Cassio and Iago's Treatment of Women

Cassio speaks to women with great respect, using flowery language and almost exaggerated compliments to describe Desdemona and to greet Emilia. He describes Desdemona as ‘divine’ and calls her the ‘riches of Cyprus’, likening her to an angel and a treasure. This conveys Cassio’s admiration for her, showing that he believes that she is special and of a high status. Shakespeare made Cassio say these lines to give the dramatic effect of making the audience feel slightly worried that Iago’s plan to claim that Desdemona and Cassio have a relationship may work, because they seem so close. Even though the audience can see that Cassio’s behaviour stems merely from his sense of courtesy, they can also see that Othello, having spent less time learning the customs in society at the time, may believe that Cassio’s friendly banter is flirtatious instead. He greets Emilia with a kiss, explaining to Iago that ‘tis [his] breeding that gives [him] this bold show of courtesy’. This shows that audience that he was brought up to treat women with care and respect, so even though he does not know Emilia, he treats her as if she is special to him. As Cassio has a ‘person and a smooth dispose’, he must be a man with knowledge of the rules in society, showing that his behaviour towards women makes him more respectable and well liked.
Iago, on the other hand, is shown through his speech to believe that women are annoying and fickle, and have the duty of providing an heir to the family. He does not speak with the same respect as Cassio, but instead ridicules his wife, even if only lightly, by saying ‘you are pictures out of doors, bells in your parlours, wild-cats in your kitchens...’ This comment shows that he thinks women put on different facades in different places, depending on who is around to see them, making them deceitful. It also implies that though Emilia seems quiet outside, she annoys Iago in the house, being too loud, as is suggested by the metaphors of ‘bells’ and ‘wild-cats’. Iago sees women as child-givers, shown by the phrase ‘she never yet was foolish that was fair, for even her folly help’d her to an heir’. The phrase implies that as long as a woman can bear a child, it does not matter how foolish she is. Shakespeare uses Iago’s behaviour towards women to show the audience that he is a complete opposite to Cassio, who almost puts the women above him, and though it was expected for women to be submissive and stick to their duties, when Iago shows that these are his views, the audience is less likely to agree with them, simply because of his dislikeable character.

Act II, Scene I

Cassio throughout this scene exerts himself to be the ideal and perfect courteous gentlemen. In this scene, his appreciation for feminine beauty is highlighted as he speaks with much enthusiasm about Desdemona’s beauty (more than what most men would speak of when talking about another man’s wife). His romantic character is developed through his description of Desdemona. In lines 62 to 64, he portrays Desdemona as a woman that “paragons description and wild fame”, “excels the quirks of blazoning pens” and is an “essential vesture of creation”. The use of extravagant courtly diction depicts Desdemona’s beauty to be overwhelming; as if it is beyond the ability of humans and their words to describe her thus suggesting that her beauty is divine. This idea is further reinforced when Cassio boldly claims that jagged rocks and sandbanks “as having sense of beauty do omit/ their moral natures, letting go safely by/ the divine Desdemona” (lines 71 – 73). This implies that Desdemona’s beauty is so overpowering that her ship manage to escape the dangers of the storm, rocks and sands because of it.

Being the gentlemen that Cassio is, upon the arrival of Desdemona on his ship he alerts the men on board the ship that “the riches of the ship is come on shore!” (line 83) and insists that the men of Cyprus greet her by “[letting] her have [their] knees” (line 84). This depicts Desdemona as something precious, like treasure and is the fact that the men are kneeling before her is akin to welcoming a goddess or an angel, which is a slightly excessive gesture as they are in the middle of a storm, where everything is wet and muddy. He also extends his welcome to Emilia, Iago’s wife by giving her a kiss to which he explains that “’tis [his] breeding/ that gives [him] this bold show of courtesy” (lines 98/99). This suggests that he was brought up in a well-mannered environment. This in turn emphasizes how charming Cassio is and at this point, the audience feels a little bit worried as they can see clearly how Cassio would fit perfectly into Iago’s evil scheme. This additionally serves as a foreshadow of the manifestation of Iago’s plan as it unfolds throughout the course of the play.

Iago’s disdain for women can be seen in this scene through the pessimistic way in which he speaks about them. This is apparent when he compares women in the quote to insignificant objects;

“you are pictures out of doors, bells
In your parlours, wild-cats in your kitchen, saints in
Your injuries, devils being offended, players in your
housewifery, and housewives in your beds.” (lines 108 – 111)

“Pictures out of doors” suggests that they only pretend to be well-behaved when they are out in public but reveal their true nature at home. “Bells in you parlours” suggests that they are as noisy and annoying as the sound of bells while “saints in your injuries, devils being offended” implies that they are religious in their dedication for revenge but are devil-like when someone faults them. “Players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds” indicates that they only pretend to be housewives and that they use sexual favours to get what they want, which is further emphasized when he says that women “rise to play and go to bed to work”. What he meant by saying this is that women only really earn their living in bed. Therefore, through the horrible things that Iago says, it is not at all surprising that Iago thinks of women as low and inferior as he compares them to animals and devils.

Furthermore, Iago also describes his idea of a perfect woman in this scene.

‘She that was ever fair, and never proud,
Had tongue at will, and yet was never loud;
Never lack'd gold, and yet went never gay;
Fled from her wish, and yet said "Now I may";
She that being anger'd, her revenge being nigh,
Bade her wrong stay, and her displeasure fly;
She that in wisdom never was so frail
To change the cod's head for the salmon's tail;
She that could think and ne'er disclose her mind,
See suitors following and not look behind;
She was a wight, if ever such wight were – ‘ (lines 145 – 155)

Iago’s response highlights the point that a woman should be fair, but not overly stuck up; who was well-spoken but knows when to hold back (knows what her limit is); who had gold but did not overdress just because she had the money; who had self-control; who could control her desire to seek revenge for slights; who had enough sense to distinguish head from tail; who could think without expressing her every thought and who could avoid being distracted by others’ reactions.

He then pauses significantly before concluding his speech with “to suckle fools and chronicle small beer” (line 157) with the intention of winding Desdemona up. The last sentence of his speech suggests that a woman, even if she is perfect is good for nothing more than nursing babies and to keep household accounts of insignificant items such as beer.

The contrast in how different male characters portray female characters highlights the fact that men are dominant and hold more power in a relationship as they can easily promote or demote a woman’s status in the society, especially if they are of a high position in the army (for example, Cassio). This in turn emphasizes the inferiority of women and their position in the social hierarchy during the Elizabethan era.

Iago vs. Cassio

Act 2 Scene 1

In this scene, while waiting for the arrival of Othello in Cyprus, Iago and Cassio speak to and of women in contrasting manners. Cassio clearly shows more respect and consideration for women in society, while Iago, on the other hand, exhibits a lack of respect and appreciation, especially towards the woman he married, Emilia.

When Cassio speaks of Desdemona, Othello's wife, he describes her with the utmost respect without lapsing into insincerity;

Most fortunately: he hath achiev'd a maid

That paragons description and wild fame;

One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens

And in th'essential vesture of creation

Does tire the ingener.

Cassio says that Desdemona is so much more than what people describe her as, and that her beauty transcends imagination. By speaking of her in this way, Cassio instantly elevates her status through his inflated compliments, and this is highlighted when Cassio calls to his men 'You men of Cyprus, let her have your knees'. Cassio respects and admires Desdemona, even though she is just a friend and he is not romantically involved with her, indicating that Cassio is respectful towards women in general. He continues to compliment her throughout the scene, calling her 'the divine Desdemona' and 'the riches of the ship', comparing her to something so very rare and valuable.

Cassio also shows respect for Emilia, Iago's wife, when he greets her politely and chivalrously with a kiss. Cassio says 'tis my breeding that gives me this bold show of courtesy', suggesting that Cassio has been brought up in an environment where he was taught to respect women.

Iago, on the other hand, exhibits a very different and negative attitude towards women, to the point where he criticises and disparages his own wife. After Cassio kisses Emilia, Iago says;

Sir, would she give you so much of her lips

As of her tongue she oft bestows on me

You would have enough.

Come on, come on; you are pictures out of doors, bells

in your parlours, wild-cats in your kitchen, saints in

your injuries, devils being offended, players in your

housewifery, and housewives in your beds.

Iago implies that women talk excessively, definitely more than they should, and of useless matters. He says that women are well behaved in public but in the home they are troublesome. In addition to this, Iago makes the vulgar statement, 'You rise to play and go to bed to work', indicating that he thinks women are good for nothing but sex.

In contrast to Cassio, who elevates the status of women, Iago greatly lowers their status, referring to them as objects and animals - pictures, bells, wild-cats, as if they are selfish creatures, and a burden to their husbands.

These contrasting ways in which women are spoken to and spoken of affects our understanding of male/female relationships in the sense that there are two different types of male/female relationships; empowered and constrained. The way that Cassio speaks to women in society is very respectful and courteous. He gives them a voice, an identity and status. However this is only outside of the home. We do not know how Cassio would treat a mistress or a wife. Iago and Emilia's relationship is constrained. Their relationship is an excellent example of power in gender roles in society, with Iago being the powerful masculine persona in the relationship, and Emilia being the weaker feminine persona. The idea that women are inferior to men is exemplified in their relationship, as Emilia is clearly of a lower status to Iago, and Iago constantly verbally abusing her.

Because of the opposing attitudes towards women, Cassio becomes the perfect scapegoat for Iago's plan. His respect for women, in particular Desdemona, makes him the perfect suspect as Iago intends to lure Othello into thinking Desdemona is having an affair with Desdemona, therefore bringing the both of them down. This could foreshadow a terrible ending later on in the play as the more we learn about Cassio and his charming characteristics, the more we realise that Iago's plan could be executed flawlessly. Iago's cruel manners towards his wife also indicates how heartless he is, emphasising his malicious characteristics.

IOP exams prepare now

Reminder:

IOPs will happen starting the first Monday back from the holidays. Make sure you have a clear topic based on a focused aspect of the text you are presenting. Look closely at the rubric again and make sure that you are aiming for 6/7 criteria. Make sure you have no more than 5 palm cards when presenting and that you are practicing aloud at home. You will be given times. You will need to make sure you present at these times as it is a formal IB exam.

Good luck with your preparation. Email me with any queries, questions : )

Othello - Ewan Macgregor as Iago and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Othello

A critically acclaimed production of Othello starring Ewan Macgregor as Iago and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Othello. Please bring in a USB - memory stick to have this copied. It is an excellent version word for word.
A link to the Donmar Warehouse where it was performed with some videos of the actors, director, designers discussing the play.



# An Othello of the first rank'
Guardian
# 'This is a terrific Othello'
Independent
# 4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars 'hottest theatre ticket in town'
The Times
# 'An extraordinarily fresh and new-minted production'
Independent
# 'It is a most powerful, memorable performance.'
Daily Express
# 4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars 'Ejiofor puts himself into the front rank of modern Othellos.'
Guardian
# [Kelly Reilly as Desdemona] 'I shall long remember her vulnerability: when struck by Othello, she registers a shocked disbelief and she is incredibly touching in the "willow" scene.'
Guardian
# 'the production finds two actors (Chiwetel and Ewan) who can go against the grain of current notions of how these roles should be played and who can furnish us with new insights into the hero's downfall.'
Independent
# 'Michael Grandage is directing with his usual flair, care and respect for the text.'
The Times
# 'First-rate support from Tom Hiddleston's posh, rank-pulling Cassio and Michelle Fairley's fierce and indignant Emilia'
Independent
# [Ewan McGregor] 'He’s vigorous, hard, mean and he does hate, really hate. Hate enough to give us Shakespeare’s play as it poignantly, painfully should be.'
The Times
# 4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars 'Extraordinary theatrical charge'
Sunday Express
# 4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars 'Kelly Reilly's sensual, soft and exquisitely delicate Desdemona'
Mail on Sunday
# 4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars 'Ejiofor and McGregor... it's a mouthwatering combination that doesn't disappoint'
Sunday Telegraph
# 'An Othello for our times... magnificant'
Observer

Allegory as defined by the dictionary

Please note carefully that an allegorical story is not intended to be taken as literal as in the case of Patrick Suskind's allegorical novel Perfume:

Here is the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of an allegory:

allegory
Main Entry:
al·le·go·ry
Pronunciation:
\ˈa-lə-ˌgȯr-ē\
Function:
noun
Inflected Form(s):
plural al·le·go·ries
Etymology:
Middle English allegorie, from Latin allegoria, from Greek allēgoria, from allēgorein to speak figuratively, from allos other + -ēgorein to speak publicly, from agora assembly — more at else, agora
Date:
14th century

1: the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence ; also : an instance (as in a story or painting) of such expression2: a symbolic representation : emblem 2

Please note the phrases "symbolic fictional figures and actions"..."speak figuratively" and "generalisations about human existence"

Talking to a Writer

About him and his past:

• Questions bout did it happening to him
• His 1st book was 1st person making it as if it happened 2 him
• But its through the character that truth comes out (Truth in Fiction)
• Writing is hard, but is loved
• Isolated
• Its hard to answer and accept questions but it helps express what he feels
• Some unexpected conclusions from people
• Writes bout what he wants
• He relates back to his character in real life situations
• Makes friends with characters and lives with him
• Reading parts of the book- reminds him there is an audience and about his characters
• Titles pop out of no where
• Is careful to what he watches and reads but will read non-fiction

His Draft:

• Looses train of thought and misses corrections
• Reads next day usually
• Adds strength, sense, and more thought
• Likes cleishay "double edged saw"
• Everything goes through many drafts
• Things must show not tell
• Big fan of "dot dot dot" and ellipses

Why does he write? How long?

1. Always new from early age from young writing
2. Always awarded
3. Can express anything (feelings bout things to everyone)
4. Enjoys finding and loosing himself

A good novel?

5. Needs to find the reader/ appeal to them
6. No matter what it needs strong real characters
7. Setting is not that important (no named places)
8. Building a new place is what makes something built

Inspiration?

9. Influence is like a quick glance at something
10. Needs absorption and generation
11. All he needs is experience and senses

Morals?

12. Does not like telling people what to think
13. But does have conclusions as outcome
14. Needs to come from characters

Writes block?

15. Comes and goes a lot
16. Could occur for a reason may not know what to write
17. Stops him from writing blab, helps him search
18. Expects one day ideas to fall

Difficulties expressing thoughts?

19. Yes, every time
20. Can be frustrating and will face the problem
21. But is why he writes
22. All about re-drafting
23. His ideas must come from himself and cannot ask someone
    For his help

Success from?

24. Not necessarily from publishing
25. Reactions even on small scale
26. Getting ideas out
27. From self standards, from ideas properly being expressed
28. Can criticizes himself

Thoughts about Ariel Dorfman's afterword

I felt that the rhetorical questions posed by Dorfman in his afterword really resonated with many things that are going on and have gone on in the world. Though his questions stemmed from a Chilean point of view, they certainly are universal.

"How to heal a country that has been traumatised by repression if the fear to speak out is still omnipresent everywhere?"

This is a question that in my opinion is at the very core of Death and the Maiden. On the one hand, we have Gerardo who seems quite willing to let the past lie and ruffle the least amount of feathers, despite his position on the truth Commissions. On the other hand we have Paulina, who is willing to take matters into her own hands and find justice herself - to go to the extreme and kill a man in order to find justice.

One could say that Gerardo is a representation of the masses just after the fall of a dictatorship - wanting a sense of unity, justice and peace, but suffering from too much fear and paranoia to be outspoken and vocal about their opinions.

Paulina, despite being much more forceful about her convictions in the play is just like Gerardo (the masses) in a sense. She herself suffers from fear and paranoia, though of a different kind. She decides to exact justice upon Roberto because of her mistrust of the judiciary system, and conviction that they are useless. But where does this mistrust come from? People may disagree with this, but I think that Paulina's judgement has more to do with what she perceives as a never ending cycle of corruption than any concrete knowledge of legislation. Due to years of silence and repression at the hands of a corrupt government, Paulina is no longer able to see that life could possibly turn out any other way.

Now you may say that Paulina has every right to think the way she thinks and act the way she acts given her circumstances - but if we looked at the bigger picture, how would a country ever heal if every man and every woman thought the way Paulina thought and acted the way she acted? If a country's people have no faith that they can change their own government for the better, then nothing will change and they will continue to be stuck in a limbo between dictatorship and democracy. When I thought about Paulina's actions in this way, I realised that what she did was particularly selfish as it benefited only herself. If she had found a way to present her case to the Truth Commission before killing Roberto she could have helped countless other torture victims and maybe have helped her country to move in the right direction. Killing Roberto will not change anything for Paulina because no one knows what happened her, and so her suffering still remains a "secret" to her government and her country. She may be appeased for sometime after Roberto's death, but it is my belief that in the long run she will never be truly healed.

Ariel Dorfman on why he was inspired to write Death and the Maiden

"Ariel Dorfman is probably best known for Death and the Maiden, the play he wrote in Chile during that country's transition to democracy in the summer of 1990. Since its first production in Chile, the story of Paulina Salas, a woman who kidnaps the man she suspects tortured her more than 20 years ago, has been staged in more than thirty countries. In Germany alone, in 1993 there were more than 50 different productions all running at the same time. Taught in colleges and high schools, still performed around the globe, Death and the Maiden is a classic example of the coming together of art and the struggle for human rights." The play won the Laurence Olivier award for Best New Play of 1992.
From the Duke University website where Ariel Dorfman is a distinguished professor: http://www.adorfman.duke.edu/

Death and the Maiden - Afterword to the Original Stage Play

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Books Non-fiction money world

Nobel Prize in Literature

The top accolade of literary prizes, the Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to writers who have spent a lifetime dedicated to producing literature and providing the world with insight into others' lives and plight through the production of their life's work. Read 2000's Laureate Gao Xingian's thoughts on writing literature.(Just click on his name for the hyperlink)


Take notes and see if there is anything that he says which resonates with your own ideas or helps to prompt or establish new ideas. Please add comments on the blog to show you are engaging with subject matter. You should regard this type of inquiry as a body of knowledge that you are constantly adding to - to help you with your overall understanding in the IB course. The more you engage with ideas and think about things, the more you will find the elements of your IB course overlapping and crystallising.

Carefully considered thoughts on the purposes of Literature

For English A1 you need to have a carefully considered grasp of the functions that Literature can serve. You need to consider all of the points presented to you in class, keep an open mind and add new information to your growing understanding of the subject area. Your aim is not to make rash judgements based on first reactions. It is to think about the deeper message that is being communicated rather than the superficial appearance of what is first imagined - to allow flexibility or change of thought when new knowledge is added to the body of knowledge you already have. The IB learner profile traits which follow are needed to do this effectively - please note the overarching aim of the IB student at the top of the document.

Quoted from IB Leaner Profile Statement:

The Ib Learner Profile

Publish at Scribd or explore others: School Work company profile

(CLICK ON TOGGLE AT TOP RIGHT FOR FULL SCREEN VIEW)

Here are some carefully considered thoughts of intellectuals, writers, peacemakers for you to think about:

“The answers you get from literature depend on the questions you pose”
Margaret Atwood (Canadian Writer, b.1939)

“Literature is where I go to explore the highest and lowest places in human society and in the human spirit, where I hope to find not absolute truth but the truth of the tale, of the imagination and of the heart.”

“Books are humanity in print.”
Barbara W.Tuchman (American historian, writer, academic 1912-1989)

“Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. They are engines of change, windows on the world, lighthouses erected in the sea of time.”
Salman Rushdie(Indian born British Writer, b.1947)

“We read to know we are not alone.”
C.S. Lewis (British Scholar and Novelist. 1898-1963)

"The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean”
Robert Louis Stevenson(Scottish Essayist, Poet and Author of fiction and travel books, 1850-1894)

“Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.”
C.S. Lewis(British Scholar and Novelist. 1898-1963)

“What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote."

“Every man's memory is his private literature.”
Aldous Huxley(English Novelist and Critic, 1894-1963)

“Good children's literature appeals not only to the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child”

“The decline of literature indicates the decline of a nation.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(German Playwright, Poet, Novelist and Dramatist. 1749-1832)

“The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean; not to affect your reader, but to affect him precisely as you wish.”
Robert Louis Stevenson(Scottish Essayist, Poet and Author of fiction and travel books, 1850-1894)

“While thought exists, words are alive and literature becomes an escape, not from, but into living”
Cyril Connolly (English critic and editor, 1903-1974)

“The crown of literature is poetry.” William Somerset Maugham.

“Whoever is able to write a book and does not, it is as if he has lost a child” Rabbi Nachman

“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics and factories. Literacy is a platform for democratization, and a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity. Especially for girls and women, it is an agent of family health and nutrition. For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right.... Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential.”
Kofi Annan(Ghanaian diplomat, seventh secretary-general of the United Nations, 2001 Nobel Peace Prize.)

“Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree”
Ezra Pound(American Editor, Poet, Translator and Critic, 1885-1972)

“The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar, familiar things new.”
William Makepeace Thackeray(Indian born English Author and Novelist of 'Vanity Fair', 1811-1863)

“When I read great literature, great drama, speeches, or sermons, I feel that the human mind has not achieved anything greater than the ability to share feelings and thoughts through language.”
James Earl Jones

Pondering on the craft of literature

One of the main elements of the final exam paper in Paper 2 is for students to show that they have a solid and knowledgeable understanding of what the craft of literature involves - its amazing variety in construction, theme, purpose.

IB English A1 students were asked to come up with questions to ask a visiting writer about the craft of writing. Their thoughtful and insightful questions follow. (Note -some questions were merged as they were similar in idea)

Mai - When crafting your work, do you know straight away where you want your written work to go or do you discover that when you are writing?
Do you base your work on personal viewpoints or try to tackle issues beyond your perspective?
What would you say is the most important thing to consider when crafting new ideas for your writing?
Dung - What elements make good literature?
Rhys – What made you choose novels as a form of expression over music, drama or writing film?
Lillian – In your opinion, what does a good novel comprise of?
How long does it usually take to you to complete a novel?
May – How long have you been writing literature? Why did you start?
What has been the biggest challenge you have encountered so far in your career?
Christian – What is the hardest thing about crafting literature?
Are your stories inspired by true life experiences of your friends and family?
Are there certain things you have difficulty writing about and why?
Are your protagonist mainly men or women? Why?
Frances – What happens when you finish writing a story – do you decide when it ends? Does a story ever end?
Anahita – Does punctuation play a large role in shaping your work? Do you think of the tone before you think about the storyline?
What usually inspires you to write?
Ruben – Do you write for pleasure or to deliver a message?
Do you hope to teach a moral through your work?
Do you write on your own or like to share your ideas with others?
Where do your ideas come from?
Do you think about your audience when you are writing?
Julia – When researching the setting of a place do you visit it?
Do you plan everything before you write it or do you let things evolve?
What comes first for you? – character, theme or storyline?

Bibliography

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

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?

'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.

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.

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

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.

Contributions to the World Book

A call to any of you who would like to write, or have already a written piece to submit for the World Book which is being published by Alice Smith School through a grant from UNESCO.

The work needs to be submitted to me on Word whether is be poetry or prose and your school name, full name and theme needs to be included as a "header" on the top. Poetry can be in any form you like.

Here are some ideas on the themes from Alice Smith School:

Please bear in mind that the themes we have selected this year, as with those for last year’s book, are a general outline only. Our principal interest is in writing which is lively, original, provocative, technically innovative, sharp, distinctive, entertaining, authentic….

We have included a sixth theme this year, ‘As I Please’, named after George Orwell’s old column for the New Statesman, which specifically invites stories or poems which don’t fit the broad outlines we have given. This can also be a place to include other pieces of writing that you generate within or outside of the curriculum. We hope you like the ideas we have included but please don’t feel constrained by them or obliged to follow any of the ideas included here! We look forward to receiving your entries to the World Book 2009 and making it a wonderful collection for us all to share and learn from.

Barriers
Nonfiction:
The US election and barriers to involvement in it; gender and the election, Hilary Clinton’s rejection, Sarah Palin’s acceptance; race and the election, traditional barriers encountered by Obama…
A study of famous physical man made barriers in the World; Great Wall of China, Berlin Wall, Israeli/Palestinian wall, US/Mexico wall, the Wailing Wall, Hadrian’s Wall, city walls worldwide…
Nonfiction study of natural barriers; mountains, oceans, desert
Disabled or differently abled? Personal or second hand accounts of barriers or overcoming barriers; argumentative/discursive essay writing on this theme
World without borders?
Language barriers; possibly writing looking at overcoming language barriers; work which includes aspects of other languages for effect as in ‘Search for My Tongue’ by Sujata Bhatt.
Poetry and Prose Fiction:
Poetry which focuses on barriers to happiness or fulfilment; social barriers, educational barriers, family barriers, economic barriers, geographical barriers, cultural or religious barriers
Literary linked writing, re-creative or critical essays:
To Kill a Mockingbird, The Curious Incident of the dog…., Of Mice and Men, Sylvia Plath ‘Dying is an art…’

For The Fun of It
Nonfiction:
Is fun overrated? A chance for some quirky or light hearted writing with a message.
Is learning/school fun?
Study of comical figures. Charlie Chaplin to Chris Rock….Jackie Chan…
Study of humourous cartoons – The Simpsons, Peanuts, Gary Larsen…
Essays looking at humour in literature: Chaucer; Shakespeare’s comedies; Restoration comedy; ancient comedy: Aristophanes, Horace; modern comedy: John Kennedy Toole, Roald Dahl, Betsy Byars
Poetry:
Limerick, haiku, nonsense verse, nursery rhymes, acrostic, concrete poetry, riddles, humorous verse, poems inspired by humorous verse (Roger Mc.Gough, Wendy Cope, Brian Patten, Benjamin Zephaniah, Pam Ayres…), re-created humorous versions of serious art or literature, light hearted or satirical takes on famous works (the sixty second Hamlet on YouTube, Not My Best Side by U.A. Fanthorpe )
Prose Fiction and Literary links
Fictional or re-creative writing with humorous or fun twist as in Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected
Macabre fun; essays or re-creative writing, or stories inspired by enjoyably scary writing such as E.A.Poe’s tales of Mystery and Imagination, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Skin Deep
Nonfiction:
Racial studies ; Apartheid and Mandela, Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement, Gandhi, Hitler, Obama on race- the significance of skin to people
Why race does/doesn’t matter. A chance for provocative argumentative writing or balanced studies of racial issues.
A study of a race or ‘skin’ related issue locally; possibly colonial expansion in South America, the effect of oil on tribal groups in Nigeria
A study of a related area; scarification, superstition related to albinoism/albinism
Racial concepts of beauty. African, European, American, South American and Asian ideas of beauty/ fairness of skin.
Snakes and reptile skin shedding compared to animal skin shedding
Literary essays on texts dealing with issues of race
Poetry and Prose fiction:
Writing inspired by writing dealing with race: Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Mark Twain, Harper Lee, Alan Paton, Athol Fugard, Ngugi Wa Thiongo, John Agard (Half Caste), Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Shirley Lim…
Appearance and reality; writing which explores the world within or how surface appearance often conceals
‘Inside Out’ or ‘Beneath the Surface’

Heroes
Nonfiction:
Huge potential to write about heroes of all sorts: Political, Celebrity, Antiheroes, Sporting, Literary, National
Issues about the way that heroes are created or inappropriate/fallen heroes: Becks and Posh, Britney, O.J.Simpson, Terrorist or Freedom fighter/ hero?
Studies of Superman, Batman, and the TV programme ‘Heroes’…or the people who created them…
Heroism and War
Everyday heroes; people who achieve extraordinary things, a portrait of a friend or family member
Poetry:
Elegies for lost heroes, praise poems for individuals or groups of people, Odes
Prose fiction:
Stories which feature ordinary hero characters or or focusing on individual acts of courage, strength or heroism.
Superhero stories, fun pieces creating plausible or absurd superpowers
Satirical writing highlighting the difference between those accorded heroic status and those not


Only Connect
This is principally an opportunity to showcase writing in poetry, prose fiction or nonfiction which explores links between subject areas in a curriculum. A chance to include Historical writing, essays from Geography, Art, Theory of Knowledge……
Non Fiction :
A study of connections in society; freemasonry, political dynasties, organizations that cross boundaries or overcome conflict
‘Ubuntu’ – non fiction on international attitudes towards society and connectedness
A study or criticism of E.M.Forster
Fiction and poetry:
Stories highlighting the importance of connections between people or places or things
A sense of place
Stories and poems inspired by the theme of connections and consequently of the outsider or disconnected (could be based upon literature studied: Camus, Steinbeck, Mark Haddon, Maya Angelou…)

As I Please
Any nonfiction pieces which don’t fit loosely or otherwise into the categories we have selected. These can be coursework pieces, or pieces composed entirely independently. This is included as an encouragement for those who don’t like the themes selected and want to spread their wings or develop their own ideas.


Please submit to handinmywork@gmail.com before April 1st.

Youtube Link to Google Docs Tutorial

This tutorial shows you how simple and easy it is to use Google Docs, no more lost draft or bits of paper - you can edit together at the same time as well. Revolutionises group work as you can do it together even if you can't be in the same place:


Google Docs Tutorial