Alice


 * yr 13: essay plans paper two:**

In both 1984 and A Hero of Our Time the reader is drawn in towards glimpses of the protagonists’ “private lives” as the novels progress. The narrative structure of A Hero of Our Time is such that we move closer towards Pechorin as the book develops; we are first given an external depiction of Pechorin’s protagonists in books //Bela// and //Maxim Maximych//, followed by a far more intimate portrait in Pechorin’s own diaries. In 1984, Winston’s life is anything but private, due to the omnipresent telescreens – a prominent symbol of the Party’s control. Despite this, as the novel progresses, Wiston is given the illusion of a private life through settings such as The Golden Country and the rented house in the Proles’ district. Hence in both novels we move from a depiction of the protagonists’ public lives to one of their private lives.
 * 1) In novels and short stories, characters tend to have both an inner life and a public life. Both of these may be part of the fiction, if not equally so in every work. Choose examples from your reading to discuss how and how effectively these **two** aspects of human existence are presented.

The first two books of A Hero of Our Time depict Pechorin’s public life, in that they show Pechorin as others see him. The two books //Bela// and //Maxim Maximych// are told from the point of view of Maxim Maximych and the unnamed travel writer, whereas the third, fourth and fifth are written by the man himself, and thus give the reader insight to his private life.
 * “A wonderful fellow, I dare say” speaks Maxim Maximych of Pechorin, showing how Pechorin is seen by some
 * Later Maxim Maxiymch is to be snubbed by Pechorin, and deeply offended as a result.
 * However, it only through Pechorin’s diaries, when we begin to be given some explanation for his audacious behavior
 * “Sometimes I despise myself… is that not why I despise others?”
 * “I love enemies, though not in the Christian way. They amuse me, excite my blood.”
 * “When faced with enthusiasm, I am seized by a midwinter freeze”

Winston’s life has been consistently public, with the omnipresent telescreens. Hence, arguably, there is no such thing as a “private” life for Winston’s character. Winston lives an incredibly restricted life under the Party’s regime, constantly observed by telescreens.
 * Rather contrasts to Pechorin’s hedonistic lifestyle and boredom. Whilst Winston’s freedom is resitricted, Pechorin’s is in surplus, inducing a feeling of ennui.
 * “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU”
 * “The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level ofa very low whisper, would be picked up by it; moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard.”
 * “He had set his features into the expression of quiet optimism which it was advisible to wear when facing the telescreen”

Winston’s illusions of private life, most poignant in the safe house he shares with Julia, do provide insight into his character that we couldn’t possibly obtain whilst Winston was aware of being observed.
 * Winston also becomes more independent in thought, which we see through the shifts in his style of narration
 * “Winston was gelatinous with fatigue. Gelatinous was the right word. It had come into his head spontaneously.”
 * Ironically, his capture takes place in the place he feels most safe, and is able to carry out a private life; his imprisonment takes place right when he is feeling most free.
 * “Everything was all right. He was safe.”
 * “Would you like some more coffee?” -> from these scenes where Julia and Winston believe they are free from the oppressive control of the telescreen, we are given glimpses into a private and intimate coupledom.

Comparitively, Pechorin lives in a society where he can act fueled by hedonism and boredom. With reference to his audacious and capricious behavior, Pechorin’s diary serves as an opportunity for self-analysis, which Pechorin indulges in to no end. These are an invaluable resource into understanding Pechorin’s “inner life”. Lermontov writes the last three books, //Taman//, //Princess Mary,// and //The Fatalist// in diary-form
 * Whilst both protagonists own a diary, they serve very different purposes. Winston’s serves as an output for his frustration at the party; however, as the illusion of a private life is developed, Winston loses the need for the diary.
 * Compared to Rousseau’s confessions – “Rousseau’s confessions had their shortcomings in that he read them to friends”
 * Validates the intimacy and privacy of the diaries

In conclusion, Pechorin’s private life provides confused insight into his character, plausibly justifying some of his more harrowing behavior. Arguably this shows as much of a change in character as we see in Winston when he is in what he believes to be privacy. Pechorin, in the seclusion of his diaries feels at liberty to express his insecurity (“Why do they all hate me?”) and reveal his cruelty in a blatant, no nonsense manner. In a similarly character-revealing manner, Winston, in the privacy of his safe house, feels at liberty to act as we – free from the oppression of totalitarianism – would consider normal. Therefore, through the inclusion of a public and private life, Orwell is expounding the oppression present under Ingsoc, and Lermontov wishes to expound the dichotomies and uncertainties in Pechorin’s character – arguably most deplored and lamented by Pechorin himself.

2.Symbols and/or motifs are an essential element of many novels and short stories. How have either or both of these devices been used and, in your opinion, how successfully, in two or three of the works you have studied?

Both protagonists of 1984 and A Hero of Our Time are inherently symbolic. Pechorin of the “lost generation” in 19th Century Russia and Winston of a generic individual in a totalitarian society. 1984 and A Hero of Our Time also contain other symbolism that allude and develop the symbolism of the protagonists.


 * Symbolism of the setting:** In both novels, the setting is often symbolic of the characters themselves.
 * In A Hero of Our Time, setting described in the first few pages serves to forebode the narrator’s introduction to Pechorin’s character through it’s mysterious and yet sublime depiction:
 * “unassailable mountains”
 * “another nameless rivulet which noisily unearthed itself from a black and gloomy chasm, extends like a silver thread, glittering like a scaly snake”
 * Pechorin’s adoration of the setting also serves to expound his annoyance and frustration with society, through the juxtaposition of tone and diction he uses when describing the Caucasus and people
 * “The air is clean and fresh, like the kiss of a baby; the sun is bright, the sky blue – what more could one wish?”
 * “They are dandies: they adopt academic poses as they lower their wickered glasses into the well” “Towards old age they either become peaceful landowners, or drunks – sometimes both” “those people who…grandly drape themselves with extraordinary feelings, sublime passions and exceptional suffering”
 * Similarly, in 1984 the setting of Airstrip one reflects and symbolizes the derelict mental and physical state of its occupants:
 * “sagging”, “straggled”, “everything had a battered, trampled-on look”
 * Similarly, Winston is described as “his skin roughened”, “a small, frail figure”, with a “varicose ulcer” on his ankle; degraded physically
 * However there are other settings in 1984 which could be considered to have a similar effect to how Pechorin’s love of the Caucasus expounds his hatred of society.
 * The Golden Country symbolizes hope, but also serves to expound by contrast the derelict state of the city:
 * “the sunlight, filtering through innumerable leaves, was still hot on their faces”


 * Symbolism of control/restriction:** In the book //Princess Mary// there is an awful lot of symbolism surrounding uniform, rank and society – all symbolizing the superficiality and pretentions that Pechorin so despises. Similarly in 1984 there are several motifs and symbolism that serve to represent what Winston so despises; the Party’s control.
 * Pechorin pays much attention to rank and uniform, which perhaps also reflects a superficiality in himself that he is not willing to recognize:
 * “Grustnitsky is a cadet. After just a year in service, he wears a heavy soldier’s greatcoat – a particular kind of dandyism”
 * “The second ladt wore a high-necked dress in gris de perles, with a light silk fuchu twisted around her lithe neck”
 * Winston is constantly surrounded by symbols of the Party’s control:
 * “He had set his features into the expression of quiet optimism which it was advisable to wear when facing the telescreen”
 * “you had to live – did live, from habit that became instinct – on the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.”
 * “The instrument could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely.”

In conclusion, the symbolism used by both Lermontov and Orwell expounds the inherent symbolic nature of their characters, thus elucidating, in Orwell’s case, the dangers of totalitarian regime on the individual, and in Lermontov’s, the nature of the “superfluous” generation.

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PARAGRAPH ONE; stage directions

Arthur Miller explores stage directions as a method to create tone and build up the disposition of each character in his play, The Crucible. Miller ensures setting the scene with lengthy character descriptions and stage directions. Particularly with the character Parris – the first character introduced – the stage directions evoke images of his panicked, nervous disposition, whilst also giving us access to the deeper layers of his character and thought. For example, Parris is introduced to the act, “praying now, and, though we cannot hear his words, a sense of confusion hangs about him.” This line immediately gives off a sense of the general religious sentiment of the town – Parris is an important religious figure of the town, and a microcosm for the total religious confusion and hypocrisy that flows through the town. An example of the stage directions, particularly the language Miller uses, evoking tone in the play, is when Tituba, the negro slave, walks into the room where Reverend Parris is praying for his daughter. Parris then starts “scrambling to his feet”, “overcome with sobs”, quaking with fear,” etc. Just the strong evocative words Miller has selected provide a sense of Parris’s anxiety. The words have a sense of quick, panicked movement to them – they are very much action verbs. Arthur Miller uses stage directions as described and allows us, as readers, to fully grasp the setting and movement of the characters, without having to watch the play. The detailed descriptions and stage directions allow The Crucible to read as a film, perhaps, in that the movements and dispositions of the characters are so cleverly portrayed, as they would be in cinema or on stage.

PARAGRAPH TWO; catalysts.

There are arguably several aspects of The Crucible that could be considered catalysts. The most plausible catalyst is the setting; Salem, a small, extremely dogmatic town susceptible to rumor. The fact that the entire town is so immersed in their fear of the supernatural provokes a single incident to have extremely adverse, exaggerated superstitions, which in turn snowball towards the witch trials. The small, perhaps isolated, environment the characters coexist in affects their relationships, their political and religious views, as well as their priorities. We see this exemplified in Parris, whose character essentially is a microcosm that encompasses the religious hypocrisy, pathetic priorities, and panicked superstition of the majority of the town. The initial stage direction of the play, concerning Parris, notes the "sense of confusion" hanging around him as he prays - this perhaps hints at the general religious confusion of Salem. The smallness and critical, condemning propensity of the town allows tiny inklings of foreign behavior, such as the supposed practice of witchcraft, to blow up into a full-scale, potent crisis. Whilst one could argue that the nature of separate characters in the play are catalysts (such as Abigail’s tendency to deceive, blame and “dissemble”), the characteristics of the individuals in the town of Salem are undoubtedly credited to the environment they live in. The smallness of the town allows for dangerous relationships, youthful rebellion, and extreme doctrinaire religious environment. All of these things then come together to form such outrageous incidents, which are dealt with in the utmost severity; with an absolutely blinding fear of the Devil – or, on a larger scale, the foreign.

PARAGRAPH THREE; the direction of a section of the play

In pages forty-nine and fifty, the dramatic tension between Proctor and his wife Elizabeth is evident. There is also a mention of the mass-hysteria that has swept through the town, in their dialogue. The section begins with very superficial conversation. I would, in this section, ensure that the actors (particularly Elizabeth) conveyed a sense of almost awkwardness at the mistrust that lingers between them. In the short passage where John Proctor is discussing how “Lilacs have a purple smell. Lilac is the smell of nighttime,” I would have him express the desperation he says this with – it’s a desperation for normality in his household, the need for a normal conversation between man and wife. He would perhaps show this through his face, or by nervously playing with his hands as he speaks. A less awkward, and more negative, tension arises when Proctor asks Elizabeth if she’s “sad again”; here, there is an inner conflict in Elizabeth’s character as to whether or not she should destroy the superficial conversation and lead ultimately to another argument. They start to argue, and for the initial part of this section of conversation, I would have them standing quite on opposite ends of the room, Elizabeth looking away, and Proctor conveying his frustration through pacing. Then, when Elizabeth’s lines get longer and she starts revealing the news of the official with trials, I would have them stand very close together – yet not touch. This would build the tension in that Elizabeth is seeking John’s comfort, and John is seeking the information she has from Mary Warren. Perhaps at the mention of the fact that "Abigail brings the other girls into the court, and where she walks the crowd will part like the sea for Israel.", John Proctor can turn away from his wife, the tension rising further from the mention of her name. There are various ways in which this scene could continue, and I feel that it is a section that is continuously building the tension between John and Elizabeth, and perhaps implicit tension is also being built between John and Abigail through the references to her in their dialogue.

PARAGRAPH FOUR; theme

Fear’s ability to warp judgment is a theme that Miller addresses throughout The Crucible. This is seen in the unjustness and lack of evidence in the accusations falsely distributed to innocent members of the community, along with the hypocrisy that the fear of being identified with the condemned brings. Miller said himself, in an interview about The Crucible “fear can warp judgment”. The Crucible deals very well with this theory through the blind panic evoked by the mention of witchcraft. It is apparent, throughout acts 2, 3 and 4, that the trials are using, as Miller said, “spectral evidence as proof of guilt.” Proctor is jailed and sentenced to hanging because Mary Warren screams to him “you are the devil’s man!”; he is thus deemed guilty until proven innocent, and at the end of the play, forced into a confession of sins he did not commit. Any judge, without the consuming and total fear of the devil and the supernatural, would consider such evidence discussed above insufficient – yet Danforth is instantly convinced of Proctor’s culpability. Elizabeth and John Proctor seem to be the two most levelheaded members of the community at a time like this; Elizabeth comments on the ridiculousness of the thought of charge put on Rebecca Nurse by crying “it’s hard to think so pious a woman be secretly a Devil’s bitch after seventy year of such good prayer!” The idea that one is either “with this court or he must be counted against it” would evoke a fear of associating oneself with anything that might evoke ideas of being guilty. Hence, judgment is blurred in that people seem to want to do anything to avoid being on the guilty side of the battle against the devil – there are, Danworth assures, only two sides; it is very black and white. Anyone who attempts reason in the court would be instantly accused as being the Devil’s associate. It seems ridiculous to those of us analyzing the situation without the atmosphere of hysteria, but one can imagine the fear evoked in the people of Salem during this time – a fear of such intensity that morals, alliances, and judgment are significantly and adversely altered.

PARAGRAPH FIVE; relevance?

I feel like the Crucible is extremely relevant to contemporary society – both in its themes and portrayal of human nature. I feel like the theme in The Crucible that is most relevant, at least geographically, to me, is the fear of the unknown. In The Crucible, any mention of witchcraft is feared, and people are accused unfairly of taking the Devil’s side. The fear of the unknown, along with unfair, stereotyped accusations, provokes thoughts of the borderline racist referendum in Switzerland arguing for the deportation of foreign criminals. The Swiss people seem to fear immigrants, especially with criminal backgrounds, and so they do all they can legally to expel these kinds of people from their country. Just as in Salem, mostly women are accused with little proof, and withdrawn from their community. Merely the way in which the close-knit community reacts to the witch trials and accusations of dark magic is a direct portrayal at the capacity humans undoubtedly revel in, to protect one’s own reputation, at the expense of others. We see this is the Swiss racist referendum; the country is attempting to “purify” itself. Initially it could be said that this campaign for purification and disassociation with foreign people of a supposed lesser status, began with the referendum placed on the construction of mosques with visible minarets. The Swiss people seem to have an inherent need to expel the unknown from their country, and protect their own reputation as a pure, civil, perfect society. We see this same inherent trait in the characters in Salem, as they tried to remove each and every person with even a trace of a rumor of witchcraft to their name. In this way, and in several other themes of the play, The Crucible can be related constantly and effectively to most contemporary societies – if only in it’s correct portrayal of human nature.

Well done Alice, some fascinating paragraphs with a clear understanding of key themes and ideas and I particularly enjoyed your paragraph on the 'catalysts' You write well with a clear sense of opinion although you do tend to over explain at times (in the final paragraph on the Swiss) Make sure that you are succinct but developmental in your writing.

The paragraphs use example and quotes well at times but I do feel there is improvement needed in the integration and choice of quotation.

Well done

K&U - 5 Lit Features - 4 Interpretation - 4

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