Wednesday 23 January 2013

Reading Journal - The History Boys, Act 1

Act 1 of The History Boys seems to me as a play of humor but with an underlying tone of sincerity and personal opinion. This is because of the extensive use of jokes, banter and teasing from the boys themselves but also their obvious respect for their English teacher, Hector, who has a dodgy taste for his students, (especially Dakin), and his view that effectively, exams are pointless and life has more meaning to it - 'I count examinations, even for Oxford and Cambridge, as the enemy of education.' This is rivaled by the new History teacher, Felix Irwin, who is only six or seven years older than the boys and takes the opposing view on exams and Oxbridge to Hector - 'I sympathise with your feelings about examinations, but they are a fact of life.'

Comedy 
Rivalry - Hector vs. Irwin - Hector and his views, Irwin and his views
Slapstick - Hector hitting the boys on the head with the book
Themes - molesting, Hector taking one of the boys out on his motorbike each day, elitism (the Headmaster, his only concern being league tables, Irwin and his primary concern being Oxbridge)
Metaphors - extensive use of metaphors, even euphemisms, from characters such as Dakin
Banter - Scripps teasing Posner, the lesson in French, Mrs Lintott and Hector, the boys teasing Irwin about his life 
Competition - the idea that the teachers are competing for the affection of the boys, nicknames: tot or totty for Mrs Lintott

It is confusing to me how Bennett has made Hector such a likeable character even though he is sexually abusing his students? Is it purely because of his eccentricity and is constructed through the use of jest, and would this be reacted to differently from an audience watching the play in the 80's to an audience watching the play now? 


Wednesday 16 January 2013

How is the story told in chapter eight of The Great Gatsby?

In this chapter Fitzgerald uses multiple effective story telling techniques such as time and descriptive prose shown through colour, which has been extremely prominent in telling the story in previous chapters. At the beginning of the chapter we are given a shift in the dreamlike world that the characters, especially Nick and Gatsby, have been living in. Nick says, 'grotesque reality and savage, frightening dreams,' here Fitzgerald is using emotive language to demonstrate how Nick's feelings have changed toward the hazy reality he has been living in, surrounded by these people who are characterized by money.

One story telling technique is the shift in narrative focus when Nick decides to inform us about what had happened at the garage after Myrtle's death. It might seem to the reader that all information about the area surrounding where Myrtle had died would have been told at the same Nick was reliving that horrible moment, but the sketchy recollection illustrates how difficult the time had been for Nick and how he had felt confused. This is reinforced at the end of chapter nine when Fitzgerald writes, 'It was after we started with Gatsby that the gardener saw Wilson's body a little way off in the grass, and the holocaust was complete,' this is unusual as it is arguably the most striking and memorable element of the entire chapter yet it is given the least credit or build up, or even detail. Fitzgerald has done this to show how conflicted Nick feels over everything that has happened, and how he wishes to not remember such scenes with clarity.

Symbolism is used when Wilson speaks of the eyes of T.J Eckleburg, 'The eyes of God,' which is almost an anaphoric reference to the previous chapters when they have been mentioned as watchful and gives the feeling of them being omniscient. It is almost as if Fitzgerald is suggesting that the eyes are reflective of all the sin that has taken place and in the end the sinners will be punished. Effectively, the story is told here through the use of imagery and the symbolism of God.

Time is used when showing Gatsby's inability to accept the fact he cannot bring back better times that have passed. Nick says, 'I think he would have acknowledged anything now, but he wanted to talk about Daisy,' which shows how time has changed but Gatsby refuses to move along side it. He tells Nick of how Daisy was 'the first nice girl he had ever known,' and how he found her 'excitingly desirable.' Here the story effectively shifts to the past through Nick explaining Gatsby's interpretation of how things used to be.

Colour is also an important story telling feature in this chapter, especially the repeated use of the symbolic 'Green light' on Daisy's dock. This has been, throughout the story, an ongoing symbol of hope for Gatsby leading him toward her, like previously when he stretched his arms out toward the light. It has been keeping his dream for a life with Daisy alive. Fitzgerald uses words that the reader can almost feel, such as 'cool', 'radiant', 'fresh and breathing'. These words are important as they connote happier times in Gatsby's life, times where Daisy was almost graspable, and also contrast greatly with the rest of the atmosphere of the chapter in which Gatsby is murdered. This quote, to a degree, exists as a last attempt for Gatsby to relive his time with Daisy, before his life is taken from him. Here, the story telling technique is the use of colour and contrast to construct Gatsby's last brief moments of happiness telling Nick all about why he loved Daisy so much.

Tuesday 15 January 2013

How far do you agree with Nick’s view that Gatsby is “worth the whole damn bunch put together”?

I agree with this statement completely as despite his involvement in 'bootlegging' and how his life was built around lies, Gatsby stands for something in which the other characters lack. I believe he stands for hope, for love and for dreams. This is shows through his adoration of Daisy and his tenacity to never give up on her.

The first reason that this statement holds truth is the contrast between Gatsby and Tom Buchanan. From chapter one we begin to understand that the relationship between Tom and Daisy is purely superficial, a relationship that seemed to be based on show and wealth. In this chapter, we learn from Jordan that Tom has been seeing another woman in New York, and Tom's attitude toward Daisy does not adopt the most loving manner. Instead of allowing his wife to join in on the conversation or take interest in what she talks of, he is more concerned about the extremist book he's been reading and discussing it's racist views - 'The idea is if we don't look out the white race will be - will be utterly submerged.'

This greatly contrasts with Gatsby. He is compassionate toward Daisy unlike Tom who treats her only as a possession, and his determination in refusing to give up on her and this dream world he has created for the two of them. Even in chapter seven when Daisy runs over Myrtle, Gatsby takes the blame himself just to protect her - Nick asks, 'Was Daisy driving?' to which Gatsby responds, 'Yes... but of course I'll say I was.' By this time Gatsby has already abandoned his elaborate parties, which only existed as a way to lure in the one he so yearned for, which counteracts the argument that he was purely covetous and materialistic. He even shouts at Tom in chapter seven, 'She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me,' which illustrates how all the effort and his immersion in illegal business was all to build up an Empire big enough and grand enough for Daisy, and also demonstrates how money-orientated and trivial Daisy is. In comparison to Daisy, it may well be said he was worth a lot more than her. Towards the end of the book she and Tom both pack up and move on, recoiling back into all their money and hiding away from the upset and destruction they had both caused.

Another reason Gatsby stands for something greater than the other characters is the fact that he died with love still in his heart and a dream to aspire to. He did not die bitter and anguished over the fact he could not have Daisy, over the fact that his whole life had been created with her at the center, and all for nothing. Gatsby died only with a taste on his tongue of what life could be like with Daisy, of what it would feel like to have her as his own, but this seemed to console him enough to know he was dying a happier and better man. He refused to give in until the very end, when Nick suggests that Gatsby 'ought to go away,' Gatsby is almost in shock when he responds, 'Go away now, old sport?' He could not bear to tear himself away after how far he had come, how far he had gotten to Daisy being his. And despite his love's own selfishness and shallow ways, he dies still with that green glow of hope in his heart. Gatsby is 'worth the whole damn bunch put together' because he died with love.