AS Unit F662: Literature post-1900

The Linked Essay Task

 

Candidates submit an essay considering two texts exploring contrasts and comparisons between them, informed by interpretations of other readers. The term ‘other readers’ is defined as:
 

• Reference to recognised critics;

 

• Different theatrical interpretations of drama where candidates discuss different directors’ presentations or different actors’ portrayals;

 

• Exploring a text in relation to, for example, Aristotelian or other concepts of tragedy;

 

• Developing a theoretical approach to the study of their texts (feminism or Marxism, for example)

 

• Different interpretations of texts produced through rewriting or television/ film adaptations.

 

Assessment Objectives

Candidates are expected to demonstrate the following in the context of the content described:

 

AO1 Communication and Presentation

• Articulate creative, informed and relevant responses to literary texts, using appropriate terminology and concepts, and coherent, accurate written expression.

 

AO2 Analysis and Understanding

• Demonstrate detailed critical understanding in analysing the ways in which structure, form and language shape meanings in literary texts.

 

AO3 Knowledge, Understanding and Evaluation

• Explore connections and comparisons between different literary texts, informed by interpretations of other readers.

 

AO4 Knowledge and Understanding

• Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.

 

Titling your Analysis

Example Title Tasks

 

With close reference to Sons and Lovers and The History Boys, compare how Winterson and Bennett present adult influence on the developing youth.

 

Compare and contrast the presentation of class in Sons and Lovers and The History Boys.

 

Compare and contrast how Sons and Lovers and Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit present social expectations and conventions.

By close comparison of the two novels, an exploration of home life in Sons and Lovers and Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit.

 

Compare the uses of formal invention in The History Boys and Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit.

An exploration into the portrayal of same sex relationships in The History Boys and Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit.

Title Tasks with Embedded Quotations

“Dystopian literature invites the reader to reflect upon the mutability of identity.” By comparing The Handmaid’s Tale and Never Let Me Go, discuss how far, and in what ways the two novels support or refute this claim?

What is the impact of the author’s choice of narrator in The Handmaid’s Tale and Never Let Me Go? Provide a comparative discussion.

“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.” In the light of this statement, in what ways would you see The Handmaid’s Tale and Never Let Me Go presenting any sense of optimism?

“A mixture of social pressure inflicted on, and path to self-destruction embraced by, the protagonists.” Compare and contrast the plots of The Handmaid’s Tale and Never Let Me Go in the light of this comment.

“A common feature of dystopian literature is its celebration of the individual in the face of diversity.” Compare the presentation of heroism in The Handmaid’s Tale and The Road.

“Speculative Fiction sounds like it should be tentatively exploratory, but it is often deeply manipulative writing.” An investigation into the didacticism of futuristic novels by a comparison of The Road and Never Let Me Go.

How is vulnerability revealed in Chapter 21 of 'The Go-between'?

Reaching to the end of the story, the narrator can be felt to resurface more frequently and his thoughts become notably inconsistent, often wavering from one thought to the next. For example, Leo's interpretation of Ted's self worth is expressed to be 'carried' on him, making him an easier target than those whose values are 'spread out over houses and parklands', increasing his vulnerability when the notion of being 'killed' enters Leo's thoughts. But then he suggest Marian to be a victim in Ted's 'enticing' behavior.

Vulnerability is predominantly depicted within Leo's journey to, then encountering the 'deadly nightshade'. By repeatedly referring to the 'darkness' that surrounds him, we empathise with his 'fear' of becoming lost, plus the fear of being 'shut' out symbolises his isolation from the higher class social groups. Regularly, his environment has a large impact on the vulnerability felt within him, stating the 'night' was a 'forbidden world', where 'Little boys' are susceptible to 'bad grown-ups'; 'thieves, murderers', all adding to a strong sense of unnerving terror.

Arguably, most is revealed inside Leo's confrontation of the atropa belladonna. He personifies the plant and acts as though he has willingly given into its power; 'it wanted me', further enhancing a sense of command by suggesting it was the one 'preparing' the 'spell', not himself. It seems due to its intimidating nature, Leo is submissive and almost possessed to envelop the plants form; '...I stretched my hand out into the thick darkness...' again Hartley uses 'darkness' to heighten Leo's vulnerability. The plant's inviting quality then becomes so strong, Leo actually steps into its midst. But then formidably senses his fear again and struggles to 'force' his 'way out' by violently tearing and ripping the plant, like prey becoming desperate to escape its predator, corresponding to how sometimes his relationship with Marian has been like.

How is a sense of pathos achieved in both 'The Go-Between' and 'The Catcher in the Rye'?

In both novels, the reader is poignantly drawn to sense pathos throughout the journey of each protagonist. Hartley carries this out immediately, by way of the present-day Leo finding his diary inside a ‘battered’ box, like his childish ambitions which were lost and broken years ago, and further accentuated in distance by the famously quoted; ‘The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.’ Although both introductions establish their protagonist’s recollection, Holden provokes empathy dissimilarly to Leo. It seems Holden is more sure of his past – opposed to Leo’s memories which, like the ‘ambiguous objects’, were ‘not once apparent’ – and openly admits his account to be of ‘this madman stuff’, which outlines his honesty that consequently allows the reader to sympathise with his ‘lousy childhood’. We catch Leo feeling ashamed of his past by proclaiming, such things that once were highly obsessed over, to be nothing but ‘zodiacal fantasies’. This patronises his younger self and negates the ‘mystical appeal’ of witnessing the turn of the century, into the ‘Golden Age’; to the ancient Greek and Roman poets, this was a period of lost perfection that held potential for its return, which perhaps Hartley uses to reflect Leo’s awareness of his coming of age. Yet because of his ‘chant’, irony is shown within his preparation for the onset of maturity in a dreamy, unrealistic way.

The themes in ‘Go-Between’ that pursue Leo’s onset to change, such as the ‘expedition to Norwich’ which gave him a ‘sense of well-being…ever seeking higher levels’, could be argued different to Holden’s outlook on the evolution of an individual. Salinger uses a large, continuous paragraph for Holden’s narration of the museum, which expresses Holden’s happiness as he envisages the scene, hence connecting the reader to his nostalgia. He states that ‘the only thing that would be different would be you’ whilst everything else stayed ‘where it was’, which the reader would expect leads him to a sense of realisation. But it’s as if he enjoys the mystery of being unable to explain how someone is ‘different’; he has the capability of facing up to meaning, but that would result in him crossing into the adult world, which he may subconsciously avoid – unlike Leo who constantly strives for understanding, that at times, his naivety prevents from revealing. Holden’s subjective view of the world’s consistent rhythm could relate to the era of the author; from the Cold War, the fear of communism grew within America, as well as the practice of McCarthyism, where people’s real or supposed beliefs were exaggerated, then subjected to aggressive investigations. Salinger may use Holden’s dream of being the ‘catcher’ to represent America holding back its natural self-discovery and political evolution.

We can relate this dream of masking American society from the hidden horrors of reality, to Hartley’s use of settings which exhibits an idyllic, Eden-like atmosphere that Leo easily perceives as aristocracy, as the reader can pity his susceptibility to this façade when underneath is the cruel workings of a social system. He even goes as far as comparing these characters to ‘gods’, who he once felt ‘utterly out of place’ with, until Trimingham gives him ‘security’ and unintentionally engages his astrological obsessions be referring to him as ‘Mercury’. Hartley creates a sense of pathos in Leo’s first moment of self-recognition; instead of discovering his identity, he immediately – allowed by the ‘glass’ – perceives a distorted view of his individualism through someone else’s eyes, consequently feeling ‘inelegant’ in comparison to the demeanour of those at Brandham Hall. This falls back onto the ‘Golden Age’, Leo sees such lifestyles as perfection, which shows Hartley understands the reality of this façade by sarcastically presenting it to highlight the social divisions within the era. As Leo focusses on a false connection between status and morality – for example Marian’s beauty that disguises her ‘deceptive heart’1 – Holden on the other hand disagrees with ‘phonies’ who, for example, ‘talk about how many miles their goddam cars get to the gallon’, therefore tend to aspire within a material perspective. It could be said that Holden’s ‘red hunting cap’ is a symbolism of his individuality. For example, between a conflict with Stradlater, he undergoes a cathartic experience which gives the reader an insight to his perspective of ‘morons’; “You never what to discuss anything. That’s the way how you can always tell a moron.”, then uses the ‘cap’ as a mark of revelation. Holden comes eye to eye with his existence differently to Leo, by ways of seeing a person for their ideas and opinions instead of class or image.

Due to the characters within Hartley’s novel being more of a complex presentation than Salinger’s, we are affected easily by their misfortune. Marian and Ted’s relationship – to Hartley’s surprise – lead the public to empathise with what could be seen as innocent love, or passionate longing, whereas the strict workings of social division at the time, which further provokes empathy from modern readers, is able to manipulate these characters into viewing such affection as ‘forbidden’. Although Salinger may not go into as much depth as Hartley regarding his characters, we can still appreciate that he means to portray them in certain ways i.e. the three girls Holden meets in a bar can be seen pathetically and dismal, as they pointlessly ‘kept looking for movie stars’ whilst ‘putting away’ large amounts of alcohol.

The pair of novels essentially relate to the struggles of growing up and discovering the world. The ‘fall’ to which Mr Antolini addresses Holden with, sums up whether a person is capable of surviving the “horrible kind” of reality one can be revealed to during adolescence, aiding to a predominant sense of passion to try ones best in the journey of life, regardless of the possibilities of failure, which consequently one must overcome.

1 ‘He then had Hermes give the mortal a deceptive heart and a lying tongue.’ - extract fromhttp://prometheas.org/mythology.html
Marian can be compared to Pandora from ‘The Creation of Man by Prometheus’.

Structural Theory

Structural Theory

Tzvetan Todorov

Todorov's theory is a useful one when trying to address the structure of any novel. In this case, with Catcher in the Rye, Todorov's theory works extremely well.

The theory states that there are 5 significant structural points in any given text:

1. A state of equilibrium (all is as it should be)
2. A disruption of that order by an event
3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred
4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption
5. A return or restoration of the equilibrium

 

 

Does Catcher in the Rye fit this model?

Does Salinger return Holden to a state of equilibrium? 

Throughout the novel there are several points where the 'order' is upset: identify them.

Does Salinger suggest that the world is not neatly ordered?  To imagine that the world is ordered is, after all, a narrow view. Is it more interesting to take the stance that the adult world exists in a state of disruption and the child's in a state of order?

Fundamentally Todorov's theory models itself on a circular structure. How far is Catcher in the Rye a circular text?

Discussion from Class

Here are the points.  Please leave comments and feedback as an extended discussion to the one we had in lesson.  Do not confine yourself to Chapter 15!

Retrospective First Person Narrative

Retrospective First Person Narrative is the telling of a story from the main character's persepective, looking back on a life gone by.  Both Hartley and Salinger employ this narrative structure.

The effects of this are:
A question over reliability
Ironic positioning - the audience are able to see through the narrow-mindedness; or limited perspective of the protagonist; a closer relationship formed between protagonist and reader (or, potentially the reverse)
The reader becomes analytical
A stronger sense of character

Can you see any examples of this in 'The Go-Between'?

The First Person, in the case of Leo, is an honest character.  In Chapter 12 his obsession over order comes out further with his distress over the lack of symmetry created by the spire against the horizon.  He suggests that if he moved he would likely find a position that offered the symmetry he seeks, however he doesn't.  But why doesn't he?

Does this moment show that his perspective is narrow or limited, or even flawed?

Can you find any other examples of flawed perspective in the novel?

Add your ideas/responses in the comments box below and attempt to support your work with both quotation from the text and views from the quotations previously supplied.

Useful quotes to reflect upon for 'The Go-Between'

 “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.”

Summering with a fellow schoolboy on a great English estate, Leo, the hero of L. P. Hartley’s finest novel, encounters a world of unimagined luxury. But when his friend’s beautiful older sister enlists him as the unwitting messenger in her illicit love affair, the aftershocks will be felt for years. The inspiration for the brilliant Joseph Losey/Harold Pinter film starring Julie Christie and Alan Bates, The Go-Between is a masterpiece—a richly layered, spellbinding story about past and present, naïveté and knowledge, and the mysteries of the human heart. This volume includes, for the first time ever in North America, Hartley’s own introduction to the novel.

Colm Toibin, The Go-Between (New York Review Books Classics)

Quotes

The first time I read it, it cleared a haunting little spot in my memory, sort of like an embassy to my own foreign country…. I don’t want to spoil the suspense of a well-made plot, because you must read this, but let’s just say it goes really badly and the messenger (shockingly) gets blamed. Or he blames himself anyway. And here the mirror cracks; the boy who leaves Brandham is not the one who came. Indeed the narrator converses with his old self as though he were two people. That was the powerful gonging left by my first read: What, if anything, bundles us through time into a single person?
—Ann Brashares, “All Things Considered”, NPR

I can’t stop recommending to anyone in earshot L.P. Hartley’s The Go-Between…. One of the fabled opening lines in modern literature: ‘The past is a foreign country: They do things differently there.’ The NYRB paperback has a superb new introduction by Colm Tóibín, but don’t read it until after you’ve read the book itself.
—Frank Rich, New York Magazine.com

Like Henry James, his most obvious literary forebear, Hartley examines the nuances of morality with a shimmering exactness, focusing on characters like Leo, the narrator of The Go-Between, caught between natural impulses and the social conventions that would thwart them.
— Jay Parini, The New York Times

A beautifully written and absorbing book.
— Atlantic Monthly

Mr. Hartley is amazingly good, and no reader of serious fiction should miss this book.
— Los Angeles Times

Its famous formulation about the past sets the tone: this is a strange and beautiful book. I first read it in my early teens, and its atmosphere of yearning for lost times and of childish innocence challenged has haunted me ever since.
— Ian McEwan

Exuding such a sense of summer the pages might be warm to touch, Hartley’s coming-of-age tale is set during the heatwave of 1900. It all ends in tears, but not before there have been plenty of cucumber sandwiches on the lawn.
— The Observer

If you yearn for the stillness of an English summer while baking in foreign heat, then pack LT Hartley’s The Go-Between. Told through the eyes of a boy on the edge of puberty, this story of an illicit love affair across class in a ripe Edwardian summer has the emotions rising with the mercury. Love, the pain of adolescence and the lure of the forbidden. Without it, Ian McEwan could never have written Atonement.
— Sarah Dunant, The Daily Telegraph