Notes on 'Dubliners' by James Joyce (1914)

The Sisters:
Plot summary - A young boy is told that his tutor, Rev. James Flynn, has died and yet the boy seems to already be aware of his passing. The story shows the reaction towards his death and highlights certain religious practices that prepare the dead for heaven. There is an overtone of suspicion throughout as the Reverend's behaviour is put under scrutiny and the question of him commiting a sin is suggested.

The boy shows an obsession with language and communication through his analysis of words such as paralysis, gnomon and simony and the way in which he mentally questions the conversation of his family; for instance the repeated use of ellipsis. One may view this boy as a personfication of Joyce's own obsession with language and his attempt to provide an insight into the communication of 20th century Dublin.

The words Joyce uses appear to have been stated merely in a train of thought, but the reader can see that they have been chosen specifically for a purpose. Paralysis, gnomon and simony may be linked by the idea of prevention. While paralysis prevents the nerves from feeling and thus inhibits movement, a gnomon is the needle on a sundial that prevents light, thus creation a shadown. Simony refers to the buying and selling of pardons in order to prevent the soul going to hell. One may suggest that in all three meaning what is left is something false, not quite pure, which in the context of the reverend suggests that he too was corrupt.

The repeated use of ellipsis in conversation may provide ground for the idea of uncertainty, that those speaking have no solid opinion of a situation but rather leave empty sentences. The character of Old Cotter in nparticular epitomises this idea, repeatedly stating "I have my own theory" and "I'll tell you my opinion" and then drifting off the subject, returning to his topic of comfort "faints and worms". Joyce seems to be suggesting then that the working classes of Dublin were somewhat narrow minded in their thought with no real ability to speak of things outside of their own personal sphere. However, one could say that there is a meaning implied within the unfinished sentences, rather the truth is too being prevented from the boys understanding, ellipsis acting as censorship; "I puzzled my head to extract meaning from his unfinished sentences".

The boy describes a "freedom, as if I had been freed from something by his death", twisting the word paralysis to refer to his own state. The reverend had been his tutor and taught him the "responses" of the Mass, arguably feeding a false communication into the young boys "impressionable" mind. Through his death the boy is now free to pursue alternative perspectives and determine a voice for himself.

The phrase "poor James!" is repeated numerously, seemingly stripping him of his official title and implying a poverty of some kind; be it monetary or spiritual.

An Encounter:
Plot Summary - A group of boys seek the adventures of the Wild West; bravery, heroism and the promise of glory. They prepare to skive school, and the story details their journey through Dublin and their encounter with a strange old man.

The words used in the first story, The Sisters, seem to pave the journey of the second and shape its meaning:

Paralysis - The narrator remains rooted in the conventions of his routine life even when he seeks adventure. The monotony of the old man's anecdotes, speech and his behaviour (walking up and down repeatedly for instance) showcases such a routine. Arguably the man shows both the darker realities of the unknown and the strange elements of the familiar.

Gnomon - Time is significant in this story as it acts as the boundary of the boys adventure, a point at which they must return in order to hide their misbehaviour.

Simony - Religion too plays a great part in The Encounter but is described as something that provides social gain, "His parents went to eight'o clock mass every morning". The divide between Catholic and Protestant is also showcased by Leo being chastised for reading a magazine instead of studying, only Protestants would read it etc... and then again when two Protestant boys throw stones at the narrator and his friend in their travels through Dublin; the metaphor of the battle enhances such an image of division.

The boys seek to reach the Pigeon House, the electrical power station, something that epitomises the lust they have for excitement, the energy and spark of life they wish to feel. However, the monotonous routine of life prevents them from achieving this as time dictates their return; though they seek to break the boundaries of Dublin life they are confined by it still.

On two occassions Joyce's narrator mentions "green eyes". On the first the boy is watching the sailors on board a vessel and imagining the stories and adventures this ship has to offer. In an allusion to the heroes of Homer's The Odyssey the boy looks to see whether they too have green eyes, presumably those that mirror the drama of the sea. However, he is disappointed and finds instead green eyes, the supposed mirrors of brave and new experiences, in the old man, showing how not all adventures provide heroes but often the stranged and warped.

Araby:
Plot Summary - An un-named boy tells of life on his street, living in a house where a priest died, and in particular the infatuation he feels for "Mangan's sister". After watching her every morning without communication she finally speaks and asks whether he is going to Araby, a Dublin bazaar. He promises to go and buy her something but by the time he arrives, after being delayed by his uncle and the train, all the stalls are closed and he realises that, though it promised exoticism, it was only vanity that led him to this disappointment; this in turn makes him give up on the girl as he believes she too will only offer disappointment in the end.

Here Joyce provides an example of that which the old man in the previous story spoke of, namely boys who chase after "sweethearts". Indeed, this boy shows almost the opposite of paralysis in his infatuation as involuntary behaviour occurs, "Her name sprang to my lips at moment in strange prayers". The boy too shows a parallel with the narrator of An Encounter, showing a resentment at the tedious routine of school and "intervening days". Throughout the story, time too mocks him with its rhythmic and unchanging "ticking" and "intolerable delay". Seemingly inevitably, this narrator follows the disappointment of the previous as both see that exoticism and adventure is a vanity neither can achieve in Dublin. The English accents and flowered teapots which remain at the bazaar are a far cry from its luxurious and sensual connotations, thus leading the boy to give up all hope on both the bazaar and the girl whom, described as "brown" as those of poetical Arabia, he can only assume would also be a disappointment. It is in this way that An Encounter and Araby may be considered parallel as they suffer an incompletion in their adventure.

The idea of continuations and incompletions appears prevalent within this story; the girl for instance cannot accompany the narrator to the bazaar as she has routine commitments to attend to. While saying this she notably twists a bracelet round and round her wrist, almost implying they are chains or handcuffs to which she must adhere to. The conversation between the Englishmen and women at the bazaar too follows a repetitive and somewhat circular pattern, repeating "O" before every sentence and arguing backwards and forwards in a motion parallel to that of a clock ticking. It seems then that monotony is inevitable and the wonders of the likes of Arabia are inaccessible to Dubliners.

Eveline:
Plot Summary - Eveline is a woman attempting to make a decision as to whether to leave Dublin for Buenos Aires and make a new life for herself married to Frank, or stay as she promised her mother and look after her occasionally violent father. As she sits with two letters in her hand she recalls fond memories of her childhood but after hearing an organ, which reminds her of the life her mother had, she impulsively leaves. At the port however a flood of anxiety comes over Eveline and she remains rooted to the ground, unable to move and the ship leaves without her.

Paralysis again plays a major part in the result of this story as it seems apparent that all Dubliners are anchored, desiring adventure and a new life but at the same time fearing it, thus rendering them unable to achieve anything beyond its boundaries. Dublin is then portayed by Joyce to have its own force of gravity, retaining its people by the forces of time and ensuring they can never leave.

Eveline is the first female narrator and also the first to name themselves. Arguably Joyce used this name to make a pornographic reference to a story in which a woman has sex with her father, adding a further controversial dimension to the story without overtly stating so. This idea places her father's character on par with the perverted old man in The Encounter, showing another example of Joyce's stories overlapping; possibly highlighting a shared experience for all Dubliners or the fragment of Joyce's own experience being explored in different methods.


After the Race:
Plot Summary - This story details the character of Jimmy Doyle revelling in the luxury and influential social circles that come with wealth. After meeting Charles Ségouin at Cambridge he reaps the benefits of this friendship by being allowed to ride in one of the winning race cars that have recently driven through Dublin. The story then tells the events of the night, resulting in a disastrous card game for our protagonist and ending with him having a revelation about his behaviour, showing him to have regret for his lavish and unthinking expenditure.

Jimmy is physically taken on a journey by wealth, firstly the car ride and then being taken round the fashionable areas of the city, bumping into further acquaintences who provide further luxuries (for example the yacht). Jimmy's father encouraged this journey, arguably catalysing it by rejecting any patriotic feeling for Ireland and sending him to have an English education and financially supporting French companies. The monetary loss Jimmy experiences by losing the card game in juxtaposition with the French and Dutch victories in the car race shows how such a journey into wealth, success and high society, attempting to transcend Dublin, along with the description of poverty in which the race takes place shows how Dublin is being exploited and abandoned by the success of the "Continent"- something Jimmy himself feels through regret of his actions and the realisation that he can not rest and look differently upon things tomorrow, for "Day break" has already arrived. The card game acts as a catalyst for ephiphony and Jimmy experiences his first taste of impoverished Dublin.

Two Gallants:
Plot Summary - Corley and Lenehan are two men living on the edge of financial ruin and scraping a life for themselves. They concoct a plan in which Corley's latest romance, a "slavey", is persuaded to give them some money. While Corley meets the lady in question in order to start proceedings, Lenehan is left to his own devices and walks aimlessly around the streets of Dublin, stopping only to eat a meal of peas and ginger beer. Waiting for Corley to return he begins to doubt his loyalty and thinks he has betrayed him, running off with the money himself. However, when Corley arrives the woman runs into her place of work and returns with a single gold coin (twenty shillings/£1).

There is a definite parallel portrayed by Joyce between this story and the state of Ireland. He achieves this parallel in the following ways:
- Traditionally Ireland has been portrayed in literature as an abused woman, for instance in Seamus Heaney's Act of Union whereby the metaphor of rape is used. The action therefore of persuading a woman out of money then adheres to such an image.
- Lenehan's meal consists of the Irish colours, orange and green, something that notably lifts his spirits after his aimless wanderings but which he spends only "three halfpence" on; something that shows his poverty and the way in which he lives his life on the very edge, "walked on the verge of the path".
- When walking the men hear a man playing the harp, something traditionally symbolic of Ireland and her past; Thomas Moore popularised this in his Irish Melodies. Lenehan later mimics the harpist, tapping the rhythm while he walks through Dublin suggesting that Lenehan is in some way the same as Ireland but alternatively guilty of abusing it as it haunts him (indeed he is part of the plan to exploit the Coley's maid).
- The theme of betrayal is something prevalent within both Two Gallants and Ireland's political past:
1. Betrayal of the "slavey" for monetary gain.
2. Lenehan believes Coley has betrayed him and taken the money.
3. Coley betrays others and arguably his country by choosing not to work out of idleness and misrepresenting himself. Indeed he is described to have been told the "hard word"; that there are jobs but he doesn't wish to do them. Furthermore he betrays people's trust by being a police informer, mispronouncing his name to "Horley" (or as a pun, Whorely) and by telling his "slavey" that he works at "Pim's".

The Boarding House:
Plot Summary - Mrs Mooney set up a boarding house with her children after seperating from a drunken husband; Polly was to "entertain" the guests" and her son Jack was a physical force. Mrs Mooney is nicknamed The Madam as she runs a particularly tight ship. When Polly and one of the guests start a secret affair Mrs Mooney does nothing, to the surprise of her daughter, merely biding her time before she has deciphered what "cards" she holds. Mr Doran sees that he only has two options, to run and ruin his reputation or marry Polly.

With a nickname of The Madam and Polly's entertainment of the guests with songs such as "I'm a naughty girl" it seems that this boarding house is being run much in the same way as a brothel. Joyce's description of Mooney and her calculative monetary ways, e.g. with the locking up of the butter and sugar, shows her ability to seek a bargain; something she appears to apply to her daughter's marraige. By biding her time and describing all the "cards" she holds she is certain that she can "win" her daughter a solid match; presenting the image of a game. It is questionable whether Polly is being played as an ignorant or knowing pawn as, while she seems confused by her mother's lack of disapproval and intervention for her behaviour, when Mr Doran speaks with her mother she seems perfectly at ease, rather fixing her hair and thinking fondly of the future. Either way, it is a game that laid a trap and which caught a prey.

Marraige itself is portrayed as something to merely determine one's social position. Be it because of Mrs Mooney's disastrous marriage or not, she dwells not on the moral issue of Mr Doran's actions but rather how she can play them to her advantage. Mr Doran too seems to debate to himself the social advantages and disadvantages of marrying Polly; is marrying below his status worse that ruining his reputation. Society's views seem personified by Jack Mooney, whom as Doran meets on the stairs, showcases his disapproval in his facial expression.

The downward direction Mr Doran takes in his journey down the stairs seems symbolic of a fall whatever decision he makes.

As a place where “everyone knows everyone else’s business,” the boarding house serves as a microcosm of Dublin. Various classes mix under its roof, but relationships are gauged and watched, class lines are constantly negotiated, and social standing must override emotions like love. The inhabitants are not free to do what they choose because unstated rules of decorum govern life in the house, just as they do in the city. Such rules maintain order, but they also ensnare people in awkward situations when they have competing and secret interests. Even the seemingly innocent Polly ultimately appears complicit in Mrs. Mooney’s plot. After threatening to kill herself in despair, she suddenly appears happy and unbothered about the dilemma when she is left alone, and she knows Mr. Doran will comply with Mrs. Mooney’s wishes. In “The Boarding House,” marriage serves as a fixture of life that Dubliners cannot avoid, and the story shows that strategy and acceptance are the only means of survival. [From Sparknotes.com]

A Little Cloud:
Plot Summary - Little Chandler, named so because of his small introvert features and timidity of character, spends the day thinking of his evening meeting with old friend Gallaher, a successful journalist who moved to London 8 years ago. On his way to the pub where they are to meet, Chandler considers his social superiority to Gallaher and sees it unfair that he should not have been a successful writer. When they meet Gallaher tells tales of the promiscuous and immoral cities of London and Paris, something Chandler both dreams of and condemns. On returning home Little Chandler considers the confinement of his own life, but then feels remorse as he takes his own inability to live out on his son and wife.

Throughout the story Chandler is obsessed with the literary approval that comes with great writing and also the approval of a somewhat patronising Gallaher. However, though he dreams of the respect and fame writing brings he never actively writes anything to justify his yearning. Indeed, he states he can never even read poetry out loud out of embarressment. Little Chandler may be said then to suffer from a paralysis as he is unable to make himself live anything but a melancholy and straight-laced life in the confines of Dublin. Such paralysis seems to stem from his religious ideals and the embedded morality that lives within him preventing him from actively seeking more from life, and yet also which ensures his condemnation and ignoral of others; for instance the impoverished.

Counterparts:
Plot Summary - Farrington is a man who works as a copier for a law firm and is behind with his work. The story shows the progression in his anger and his thirst as he abandons his work for drink. After realising he will not be able to get an advance on his wages he pawns his watch so that he can meet his friends in the pub. Though his entire day revolved around drink, he is not satisfied even when at the pub, getting angry at a woman ignoring his advances, his expenditure on other people's drink and losing in an arm wrestle. All this results in him taking his anger out on his young son; seemingly a routine cycle.

Alcoholism is evident from the very first description of Farrington as "wine coloured". He seems unable to concentrate on anything, rather trailing off to think about the evening's promise of alcohol. Joyce uses ellipsis to effectively show how Farrington is unable to complete anything, rather providing empty sentences, for instance "In no case shall the said Bernard Bodley be.." which seems to leave out the whole crux of the subject. Alcohol s right described as "poison" as, though addicted and finding pleasure in the present, it leaves on anger in the pursuit of it and the aftermath. It seems his alcoholism arose because of the monotony and routine life he leads, as is evident in many of Joyce's other stories, and yet alocholism itself is a vicious cycle of addicition and anger.

The title Counterparts highlights such monotony, showing that Farrington's only purpose is to rewrite things that have already occurred - no thought required just a body with an ability to write. However there seems a twisted irony as Farrington craves his routine pub crawl, something he daydreams of all day and yet never satisfies him because of its own monotony:
- There is a roundness even of the coins he is spending, "making a little cylinder", but which has limited depth, meaning he has to find more from somewhere.
- He runs through the days events only so he can repeat them to his friends later.
- He is angered by the traditional circular motion of taking turns to get a round of drinks, feeling he is being robbed.
- When he returns home angry from a night of drinking he bullies his family, who in return bully him when he is sober, "His wife was a sharp-faced woman who bullied her husband when he was sober and was bullied by him when he was drunk". Even at the end the boy repeats "I'll say a Hail Mary for you" in between ellipsises.

At the same time Farrington seems obsessed with the extraordinary, for instance the women described in the story provide a different perspective, something removed from his cycle. There is an emphasis on the description of colour when Joyce described the lady in the pub, "peacock-blue", "bright yellow" and "large dark brown", which ensures Farrington is drawn to her. However when she walks past him, with her London accent he is angered by the sheer unobtainability of her.

Clay:
Plot Summary - Maria is a well loved employee of a Protestant-run launderette and is particularly organised and shows immaculate attention to detail. The story shows her travels to the shops and then to the house of the boy she nursed and mothered for Halloween. After realising she has left some of her wares on the tram Maria gets particularly agitated, to the point where she almost cries and has to get distracted by traditional games. In the blindfolded game Maria gets a saucer of clay, signalling early death, she then plays again and gets the bible, suggesting a life within a convent. At the end of the story Maria is asked to sing a song and unknowningly repeats the first verse.

Interestingly the character of Maria follows on from Counterparts and the boy pleading to his father by saying he'll say Hail Mary's for him. Indeed Maria seems to possess the virginal "veritable peace-making" qualities associated with the Virgin Mother, and is even Catholic herself. This is emphasised by the ladies making a toast for her and also her recieving the Prayer Book in the Halloween game.While these qualities make her someone very much loved by all around her it seems it also ensures her monotonous life, as is becoming a motif in Dubliners.

Her obsession with the minute details, for example splitting up the minutes of her day so that she knows exactly when she will need to depart and later going into a different shop because the icing on the plumcake was too thin, suggests that her life is so narrow that although she attempts to appear "neat and tidy" with her ocntrolled life there is so little to focus on that the small details become massively significant to her, i.e. her crying over forgetting the cake. By recieving the clay then in the game the metaphor of an early death may be applied to her life, as a life where one is not truly living can only be described as a form of death.

By repeating the first verse of the song again she seems subconciously to be highlighting her true desires, "I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls...that you loved me still the same". No-one mentions her error and thus it appears Maria cannot see the repetition of her own life.

The last line "That you loved me still the same" and the beginning comment about getting the "ring" which made Maria so uncomfortable suggests that her life took such a route by not having anyone to love wholly herself. Indeed she only nursed Joe and is not his really mother and though she is loved by many it is not a romantic love.

A Painful Case:
Plot Summary - Mr Duffy is a bank cashier that leaves on the outskirts of Dublin and makes the same journey every day, eats in the same restaurants and allows himself an occasional trip to the opera or theatre. On one such trip he meets Mrs Silico and her daughter and begins to make a regular occurance of conversing with her about their mutual intellectual interests. Mrs Silico's husband is a Captain who no longer finds pleasure in his wife and thus renders her lonely; a void which Duffy fills. However, when one evening Mrs Silico is overcome with passion and raises his hand to her face Duffy breaks the relationship off as he fears it will disrupt his routine. After two years he reads about her death in a newspaper and, after at first being angry and condemning of her fall into alcoholism, he has a moment of epiphony as he sees that he killed her. Though he becomes melancholy at the thought of his "outcast" life he does nothing to change it and merely allows it to pass.

Music is all that frees Mr Duffy and yet when written it too must follow strict rules and particular notes in order to be achieved.

By living on the outskirts of the city it is Duffy himself who rejects life, not as he believes lif that has "outcast" him. Indeed, life offered him the companionship of Mrs Sinico and yet he rejected her because of the disruption she would have made to his routine lifestyle. Both life and death offer him a revelation, as Mrs Sinico's death eventually makes him see that to love brings life. However he "allows" both to go unfulfilled and returns to his own miserable existence of his own free will - as is true of many characters within Dubliners.
There is again a reference to the eyes, something that throughout the book is becoming to characterise people and how others percieve them. In this case Mrs Silico has "very dark blue" eyes, signifying water. Mr Duffy is described as "saturnine", meaning he is of the water star sign sagittarius and his melancholy may only be cured by music. What with this connection via the ever-moving force of water and their interest in the arts it becomes clear Mrs Silico is Duffy's "soul's companion". Water follows the easiest path, something Mr Duffy can adhere to, however when one path is blocked it merely finds another, completely out of the norm, arguably something that can explain Mr Duffy's fear of the love displayed before him.

Ivy Day in the Comittee Room:
Plot Summary - This story takes place in the old headquaters of the legendary Irish politician Charles Parnell, who was betrayed by his government and then died in 1891. A group of men are hired to canvass votes and support for local publican Tierney, who is running for Lord Mayor. However, because of the wet weather there is little zeal and rather the men sit awaiting payment in a darkened room and talk mainly about the past. Different characters walk in and out of the room sporadically but there remains a definite lack of activity. When discussions arise about Parnell's policies Mr Hynes recites a poem he wrote about his death and the betrayal that occurred, silencing the men and allowing them to see the inadequacy of politics now.

The death of Parnell is obviously the key theme within this story and may be used to show the lackadaisical efforts of the men and politics. The character of Old Jack is first introduced as raking "the cinders" of a dwindling fire together. As the oldest man in the room, and the most silent, it may be he then that truly remembers the work of Parnell and he that is attempting to preserve it, though his efforst seem somewhat to no avail. He takes little part in the discussion other than describing the impudence of his son, "What's the world coming to when sons speaks that way to their father?" This reference to a blood-line may be used as a metaphor for the successors of Irish politics, something emphasised by the way in which the men disregard the candidates as "shoneens" and corrupt, "You must owe the City Fathers money nowadays if you want to be made Lord Mayor". Such corruption however is something that he men too take a part in, being obsessed with their payment as opposed to the atual political zeal and enthusiasm supposed to be surrounding a campaign.

This reference to religion alongside the character of the mysterious Father Keon provides the reader with Joyce's image of religion. Indeed at first the characters can not distinguish Father Keon between a "poor clergyman or a poor actor", his "shabby" appearance possibly showing the Irish faith to too be threadbare. In order to survive Father Keon has to resort to common "business matter[s]" to "knock it out" as he doesn't belong to any particular institution and thus has to find his own way of survival.

Betrayal too is a common theme within this story, the betrayal of Charles Parnell being portrayed and emphasised in Mr Hency's poem, "slain by the coward hounds" and "treachery sundered him from the thing he loved". The character of Hynes is believed to be an informer for the other candidate, coming to betray the trust of the other men and report back to his own employer.

A Mother:
Plot Summary - Mrs Hearney is obsessed with keeping up appearances and strives for perfection in even the most menial of tasks. She marries not out of love but for safety and dictates the route her daughter Kathleen will take by dictating her education in piano, French and Irish. Her daughter then seems the personfication of the Irish cultural revival and is invited to play in a series of concerts. Her mother ensures a contract of 8 guineas is set up with the inexperienced Mr Holohan and the takes control of the concerts by giving him advice on the proceedings. However on the first night of the concert she is appalled by the low standards and decorum of the entire production, including the behaviour of the audience, and upon hearing that they will cancel the third concert to ensure a good turnout for the finale is obsessed that her daughter's contract remains unharmed (along with her reputation). Such obsession is her downfall though as in her quest to seek fulfillment of her rights AND hold herself like a lady it seems an impossible oxymoron is formed and she humilates herself with her angry unravellment.

Like so many of the characters within Dubliner Mrs Kearney's desire to better herself remains unfulfilled and actually her reputation takes a nose dive. By being unable to relinquish control of the situation she angers herself where no-one else sees a problem. It seems she too suffers a form of paralysis, she can no free herself from the hold her ultimate aspiration has over her and thus behaves in a way that jeopardises it.

This story does however raise the issue of equality and civil rights as one can see the concern she feels for her daughter's welfare and that she should be treated as a man would be. By constantly being deferred and ignored Joyce points out the lackadaisical approach of the men towards her demands, the reptition of which renders her anger unrestrained. Arguably Mrs Kearney is the personification of Ireland as an abused woman, aiding Mr Holohan only then to be belittled and ignored.

Grace:
Plot Summary - Mr Kernan, a formerly promising businessman takes a fall down the stairs in a symbolic method of showcasing his fall in morality, fatherhood and business. After being returned home by old friend Jack Power, Power notes the lower-class accents of his children and the way in which his wife speaks of his neglection of the family. Power then concots a plan with his wife and several other men to reform Kernan in the traditionally Catholic way. Though they succeed in getting Kernan to a retreat he refuses to light a candle as he doesn't believe in magic.

There is some repetition of shape in this story with "arcs" and "arches" showing the rise and fall of certain characters but also the religious significance of the alter.

The fact that on his fall Kernan bites his tongue, rendering him unable to communicate the events that led to his fall may somewhat show is inability to see his own mistakes and rectify them. Indeed it takes the pressure of his friends plotting to even get him to the retreat. Even then he rejects lighting candles, labelling them as "magic lantern business". Previously the men were reciting mottos of the Pope "Lux upon Lux" and "Light in Darkness", showing how possibly Kernan fears that his life will be exposed and an unwillingness to reform and face up to his mistakes.

The Dead: (See notes in book)

Coursework Ideas

English Literature Course Work Ideas - Bethany Stuart

The Butterfly - Emily Bronte

The Butterfly by Emily J. Brontë: August 11th 1842

 Taken from The Beligian Essays: Charlotee Bronte and Emily Bronte

In one of those moods that everyone falls into sometimes, when the world of the imagination suffers a winter that blights its vegetation; when the light of life seems to go out and existence becomes a barren desert where we wander, exposed to all the tempests that blow under heaven, without hope of rest or shelter - in one of these black humors, I was walking one evening at the edge of a forest. It was summer; the sun was still shining high in the west and the air resounded with the songs of birds. All appeared happy, but for me, it was only an appearance. I sat at the foot of an old oak, among whose branches the nightingale had just begun its vespers. "Poor fool," I said to myself, "is it to guide the bullet to your breast or the child to your brood that you sing so loud and clear? Silence that untimely tune, perch yourself on your nest; tomorrow, perhaps, it will be empty." But why address myself to you alone? AIl creation is equally mad. Behold those flies playing above the brook; the swallows and fish diminish their number every minute. These will become, in their turn, the prey of some tyrant of the air or water; and man for his amusement or his needs will kill their murderers. Nature is an inexplicable problem; it exists on a principle of destruction. Every being must be the tireless instrument of death to others, or itself must cease to live, yet nonetheless we celebrate the day of our birth, and we praise God for having entered such a world.

During my soliloquy I picked a flower at my side; it was fair and freshly opened, but an ugly caterpillar had hidden itself among the petals and already they were shriveling and fading. "Sad image of the earth and its inhabitants!" I exclaimed. "This worm lives only to injure the plant that protects it. Why was it created, and why was man created? He torments, he kills, he devours; he suffers, dies, is devoured - there you have his whole story. It is true that there is a heaven for the saint, but the saint leaves enough misery here below to sadden him even before the throne of God.

I threw the flower to earth. At that moment the universe appeared to me a vast machine constructed only to produce evil. I almost doubted the goodness of God, in not annihilating man on the day he first sinned. "The world should have been destroyed," I said, "crushed as I crush this reptile which has done nothing in its life but render all that it touches as disgusting as itself." I had scarcely removed my foot from the poor insect when, like a censoring angel sent from heaven, there came fluttering through the trees a butterfly with large wings of lustrous gold and purple. It shone but a moment before my eyes; then, rising among the leaves, it vanished into the height of the azure vault. I was mute, but an inner voice said to me, "Let not the creature judge his Creator; here is a symbol of the world to come. As the ugly caterpillar is the origin of the splendid butterfly, so this globe is the embryo of a new heaven and a new earth whose poorest beauty will infinitely exceed your mortal imagination. And when you see the magniiicent result of that which seems so base to you now, how you will scorn your blind presumption, in accusing Omniscience for not having made nature perish in her infancy.

God is the god of justice and mercy; then surely, every grief that he inflicts on his creatures, be they human or animal, rational or irrational, every suffering of our unhappy nature is only a seed of that divine harvest which will be gathered when, Sin having spent its last drop of venom, Death having launched its final shaft, both will perish on the pyre of a universe in flames and leave their ancient victims to an eternal empire of happiness and glory.

 

What view of nature does this essay present?

- Nature is self destruictive; i.e. the nightingale invites death by singing and alerting its environment to its presence. The concept of the caterpillar destroying the flower also portrays how everything seeks the destruction of others.

- Alive, nature is corrupt and only freed by death (the butterfly).

- Earth is 'merely the embryo' from which good will arise. All of nature is in some sort of purgatory, awaiting rebirth through death; spiritual as opposed to bodily.

- When in 'one of those moods' we can see through the glossy exterior to the 'barren desert' that actually lies beneath - suggestive of an illusion, a shadow of the actual world. Almost as if the devil has masqueraded as beauty or hell as heaven.

How does this shape our reading of Wuthering Heights?

- The Heights and its inhabitents epitomise this self-destruction in the way that they cause their own downfall and, not only corrupt, but catalyse the desturction of others at the Grange.

- Cathy is only peaceful and serene when she dies and is freed from the cruel reality of life. Indee dthe young Cathy seems to be the butterfly of the story as her mother is shown to live on through her.

- Heathcliff personifies evil by inflicting on others what he once recieved. While Cathy is freed by death he is cursed by remaining alive and thus seeks the destruction of others...is this cruelty or kindness?

- The next generation show the cycle of destruction. Though one can argue that they are their parents reborn (butterflies), one could state that good can not come until all are dead and so this genberation must then repeat the destruction of the former.
- Young Cathy never celebrates ' the day of [her] birth' as it symbolises death for her father Edgar. Does he then have the right idea? Is it foolish to celebrate being alive in this world of sin when one could be freed by death or lack of existence?

Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

Plot Summary:
The novel follows the character of Pip through his journey from his childhood in a working class background to his adulthood in an upper class environment upon the realisation of his "Great Expectations". Pip meets the escaped convict Magwitch on the dark Kent marshes and aids him with food and a file to release him from his chains. This action changes the course of Pip's life forever, however he is unaware of this until Magwitch reappears many years later. From the moment Pip met Estella at Miss Havisham's, he felt a desire to better himself, taking her unkindness and dismissal of him as common to heart and beginning to resent his humble upbringing, "There had been a beautiful young lady at Miss Havisham's who was dreadfully proud, and that she had said I was common, and that I knew I was common" and  "How common Estella would consider Joe, a mere blacksmith". This catalyses a change in Pip's character as he becomes ovelry familiar with the upper classes and upon his great expectations lives friviously and with thought only for material possessions, ""I wonder he didn't marry her and get all the property," said I." Pip's friendship with Herbert Pocket is a true one and yet their ideas about money are greatly different, whilst Herbert is repeatedly working to find "Capital", Pip undermines this by secretly paying people to employ him. It is not until Magwitch returns, revealing himself as Pip's benefactor that his attitude changes and he begins to realise the mistreatment he showed to the figures of his past.

Pip (Phillip Pirrip):
Great Expectations may be described as a buildungsroman as it follows the protagonist Pip's life and shows eventual maturity. Along this journey Pip witnesses and experiences many different types of love; his obsessive and painstaking love of Estella lasts a lifetime and causes Pip to question his own identity and seek another more fitting. His friendship with Herbert Pocket represents a platonic love within the novel, evident by Pip's desire to see him succeed and his inability to let Herbert leave England independently. "Herbert received me with open arms, and I had never felt before, so blessedly, what it is to have a friend ". As his fortune turns upon the death of Magwitch and his "portable property" lost he begins to realise the ingratitude he showed to both Joe and Biddy whilst lost within his own self-importance.

Miss Havisham:
Miss Havisham is amongst the most haunting of characters within Great Expectations, she personifies the pain caused by a broken heart presented by the literal decay of herself and her home, frozen in time via the clocks, "It was then I began to understand that everything in the room had stopped, like the lock and the watch". Jilted on her wedding day by the elusive Compeyson she vowed never to see daylight again and to cause pain onto men as pain was caused to her. Her story is unravelled throughout the novel and Pip begins to understand why she is the way she is and why she has brought Estella up to break hearts, "Let me see you play cards with this boy", seeing it as personal revenge.

Estella:
Estella may be described as a pawn in a vengeful game played by Miss Havisham, releasing her revenge on the rest of mankind. Brought up to be proud and cruel from their first meeting Estella succeeded in making Pip feel inferior. However, ironically, Pip discovers that she is the daughter of Magwitch but who was lost as Jaggers took in her mother after she committed murder. Estella therefore comes from the dregs of society and yet, although Magwitch had commited much crime and sin throughout his life his only desire was to make a gentleman out of Pip - something he could not achieve for himself. On the other scale Miss Havisham, wealthy and of a high class adopted Estella not out of love but in order to mould her into a weapon. Again, whilst marrying the hideous Drummle over Pip she gain suffered at the hands of wealth until the final chapter where both Pip and Estella return to Miss Havisham's house's remains.“Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching. . . . I have been bent and broken, but—I hope—into a better shape.” These are the first words Estella speaks wholly independently from influence and with any positivity in meaning.

Joe:
Joe from the beginning has showed a humble and yet powerful love for Pip almost in consolation for the resentment his wife, Pip's sister, showed in raising him "by hand". 'And bring the poor little child. God bless the poor little child,' I said to your sister, 'there's room for him at the forge!'"". This protectiveness never ceases and his own beliefs never shaken as he seeks not money or betterring himself but rather a happy life with a steady income, ""But if you think as Money can make compensation to me for the loss of the little child – what come to the forge – and ever the best of friends! –". This quotations is spoken to Mr Jaggers whom, upon dealing with a corrupt society daily, has lost any belief in relationships that look beyond money or gain but rather focus on love. Whilst Jaggers may arguably present the selfishness and greed of society at this period, Joe defies this assumption.

Magwitch:Magwitch has lived his whole life in corruption and, though he remained in the constant eye of the judge up until his death, his meeting with Pip and the resultant sacrifice of all his wealth in order to make a gentleman of the boy who helped him, ensures that Magwitch died achieving something positive. This most mysterious of benefactors may be described in parallel with Miss Havisham and yet completely opposite at the same time - both sought to take responsibility for a child and yet whilst the upper class society belonging to Havisham sought to form a vengeful, cruel and cold woman that may not be broken by man, Magwitch sought to create a true gentleman, ""As I giv' you to understand just now, I'm famous for it. It was the money left me, and the gains of the first few year wot I sent home to Mr. Jaggers – all for you – when he first come arter you, agreeable to my letter." Indeed Magwitch may also be using Pip as a replacement for his paternal instincts as he would have been of similar age to Estella, the child he lost "Look'ee here, Pip. I'm your second father. You're my son – more to me nor any son. I've put away money, only for you to spend." This is particulalry poignant as they met at the grave of Pip's own father.

Quotations:
"I wished Joe had been rather more genteelly brought up, and then I should have been so too."
"Whatever I acquired, I tried to impart to Joe. This statement sounds so well, that I cannot in my conscience let it pass unexplained. I wanted to make Joe less ignorant and common, that he might be worthier of my society and less open to Estella's reproach."

- Shows Pips desire to enter into the upper classes and also the influence Joe had on him as he feels he has been mirrored upon him.
"Whenever I watched the vessels standing out to sea with their white sails spread, I somehow thought of Miss Havisham and Estella; and whenever the light struck aslant, afar off, upon a cloud or sail or green hill-side or water-line, it was just the same"
"She reserved it for me to restore the desolate house, admit the sunshine into the dark rooms, set the clocks a going and the cold hearths a blazing, tear down the cobwebs, destroy the vermin – in short, do all the shining deeds of the young Knight of romance, and marry the Princess."
""It would have been cruel in Miss Havisham, horribly cruel, to practise on the susceptibility of a poor boy, and to torture me through all these years with a vain hope and an idle pursuit, if she had reflected on the gravity of what she did. But I think she did not. I think that in the endurance of her own trial, she forgot mine, Estella."

- Speaks about dreams, futures, plans and hopes.

"The unqualified truth is, that when I loved Estella with the love of a man, I loved her simply because I found her irresistible." - Arguably Pip is only in LUST with Estella rather than LOVE? In love with the idea?
"Before I could answer (if I could have answered so difficult a question at all), she repeated, "Love her, love her, love her! If she favours you, love her. If she wounds you, love her. If she tears your heart to pieces – and as it gets older and stronger, it will tear deeper – love her, love her, love her!" - Shows the revenge Havisham wishes to do unto those who love Estella.

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

Plot Summary:
"The Picture of Dorian Grey" uses the character of Mr Grey to optimise how sin and evil may influence and destroy a man's soul. There is a definite 'Faustian' theme with the wish of Dorian to preserve his external beauty and youthfulness, instead using the painting created by Basil as an outlet for his sins. As he becomes obsessed with the aesthetic throughout his life the picture decays and pays the price for his own misdealings. As a result of this obsession love also is cast away, with lust being used as a replacement; for example he believes himself in love with Sybil Vane and yet when she reveals her true self on stage, removing the mask formed from her acting, Dorian rejects her and causes her suicide. The purest love within the novel is the love Basil has for Dorian. He portrays this love through the painting he creates of Dorian, "I have put too much of myself in it" and "Shown in it the secret of my own soul". The preface written by Oscar Wilde for this novel highlights the key messages that the reader should consider; "All art is at one surface and symbol...those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril".

Dorian Grey:
Described initially as an "Adonis", a beautiful and youthful creature untouched by the corruption of society. However, once introduced to Lord Henry such beauty, encapsulated by Basil, becomes realised and Dorian sees only the external. Afraid of decaying from age and sin he exclaims that he wishes to expel all corruption from his life onto Basil's creation. This creation, as created from love, has captured the very soul of Dorian and thus when he eventually attempts to destroy it, he destroys his soul and dies while the picture returns to its original perfection. Towards the end of the novel Dorian attempts reformation as he realises what he has become, however this is out of vanity and so the picture remains corrupt.

Lord Henry:
Henry is the epitomy of a "bad influence". His opinions of life are promiscuous and leave little room for tender feeling and appreciation of inner beauty and true love, "His principles were out of date, but there was a good deal to be said for his prejudices." He preys on Dorian feeding him books and stories that entice him into corruption. One could easily compare him to the devil whilst Basil remains a good and yet unheard influence upon Dorian. He teaches Dorian of his own beauty and youthfulness and catalyses a life-long fear that this will decay.

Basil:
Oscar Wilde stated that "The artist is the creator of beautiful things" and thus why Dorian blames him for creating a taunting preservation of his own beauty that will remain untouched whilst he ages. This fear planted by Lord Henry thus grows to the point at which Dorian murders Basil, in anger and realisation of what his soul has now become. Basil's obsession with Dorian runs much deeper than his aesthetic, "He is necessary to me" and thus is the only presentation of true love within the story. It seems particularly poignant therefore that Dorian murders the only person who truly loved him. His fear of revealing the painting comes from his fear of revealing himself within it "My heart shall never be put under the microscope" as not only would homosexuality be illegal at this point but also the issue of unrequited love would undoubtedly arise.

Quotations:
"I had a strange feeling that fate had in store for me exquisite joys and sorrows" (Basil about Dorian)
"My heart shall never be put under the microscope"
"Sin is a thing that writes itself across a man's face, it cannot be concealed"
"If it was only the other way! If it was I who were to be always young, and the picture that were to grow old! For this--for this--I would give everything!" (Dorian's deal to the devil so to speak)
"Here is the first passionate love-letter I have ever written in my life. Strange, that my first passionate love-letter should have been addressed to a dead girl." (Dorian about Sybil Vane)
"People who love only once in their lives are ... shallow people. What they call their loyalty, and their fidelity, I call either the lethargy of custom or their lack of imagination." (Lord Henry's views on love)

AS Wider Reading - What could be used for love through the ages?

Novels

"The Catcher in the Rye" J.D Salinger (1951)
Time Period: Modernist/Post-Modernist
Basic Plot: Holden Caulfield, teenage boy in the 50's of the US, narrates his own journey into adulthood - or rather his fall into it - and portrays the inner workings of this newly formed generation of adolescence, a concept new to the 50's. Caulfield thus uses explicit language and ponders the mystery of sex in order to mask his own insecurity and falsity, whilst condemning others as "phonies". Story ends with Caulfield in, supposedly a mental institution repeating his story after presumably suffering a breakdown. Novel has abundant images of transition and may be used in the context of love as he shows love for his sister, Phoebe, along with Jane Gallagher, a childhood sweetheart.
Quotations:
"I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff"
"You never even worried with Jane, whether your hand was sweaty or not. All you knew was, you were happy"
"Sex is something I really don't understand too hot"
"Old Phoebe. She was somebody you always felt like talking to"

"Lolita" Vladimir Nabokov (1959)
Time Period: Post-Modernist
Basic Plot: The highly educated Humbert Humbert stays with Charlotte Haze and her daughter 'Lolita' in Ramsdale after the break up of his marriages in France and in inspiration for a new novel. His obsession with "nypmhets" is catalysed by Lolita and immediately Humberts obsession grows and consumes him; marrying her mother to become her father, taking her on a road trip so as to be alone and even paying her to stay with him. The novel shows this obsession grow and also the point at which he forces Lolita into running away. Whilst not justifying paedophilia exactly Nabokov gives insight into the mind of one posessed by young girls and thus may be used in the context of obsessive love as Humbert's obsession blinds him and whilst he loves Lolita he does not do what is best for her. He realises his guilt often whilst describing his love for Lolita, along with using french and images of fairytale to perversely almost appeal to her youth. However, Humbert's other love affiars are also portrayed and his relationship with Annabel in particular may be used to suggest why his fancies remain locked in time, frozen within a young girl, the embodiment of Annabel.
Quotations:
"All at once we were madly, clumsily, shamelessly, agonizingly in love with each other."
"I broke her spell by incarnating her in another"
"I knew that I had fallen in love with Lolita forever; but I also knew she would not forever be Lolita"
"I loved you. I was a pentapod monster, but I loved you. I was despicable and brutal, and turpid, and everything, mais je t'aimais, je t'aimais."
"Make those twenty-five steps. Now. Right now. Come just as you are. And we shall live happily ever after."

"The L Shaped Room" Lynne Reid Banks (1960)
Time Period: Post-Modernist
Basic Plot: Jane is embarking on the journey of single motherhood in the 60's a time when such a thing was greatly frowned upon, and indeed she seems to punish herself by taking lodgings in the L shaped room. However, at the very bottom of the social pile alongside Jews, Blacks and prostitutes, others segregated, she finds love of friends and love of the struggling writer Toby. Such and odd community provides Jane with the strength to continue her pregnancy as she gains self-empowerment. In terms of love she explores the relationship between her and her father, the father of her child and the new love of Toby. When speaking about her past she never mentions people’s names only stating; “The actor” or “The doctor”. This changes when she enters her new home in the “L-shaped room” as Toby sees right through her “mystery-woman” act and opens her up, however, she still likes to categorise her work from home life.
Quotations:
"That poor half-baked little bitch is going to have a baby, without ever having understood what love really means."
[Toby and Terry]"Two dogs stand facing each other...The pointless, primitive fighting instinct of the male"
"Well of course i've been in love...I suppose. I mean, I must've been musn't I?"

"The Bluest Eye" Toni Morrison (1970)
Time Period: Post-Modernist
Basic Plot: Great example of post-modernist literature as the novel uses several narrators and perspectives to tell the story that takes place in the Great Depression in Ohio. It becomes evident that each narrator's reliability is different and the reader has to actively seek the truth. Pecola is a young black girl, impregnated by her father, abused and of the belief that what is white is beautiful. Her obsession with Shirley Temple and having "blue eyes" is all in the desire to be percieved, and percieve herself as beautiful in a world where she feels dirty and unworthy. It becomes evident that her mother and father too had troublesome childhoods; her mother being defined by her disability and her father rejected by his own. Claudia (9) is the voice of reason and arguably the perspective the reader should take the most truth from. The novel may be used in terms of love to show the selfless love of Claudia and her sister towards Pecola as a result of the love given to them by their own parents, along with highlighting the perverse nature of the Breedlove family and how the lack of love they recieved from their own family and society affected the next generation.

Quotations:
"Love, thick and dark as Alaga syrup, eased up into that cracked window. I could smell it – taste it – sweet, musty, with an edge of wintergreen in its base – everywhere in that house." (Claudia)
"Dandelions. A dart of affection leaps out from her to them. But they do not look at her and do not send love back. She thinks, 'They are ugly. They are weeds." (Pecola relates and loves the ugly weeds)
"She regarded love as possessive mating, and romance as the goal of the spirit." (Pauline)
"The hauntedness would irritate him – the love would move him to fury. How dare she love him? Hadn't she any sense at all? What was he supposed to do about that? Return it? How?" (Cholly doesn't know how to return the love of his daughter)
"Love is never any better than the lover. Wicked people love wickedly, violent people love violently, weak people love weakly, stupid people love stupidly, but the love of a free man is never safe"

"Disgrace" J.M Coetzee (1999)

Time Period: Contemporary
Basic Plot: Disgrace follows Professor David Lurie as he enters into relations with student, and arguably muse, Melanie Isaacs. He becomes obsessed by her and yet the concept of love seems to fail him completely. His use of prostitutes and his inability to love show that he lives love through literature and cannot relate it to reality. After suffering disgrace in the city he moves to the country where the remnants of Aprtheid South Africa are still abundant. The rape of his daughter at the hands of black people shows not only the masculine instinct of ownership and posession, something Lurie actually empathises with, but also how this new South Africa is born of rape and is a confused and illegimate fusion of two identities. Obsession is therefore evident along with a warped sense of romantic love that is caught in his love of the works of Byron but which Lurie cannot make tangible. There are few quotations about love but plenty of sex that show the absence of love;

Quotations:
"For a man of his age, fifty-two, divorced, he has, to his mind, solved the problem of sex rather well. On Thursday afternoons he drives to Green Point. Punctually at two p.m. he presses the buzzer at the entrance to Windsor Mansions, speaks his name, and enters."
"Were he to choose a totem, it would be the snake. Intercourse between Soraya and himself must be, he imagines, rather like the copulation of snakes: lengthy, absorbed, but rather abstract, rather dry, even at its hottest."
"He existed in an anxious flurry of promiscuity. He had affairs with the wives of colleagues; he picked up tourists in bars on the waterfront or at the Club Italia; he slept with whores"
"Not rape, not quite that, but undesired nevertheless, undesired to the core."Drama

"A Streetcar Named Desire" Tennessee Williams (1957)
Time Period: Post-Modernist
Basic Plot: Plot focuses on Blanche DuBois and the spiritual and physical journey she faces upon the crumbling of her beloved "Belle Reve" - the old fashioned America. She seeks the arms of a man as she feels no identity within herself, she looks to prostitution and her sister to find warmth but both efforts are fruitless. Her spiralling madness alienates Stanley, Stella's husband, and the two conflict in a way symbolic of the old south and new south. There is much comparison between Blanche and a moth, being attracted to the warmth of men and then being burnt by them. Williams uses great dramatic motifs and devices such as the street noise, lighting, "Polka" and detailed stage directions that almost make the reader more priviledged than the audience. In terms of love this play may be used as the passionate love between Stella and Stanley is animalistic almost, the familial love Stella attempts to show her sister and the confusion Blanche has over ove - in particular her late husband whom she feels guilty over still upon discovering his true sexuality. Love seems to be the light that Blanche is attracted to and yet she seems unable to reach it.

Quotations:
" Remember what Huey Long said – "Every Man is a King!" And I am the King around here, so don’t forget it!"
"Since earliest manhood the center of his life has been pleasure with women, the giving and taking of it, not with weak indulgence, dependently, but with the power and pride of a richly feathered male bird among hens"
"Blanche moves back into the streak of light. She raises her arms and stretches, as she moves indolently back to the chair"
"What you are talking about is brutal desire – just – Desire! – the name of that rattle-trap street-car that bans through the Quarter, up one old narrow street and down another…"

Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen

Plot Summary:
The story focuses on the Bennet family and in particular the headstrong second sister Elizabeth. Elizabeth's character defies the usual domestic and docile heroine as she rebels against society's prejudice. However, in doing so she captures the attention of the seemingly proud and stubborn Mr Darcy, filthy rich Colin Firth lookalike, who is a prime example of appearances being deceptive. Whilst the Bennet family disgrace themselves, Lydia running off with Wickham, and then redeem themselves through the marriage of Jane and Mr Bingley public opinion is defied, with love surpassing wealth and social standing. The story explores the conventions of marriage, social etiquette, social prejudice and the real value of money in the early 19th century.

Elizabeth - The central character, initially described as "tolerable" in looks by Darcy, her stubborn and yet curious personality attracts. Indeed she is a refreshing presence in the social circles of the upper class, as the likes of Miss Bingley merely appease and swoon over Darcy never showing an alternate opinion or any values but of wealth and status. She completely rejects all conventions, dismissing Mr Collins' proposal, speaking her mind openly and having the balls to answer her father back when she believes a wrong decision is being made. She thus completely differs from the rest of her sisters who aspire to the usual conventions of a "good match" in marriage. Arguably, Elizabeth is a personification of the Romantic Era, portraying the differences in social class, the reality of the countryside and ironically gaining the best marriage from being herself.

Mr Darcy - A man of great wealth and status, enters the plot alongside Mr Bingley, whom he has great influence over. Though initially portrayed as the villain it becomes clear that he actually is one of the most loving characters; obsessed with Elizabeth, not wishing his friend to be hurt by Jane whom he believed "indifferent" and particularly protective over his sister Miss Darcy whom was under the spell of Wickham. Darcy prevents the Bennet family from scandal, unbeknown to Mrs Bennet who insists on hating him, as well as providing great financial aid to the "inferior" family estate. He is particularly courtly and proper in his manner of love, remaining formal but with moments of passionate rhetoric that show his education and upbringing are not enough to mask his emotions at certain points.

Types of Love Shown:
- Familial Love of the Bennet Family, particularly between Jane & Elizabeth
- Selfless Love in the actions of Mr Darcy that were all for Elizabeth
- Unrequited Love in the proposal of Mr Collins and also the sentiment felt by the jealous Miss Bingley whom loves Darcy.
- Romantic Love

Quotations:
"But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly had a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes." (Darcy about Elizabeth)
"Could she have seen half as much love in Mr. Darcy for herself, she would have ordered her wedding clothes. But the case is this: We are not rich enough or grand enough for them […]" (Elizabeth to Jane)
"Miss Lucas, who accepted him solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment, cared not how soon that establishment were gained."
"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." (Darcy to Elizabeth = Love is all conquering! However, note his formal manner)
"My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish; secondly, that I am convinced that it will add very greatly to my happiness; and thirdly--which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness." (Collins gives his REASONS for marrying quite as if a list, shows that in this time marriage was for money and status)
"But if a woman is partial to a man, and does not endeavour to conceal it, he must find it out." (Presents love and courting as a game of tactics)

Reading List:

Literature displaying LOVE THROUGH THE AGES...

Middle Ages
The concept of courtly love was greatly present within all arts of the middle ages and, though the novel not in fashion or really invented yet, ideas of nobility and social status greatly dominated.

- Geoffrey Chaucer "The Canterbury Tales" (14th Century) READING

Romantic Period (1775 - 1840)
The romantic period was a time in which people began questioning the prejudged ideas that had dominated society's thought pattern. Indeed in terms of literature the concept of sensibility arose and novels became more about creating an emotional response from the reader. The class system is in full swing and so social identity is a large factor.

- Jane Austen "Pride & Prejudice" (1812) READ
- Jane Austen "Emma" (1816)

Victorian/Edwardian Era (1840 - Early 20th Century)
At this time, the concept of the romantic is still present but has progressed to incorporate morality, education and social class even more prominently. Indeed at this time trade and the British empire was at its peak and many works highlighted the realities of the lower labouring classes.

- Emily Bronte "Wuthering Heights" (1847) READ
- Charles Dickens "Great Expectations" (1860) READ
- Louisa May Alcott "Little Women" (1868) READ
- Oscar Wilde "The Picture of Dorian Grey" (1890) READ

Modernist Era (Beginning of the 20th Century)
The 20th century caterpaulted the world into science and technology,with discoveries such as quantum mechanics ensuring that science was further away than ever expected in understanding the universe. Along with science, society completely altered. Communist spread throughout much of Europe, mass communication enabled people to view global news and experience it = cultural homogenisation as people became concerned about other people and the impact humans were having on the earth. The world wars, along with other political and racial issues, and their impact inevitably filtered into literature.

- TBA!


Post Modernist/Contemporary Era (Latter end of 20th century)
In terms of literature the contemporary novel rejects the tpically linear story, preferring to fuse genres and language styles to make the reader think! Margaret Atwood stated "A novel is about someone moving through time".

- Toni Morrison "The Bluest Eye" (1970) READ
- Margaret Atwood "The Handmaid's Tale" (1985)

Different Types of Love...

Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment.[1] In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels.[2] Love may also be described as actions towards others (or oneself) based on compassion.[3] Or as actions towards others based on affection.[3]

In English, the word love can refer to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from generic pleasure ("I loved that meal") to intense interpersonal attraction ("I love my partner"). "Love" can also refer specifically to the passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love, to the sexual love of eros (cf. Greek words for love), to the emotional closeness of familial love, or to the platonic love that defines friendship,[4] to the profound oneness or devotion of religious love. [5] This diversity of uses and meanings, combined with the complexity of the feelings involved, makes love unusually difficult to consistently define, even compared to other emotional states.

Taken from Wikipedia

Courtly Love
Courtly love is that which seems abundant in typical fairytales of princes and princesses. It originates from the middle ages and is a French concept that was brought over to the English courts in the 1300s and is based on the idea of gallantry and chivalry. The TROUBADOURS were its founders, types of medieval musicians that rose up the ranks to become the elite - bringing with them poetry and lyricality. The troubadours wrote poetry and ballads, publicising courtly love - the most famous of which highlighted in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Because of the troubadours courtly love remained fairly exclusive to the upper classes, i.e. royalty and knights, and thus was littered with fundamental rules, or the CODE of chivalry. For example;

Marriage is no real excuse for not loving.
The easy attainment of love makes it of little value.
Every lover should regularly turn pale in the presence of their beloved.
A new love puts to flight an old one.

Indeed such rules showcase how playing the game of courtly love caused many problems within courtly circles.

Literature: Chaucer "The Miller's Tale"
Jane Austen "Pride & Prejudice"

Romantic Love
This type of love is the most obvious form of love, the attraction between two people being built upon to form deep emotional attachment. Romantic love promotes the act of reproduction and uses the elements of lust and desire in the initial stages in order to do so. Whilst lust is not love in itself the two can go hand in hand. For example, boy meets girl, immediate attraction, this attraction develeops into lust, boy and girl have babies, boy and girl committed = job done.

Literature: ALL

Familial Love
The love one shares subconciously for their family is familial love, an attachment that bonds each member together. Unlike romantic love, familial love is unchanging and unconditional based on DNA and familiarity rather than hormones and attraction. Within this category is MATERNAL and SIBLING love, two equally powerful forms of love.

Literature: Louisa May Alcott "Little Women"
Jane Austen "Pride and Prejudice"
J.D Salinger "The Catcher in the Rye"
Tennessee Williams "Streetcar Named Desire"

ALSO SEVERELY CHALLENGED BY Martin Mcdonagh "The Beauty Queen of Leenane"

Platonic Love
The love one feels for friends is platonic love, one based on similar interests and a bond of familiarity and pleasure in each other's company. Arguably this type of love is not as strong as the familial or romantic loves but can still bind people together for life.

Literature: Louisa May Alcott "Little Women"
Lynne Reid Banks "The L Shaped Room"

Unrequited Love
Feelings of love that aren't returned are unrequited. This type of hopeless love is abundant throughout literature as the mega ouch moment that occurs after rejection often leaves people in feelings of desperation and depression. Often obsession and jealousy arise as the more tender loving feelings become exasberated.

Literature: Louisa May Alcott "Little Women"
Jane Austen "Pride and Prejudice"
Vladimir Nabokov "Lolita"
J.M Coetzee "Disgrace"

Religious Love
Religious love is based far less on emotions but more so on respect and a person's actions. For instance the AGAPE love taught by Jesus is in keeping with the commandment "Love thy neighbour". Whilst you can not love your neighbour in the same way you love your family, the idea is that you treat them in a way that promotes love and rejects sin or wrong-doing. People may also claim to love god or feel the love god has for his children, again the concept of love is far more vague and is based on acceptance, inclusion and worship. Applicable to other religions also.

Literature: Chinua Achebe "Things Fall Apart"
Louisa May Alcott "Little Women"

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

Plot Summary:Based in early 20th century Massachusetts, USA. Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are four sisters that, upon the departure of their father to the WW1 war effort, are left to embark on a journey of self-discovery and growth with their mother - Mrs March as guide. Indeed they epitomise this journey via their childhood game "Pilgrim's Progress" that maps out the hardships and challenges they must face. Each sister wishes to better herself according to the moral teachings of their mother and the more religious teachings of their father whom is a priest, the presence of the love of God is therefore abundant;

Meg - is the beauty of the family and she wished to rid herself of her vanity and become accustomed to work in order to provide a wholesome family home. Indeed she was obsessed with the maintenance of her hands, white and unblemished - a sign of wealth and sophistication, but sacrifices this for the good of the family. Mr March states "I remember a time when this hand was white and smooth...but is is prettier to me now- in these blemishes i read a little history". She experiences romantic love at the hands of Mr. Brooke and her story showcases the obstacles that marriage and motherhood offers. Her children Daisy & Demi personify the result of a loving and compassionate life and thus are particurlarly significant in showing the value of love as opposed to wealth.
Main Love = Romantic & Motherly

Jo- "I can't get over my disappointment in not being a boy", is the most masculine sister with a love of literature whom seeks a life away from love and into one whereby she can support her family, taking a particularly defensive role over the more timid Beth. Indeed in pursuit of this desire to wholly support the family she shaves off her hair and writes stories that undermine her natural ability and morals. So afraid of change she vows to stay by her mother and even declares she would prefer to remain a spinster. Her only flaw is a violent temper which she attempts to defy throughout. After the death of Beth however she becomes lonely and falls for Professor Bhear, an intellectual man who although not rich nor attractive provides Jo with the life she now desires, as mother. Her obvious comfort with the male sex leads to the creation of a school for young men- where she utilies her maternial instinct, formed by the bond with Lurie, to aid others in their journey to be educated and well mannered men.
Main Love = Familial, Romantic & Selfless

Beth- The shy and timid Beth delights in music and the comfort of her family, rarely venturing out or communicating with others. Her mother states that she can see no flaw in Beth whom is loyal, passive and says not a bad word of anyone. Indeed this natural kindness leads to Beth's downfall as after aiding the impoverished Hummel family she falls ill with Scarlet Fever and never recovers - growing more pale and transparent by the day until eventually her already weak body departs.
Main Love = Familial

Amy- The most ambitious of the sisters she, and also Meg, is the most aware of her family's poverty and wishes to better herself because of it in order to gain a life of wealth and culture. The most graceful and articulate she has a way of charming others and as she grows she moves away from her old childish snobbery and patronage into a lady that can hold her own in different social classes. Her journey to France adds the polish to her femininity and draws Lurie out from his heartache over Jo. Seeing that the two are far more suited and less attached in familial love they marry, ensuring Amy fulfills her desire of wealth- however not at the cost of true love. Motherhood also changes Amy's character as her daughter Beth follows in her aunts footsteps - frail and weak, the fear of losing her making Amy more tender and selfless.
Main Love = Familial, Motherly, Romantic, Jealousy

OTHER SHOWS OF LOVE:

Unrequited - While the sisters are the main focus one cannot ignore the character of Lurie and his importance within the novel. Indeed he acts as the brother of the family and is present within all of the main events in the novel. As the masculine sister, Jo immediately forms a deep connection with Lurie - their similarities proving the cement. However, over time Lurie wishes to progress the relationship further and is shot down by stubborn and determined Jo who remains to see him as only a brother. This is the first instance of UNREQUITED LOVE.

Conclusion: Little Women is therefore a great example of Victorian literature as it showcases the typical features; social and personal identity. Indeed the entire book is about the struggles the girls show in their personal growth and also the impact the contrast between upper class society and poverty had on such growth. By showing each character's experiences seperately as well as intertwined we get a great deal of depth in each character's psychology. Alcott provides an omniscient narrator whom seems aware of each character's thoughts and feelings. In some cases she also directly speaks to the reader, suggesting the book could be interpreted as an oral story or a lesson in morality and the importance of love over wealth.

Quotations:
" I’ll try and be what he loves to call me, “a little woman,” and not be rough and wild; but do my duty here instead of wanting to be somewhere else."

- Jo shows what the stereotypical role of women was in these times, a basically domestic position. She also portrays an element of selfless love as she wishes to please her father by going against her ambitions of adventure, hiding her personal struggles for the benefit of her family.

"Mercy me! I don't know anything about love and such nonsense!" cried Jo, with a funny mixture of interest and contempt. "In novels, the girls show it by starting and blushing, fainting away, growing thin, and acting like fools."

- Jo describes how uncertain she is about love whilst also highlighting the typically presented nature of falling in love i.e. blushing and giggling.

"He was perfectly open and honorable about Meg, for he told us he loved her, but would earn a comfortable home before he asked her to marry him. He only wanted our leave to love her and work for her, and the right to make her love him if he could"

- Referring to Mr Brooke, shows how marriage was based on financial security and that it was the man's job to provide and persuade his lover into marriage. The term honourable is synonymous with the nobility found in courtly love.

"My dear girls, I am ambitious for you, but not to have you make a dash in the world - marry rich men merely because they are rich, or have splendid houses, which are not homes because love is wanting. Money is a needful and precious thing - and, when well used, a noble thing - but I never want you to think it is the first or only prize to strive for. I'd rather see you poor man's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, then queens on thrones, without self-respect and peace."

-Marmee tries to instruct her girls to rebel against the typical "wise" marriage whereby financial security surpasses love. She is an example of how one can be happy as well as poor as long as love is abundant.