AS English Language
Short Story
Victoria Munro
As I stare down at the photograph your voice sounds in my head. “Help me, help me, help me”.
I can hear your shrieks. Desperate and fearful, like an animal being slaughtered.
I can see you in my mind. Your face. Tears are rolling down your cheeks. Your eyes are lost and lonely. You stand defeated and broken. You are crumpled; your heart has been shattered, ripped apart by my vicious words.
How could this have all happened? What had I done?
You were once my best friend.
I jump up from the floor and charge out of the room, I can hear my feet pounding on the carpet, I fly out of the house and zoom down the empty street. As I arrive at the end of your house I notice people milling around: old people walking scruffy dogs on leads, children laughing and playing together, a mum with her baby- it is gurgling nonsense words and the mother smiles. I can see your house as I walk up to it. Red bricks, green grass, a golden coloured gate. It all looks so perfect, so idyllic.
But I knew that your life had been far from perfect. Your parents split up when you were eight. Your dad left for another woman and your mother, devastated by this shock, had turned to alcohol to numb the pain; your brother had self harmed for years and suffered panic attacks, and you yourself were so painfully shy and self conscious. Why did I test you further? I pulled on your strings until they broke with a pang and sent you tumbling to the ground.
Why did I do it? Was it to make myself seem less insecure? Was it to take away the pain from my own life? Or to banish the misery that was threatened to envelope me.
My mind wanders back to the day that things changed, our friendship dissolved.
You had been smiling, laughing, at a joke. You looked so happy, so carefree. At one with the world. Your life was finally on track. Your brother had just been discharged from counselling and was starting to make a steady recovery; your mum and dad had begun to talk to each other and put the terrible past behind them. Finally, so finally, things were starting to piece together.
But I had to go and break the puzzle. Pick apart the pieces.
Why was your life on track when mine was falling apart? It didn’t seem fair. For once you were the stronger one, the happier one, the more confident one, and I didn’t like it, I liked being in control. A waterfall of anger had washed over me, drenched my soul in bitterness. I grabbed your arm and pulled it back, heard the bone crack, a satisfying squeal of pain drifted from your lips. I smiled. Your face fell, your eyes misted over, and I felt a kind of triumph, a sensation that I was winning.
It kept on like this, and the most annoying thing was that you didn’t defend yourself. You put up with my torture. You didn’t stand up for yourself. I said jump and you did.
Your Mum noticed the bruises on your arms, from my punches, the red marks on your face from where I’d slapped you. As I damaged your life and body you started to ruin yourself in other ways, I noticed the scars on your wrists from where you were cutting yourself, to numb the pain. In the space of six months we’d gone from close best friends to a scared fragile victim and her no less scared bully.
Back to reality and I let myself in the gate and unlock the door with your old key I’d taken from your satchel, the day before everything happened. When I reach your room I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, my palms are sweaty, my throat dry.
Your photos stare at me, haunt me; your smile is ghostly and false. There is a photograph of me and you, taken a couple of years ago, at the park, on a hot summer’s day. Before I ruined it all, when we were just ordinary best friends, happy and at ease, despite our issues. Your bed has been made, the room is tidy and clean, it has been left just how you liked it. Your diary lies on your desk, unopened and unread. As I flick through the white pages, a wave of absolute sadness washes over me. Anger and self hatred stab at my heart. Guilt floods my soul. I find the words I’ve been so dreading to read.
‘I can’t take it anymore. It’s over. I’m over’.
This is your last entry, dated November 3rd. Just a week ago. I can’t believe it had all happened just a week ago, it feels like a lifetime. Last week you sat at this desk, breathed this air.
Last week you were alive.
Now you are dead. And it is because of me. My selfish heartless soul has killed yours.
In a desperate attempt to push away the guilt that is eating me up I delve in my bag and bring out the penknife. It glistens, shiny and glossy; it is my weapon, my friend and my enemy. I dig it into my skin; trace the line along my wrist. Blood bubbles at the surface and seeps out. It drips onto the soft cream carpets and makes a scarlet stain. I feel the guilt and self hatred fly away into the atmosphere as the liquid leaks from my arm. This is what I deserve. This is my fate.
I am over, just like you.
My poor innocent victim.
We are over…
Saturday, 7 September 2013
AS English Language Coursework (grade A)
AS English Language coursework
Outnumbered Transcript
By Victoria Munro
Characters: (S) Sue and (P) Pete Brockman, (K) Karen, (B) Ben and (J) Jake Brockman
Karen leaves home
1 K: you were nagging me and you wouldn’t stop, you just ignored me and you carried on nagging me, so (.) You, I said this time and time again, that I’m going to leave home and now I really am.
2 S: excellent. Where are you going?
3 K: I’m going (.h) to Spain in a beach, or maybe Greenland (.) or, or (.h) Dorking
4 S: Dorking (.)
5 S: how will you be getting there?
6 K: train
7 S: right, have you got enough money?
8 K: Hippo’s got the money
9 S: [Hippo’s got the money]
10 S: and, err, got your tickets all sorted?
11 K: Pusscat has.
12 S: excellent, well that seems to be all in order then, I hope you have a lovely time
13 P: come on Ben, you’re not losing by many let’s play
14 B: no I’m not playing
15 P: Ben (.) it is very important in sport not just to walk off when you start losing. What does Wayne Rooney do when he’s losing?
16 B: he kicks people
17 P: not always (.), and he never just walks off [not of his own volition].
18 P: Ben
19 S: look, I’ve packed you some food and your favourite jumper so (.)I hope you have a lovely time
20 K: I’m really really really not coming back and I’m serious
21 S: I know
22 K: I’m definitely not coming back
23 S: I know (.) bye
24 J: Mum what’s going on?
25 S: don’t worry she’s left home before (.) what she does is she goes round the corner, she waits a bit and then she comes back
26 J: right (.) so then
27 S: no no no she’ll only go ten yards cause’ she’s afraid of the main road its fine
28 J: she’s emptied her money box
29 S: yeah (.) I know, that’s all part of it you see (.) she’ll be just round this corner (.) look come on look come on (muttering) over here
30 S: come away from the road
My Family
Ben tries to be cool
Characters: Kenzo (K), Susan (S), Janey (J), Ben (B), Michael (M).
1 K: Mummy, can I go outside and play?
2 J: absolutely not
3 K: is it because I’ve been bad?
4 J: no it’s because you’re so good
5 K: I’m not following you
6 S: that makes two of us
7 J: just trying to keep him safe Mum (.) people are speeding through this neighbourhood (.) I tell you what this street needs (.) speed bumps
8 S: that’s a good idea (.) you should petition the council for that
9 J: you know I should (.) yeah I’ll petition the council and demand that they put in speed bumps for the safety of our children (1.0) oh god, listen to me (.) when did I become responsible?
10 S: Janey it goes with the territory of being a good mother
11 J: I’m a good mother now
12 S: don’t worry it stops when you get the white wine out of the fridge
13 J: I used to be cool and hip (.)oh god I just said hip, what’s happened to me? I’m turning into a sad old suburban housewife like
14 S: like who dear?
15 J: it was just my trail of thought
16 M: shield your eyes everyone
17 J: Why?
18 B: oh Hey baby
19 M: ladies and gentlemen (.) Bono
20 B: ha ha just thought I’d youthen up the old image a bit you know (.) gotta stay hip hey Mikey (.) gotta stay cool (.) what do you think of your granddad hey Kenzo? Ha ha (.) what? oh what’s the matter with him?
21 J: he’s scared of clowns
22 M: he’s too young to appreciate style
23 S: alright Ben (.)what’s going on?
24 B: you’re never too old to be with it and trendy Susan
25 S: does this have anything to do with last night’s little crisis?
26 B: I’m sorry (.) I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about (1.0) hey Mikey (.) why don’t you and I go out tonight and celebrate your birthday?
27 M: My birthday was four months ago
28 B: Perfect (.) come on (.) why we don’t go to that bar you like so much?
29 M: The gay one
30 B: it’s not (.) is it? okay as a father Mikey it’s very important that I support you in all your endeavours
31 S: you’re so unselfish
32 B: mock all you like Susan but I will support my son no matter how uncomfortable it may be (.) think I’ll just go and change Mikey
33 M: do (.) Mum (1.0), if you’d had an affair (.) and he isn’t my real dad then now would be a great time to tell me
Analysis of my transcript of ‘Outnumbered’ and ‘My Family’.
I am going to compare the ways in which ‘Outnumbered’ and ‘My Family’ use dialogue in the parent and child relationship. In the episode of ‘Outnumbered’ Karen has decided she is going to leave home. The storyline of the ‘My Family’ episode is of Ben deciding he is going to be cool and Janey deciding to petition the council for speed bumps.
The focus in my analysis is to find the similarities and differences in both episodes of the ways families speak to each other.
The genre of writing is mostly scripted spoken language. However, the children in ‘Outnumbered’ are given an outline of what they should say and they are encouraged to be as spontaneous as possible.
The audience of my transcript would be families; both ‘Outnumbered’ and ‘My Family’ have family audiences. There would be a male and female audience, of different ages, but mainly family ages, so 30-40 aged parents and 10-16 aged children.
The subject of my transcript is family situations. In ‘Outnumbered’ Karen has decided she wants to leave home and her mum is telling her to be careful. Karen has higher status for a lot of this episode as she is telling her mum what she is going to do, and her mum isn’t doing anything about it.
In ‘My Family’ various situations arise. Kenzo is asking his mum if he can go outside and play, then Ben comes into the room showing off his new ‘style’.
In ‘My Family’ the status changes frequently with the topic of conversation.
The purpose of my transcript is to entertain the audience as the story in the episode is fiction and humorous.
Grice’s maxims might apply to my spoken extracts because they conform to the general rules of speech for the majority of the episodes, both in ‘Outnumbered’ and ‘My Family’.
However in ‘Outnumbered’ the children so sometimes interrupt their parents and change the topic of conversation and this is humorous because the children are taking control over the parents.
Page word count: 333
The lexis used in the ‘Outnumbered’ episode varies a great deal. Karen uses the place names ‘Spain’, ‘Greenland’ and ‘Dorking’ to explain where she wants to go, this is humorous because they are so random places that are situated so far apart.
In ‘Outnumbered’ some of Grice’s maxims are broken, for example the maxim of quantity is broken because the children sometimes gabble and rush their sentences and do not allow the standard amount of silence in between words and sentences. The maxim of manner is broken sometimes in this episode because the children interrupt and speak over the parents throughout the episode.
The maxim of relevance is also broken as the discussions and topics of conversation change frequently throughout the episodes of both ‘My Family’ and ‘Outnumbered’.
The prosodic features in the episodes are different with the various characters. Karen Brockman in ‘Outnumbered’ speaks in a high pitch voice when she is manipulating and blackmailing her mother. Pete’s tone of voice is low, this is not only to do with his gender but also the topic of conversation he is contributing to. When he is telling Ben off, I noticed that his tone of voice lowers. The opposite effect happens with Sue Brockman when she is scalding Karen, her pitch and tone of voice gets higher and to a certain degree squeakier.
Karen talks at a fast pace when she is babbling to her mother; however Karen talks at a slower, calmer and softer pace.
In ‘My Family’ the characters all speak at a fairly similar tone, I believe the reason why the tone is different in ‘Outnumbered’ and ‘My Family’ is because the children in ‘Outnumbered’ are very young children, however the children in ‘Outnumbered’ are teenagers and young adults.
Kenzo says to Janey “Can I go outside and play”? And she says “Absolutely not”, he asks “Is it because I’ve been bad”? And she says “No it’s because you’re so good” and Kenzo states “I’m not following you”. Then in the background we hear Susan mutter “That makes two of us”. These little comments and puns are used throughout the episode to add sarcastic and almost hidden humour.
There is no taboo lexis in either of the episodes as the content is for family audiences and this would be inappropriate.
Specific words that the characters use include ‘Wayne Rooney’. Pete is talking to Ben and suggests that Rooney does not walk away when he is losing. Using real life celebrity examples helps to connect with the audience. Karen quotes ‘hippo’ and ‘pusscat’ when she is quoting the names of her stuffed toys, she says the names in a humorous manner, and this entertains the audience because she is trying to make the stuffed animals sound like real people to persuade her mother that she has company when she leaves.
Page word count: 427
Non fluency features used in the episodes include Karen stuttering and not always finishing her sentences, this links with the maxim of relevance which she breaks by starting a new conversation with a different topic to distract her mother’s attention from her current subject. Karen pauses and stutters when trying to think up the words for her sentence, because she is trying to win an argument with her mum she has to choose the words more carefully. Sue pauses sometimes when talking to Karen and her conversation does not flow very smoothly, this is humorous because she is the adult and is meant to be the in control one in the conversation. This conveys the relationship between Karen and Sue.
The ways the parents and children communicate to each other varies in both episodes. In ‘My Family’ Kenzo is quite controlling over his mother, this is the same for ‘Outnumbered’ when Karen is almost interrogating Sue. The parents in ‘My Family’ are weak compared to the children, but this is where the humour lies in the comedy. The children can control, manipulate and blackmail the parents effectively; this adds humour to the episodes.
Different types of sentences are used. In ‘My Family’ when Kenzo runs in the room and starts talking to Janey he is speaking in first person and at the end of his mini speech makes a declarative sentence “I’m not following you”. This also adds humour to the storyline because Kenzo is a young child and it is uncommon for young children to use declarative sentences when addressing their mother.
Imperative sentences are used in ‘My Family’ when Ben says “shield your eyes everyone” as he walks into the room. This is humorous because it is not a strict and formal imperative and the subject (Ben wearing outrageous clothes, dressed as Bono) is humorous and intends to entertain the audience.
Sue is interrogating Karen when she is asking her where, how and when she is going, however she is interrogating in a soft and calm manner. The word ‘interrogation’ has connotations of danger, evil and abuse but Sue is using it for the opposite, for humour.
Sue asks Karen questions such as “How will you be getting there”?, “Have you got any money”?. Karen replies in a very calm and collected manner considering she is small child. This is humorous because most young children would panic if they were being interrogated by their mother; however Karen appears to have her escape all planned out. Contractions are used in both episodes as the storyline is informal, Karen says “I’m definitely not coming back” rather than “I am not coming back”. Using longer words rather than cutting them down and using contractions would sound peculiar for a young child when speaking to her mother, and make the storyline less believable. From both episodes I have discovered that the parent and child relationship is fairly similar, there is humour in the way that children control the adults, more so in ‘Outnumbered’ than ‘My Family’, each character has a very different tone, pitch and volume when speaking and this varies depending on the mood, emotions and topic of conversation the character is currently experiencing. Both episodes are both portraying family situations in humorous and entertaining ways.
Outnumbered Transcript
By Victoria Munro
Characters: (S) Sue and (P) Pete Brockman, (K) Karen, (B) Ben and (J) Jake Brockman
Karen leaves home
1 K: you were nagging me and you wouldn’t stop, you just ignored me and you carried on nagging me, so (.) You, I said this time and time again, that I’m going to leave home and now I really am.
2 S: excellent. Where are you going?
3 K: I’m going (.h) to Spain in a beach, or maybe Greenland (.) or, or (.h) Dorking
4 S: Dorking (.)
5 S: how will you be getting there?
6 K: train
7 S: right, have you got enough money?
8 K: Hippo’s got the money
9 S: [Hippo’s got the money]
10 S: and, err, got your tickets all sorted?
11 K: Pusscat has.
12 S: excellent, well that seems to be all in order then, I hope you have a lovely time
13 P: come on Ben, you’re not losing by many let’s play
14 B: no I’m not playing
15 P: Ben (.) it is very important in sport not just to walk off when you start losing. What does Wayne Rooney do when he’s losing?
16 B: he kicks people
17 P: not always (.), and he never just walks off [not of his own volition].
18 P: Ben
19 S: look, I’ve packed you some food and your favourite jumper so (.)I hope you have a lovely time
20 K: I’m really really really not coming back and I’m serious
21 S: I know
22 K: I’m definitely not coming back
23 S: I know (.) bye
24 J: Mum what’s going on?
25 S: don’t worry she’s left home before (.) what she does is she goes round the corner, she waits a bit and then she comes back
26 J: right (.) so then
27 S: no no no she’ll only go ten yards cause’ she’s afraid of the main road its fine
28 J: she’s emptied her money box
29 S: yeah (.) I know, that’s all part of it you see (.) she’ll be just round this corner (.) look come on look come on (muttering) over here
30 S: come away from the road
My Family
Ben tries to be cool
Characters: Kenzo (K), Susan (S), Janey (J), Ben (B), Michael (M).
1 K: Mummy, can I go outside and play?
2 J: absolutely not
3 K: is it because I’ve been bad?
4 J: no it’s because you’re so good
5 K: I’m not following you
6 S: that makes two of us
7 J: just trying to keep him safe Mum (.) people are speeding through this neighbourhood (.) I tell you what this street needs (.) speed bumps
8 S: that’s a good idea (.) you should petition the council for that
9 J: you know I should (.) yeah I’ll petition the council and demand that they put in speed bumps for the safety of our children (1.0) oh god, listen to me (.) when did I become responsible?
10 S: Janey it goes with the territory of being a good mother
11 J: I’m a good mother now
12 S: don’t worry it stops when you get the white wine out of the fridge
13 J: I used to be cool and hip (.)oh god I just said hip, what’s happened to me? I’m turning into a sad old suburban housewife like
14 S: like who dear?
15 J: it was just my trail of thought
16 M: shield your eyes everyone
17 J: Why?
18 B: oh Hey baby
19 M: ladies and gentlemen (.) Bono
20 B: ha ha just thought I’d youthen up the old image a bit you know (.) gotta stay hip hey Mikey (.) gotta stay cool (.) what do you think of your granddad hey Kenzo? Ha ha (.) what? oh what’s the matter with him?
21 J: he’s scared of clowns
22 M: he’s too young to appreciate style
23 S: alright Ben (.)what’s going on?
24 B: you’re never too old to be with it and trendy Susan
25 S: does this have anything to do with last night’s little crisis?
26 B: I’m sorry (.) I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about (1.0) hey Mikey (.) why don’t you and I go out tonight and celebrate your birthday?
27 M: My birthday was four months ago
28 B: Perfect (.) come on (.) why we don’t go to that bar you like so much?
29 M: The gay one
30 B: it’s not (.) is it? okay as a father Mikey it’s very important that I support you in all your endeavours
31 S: you’re so unselfish
32 B: mock all you like Susan but I will support my son no matter how uncomfortable it may be (.) think I’ll just go and change Mikey
33 M: do (.) Mum (1.0), if you’d had an affair (.) and he isn’t my real dad then now would be a great time to tell me
Analysis of my transcript of ‘Outnumbered’ and ‘My Family’.
I am going to compare the ways in which ‘Outnumbered’ and ‘My Family’ use dialogue in the parent and child relationship. In the episode of ‘Outnumbered’ Karen has decided she is going to leave home. The storyline of the ‘My Family’ episode is of Ben deciding he is going to be cool and Janey deciding to petition the council for speed bumps.
The focus in my analysis is to find the similarities and differences in both episodes of the ways families speak to each other.
The genre of writing is mostly scripted spoken language. However, the children in ‘Outnumbered’ are given an outline of what they should say and they are encouraged to be as spontaneous as possible.
The audience of my transcript would be families; both ‘Outnumbered’ and ‘My Family’ have family audiences. There would be a male and female audience, of different ages, but mainly family ages, so 30-40 aged parents and 10-16 aged children.
The subject of my transcript is family situations. In ‘Outnumbered’ Karen has decided she wants to leave home and her mum is telling her to be careful. Karen has higher status for a lot of this episode as she is telling her mum what she is going to do, and her mum isn’t doing anything about it.
In ‘My Family’ various situations arise. Kenzo is asking his mum if he can go outside and play, then Ben comes into the room showing off his new ‘style’.
In ‘My Family’ the status changes frequently with the topic of conversation.
The purpose of my transcript is to entertain the audience as the story in the episode is fiction and humorous.
Grice’s maxims might apply to my spoken extracts because they conform to the general rules of speech for the majority of the episodes, both in ‘Outnumbered’ and ‘My Family’.
However in ‘Outnumbered’ the children so sometimes interrupt their parents and change the topic of conversation and this is humorous because the children are taking control over the parents.
Page word count: 333
The lexis used in the ‘Outnumbered’ episode varies a great deal. Karen uses the place names ‘Spain’, ‘Greenland’ and ‘Dorking’ to explain where she wants to go, this is humorous because they are so random places that are situated so far apart.
In ‘Outnumbered’ some of Grice’s maxims are broken, for example the maxim of quantity is broken because the children sometimes gabble and rush their sentences and do not allow the standard amount of silence in between words and sentences. The maxim of manner is broken sometimes in this episode because the children interrupt and speak over the parents throughout the episode.
The maxim of relevance is also broken as the discussions and topics of conversation change frequently throughout the episodes of both ‘My Family’ and ‘Outnumbered’.
The prosodic features in the episodes are different with the various characters. Karen Brockman in ‘Outnumbered’ speaks in a high pitch voice when she is manipulating and blackmailing her mother. Pete’s tone of voice is low, this is not only to do with his gender but also the topic of conversation he is contributing to. When he is telling Ben off, I noticed that his tone of voice lowers. The opposite effect happens with Sue Brockman when she is scalding Karen, her pitch and tone of voice gets higher and to a certain degree squeakier.
Karen talks at a fast pace when she is babbling to her mother; however Karen talks at a slower, calmer and softer pace.
In ‘My Family’ the characters all speak at a fairly similar tone, I believe the reason why the tone is different in ‘Outnumbered’ and ‘My Family’ is because the children in ‘Outnumbered’ are very young children, however the children in ‘Outnumbered’ are teenagers and young adults.
Kenzo says to Janey “Can I go outside and play”? And she says “Absolutely not”, he asks “Is it because I’ve been bad”? And she says “No it’s because you’re so good” and Kenzo states “I’m not following you”. Then in the background we hear Susan mutter “That makes two of us”. These little comments and puns are used throughout the episode to add sarcastic and almost hidden humour.
There is no taboo lexis in either of the episodes as the content is for family audiences and this would be inappropriate.
Specific words that the characters use include ‘Wayne Rooney’. Pete is talking to Ben and suggests that Rooney does not walk away when he is losing. Using real life celebrity examples helps to connect with the audience. Karen quotes ‘hippo’ and ‘pusscat’ when she is quoting the names of her stuffed toys, she says the names in a humorous manner, and this entertains the audience because she is trying to make the stuffed animals sound like real people to persuade her mother that she has company when she leaves.
Page word count: 427
Non fluency features used in the episodes include Karen stuttering and not always finishing her sentences, this links with the maxim of relevance which she breaks by starting a new conversation with a different topic to distract her mother’s attention from her current subject. Karen pauses and stutters when trying to think up the words for her sentence, because she is trying to win an argument with her mum she has to choose the words more carefully. Sue pauses sometimes when talking to Karen and her conversation does not flow very smoothly, this is humorous because she is the adult and is meant to be the in control one in the conversation. This conveys the relationship between Karen and Sue.
The ways the parents and children communicate to each other varies in both episodes. In ‘My Family’ Kenzo is quite controlling over his mother, this is the same for ‘Outnumbered’ when Karen is almost interrogating Sue. The parents in ‘My Family’ are weak compared to the children, but this is where the humour lies in the comedy. The children can control, manipulate and blackmail the parents effectively; this adds humour to the episodes.
Different types of sentences are used. In ‘My Family’ when Kenzo runs in the room and starts talking to Janey he is speaking in first person and at the end of his mini speech makes a declarative sentence “I’m not following you”. This also adds humour to the storyline because Kenzo is a young child and it is uncommon for young children to use declarative sentences when addressing their mother.
Imperative sentences are used in ‘My Family’ when Ben says “shield your eyes everyone” as he walks into the room. This is humorous because it is not a strict and formal imperative and the subject (Ben wearing outrageous clothes, dressed as Bono) is humorous and intends to entertain the audience.
Sue is interrogating Karen when she is asking her where, how and when she is going, however she is interrogating in a soft and calm manner. The word ‘interrogation’ has connotations of danger, evil and abuse but Sue is using it for the opposite, for humour.
Sue asks Karen questions such as “How will you be getting there”?, “Have you got any money”?. Karen replies in a very calm and collected manner considering she is small child. This is humorous because most young children would panic if they were being interrogated by their mother; however Karen appears to have her escape all planned out. Contractions are used in both episodes as the storyline is informal, Karen says “I’m definitely not coming back” rather than “I am not coming back”. Using longer words rather than cutting them down and using contractions would sound peculiar for a young child when speaking to her mother, and make the storyline less believable. From both episodes I have discovered that the parent and child relationship is fairly similar, there is humour in the way that children control the adults, more so in ‘Outnumbered’ than ‘My Family’, each character has a very different tone, pitch and volume when speaking and this varies depending on the mood, emotions and topic of conversation the character is currently experiencing. Both episodes are both portraying family situations in humorous and entertaining ways.
AS English Literature Coursework (grade D)
AS English Literature coursework
Victoria Munro
How does Bronte’s presentation of the
character of Catherine Earnshaw influence your understanding of the novel?
The first introduction we are given of
Cathy is in chapter three when she is at the window, as a ghost of her as a
child asking Lockwood to ‘Let me in’, let me in’. This quotation shows
Catherine when she is desperate and scared; she is shown in a supernatural
light. This influences our reaction to her throughout the rest of the novel
because she comes across as impatient and demanding as well as scared, which is
very true to her character.
When Bronte shows us Catherine Earnshaw as
a child, there is a section where the children’s father asks the children what
they want him to bring them home for a gift and Catherine asks for a whip. This
shows that she is a wild and savage child because rather than asking for a doll
or pretty clothes, which is what would have been thought normal for girls of a
young age in Victorian times, she is asking for a weapon that will cause pain
to an animal. ‘Cathy, when she learnt the master had lost her whip in attending
on the stranger, showed her humour by grinning and spitting at the stupid
little thing, earning for her pains a sound blow from her father to teach her
clean manners’. This quotation shows Cathy’s anger at not having what she asked
for. She is described as ‘grinning’ and also ‘spitting’ at ‘the stupid little
thing’ which is Heathcliff. The bizarre combination of grinning and spitting
show Catherine’s slightly crazy side as she is entwining anger and humour
together. The word savage has connotations of animals, and the wild and
Catherine is a wild child that loves the outdoors, however after her stay at
the Linton’s she becomes less savage and more ladylike. In the scene where
Catherine asks for a whip the reader is shown how Catherine is frustrated at
having to conform to the typical stereotype that Victorian women were inclined
to follow. Throughout the novel her anger and frustration at having to conform
is shown in great detail.
Catherine’s relationship with Heathcliff
begins from when she is a child. Her brother Hindley dislikes Heathcliff from
when he is first shown him and calls him a ‘gypsy boy’. The word gypsy has
connotations of uncleanliness, foreign roots and low class. This is what
Hindley believes Heathcliff is, ‘a cuckoo in the nest, he’ll take all the love
from father until he has nothing left to give you’. This influences my
understanding of the novel because I understand how lower class people were
treated at the time, and I therefore can empathise with the ways some of the
characters act.
A major turning
point in the novel is when Catherine and Heathcliff are spying on Isabella and
Edgar and the Linton’s dog is released and bites Catherine. She then has to
spend approximately five weeks living with them until she is recovered.
During this time she changes in various
ways and the reunion when she meets Heathcliff is a key turning point in her
decisions between Heathcliff and Edgar. When she returns home we are revealed
her transformation through the speech from Hindley to Catherine ‘Why Cathy you
are quite a beauty! I should scarcely have known you-you look like a lady now’.
Heathcliff is told ‘You may come and wish Miss Catherine welcome, like the
other servants’. This quotation is significant because the language such as
‘beauty’ and ‘lady’ paint an image of how much Catherine has changed, also how
Heathcliff is now regarded as a ‘servant’ rather than Cathy’s best friend.
A major turning
point in the novel is when Catherine and Heathcliff are spying on Isabella and
Edgar and the Linton’s dog is released and bites Catherine. She then has to
spend approximately five weeks living with them until she is recovered.
During this time she changes in various
ways and the reunion when she meets Heathcliff is a key turning point in her
decisions between Heathcliff and Edgar. When she returns home we are revealed
her transformation through the quotation from Hindley to Catherine ‘Why Cathy
you are quite a beauty! I should scarcely have known you-you look like a lady
now’. Heathcliff is told ‘You may come and wish Miss Catherine welcome, like
the other servants’. This quotation is significant because the language such as
‘beauty’ and ‘lady’ paint an image of how much Catherine has changed, also how
Heathcliff is now regarded as a ‘servant’ rather than Cathy’s best friend.
In chapter six Nelly acknowledges that
Catherine marrying Edgar will gain her respect and wealth ‘I think you will
escape from a disorderly, comfortless home into a wealthy respectable one’.
Catherine’s relationships with both Edgar and Heathcliff show both sides of her
personality. With Edgar she is a typical Victorian woman, intelligent,
organised, professional and respected. However with Heathcliff she is wild and
savage and allowed to roam the moors freely, with her strong spirited nature
and passionate love of the outdoors, ‘But it was one of their (Cathy and
Heathcliff’s) chief amusements to run away to the moors in the morning and
remain there all day’. The word amusement makes the reader realize that roaming
the moors was a fun and delightful activity that Cathy and Heathcliff
experienced. The conversations with Nelly influence my understanding of the
novel greatly as I appreciate that Catherine’s soul mate and true love is
Heathcliff.
The conflict lies in the choices between
pleasing her family and her desire to be wealthy, respected and comfortable,
along with her strong urge to be with her soul mate, this constant conflict
between her two lovers is mainly what fires her anger.
Bronte shows that Catherine feels she is
spiritually connected to Heathcliff.We are revealed this in chapter six ‘my
great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff’s miseries, and I watched and
felt each from the beginning, my great thought in living is himself. If all
else perished and he remained, I should still continue to be’. This powerful
statement sums up the love that Catherine feels for Heathcliff and shows the
reader where the conflict lies in her choice between Edgar and Heathcliff. The
word ‘misery’ is repeated and has connotations of darkness, gloom and sadness.
‘It is neither practical nor desirable for you to marry Heathcliff’ exclaims
Nelly. We begin to understand why Catherine has become so angry and bitter,
because she is being forced to choose between desire and practicality.
Catherine loses her beauty towards the end
of her life ‘Her pretty face was wan and listless, her hair uncurled, some
locks hanging down, and some carelessly twisted around her head. Probably she
had not touched her dress since yester evening’. The use of words such as ‘wan’
suggests she has lost colour and is very pale and sickly. This paragraph is a
complete juxtaposition to the description of Catherine when she gets back from
the Linton’s house, when she is looking beautiful and elegant ‘Why Cathy you
are quite a beauty! I should scarcely have known you-you look like a lady now’.
Catherine Earnshaw is presented as a very
angry woman and there are several scenes in the book where her anger shines
through and illustrates her true character. ‘I
don’t want you Edgar, I’m past wanting you.’ Cathy says to Edgar at the end of
her life. This quotation shows Cathy’s cruel and heartless character. The word
‘want’ usually has connotations of desire and passion, but Cathy does not want
Edgar, and is telling him this in a blunt and harsh way. The effects of her
decision to marry Edgar are now taking their toll and she is getting angry and
speaking from the heart, confessing she never really wanted Edgar, only
Heathcliff, she is feeling regret and anger.
The narrator varies throughout the novel,
usually from Lockwood or Nelly. The narrator plays a key part in the telling of
the story as they may be unreliable. Nelly is a fairly reliable narrator as she
has known the children from when they were very little and is usually in the
heart of drama and chaos. The narrator influences both my understanding of the
novel and of the character of Catherine Earnshaw. Nelly reveals Cathy in her
true light, and shows the reader the wild, confident and complex character she is.
AS English Literature Coursework (grade D)
AS
English Literature coursework
Victoria
Munro
Compare
the ways in which Henrik Ibsen and Oscar Wilde present the theme of outsiders
in ‘A Woman of No Importance’ and ‘A Dolls House’, How far do you agree that
Nora is the stronger of the two women?’
Ibsen’s ‘A
Dolls House’ which was published in 1879 illustrates the ways in which women
were made to conform to a certain stereotype and Wilde’s ‘A Woman of No
Importance’ which was written in 1893
shows the ways social class affects status and lifestyle. Both texts’ titles
are important in the understanding of the stories behind them; they both
emphasize the idea of these women being outsiders.
Mrs
Arburthnot and Nora are outsiders as they both committed crimes that society
does not approve of. Nora’s crime is fraud, signing a male signature herself;
this would have been frowned on greatly by society at the time for two main
reasons. Firstly Nora is female and forging a male signature; secondly she is
committing money fraud, which was unacceptable. The fact that she is a woman
does not help her situation at all. Mrs Arburthnot became pregnant out of
wedlock; in contrast to Nora, her crime is more of a moral crime than a
criminal action.
The women
are both powerless to defend their crimes because they are women. They are both
put outside of the social circle because of the crimes they have committed.
Nora is an outsider because of the illegal fraud. Nora, like Mrs Arburthnot
feels like an outsider because of her crime. Although she may be an outsider
she is able to define her own destiny. However Ibsen’s conclusion to the play
suggests she is choosing to be even more of an outsider by abandoning her
husband and family. She regards this as an act that finally allows her to be
honest to herself. She lives in fear of being exposed by Krogstad who
blackmails her. Ironically her decision to leave Helmer once her crime has been
exposed frees her from her identity as an outsider.
The term
‘outsider’ has connotations of isolation and danger. However Nora feels more
isolated when she is living with her husband and children because she feels she
is in danger of never knowing her true self and never living her own life. ‘It
was then it dawned upon me that for eight years I had been living here with a
strange man and had borne him three children’. So she is more of an outsider
before she leaves, which is the opposite of Mrs Arburthnot who is made an
outsider by a male because he refuses to marry her. ‘She loved him so much and
he had solemnly promised to marry her, and she believed him. She was very young
and ignorant of what life really is. But he put the marriage off from week to
week, and month to month’.
Nora is
portrayed like a doll which conveys the idea that women were made to conform to
their husband’s wishes. The title of the play ‘A Dolls House’ plays a key role
in the structure and ideas of the text. Nora is treated like a doll, which is
what makes her leave and become an outsider. Nora does not conform to the
stereotype. Helmer treats Nora like a doll and does not appreciate her. “Perhaps
if your doll is taken away from you”-a suggestion from Nora to Helmer and shows
how Nora has been treated like a ‘doll’ and her husband’s life will not be
complete without his ‘doll’ there. However this is ironic because Mrs
Arburthnot brings up Gerald almost by herself, with the odd help of a maid;
however Nora leaves her children at the end of the play.
Gerald has
softened Mrs Arburthnot’s feelings of being an outsider, because although we
know she is angry at how Lord Illingworth has ruined her life, she never says
she regrets having Gerald, so he is the reason she has kept going when she lost
her reputation and good name. She has invented an acceptable name and identity
for her and for Gerald. However in her speeches to Gerald she makes it clear
that she has never lost the sense of being an outsider. ‘She is a woman who
wears a mask like a guilty leper, the fire cannot purify her. The waters cannot
quench her anguish. Nothing can heal her!’
In Wilde’s
‘A Woman of No Importance’ Mrs Arburthnot’s son Gerald is almost employed by
Lord Illingworth .The dramatic tension hinges on the fact that Lord Illingworth
is Gerald’s father, the man who jilted Mrs Arburthnot after she fell pregnant. Ironically
if Gerald goes to work for Lord Illingworth he will be an ‘insider’ in society;
by refusing to allow him to go Mrs Arburthnot is making Gerald an outsider.
Mrs
Arburthnot is an outsider because of Lord Illingworth’s decision, and her
response to that decision. Throughout the play Mrs Arburthnot hints at how Lord
Illlingworth destroyed her reputation, she tells Gerald this.” After the child
was born she left him, taking the child away, and her life was ruined, and her
soul ruined”. The repeated adjective ‘ruined’ implies that Mrs Arburthnot’s
reputation, class and social standing has been destroyed because of Lord
Illingworth. She has been cast outside; this is the opposite of Nora’s
situation as she chooses to be an outsider and gives up her marriage and
children to find her true self. Both the women are strong because they both
make their own decisions. Both male playwrights focus the audience’s attention
on the courage of these women.
The
characters are both cast outside, but not for the same reasons: one is through
choice and the other through male dominance. Nora believes that her life may
improve a great deal after she has left her old life ‘In any case I set you
free from all your obligations. You are not to feel yourself bound in the
slightest way, any more than I shall. There must be perfect freedom on both
sides’. By perfect freedom Nora means that she shall be completely free of
Hester and he shall be completely free of her, with no ties bound to each
other. On the other hand Mrs Arburthnot’s life has been destroyed by this ‘man
of no importance’ as Mrs Arburthnot states. This line is ironic as both the
title of the play and the fact that this man-Lord Illingworth has ruined Mrs
Arburthnot’s life shows that he is in fact very important. Lord Illingworth
believes Mrs Arburthnot is a fallen woman from his past whom he can dismiss and
in the end her importance to him is only through their son, Gerald.
Lord
Illingworth is important and possesses the ability and male dominance that
allows him to control Mrs Arburthnot’s life. He offers Mrs Arburthnot a
marriage proposal even though he did not marry her the first time. ‘I am ready
to marry you Rachel and to treat you always with the deference due to my wife’.
He feels he
is offering Mrs Arburthnot her reputation back, yet she believes ‘the fire
cannot purify her and her purity has been lost forever’. Wilde is presenting
her moral strength here. This links with the fact that at the time both the
plays were written women were not seen to be as equal to men and having a child
out of wedlock would certainly ruin a woman’s reputation. Mrs Arburthnot had
her child out of wedlock and therefore this ruined her reputation, so she feels
less equal to the other women.
Mrs Arburthnot creates a false persona to
assert herself and to deal with the issue of being an outsider. Nora is
creating herself a new identity when she walks out on her family at the end of
the play. Nora is stronger because she
makes the decision to walk out on her family independently whereas Mrs
Arbuthnot has no choice but to create a false persona. Mrs Arburthnot allowed
herself to be ruined by a male, however Nora is leaving the male in her life
and creating her own new life, so therefore is stronger because she possesses
more independence and confidence.
Mrs
Arburthnot has to readjust her image, although she does have some social class
and her reputation is not completely tainted because of her false identity.
Nora loses her reputation at the end of the play when she walks out on the
children; however she personally feels she is becoming more of a person by
doing this because before she was a ‘doll’ and now she is leaving to find her
true self. The point of the dramatic power of her departure is designed to
shock the audience and therefore to make the audience consider the issues, so
dramatically she is the stronger creation.
Nora and
Mrs Arburthnot have been carefully constructed by Ibsen and Wilde to ensure
they portray the way society treated men and women at the time. The title ‘A Woman of No Importance’ relates
to how women were not seen as equal or important as men at the time.
Both the
women confront males in the texts as Nora tells Helmer how she feels and then
walks out on him, leaving him feeling lost without his ‘doll’. Mrs Arburthnot
turns down Lord Illingworth’s marriage proposal and explains how she feels to him
and how he has ruined her life. The irony of this is that after Mrs Arburthnot
has explained herself, Lord Illingworth has not lost anything, unlike her and
remains untouched, with his pride and dignity still in place. He has the name
‘Lord’ and Mrs Arburthnot will never be a ‘lady’ like the other women; this
makes her an outsider. Mrs Arburthnot is not as strong as Nora because Nora’s
actions took place so that she could feel a sense of identity and control;
however Mrs Arburthnot has a lack of control over her name, life and past.
The title
‘A Woman of No Importance’ is toyed around with in the play. Mrs Arburthnot is
made to seem unimportant but calls Lord Illingworth ‘a man of no importance’ at
the end. However Lord Illingworth is left how he was at the beginning of the
play-proud and respected-and Mrs Arburthnot’s pride and little respect may have
been damaged even more deeply. In this sense Mrs Arburthnot is not as strong as
Nora because she will be dependant, whereas Nora faces a future alone.
A2 English Language Coursework (grade C)
A2 English Language
coursework
Victoria Munro
Commentary for
travel review.
The piece I have
written is a travel review of Budapest , Hungary
I used many adjectives,
for example ‘leafy’, ‘dusty’ and ‘the restaurant was painted a cheerful
orange’, in my review to create
imagery for the reader and paint a picture in their mind of the place. It is
important I used a lot of adjectives so that the review is interesting and
engaging for them to read. I
used verbs such as ‘walked’ and ‘shrieking’ to explain what I did and I also
used many proper nouns, such as ‘Heroes Square’ to describe place names. Abstract nouns are used to describe how I felt
about places to give the review a more personal style. For example ‘experiences
I particularly enjoyed were the Central Market Hall Hungarian market’. Using the
abstract noun ‘enjoyed’ adds a positive effect to the review and entices the
reader to travel to Budapest
I used a variety of
both simple and complex sentences depending on the paragraph types and
layout. The sentences used are a mix of
declarative, exclamative and imperative. Orders and commands are made to the
reader telling them to go to a certain place; also I declare and exclaim about
my trip a lot in my review as a way of creating enthusiasm. I used conjunctions to join my sentences
together ‘the
restaurant we ate in twice was a small typical Hungarian restaurant serving
Hungarian goulash which is a stew made with meat and flavoured with paprika and tomatoes’. Conjunctions are used to
join parts of the sentences together to ensure they are not short sentences.
A lexical field of
travel is used in my review as the piece is about travelling so the lexis used
is mainly linked with travelling and has connotations of being abroad. I have
named the names of places such as the Chain Bridge and Heroes Square
The review is generally
quite informal and chatty as a way of engaging the reader with the text, as are
a lot of travel reviews. I used contractions
as my review is generally informal, so ‘could not’ is written as ‘couldn’t’.
This is typical of travel reviews as they are informal and engaging texts. As a general overlook my review is a positive
summary of a period of time spent in a certain place. The lexis used is rather
informal to create a relaxed atmosphere and encourage other travellers to go to
Budapest
A2 English Language Coursework (grade C)
A2 English Language coursework - Travel writing Victoria Munro
Non fiction writing: travel review on Budapest , Hungary
I
went to Budapest , Hungary 3rd September 2012 , from Luton airport. The trip was
something I was looking forward to months before it took place; I couldn't wait
to get on the plane and land in the exciting city. I had devoured views of the
city online in pictures and videos, but I couldn’t wait to get there and take
my own photographs.
We
went on Wizz air, a Hungarian airline. We landed at midnight and as I stepped out of
the plane, the Hungarian atmosphere clung to my skin.
The
language spoken in Budapest
The extraordinary city of
That
night we found a cute little restaurant that served typical Hungarian food,
where we made up for the energy we had lost whilst walking by shovelling the
exquisite food down our throats and quenching our thirst with tangy cider.
The
second day was without a doubt the most amazing! My dad and I walked over the Chain Bridge and saw Pest from the Buda side. The
view will stay with me forever-the bridge, the fairytale-like parliament
building and the flowing river Danu.
We
walked in the baking 30-degrees heat, pausing occasionally for a drink break,
around the historical Buda Castle
That
night we found a little Italian restaurant in the centre of the city. With
people drinking and laughing around us, the nightlife was astounding. The vibe
was crackly and exciting, the heat of the day drifted away to leave a warm
delicious evening.
The
third day we spent exploring the city, and in particular Heroes Square (Heroes
Square was built to honour some of the great men of Hungary's History following
1000 years in the Carpathian Basin) filled with historical statues and many other
tourists snapping away with their cameras and devouring the views.
Later
that day we walked to City Park
I
highly recommend ‘Central Green’ hotel. It was economically priced, yet good
quality; our room had 2 beds, a wardrobe, a TV, a bathroom with our own sink,
toilet and shower. Breakfast was served daily for 1000 forints (£3 per person).
The location of the hotel was good, as it was near the centre of the city and
not a too far walk from anywhere.
Whatever
you do whilst you are there, make sure you take as many photographs as you can.
I perhaps went a little over the top, taking 700 in just three days, but they
are photographs I will never tire of looking at. You could even take a video
camera with you to capture some of the special atmosphere to take home with
you.
Telling
people that you have visited this amazing city certainly gains you experience
and reputation. This city is on a top ten list of places to visit before you
die by the travel site TripAdvisor, and as a general place it is somewhere I
highly whole heartedly recommend.
The
restaurant we ate in twice was a small typical Hungarian restaurant serving
Hungarian goulash which is a stew made with meat and flavoured with paprika and
tomatoes. The restaurant was painted a cheerful orange, the food was delicious
and the atmosphere was particularly special.
There
are many places to visit when you get to Budapest Heroes Square Pest , the hot spring baths
and the local food market. Make sure you visit as many as you can so that when
you get home you can rest assuring yourself that you visited as many places as
possible, as this city is a once in a lifetime place to visit.
As
a general overlook, the city is a place that can swallow you up because of its
size and beauty. Experiences I particularly enjoyed were the Central Market
Hall Hungarian market. Held in a big marquee area, there were stalls among
stalls of food. Colourful fresh vegetables, salty soft meats, warm baked bread,
sweets and treats. It was a market serving local specialities.
It
couldn’t be helped, but I ate and drank a lot in the three whole days I was
there, the food was exquisite. Hungarian goulash, meats and cheeses, tender
chicken with rice and salad, it was impossible to not stuff your face with
food. The surreal experience of standing on Pest side looking over to
Buda, the river Danu and the parliament buildings is an experience that cannot
be deleted from my memory because of its sheer power and beauty.
The
city is a dusty, energetic and vibe-filled place, filled with people, scorching
in summer, even in September and freezing in winter. It has a definite powerful
magic to it, a feeling that becomes part of you, long after you step off the
plane in England Budapest
A2 English Literature Coursework (grade B)
A2 English Literature coursework Victoria Munro
Compare the ways in which Shakespeare and Tennessee Ado
Although writing at
different times Shakespeare and Williams illustrate how men have the power to
control women. In all three play the women do start off with some dominance; an
example of this is the initial presentation of Desdemona when she is wooing
Othello. “Why, stay and hear me speak” she tells Othello. At this point she has
some control.
Desdemona lives in a
paternalistic, racist and stereotyping society - her father cannot believe that
she has eloped with Othello demonstrating that he does not know his own
daughter’s character. Equally, Othello prefers to believe a fellow solider,
Iago, who accuses her of betraying Othello many times with a white lover, Cassio.
Desdemona’s refusal to accept a woman’s position as inferior and submissive
leads to her downfall and she is stereotyped as an adulteress. Desdemona’s
character is not robust enough for her to brave these prejudices.
Blanche, however, manages
to also show superiority and control when she defies Stanley Stanley
BLANCHE: I’m going to ask a
favour of you in a moment.
BLANCHE: Some buttons in
back! You may enter!
She is also critical of the
Kowalski’s two room apartment and of its location in a very seedy part of New Orleans Stanley Stanley Stanley Stanley Stanley
Blanche rises and crosses leisurely to a small white
radio and turns it on.
BLANCHE: I did. Do you
mind?
Blanche is clearly playing
on Stanley’s nerves and perhaps deliberately unsettling him; she has control in
this scene when she turns the radio on but Stanley gains asserts his power when
he tells her abruptly to “Turn it off!”
Similarly Shakespeare
presents the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick as a battle for
dominance. This is portrayed most clearly when Beatrice flirts with Benedick in
Act Two Scene One at the masked ball:
BEATRICE: Will you not tell
me who told you so?
BENEDICK: No, you shall
pardon me.
BEATRICE: Nor will you not
tell me who you are?
BENEDICK: Not now.
This is a similarly
provocative relationship. Beatrice perseveres in challenging Benedick’s
superiority and insults Benedick, calling him “a very dull Fool”.
Benedick later states that
“Every word stabs”, which indicates that Beatrice’s remark has penetrated his
defence - he is losing control and showing his emotions. Shakespeare presents Beatrice
as having control over Benedick when these events take place.
Both playwrights suggest
that for males to gain dominance they need to resort to violent and destructive
acts. The destruction of women is shown in various ways, for example Iago is
clearly responsible for Desdemona’s destruction because he poisons Othello’s
mind. Othello never confronts Desdemona; instead Othello questions and attacks
her and this results in her loss of courage and independence.
OTHELLO: Give me your hand.
This hand is moist my lady.
DESDEMONA: It yet hath felt
no age, nor known no sorrow.
OTHELLO: This argues
fruitfulness and liberal heart:
Hot, hot, and moist. This
hand of yours requires
A sequester from liberty:
fasting and prayer,
Much castigation, exercise
devout;
For here’s a young and
sweating devil here,
That commonly rebels. ‘Tis
a good hand,
A frank one.
Here Othello is implying
that Desdemona has ‘moist’ and ‘hot’ hands because she is guilty and lying. He
is psychologically tormenting her into trying to confess to her sins. Later on
in this scene he brings up the subject of the handkerchief asking her to “Lend
me thy handkerchief”. Desdemona exclaims “I have it not about me”. Othello gave
Desdemona this as a gift and is a symbol of their love for each other so
Othello is distraught and angered when Desdemona says “It is not lost but what
and if it were?” because this suggests it means nothing to her. Othello is
angered by her casual dismissal of the handkerchief because it not only
symbolises for him the evidence of her infidelity but also suggests that she
does not regard him as important. His response is his need to take revenge and
re-assert his dominance.
As a result Shakespeare
presents Othello as cruelly setting up Desdemona in act 4 scene 2 when he says
“Let me see your eyes, look in my face” - he is tormenting her and she loses confidence.
He is beginning to destroy her.
OTHELLO: Why, what art
thou?
DESDEMONA: Your wife, my
lord; your true and loyal wife
Desdemona is presented as standing
up for herself here by protesting that she is innocent when she replies ‘Your
true and loyal wife’-she is eradicating any rumours that she is not loyal or
faithful. Othello goes on to call Desdemona a ‘whore’ and liken her to ‘summer
flies’ which is a grotesque image of flies that swarm round dirt and faeces. He
is implying that Desdemona is no longer pure or innocent. Othello strikes
Desdemona. Shakespeare here escalates the dramatic tension and this display of
physical violence is similar to the domestic abuse Stella suffers at the hands
of Stanley
Hero’s marriage to Claudio
would be seen as a positive event for the sixteenth century audience and a
triumph for Hero, but in reality she is just conforming to society’s wishes. Twenty
first century audiences would be shocked at how she marries the man who
declared her ruined. Hero is a victim of prejudice of society and of male
wrongdoings. Don John’s vicious delight in confusing and hurting the characters
emotions affects Hero directly. When Claudio exposes her false secret at their
wedding, she immediately becomes a ruined woman. Society scorns her for what
they think she has done. Twenty first century audiences would frown upon Hero’s
decision to marry Claudio, the man who declared her a ruined woman and likened
her to a rotten orange - “Give not this rotten orange to your friend” – a
metaphor that suggests she is perfect and beautiful on the outside but grotesque
and deceiving on the inside. Claudio illustrates that Hero has slept with another
man and is no longer pure by exclaiming that, “She knows the heat of a
luxurious bed”. Hero is ruined by Claudio on their wedding day. He compares her
to Dian-goddess of chastity and Venus-goddess of lust and sexuality. The
comparison of Hero to the goddesses is much like the metaphorical comparison of
the ‘rotten orange’. Claudio is implying that Hero is externally like
Dian-sweet and innocent but is actually, internally like Venus-wild and sexual.
Claudio gains control in the wedding scene as he tears Hero’s dignity to
shreds. Claudio uses the humiliation of Hero to assert his dominance in a
variety of ways.
At the end of the same
scene when Beatrice is arguing with Benedick about Hero’s wrongdoing
Shakespeare presents her as showing superiority over him. She is standing up
for her cousin, and therefore standing up for women’s rights - her feminist
characteristic flares. Benedick remarks, “I do love nothing in the world so well
as you: is not that strange?” Beatrice later replies, “I love you with so much
of my heart, that none is left to protest”. Benedick is softened by this
romantic outburst and says, “Come, bid me do anything for thee” to which
Beatrice immediately replies, “Kill Claudio!” She is putting Benedick in an
impossible situation - asking him to kill his best friend to please his lover
(Beatrice) and bring justice to Hero. Beatrice has control over Benedick’s
emotions and is toying with them in order to persuade him to do what she wants.
Shakespeare presents her as triumphant because she agrees.
Blanche is destroyed by Stanley
At her birthday party he
cruelly manipulates her by declaring “I’ve got a little birthday remembrance
for you”.
Blanche is delighted and
replies “Oh, have you Stanley
Blanche: Why, why-Why, it’s
a-
Blanche tries to smile. Then she tries to laugh.
Then she gives both up and springs from the table and runs into the next room.
She clutches her throat and then runs into the bathroom. Coughing, gagging
sounds are heard.
This description
illustrates how upset Blanche is, at first she tries to hide it, rather
unsuccessfully and then her emotions become too much for her and she presumably
vomits in the bathroom.
Women are victimised and
abused by men and whatever dominance, independence or confidence they have at
the beginning of the plays is lost by the end. Many would argue that Hero has
dominance because she is finally married to Claudio, however she only has this
dominance and control because of her marriage, if she were independent she
would be an embarrassment to society. Beatrice’s witty and unique character
alters when she lets herself fall in love with Benedick, and although their
marriage indicates a happy ending, it also shows how women were just objects of
men’s desire and were only regarded in a dignified manner when they married a
man.
Desdemona has been
destroyed by men. Her fidelity has been questioned, her life has been lost and
her dignity toyed with. Blanche is also destroyed by the male sex-her body
violated and her rights and freedom banished after she is taken away to a
mental asylum.
The male gender manages to
destroy and corrupt the female gender and succeed in becoming the dominant
characters in the plays.
At the end of ‘Much Ado’ Benedick
and Beatrice are betrothed. This event seems unlikely to happen at the
beginning of the play, especially when Beatrice says “I had rather hear my dog
bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me”. This illustrates her complete
lack of desire to marry or fall in love and makes the inevitable wedding seem
somewhat unlikely.
However Beatrice agrees to
marry Benedick in the end and is therefore giving up her independence and own
goals and dreams in order to marry a man. At the end of the play Benedick says
“Peace. I will stop your mouth” and kisses her. This gesture could be seen as
romantic but also as patriarchal and controlling. Although Benedick is pursuing
a romantic and tender gesture he is also physically stopping Beatrice from
being able to speak or argue-essentially taking away her right to speak.
With this gesture Benedick
is gaining control over Beatrice and sealing up any independence, spark and
feministic beliefs she might have-she becomes his property, which was common at
the time but seems appalling to a 21st century audience.
Similarly Hero is giving up
her individuality to marry Claudio, the man who disgraced her in front of her
family and friends. He gains control over her once he marries her after falsely
accusing her and she manages to become dignified-purely because she is wed. Although
Hero and Claudio are clearly in love and marrying Claudio ensures Hero’s
happiness, she is also subconsciously giving in to the male gender and allowing
herself to be controlled by a male. Shakespeare highlights the Christian act of
forgiveness-Hero may be seen as property to Claudio socially, but she holds
superiority over him because she is moral enough to forgive him for his
mistake.
Blanche is completely
destroyed by Stanley Stanley
Her (Blanche’s) terror subsides a little. The lurid
reflections fade from the walls, the inhuman cries and noises die out and her
own hoarse crying is calmed.
Blanche is delusional and
extremely upset; her life is being destroyed forever.
She turns to face him and stares at him with
desperate pleading. He smiles; then he speaks to the MATRON.
Blanche is desperate
now-clinging onto any act of kindness the people around her can show.
Her own sister refuses to
believe her accusation of Stanley
In the final scene of the
play Blanche says “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”-this
famous quotation conveys Blanche’s ability to trust, it also reveals a slice of
hope that she still carries with her-and suggests that she does still carry
some self-worth and faith-even though she has been torn apart by the male
gender. Blanche’s flirty characteristic is shown when she says this-she is
flirting with the doctor who has come to take her away, in a positive light
this shows that even in the worst circumstance Blanche can sustain some of her
personality.
Hero gains social status
when she marries Claudio, and this act would be one that a Shakespearian
audience would find delight in.
Men were seen as the
dominant and more important gender at the time the plays were
written-especially the Shakespearian plays. The audience at the time would see
the men’s empowerment as normal and inevitable-in particular a Shakespearian
audience; however Williams highlights the inequalities between men and women
and disturbing issues such as domestic violence, alcoholism and mental illness.
His play is a revelation and a protest to society-a way of illustrating the
wrongs in the world at the time.
It seems accurate to say
that men succeed in dominating women. They manage to do this by using vicious,
violent actions-in Stanley
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