SOPHOCLES, FRANKLIN, D., ED., ET AL., 2003. Antigone. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
DORFMAN, A., 1994. Death and the Maiden. New York: Penguin.
IBSEN, H., FJELDE. R., ed., 1965. The Wild Duck. New York: The New American library, Signet.
Please note: take care with full stops and commas
Friday, May 22, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
True History of the Kelly Gang - Research
A link to a government site which gives some primary and secondary sources on Edward "Ned" Kelly:
www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/nedkelly/
Also: www.ironoutlaw.com (a thorough, excellent site)
National museum – www.nma.gov.au (photographs, cartons and paintings)
www.nedkellyworld.com.au (maps, information and pictures)
www.statelibrary.vic.gov.au (Jerilderie Letters)
Please make sure that you are thorough in your research.
When conducting your research, please make notes and also make sure you are thinking about how the information you are reading might add to Ned Kelly's fame / notoriety.
1) Is the "voice" which Peter Carey has given him apt?
2) How is he protrayed through Carey's construction of "voice"?
3) What kind of character does Carey portray Kelly to be?
4) What literary devices help in the construction of character?
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
'notorious' characters explored in the four IOP texts
All the novels feature ‘notorious’ characters. Is it positive or negative? Explain for each character.
Notorious in our opinion is used to describe someone who is ill-famed and known widely and usually unfavourably. The person described usually has unfavourable connotations attached to them. They are also known for bad conduct or disgrace.
In 'Regeneration' by Pat Barker, our group agreed that Sassoon can be identified as a 'notorious' character because he rebels against the government through his written declaration. He is portrayed unfavourably in the governments' eyes and is ill-famed to some extent. Through his insurgent poems, he gained popularity amongst his fellow fascists, thus proving him to be viewed also as 'notorious' in a positive way.
In 'Alias Grace' by Margeret Atwood, Grace Marks, the protagonist is depicted as a 'notorious' character through her reputation for killing. In the novel, she is labeled as a "celebrated murderess" (page 25). Her notoriety is inflated through her responses during her trials. She is a cunning and clever woman, and is deemed 'notorious' by choosing to keep her deeper thoughts hidden from the authorities.
- Anahita, Lillian, Mai & Yung
Notorious in our opinion is used to describe someone who is ill-famed and known widely and usually unfavourably. The person described usually has unfavourable connotations attached to them. They are also known for bad conduct or disgrace.
In 'Regeneration' by Pat Barker, our group agreed that Sassoon can be identified as a 'notorious' character because he rebels against the government through his written declaration. He is portrayed unfavourably in the governments' eyes and is ill-famed to some extent. Through his insurgent poems, he gained popularity amongst his fellow fascists, thus proving him to be viewed also as 'notorious' in a positive way.
Another character which can be portrayed as 'notorious' is the infamous Dr. Yealland who gained his reputation of notoriety throughout the hospital due to his horrific treatment methods in which he inflicts on his patients thus making him 'notorious' in the eyes of his patients.
In 'Perfume' by Patrick Süskind, the protagonist, Grenouille, murders young, attractive virgins to obtain their exotic scent. However, he is only established as a 'notorious' person at the end of the novel as he was finally convicted of his murders then. Before that, he managed to keep a low profile, through his undetected scent and so was able to keep his murders hidden from the public. Grenouille's secret identity as a murderer classifies him as a 'notorious' character amongst the readers even before he was uncovered in the public eyes for his crimes. His notoriety is seen as negative before and after the discovery of his actions.In 'Alias Grace' by Margeret Atwood, Grace Marks, the protagonist is depicted as a 'notorious' character through her reputation for killing. In the novel, she is labeled as a "celebrated murderess" (page 25). Her notoriety is inflated through her responses during her trials. She is a cunning and clever woman, and is deemed 'notorious' by choosing to keep her deeper thoughts hidden from the authorities.
- Anahita, Lillian, Mai & Yung
The Narrative Voice: Novels in Part 4
Written by: Truc, Chris, Nick and Rhys
Comment on the narrative voice of each text. How does it allow the audience to connect with the protagonist?
ALIAS GRACE
More than one narrative voice is present in this novel. It switches between Grace's first hand account, which is at times both dreamlike and lucid, and a third-person account focused on Dr. simon Jordan's perspective. The story is also told through a series of letters, ranging in writers from Dr Jordan, his colleagues, his mother, and even Grace herself.
Grace's first hand account is not reliable - at times we feel intimate with her because she admits things to the reader that Dr Jordan is not able to get out of her. However, sometimes her accounts of events are hazy and lacking in focus/detail, creating more confusion amongst the various newspaper articles, song lyrics and "first hand" accounts of the time. The narrative of Dr Jordan seems distant, as the parts of it that revolve around Grace seem more analytical and inquisitive than empathetic. It makes Grace seem like an object instead of a person.
TRUE HISTORIES OF THE KELLY GANG
This novel is told primarily from Ned Kelly's point of view, in what appears to be a long letter to his unborn daughter it is seperated into 13 bound parcels, each concerned with a different aspect of his life.
Ned's accounts are told with little punctuation and sometimes read as a series of thoughts that just "pop" into his head. This makes the reader feel closer to him - as if we are truly within the complicated realm of his mind. Each parcel starts with librarian's notes and detailed explanations of the appearance of each parcel (size, type of paper, etc) it helps to bring Ned Kelly to life, as the addtion of the notes makes one really feel as if the letters he writes are real.
PERFUME
This is an omniscient narrative, focused mostly on Grenouille but at times shifting into side stories of other characters who are affected by Grenouille. The narrator switches between showing the audience what goes in in Grenouille's mind, and then showing the audience the consequences of his actions. For example, towards the end of the novel when he is murdering everyone, Suskind chooses to look at it through the perspective of the villagers, revealing what a monster Grenouille is. However, when the narrator chooses to show the perspectives of people like Baldini, who use Grenouille, the reader feels sympathy because these people do not treat Grenouille as if he is a person. The language used is highly descriptive and sensory, in terms of the setting and the smells and emotions Grenouille experiences, by doing this, Suskind manages to create some sort of feeling for Grenouille's decisions and horrible crimes because of the rich narrative language.
REGENERATION
This, again, is a third person omniscient narrative that presents more than one viewpoint. each soldier has his own story told at various points throughout the novel - allowing the audience to connect with each one individually, understanding every facet of the plight of the soldiers. As well as this, there are large amounts of narrative that, though in third person, are detailed accounts of Rivers' thought process. Through Rivers, all of the characters within the story are linked together - his analysis of their psyche and experiences and questions about the practice of psychiatry and the morals of war allow deeper feeling and empathy for each character's situation, and the situation of the "broken soldiers" as a whole.
Comment on the narrative voice of each text. How does it allow the audience to connect with the protagonist?
ALIAS GRACE
More than one narrative voice is present in this novel. It switches between Grace's first hand account, which is at times both dreamlike and lucid, and a third-person account focused on Dr. simon Jordan's perspective. The story is also told through a series of letters, ranging in writers from Dr Jordan, his colleagues, his mother, and even Grace herself.
Grace's first hand account is not reliable - at times we feel intimate with her because she admits things to the reader that Dr Jordan is not able to get out of her. However, sometimes her accounts of events are hazy and lacking in focus/detail, creating more confusion amongst the various newspaper articles, song lyrics and "first hand" accounts of the time. The narrative of Dr Jordan seems distant, as the parts of it that revolve around Grace seem more analytical and inquisitive than empathetic. It makes Grace seem like an object instead of a person.
TRUE HISTORIES OF THE KELLY GANG
This novel is told primarily from Ned Kelly's point of view, in what appears to be a long letter to his unborn daughter it is seperated into 13 bound parcels, each concerned with a different aspect of his life.
Ned's accounts are told with little punctuation and sometimes read as a series of thoughts that just "pop" into his head. This makes the reader feel closer to him - as if we are truly within the complicated realm of his mind. Each parcel starts with librarian's notes and detailed explanations of the appearance of each parcel (size, type of paper, etc) it helps to bring Ned Kelly to life, as the addtion of the notes makes one really feel as if the letters he writes are real.
PERFUME
This is an omniscient narrative, focused mostly on Grenouille but at times shifting into side stories of other characters who are affected by Grenouille. The narrator switches between showing the audience what goes in in Grenouille's mind, and then showing the audience the consequences of his actions. For example, towards the end of the novel when he is murdering everyone, Suskind chooses to look at it through the perspective of the villagers, revealing what a monster Grenouille is. However, when the narrator chooses to show the perspectives of people like Baldini, who use Grenouille, the reader feels sympathy because these people do not treat Grenouille as if he is a person. The language used is highly descriptive and sensory, in terms of the setting and the smells and emotions Grenouille experiences, by doing this, Suskind manages to create some sort of feeling for Grenouille's decisions and horrible crimes because of the rich narrative language.
REGENERATION
This, again, is a third person omniscient narrative that presents more than one viewpoint. each soldier has his own story told at various points throughout the novel - allowing the audience to connect with each one individually, understanding every facet of the plight of the soldiers. As well as this, there are large amounts of narrative that, though in third person, are detailed accounts of Rivers' thought process. Through Rivers, all of the characters within the story are linked together - his analysis of their psyche and experiences and questions about the practice of psychiatry and the morals of war allow deeper feeling and empathy for each character's situation, and the situation of the "broken soldiers" as a whole.
The Balance of Empathy and Revulsion
Do we have a balance of empathy and revulsion for each of the protagonists?
How is this feeling created by the writers?
Grenouille (Perfume):
In Perfume there is an imbalance of revulsion and empathy experienced towards the protagonist, Grenouille. However, there is a greater revulsion felt as the novel is written in first person, where the reader is exposed to all the protagonists thoughts and views. Grenouille is portrayed as more of a creature than a human, where his thoughts show little emotion and a rather detached nature. Not only this but to inflict harm apon another appears to give him pleasure amoung all other emotions and a drive to continue to murder and cause pain to others. Grenouilles talent of smell is also portrayed in such a manner as to suggest that it is partly revulsion and partly empathy as it displays his inhumman side which lacks emotion and a gifted side which ultimatly brings out the human in him, a gift which most humans envy. However, Grenouille also appeals to the readers empathy as he shares qualities and experiences that many others have been exposed to. These include mistreatment from a young age, being an orphan and his general position of loniness. Another quality of Grenouilles that people envy is his ability to make his own way, creating his own success without relying on others to do so for him. The empathy shown towards Grenouille is portrayed through the colloquial languge and the first person in which the novel is written as it creates a greater understanding of the protagonist in the simple yet affective language used but this language also exposes Grenouille in asense to to the simple use of the language.
Rivers (Regeneration):
In Regeneration, there is an imbalance in which emypathy is greater than the revulsion felt towards the protagonist, Rivers. This is portrayed through the other characters and how they appear to rely on Rivers as a 'father figure' in which he guides and assits them. Not only this but the context in which the novel is written in first person offers many different points of views of the other characters while the reader is able to enter their thoughts. Furthermore, the fact that Rivers has to deal with mentally affected soldiers of war is a traumatising occupation, one which requires alot of logical and restrained thinking on the doctor's be half. Not only this but his indepth undertanding of people and his morals and points on the suffering of man due to war also offers the reader an oppotunity to empathise with him. However, the fact that his method used to treat his patients is still an experiment appeals to the revulsion of the reader as it is as if he is experimenting on people which in affect then questions River's morals.
Ned Kelly (The True History of the Kelly Gang):
The reader feels empathy for Ned Kelly because of his problems with family and the way he is treated throughout his life by the people who should be looked up to, for example, his father. Ned has a strong sense of justice and strives to maintain this using his good morals. This makes the reader like the character so feel more inclined to understand him. Empathy is created in the True History of the Kelly Gang by the colloquial language used throughout the novel, making the reader feel familiar with the character. The flowing, unpunctuated language resembles the process of thought, making the reader feel he or she is inside Ned's mind. This closeness makes the reader feel as if he or she is intimately connected with the protagonist, causing feeling of empathy. Ned is an outlaw and this may cause revulsion if it were not for his reasoning behind breaking all the laws he does, which the reader empathises with. The treatment of him by the authorities shows that they are revolted by him and also his lack of status and education. However, this is not mirrored by the reader because of the negative way in which the officials are portrayed in the novel. Therefore, Ned Kelly brings about more empathy than revulsion, the unbalance shown in the way the reader has connected with him.
Grace Marks (Alias Grace):
Grace is portrayed as a a good person through the way she reacts to her difficult circumstances and all the friends that she makes. She works hard for her family and for herself and so empathy is created strongly in the novel. The writer tells Grace's story through her point of view, in first person, which allows the reader to her her thoughts and feelings. This lets the reader understand her actions because she justifies them in a completely human way. The reader trusts she is not guilty of murder throughout most of the novel simply because he or she knows her story and empathises with the hard times that she goes through, as he or she feels as if they experienced the events together with Grace. The protagonist is arrested for murder which causes revulsion in the characters around her. These characters all seem to change her mind as they cannot resist her good demeanor. The appearance of her split personality does generate some revulsion because this is not considered normal or possibly human, especially in those times. The other characters, however are perfectly happy to believe that Grace is possessed by a spirit because of their own spiritual beliefs. There is a question to as whether or not she is acting about he split personality and this would mean that she was lying about her story the whole time, or else still does not remember if she committed the murder or not. If it is the former then a strong sense of revulsion would be created as the reader feels betrayed, but this is only potential because it is never explained fully. Therefore, as it stands, there is a greater amount of empathy than revulsion in the novel.
Julia, Frances, Ruben
How is this feeling created by the writers?
Grenouille (Perfume):
In Perfume there is an imbalance of revulsion and empathy experienced towards the protagonist, Grenouille. However, there is a greater revulsion felt as the novel is written in first person, where the reader is exposed to all the protagonists thoughts and views. Grenouille is portrayed as more of a creature than a human, where his thoughts show little emotion and a rather detached nature. Not only this but to inflict harm apon another appears to give him pleasure amoung all other emotions and a drive to continue to murder and cause pain to others. Grenouilles talent of smell is also portrayed in such a manner as to suggest that it is partly revulsion and partly empathy as it displays his inhumman side which lacks emotion and a gifted side which ultimatly brings out the human in him, a gift which most humans envy. However, Grenouille also appeals to the readers empathy as he shares qualities and experiences that many others have been exposed to. These include mistreatment from a young age, being an orphan and his general position of loniness. Another quality of Grenouilles that people envy is his ability to make his own way, creating his own success without relying on others to do so for him. The empathy shown towards Grenouille is portrayed through the colloquial languge and the first person in which the novel is written as it creates a greater understanding of the protagonist in the simple yet affective language used but this language also exposes Grenouille in asense to to the simple use of the language.
Rivers (Regeneration):
In Regeneration, there is an imbalance in which emypathy is greater than the revulsion felt towards the protagonist, Rivers. This is portrayed through the other characters and how they appear to rely on Rivers as a 'father figure' in which he guides and assits them. Not only this but the context in which the novel is written in first person offers many different points of views of the other characters while the reader is able to enter their thoughts. Furthermore, the fact that Rivers has to deal with mentally affected soldiers of war is a traumatising occupation, one which requires alot of logical and restrained thinking on the doctor's be half. Not only this but his indepth undertanding of people and his morals and points on the suffering of man due to war also offers the reader an oppotunity to empathise with him. However, the fact that his method used to treat his patients is still an experiment appeals to the revulsion of the reader as it is as if he is experimenting on people which in affect then questions River's morals.
Ned Kelly (The True History of the Kelly Gang):
The reader feels empathy for Ned Kelly because of his problems with family and the way he is treated throughout his life by the people who should be looked up to, for example, his father. Ned has a strong sense of justice and strives to maintain this using his good morals. This makes the reader like the character so feel more inclined to understand him. Empathy is created in the True History of the Kelly Gang by the colloquial language used throughout the novel, making the reader feel familiar with the character. The flowing, unpunctuated language resembles the process of thought, making the reader feel he or she is inside Ned's mind. This closeness makes the reader feel as if he or she is intimately connected with the protagonist, causing feeling of empathy. Ned is an outlaw and this may cause revulsion if it were not for his reasoning behind breaking all the laws he does, which the reader empathises with. The treatment of him by the authorities shows that they are revolted by him and also his lack of status and education. However, this is not mirrored by the reader because of the negative way in which the officials are portrayed in the novel. Therefore, Ned Kelly brings about more empathy than revulsion, the unbalance shown in the way the reader has connected with him.
Grace Marks (Alias Grace):
Grace is portrayed as a a good person through the way she reacts to her difficult circumstances and all the friends that she makes. She works hard for her family and for herself and so empathy is created strongly in the novel. The writer tells Grace's story through her point of view, in first person, which allows the reader to her her thoughts and feelings. This lets the reader understand her actions because she justifies them in a completely human way. The reader trusts she is not guilty of murder throughout most of the novel simply because he or she knows her story and empathises with the hard times that she goes through, as he or she feels as if they experienced the events together with Grace. The protagonist is arrested for murder which causes revulsion in the characters around her. These characters all seem to change her mind as they cannot resist her good demeanor. The appearance of her split personality does generate some revulsion because this is not considered normal or possibly human, especially in those times. The other characters, however are perfectly happy to believe that Grace is possessed by a spirit because of their own spiritual beliefs. There is a question to as whether or not she is acting about he split personality and this would mean that she was lying about her story the whole time, or else still does not remember if she committed the murder or not. If it is the former then a strong sense of revulsion would be created as the reader feels betrayed, but this is only potential because it is never explained fully. Therefore, as it stands, there is a greater amount of empathy than revulsion in the novel.
Julia, Frances, Ruben
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
This blog if for my group (containing Ashleigh, May, Brian, and myself) which had point 2. Our point to expand upon was: All feature characters are loved and reviled. Explain for each one in what way. Unfortunately I have only personally read two of these texts; Regeneration and Perfume. We believed that in the novel Perfume, Grenouille was never fully loved to the point of many other humans. He was greatly appreciated by Baldini for helping with his scents and maintaining his reputation, Marquis de la Tallide-Espinasse for proving his theory on fluidium lethale, and even by the "riff-raff" of people in the cemetary who loved his scent, and his ability to make scents, so much so that they ate him. He was reviled by many people including but not limited his mom, the woman at the orphanage, the wet nurse, terrier, the Madam Gailard, his victims, and the families of his victims. These people seemed to hate him because they didnt know how to feel about him. Due to his intense sense of smell, he focused on mainly that, and this annoyed and freaked many people out. In Regeneration, Sassoon is loved by many including Dr. Rivers who views him in a paternal way. Also, the poet Wilson, who was also in the mental hospital, and shared Sassoon's love of poetry, and a love of Sassoon's poetry. Sasson was not a explicitly reviled by as many people as Grenouille was, however, the army clearly reviled him for his poetry against the war, and they were the ones who sent him to the mental hospital, although it is questionable whether or not he belonged there. It is possible that many of the other patients in Sassoon's hospital reviled him, as they had fought hard in the war and strongly believed in the war, and they were also in a worse mental state, and may have reviled him for his more stable mental state. In the end, we learn that everyone has enemies and allies, but in the end we all also have a story.
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