good lord, why make love at all?” The caesura and exclamatory ‘Good lord’ reveals Susan’s thoughts as she uncovers a revelation. She can avoid the effort of physical union by just withdrawing from it totally. This emphasises her realisation that to find herself, she must disassociate herself. Susan chooses suicide as she realises she will never escape oppression. Susan’s fate is depicted through the ominous: “because she did not want, today, to be surprised a knock at five o’clock.” The sentence structure of the violation of the word ‘today’ through the employment of caesuras, highlights that she will not awaken. Her death is symbolised in: “she was quite content lying there listening to the soft kiss of the gas that poured into the room, into her lungs, into her brain, as she drifted off.” The personified ‘gas’ becomes Susan’s final lover, macabrely setting her free. Comparably to Edna, Susan experiences the connection to water within her death, triggering a spiritual discovery. The drowning represents her suffering and it emphasises connotations of freedom and solitude, and escaping from society.
All individuals shape their views of their worlds and themselves through discoveries. The ability to challenge creates a more intense value to the discovery. The Awakening and To Room Nineteen present two women who wish to escape, and their challenging discoveries lead to consequences which negatively impacted their worlds, but gave them true freedom from their oppression.
--- End quote ---
Not to be a bummer but you have to have 50 posts to get an essay marked atm
monicahiga:
Hi! Could you please give me some feedback on some of my Mod C essays. We're studying King Henry IV Part 1 and my chosen related in a Dr Seuss book called The Butter Battle Book.
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