Lauren Barbour's Dissertation

[mcf]

Hi,

If you have any questions please ask them here.

Hope this helps.

[loribeany]

Help! I was off on Tuesday, but I'll be back on Monday (illness = bad times) any chance of another meeting? Sorry for any inconvenience

[mcf]

Hi Lauren,

Don't stress. Take your pick from the following options:


Monday 4, Tuesday 1 or 4 or lunch, Wed 2 or 3 or lunch, Thur 1 or lunch or Fri 2.

Hope you feel better soon.

Hope this helps. ;D

[loribeany]

Dissertation planette

‘In today’s society of self, would anyone be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice?’


Section one: Setting

‘A Tale Of Two Cities’: The setting reflects the declining state of society. The socially unsettled hubs of civilisation, London and Paris, are shown as homes to compassionless beings who care only about themselves. The choice of large cities for the setting reflects the cold, impersonal nature of society at times and also the loneliness people can feel even in the busiest of places.

‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’: The setting in England differs from that in ‘A Tale Of Two Cities.’ Throughout ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’, England is shown as a safe haven for escaped aristocrats. In comparison, France is shown as an underdeveloped place where people are ‘human only by name.’ There are clear distinctions between England and France- England is shown as a welcoming place, whereas France is portrayed as somewhere people are desperate to escape from.

‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’: The hospital is a metaphor for the oppression Kesey sees in modern society. The hospital represents physical and metaphorical emasculation - it is not about curing people, it is about manipulating the weak until they are forced to conform. The hospital represents society at large and its views towards minority groups.



Section Two: Society’s destructive nature vs. freedom

‘A Tale Of Two Cities’: The clear class distinctions mean society is segregated - The lower class condemned to the dirty, disease ridden streets whilst the rich only care about themselves. The selfish nature of the rich is shown when the Marquis runs over and kills a poor boy, showing no regret.
Sydney Carton is shown to seek freedom from his mundane life where he feels alone and a credit to no one. His love for Lucie Manette gives him temporary freedom, however he soon realises she will never love him the way he loves her.
The French aristocrats seek refuge from death, however, the lack of a sense of community forbids them to escape as no one will risk their own safety to help.

‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’: The French are portrayed as people who are desperate for retribution at any cost against the upper class. The desire for revenge soon gets out of hand as the lower class seek to wipe out the entire upper class.
The Scarlet Pimpernel and his followers are devoted to doing the right thing, risking their own lives to help the innocent French aristocrats escape to freedom and a safe haven in the form of England.

‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’: The hospital represents all that is bad about society and the clinical oppression often faced by minority groups.
The patients seek freedom from Nurse Ratched’s rule, however, are too weak to stand up for themselves.
RP McMurphy seeks freedom from the prison work camp so pretends he is mentally unstable in order to escape from the camp.


Section Three: Character’s journey

‘A Tale Of Two Cities’: At the beginning, Sydney Carton is an insolent, alcoholic underachiever. He feels there is no point in living as he has missed out on chances in life. The only thing keeping him alive is his love for Lucie Manette. When he realises he can never be with her, he decides to do whatever he can to make her happy, which ultimately leads to his own self sacrifice to save the man she truly loves.

‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’: The Pimpernel constantly risks his own safety to protect others. He uses his other identity, Sir Percy Blakeney, the dull, slow witted Englishman, to protect his antics as The Pimpernel. However, his role as Percy means he does not have the full respect of his wife and is often on the receiving end of her sarcasm. When Lady Blakeney finally realises who Percy really is, she discovers he is risking his life everyday for people he does not even know.

‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’: RP McMurphy could be seen as a Christ figure who is willing to sacrifice himself in order to save the other patients. He is at the hospital willingly and from the moment he arrives he begins teaching the repressed patients, helping them regain their confidence and in time, the ability to see that they do not need to be in the hospital. McMurphy sacrifices himself for the others when he is forced to have a lobotomy. One of his new friends, Bromden, euthanizes him as he cannot bear to see the usually loud and vibrant McMurphy as a vegetable. This self sacrifice breaks the oppression of the hospital and prompts many patients to check themselves out, having finally regained their confidence.

[mcf]

Hi Lauren,

Will mark tomorrow. Remind me please.

Hope this helps. ;D

[mcf]

Hi Lauren,

Dissertation planette

‘In today’s society of self, would is would the most suitable word here.anyone be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice?’We will work on the wording of this together after Christmas but some suggestions for you to get on with: use the phrase a comparative study of and also there should be the names of the three texts.


Section one: Setting

‘A Tale Of Two Cities’: The setting reflects the declining state of society. The socially unsettled hubs of civilisation, London and Paris, are shown as homes to compassionless beings who care only about themselves. The choice of large cities for the setting reflects the cold, impersonal nature of society at times and also the loneliness people can feel even in the busiest of places. ;DLook for paralells in the way they are described and how it brings out the theme of self as everybody is too wrapped up in their own problems and there is no sense of community etc.

‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’: The setting in England differs from that in ‘A Tale Of Two Cities.’ Throughout ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’, England is shown as a safe haven for escaped aristocrats.In what ways do they do that? In comparisonremember when you say comparision you asre looking at similarities so make sure you say contrast., France is shown as an underdeveloped place where people are ‘human only by name.’ There are clear distinctions between England and France- England is shown as a welcoming place, whereas France is portrayed as somewhere people are desperate to escape from. ;D

‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’: The hospital is a metaphor for the oppression Kesey sees in modern society. ;DThe hospital represents physical and metaphorical emasculation - it is not about curing people, it is about manipulating the weak until they are forced to conform. ;D The hospital represents society at large and its views towards minority groups. ;D



Section Two: Society’s destructive nature vs. freedom

‘A Tale Of Two Cities’: The clear class distinctions mean society is segregated - The lower class condemned to the dirty, disease ridden streets whilst the rich only care about themselves. The selfish nature of the rich is shown when the Marquis runs over and kills a poor boy, showing no regret. ;D
Sydney Carton is shown to seek freedom from his mundane life where he feels alone and a credit to no one. His love for Lucie Manette gives him temporary freedom, how does love ste him free?however he soon realises she will never love him the way he loves her.So how does that change him and what does it show?
The French aristocrats seek refuge from death, however, the lack of a sense of community forbids them to escape as no one will risk their own safety to help.thus a great contrast to Pimpernel.

‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’: The French are portrayed as people who are desperate for retribution at any cost against the upper class. rebellion and revolution.The desire for revenge soon gets out of handwhy? / how? as the lower class seek to wipe out the entire upper class.
The Scarlet Pimpernel and his followers are devoted to doing the right thing, risking their own lives to help the innocent French aristocrats escape to freedom and a safe haven in the form of England. Asa result they are held in high regard by the aristiocracy.

‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’: The hospital represents all that is badrefrain from using 'bad' in your dissertation. about society and the clinical oppression often faced by minority groups.
The patients seek freedom from Nurse Ratched’s rule, however, are too weak to stand up for themselves.
RP McMurphy seeks freedom from the prison work camp so pretends he is mentally unstable in order to escape from the camp.


Section Three: Character’s journey

‘A Tale Of Two Cities’: At the beginning, Sydney Carton is an insolent, alcoholic underachiever. He feels there is no point in living as he has missed out on chances in life. The only thing keeping him alive is his love for Lucie Manette. When he realises he can never be with her, he decides to do whatever he can to make her happy, which ultimately leads to his own self sacrifice to save the man she truly loves. ;D

‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’: The Pimpernel constantly risks his own safety to protect others. He uses his other identity, Sir Percy Blakeney, the dull, slow witted Englishman, to protect his antics as The Pimpernel. However, his role as Percy means he does not have the full respect of his wife and is often on the receiving end of her sarcasm. Why does she not respect him?When Lady Blakeney finally realises who Percy really is, she discovers he is risking his life everyday for people he does not even know.

‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’: RP McMurphy could be seen as a Christ figure who is willing to sacrifice himself in order to save the other patients. ;DHe is at the hospital willingly and from the moment he arrives he begins teaching the repressed patients, helping them regain their confidence and in time, the ability to see that they do not need to be in the hospital. McMurphy sacrifices himself for the others when he is forced to have a lobotomy. One of his new friends, Bromden, euthanizes him as he cannot bear to see the usually loud and vibrant McMurphy as a vegetable. This self sacrifice breaks the oppression of the hospital and prompts many patients to check themselves out, having finally regained their confidence. How is he left in the end?

Lauren, this is excellent - very few comments as you are well on the way to creating an excellent dissertation. Very impressed by your hard work. Have you managed to get any secondary reading? Secondly, we will not look for a full first draft in one go. Try the introduction - which should be between 300 - 400 words. It should outline and contextualise your question and then provide a brief outline of your three texts with relevance to the question.

Although you have provided clear sub-headings for each of your three sections in your dissertation we will not explicitly show these in the full version. You will use your skillful language to sign post the change of direction to aid with this. Also within the three sections you clearly have three different texts. Within each section try and integrate the texts as much as possible and don't do all the seting of one and then another etc...

When is realistic for you to have introduction and first section written considering the deadline for first draft is end of January? I am happy to negotiate.

Merry Christmas ;D

[mcf]

Hi Lauren,

Symbolism inOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a novel written by Ken Kesey in the 1960's, is about a group of men in a mental hospital in the 1950's. Kesey uses many symbolic reference for the main character, McMurphy, as Jesus Christ and to the other men on the ward as Christ's disciples. Kesey refers to McMurphy as Christ to give the readers a more sympathetic character. Several events lead up to the sacrifice of McMurphy for the men in the hospital.
One of the events that depicts McMurphy as Christ is the fishing trip. McMurphy chooses twelve men to go on the fishing trip with him, just as Jesus had twelve disciples. In the Bible Jesus picks his disciples because each posses a certain quality He's looking for just as McMurphy did when he chooses George to go on the fishing trip. McMurphy wants George to go because, George has had past experience as a fishing boat captain.

Before the trip none of the men ever laugh, most of them were quiet and kept to themselves, none of them were very confident in themselves and they felt quit powerless, but throughout the fishing trip this slowly begins to change. At the gas station the men follow McMurphy's lead in telling the gas station attendants that they're a bunch of loonies from the mental hospital and the men at the gas station start to fear them. Bromden says, "Never before did I realize that mental illness could have the same aspect as power"(P. 210). The men start to have a feeling of power. When they start fishing the patients start to loosen up and they even begin to laugh. As the trip continues each man is changed inside. Bromden says, "The way you see the change in a person you've been away from for a long time, where somebody who sees him every day, day in, day out, wouldn't notice because the change is gradual"(P. 212). They gain confidants and reassurance of who they really are just as Jesus' disciples did during their experiences with Him.



A second reference to McMurphy as Christ is the experience with the electroshock therapy. Electroshock therapy was a technique used on mental patients, it was believed that the shock treatment tamed the men's bizarre behavior. McMurphy and Bromden are lead to the electroshock therapy room to get treated. McMurphy sacrifices himself to go first. He's laid on a table that's shaped like a cross," They put the graphite salve on his temples. "What is it?" he says. "Conductant," the technician says. "Anointest my head with conductant. Do I get a crown of thorns?"(P. 237). McMurphy sacrifices his life for Bromden just as Christ sacrificed his life for many.



The final instance that depicts McMurphy as a Christ-like figure is the sacrifice of his life to save the lives of others on the ward. From the first day of McMurphy's arrival he questioned and challenged the authority and rules of the hospital. He knew his behavior was unacceptable but yet he persisted. McMurphy knew that if the men continued to act the way they were that nothing would ever change and none of the men would be able to leave the mental hospital. McMurphy acted in a way that allowed the men to grow mentally and start to question the way they had lived their lives on the ward. Then when McMurphy had a lobotomy everything changed. He was no longer the fun-loving, outgoing, enthusiastic man everyone remembered. He laid in a gurney all day long in the dayroom, eyes wide open staring into nothingness. McMurphy knew his offensive behavior would get him to this point sooner or later, but he was willing to do it in order to save the lives of many. Bromden could no longer accept McMurphy in this vegetable like state so one night as McMurphy slept Bromden took a pillow and suffocated him. Bromden kills McMurphy just as Pontius Pilate orders Christ to be crusified

Kesey use several symbolic references that lead the readers to believe that McMurphy symbolized Christ to the men in the hospital. Events from the fishing trip and the twelve disciples to the cross and the crown of thorns. Then finally McMurphy's sacrifice of his own life to save the lives of the other men on the ward.

Hope this helps. ;D

[mcf]

Hi,

Here is some more notes on One Flew over the Cuckoos's nest.

McMurphy, Rebel with a Cause in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest



Ken Kesey's experiences in a mental institution urged him to tell the story of such a ward. We are told this story through the eyes of a huge red Indian who everyone believes to be deaf and dumb named Chief in his novel "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". Chief is a patient in an Oregon psychiatric hospital on the ward of Mrs Ratched. she is the symbol of authority throughout the text. This ward forms the backdrop for the rest of the story. The men on the ward are resigned to their regime dictated by this tyrant who is referred to as 'the Big Nurse', until McMurphy arrives to disrupt it. He makes the men realise that it is possible to think for themselves, which results in a complete destruction of the system as it was. Randle P. McMurphy, a wrongly committed mental patient with a lust for life. The qualities that garner McMurphy respect and admiration from his fellow patients are also responsible for his tragic downfall. These qualities include his temper, which leads to his being deemed "disturbed," his stubbornness, which results in his receiving numerous painful disciplinary treatments, and finally his free spirit, which leads to his death. Despite McMurphy being a noble man, in the end, these characteristics hurt him more than they help him. He forms the basis to my study of rebellion.



The Narrator, Chief Bromden comments that it was not he who originally decided to adopt the act of being deaf and dumb but others who treated him as if he were deaf and dumb, which illustrates that the way a person is depends upon the society around him. Indeed, Chief Bromden's father told him:



"If you don't watch it people will force you one way or the other into doing what they think you should do, or into just being mule-stubborn and doing the opposite just out of spite."



This is very much emphasised in the book: Kesey strongly suggests that the residents of the ward in his novel are there because they could not cope with the pressures put on them by society to conform, and that their madness is caused by others, rather than originating within the men themselves. Kesey also deals with the ineffective way in which these men are 'treated' for their various aliments. He constantly alludes to the way that the institution, in particular 'Big Nurse' attempts to dehumanise these men, illustrating the fact that it is deemed better that these men have no signs of individuality so that they will fit into society more easily. The author does not portray them then in a derogatory light or laugh at them, but rather seems to look on them as victims of society's oppression, and sees society as the root of their problems. These men appear to be on the ward just so that they are kept out of the way, rather than being treated. This is a reflection of how society will sometimes attempt to opress and attempt to ignore a radical thinker or rebel rather than confronting their problems. This is strongly the case of McMurphy.



McMurphy begins challenging the system in small ways, such as asking that 'ward policy' be changed so that they can watch the world series, and is shocked to find the men so unwilling to vote. Another more symbolic example is his attempt to lift the control panel, a feat which he will clearly be unable to achieve; but he makes the point that he tried, which is more than any of the other men would think to do. This shows one of the important personality traits of McMurphy and that's stubbourness. Another of his character traits is his wild temper. At Various times it aids him in his battle with the "Big Nurse" for control of the mental ward. However, his temper eventually works against him.



Upon McMurphy's arrival in the ward he establishes himself as a con man and a gambler. One of his first bets with the other patients is to see if, within a week, he can put "a bee in [Nurse Ratched's] butt, a burr in her bloomers. Get her goat. Bug her till she comes apart at those neat little seams". McMurphy makes this bet after he learns about the Disturbed Ward where "assaultive" and "potential assaultives" are sent, and also about the "shock shop" where Electro-Shock Therapy is administered to unruly patients. Since McMurphy is "not in the habit of losing", he wants to be certain that he can get away with harassing the Big Nurse without receiving any of these punishments. He is told by a fellow patient, "as long as you don't lose your temper and give her actual reason to request the restriction of the Disturbed Ward, or the therapeutic benefits of electro-shock you are safe. But that entails first and foremost keeping one's temper. And you? With your red hair and black record? Why delude yourself".This shows that McMurphy is already perceived as a man with a temper after only one day on the ward.



McMurphy displays this temper throughout the novel, but one incident finally gets him into trouble. During an argument with one of the black aides to the Big Nurse, a punch is thrown and a fight breaks out. This is what the Big Nurse has been waiting for; an excuse to send McMurphy to the Disturbed Ward. Upon his arrival here, he is administered with Electro-shock therapy as punishment. The Big Nurse is able to get the upper hand in her battle against McMurphy when he allows his temper to take over. When McMurphy is committed to the Disturbed Ward, he has the opportunity to return to his old ward as long as he admits to being wrong. This would give the Big Nurse the final victory, but McMurphy is too stubborn to allow that to happen. As a result, he receives numerous Electro-Shock Therapy treatments. Each time he comes to, the Big Nurse offers him the chance to apologize and to admit that he was at fault, but he tells her "she could kiss his rosy red ass before he'd give up the goddam ship" If McMurphy admitted he was wrong, he could avoid the Electro-Shock Therapies. However, he is too stubborn to allow the Big Nurse to win the war so easily. This is quite admirable but at the same time he is killing himself for no real cause just to be proved right.



Throughout the novel, another rebellious characteristic is examined, through McMurphy's free spirit. He wishes to live his life on his own terms, not that of the social norm, and he spreads this mentality to the others. He "serves as an energy source and inspiration to...his fellows. They become less lethargic...but mainly, they become able and willing to struggle for life" (Hicks, Criticism). This is one reason why the others look up to him so much. He helps them regain some control over their lives during his stay on the ward. McMurphy does this by teaching them how to laugh again, saying that "you have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep yourself in balance, just to keep the world from running you plumb crazy". McMurphy also radiates his rebellious nature to the others by standing up against all the ward policies that he disagrees with. He does not wish for his life to be dictated to him by rules and restrictions, which is why he challenges the Big Nurses authority.



At the end of the novel, McMurphy attacks the Big Nurse, and consequently receives a lobotomy. Although his mind is taken away, his body still struggles to stay alive. Knowing that McMurphy would not want to live his life in that state, Chief decides to kill him. This task is more difficult than he anticipates, because "the big, hard body had a tough grip on life. It fought a long time against having it taken away. This shows that McMurphy's free spirit and stubbornness is so strong and deeply anchored, that even though his mind is gone, his body continues the fight to stay alive. We have seen his stubourness most markedly before, in his attempt at moving the control panel. This control panel is a representation of the 'Combine', which Chief believes mechanically controls the patients of the ward via the devices which he momentarily sees inside the tranquilliser pills which they are given. Whilst it is true that his hallucinations are mere hallucinations, they are in fact representative of what is happening on the ward; even though the men are not being controlled by electronic devices, they may as well be because they have been deprived of the ability to think for themselves to such an extent.



Kesey noticed that the system worked by disallowing freedom of any kind; freedom of movement, freedom of speech, and even freedom of thought. Fred Madden wrote: 'For Kesey, any sort of conformity means a loss of individual sanity.' this view forms the basis of my essay. This idea is very much illustrated in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" but particularly through McMurphy. However in McMurphys' case he is eventually caught by authority and his rebelliousness it destroyed. In so much as due to his lack of conformity he eventually loses sanity. As we have seen McMurphy is a very obvious rebel, continually kicking against authority. However we can also look at it in a slightly different light: That he is no true rebel but simple mentally insane. After all, we do not know if he really deserves to be placed on this ward or not. It does appear at first that he has been wrongly admitted however we have very little background knowledge of McMurphy and he could in fact have a severe mental disorder which makes him act in the way he does. This would not make him a rebel whatsoever since he is not conscious of his actions. This is rather debatable. I feel that McMurphy becomes more and more neurotic, the more time he spends in the clinic. Shows that it is this that is making him insane as he ends up towards the end of the novel and he did not start off in this state, needing treatment.



Another aspect of McMurphys' character that might be looked upon as not being that of a rebel is that he is not completely anti-conformist: when he realises that nurse Ratched can decide whether he should be relocated or kept institutionalised he falters in his striving for non-conformity and personal identity. This causes Cheswick, who was beginning to learn to become less dehumanised, to lose hope and commit suicide. McMurphys' increasing despair can clearly be seen when, given the chance to escape, he 'accidentally' oversleeps after the party. Having been in the institution for a length of time, he too has become dehumanised. The theme which all modern works, where characters display some kind of nervous ailment, share is that the character's afflictions are not perceived as being entirely their own fault but to a certain extent caused by events in their lives or the society around them. Hence we can see this novel as a warning: when society thinks it is helping it can often be causing people to become rebellious and hateful of the system.



However hard it is to perceive the inner sentiments of a character through another's eyes, I do feel that McMurphy is mentally sane and is driven by his hatred for authority. His aim throughout the novel is to help rescue at least one of the men from their soporific conformity. By the end of the novel he has managed to release many of the patients back to their normal senses. Hence his actions have not been in vane even after loosing his life. This, along with all the other aspects of his character make a strong case for him to be held as the archetypal rebel. McMurphy's self-sacrifice on behalf of his ward-mates echoes Christ's sacrifice of himself on the cross to redeem humankind. McMurphy's actions frequently parallel Christ's actions in the Gospels. McMurphy undergoes a kind of baptism upon entering the ward, and he slowly gathers disciples around him as he increases his rebellion against Ratched. When he takes the group of patients fishing, he is like Christ leading his twelve disciples to the sea to test their faith. Finally, McMurphy's ultimate sacrifice, his attack on Ratched, combined with the symbolism of the cross-shaped electroshock table and McMurphy's request for "a crown of thorns," cements the image of the Christ-like martyrdom that McMurphy has achieved by sacrificing his freedom and sanity. The 'glitches' in his character, his slight acts of conformity, show that he is still human and still in touch with his senses. If these did not exist we could full rightly say that he is clinically insane and hence would only be able to state that his condition gives him rebellious tendencies and not class him as the archetypal rebel.

Hope this helps. ;D

[loribeany]

First draft introduction

'When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.'

The concept of sacrifice in literature has always been a theme which has sparked interest 'from the primary comprehension of a sacrifice as a higher crucial force to the romantic attempt to attribute to the sacrifice the meaning of a heroic act.' The topic of self sacrifice has been skilfully developed throughout the three novels, 'A Tale of Two Cities', 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' and 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.'
'A Tale of Two Cities', a novel by Charles Dickens, focusses largely on the interlinking relationship of sacrifice and redemption. His protagonist, Sydney Carton, views his life as worthless as he feels he has missed out on the good in life. This therefore leads many to believe that when his one and only reason for existence is threatened, self sacrifice is the only inevitable conclusion. It can be said that 'Carton becomes a Christ-like figure, a selfless martyr whose death enables the happiness of his beloved and ensures his own immortality.'
In contrast, Baroness Orczy's work 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' sees a romanticised version of self sacrifice in which the protagonist, Sir Percy Blakeney, under his assumed role of The Scarlet Pimpernel faces the threat of his own death in order to rescue the innocent French aristocrasts from their fate at the guillotine.
Lastly, 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest', written by Ken Kesey also heavily portrays the theme of self sacrifice through the protagonist RP McMurphy who volunteers to be admitted to the psychiatric hospital in order to avoid the prison work camp. Much like Carton, McMurphy holds the role as a Christ-like figure, helping the patients from the moment he arrives. His ultimate sacrifice inspires many of the oppressed patients to regain their confidence and live their own lives.

I think I need a couple of lines at the end just to sum it up, but that's it so far

[mcf]

'When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.'Excellent quotation.

The concept of sacrifice in literature has always been a theme which has sparkedword choice. interest 'from the primary comprehension of a sacrifice as a higher crucial force to the romantic attempt to attribute to the sacrifice the meaning of a heroic act.'You need to flesh out the idea of sacrifice in general a little more - also remember to reference your quotation at the start and make greater reference to it. The topicit was a topic and now it is a theme. of self sacrifice has been skilfully developed throughout the three novels, 'A Tale of Two Cities', 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' and 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.'
'A Tale of Two Cities', a novel by Charles Dickens, focusses largely on the interlinking relationship of sacrifice and redemption. His protagonist, Sydney Carton, views his life as worthless as he feels he has missed out on the good in life. This therefore leads many to believe that when his one and only reason for existence is threatened, self sacrifice is the only inevitable conclusion. It can be said that 'Carton becomes a Christ-like figure, a selfless martyr whose death enables the happiness of his beloved and ensures his own immortality.'
In contrast, Baroness Orczy's work 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' sees a romanticised version of self sacrifice in which the protagonist, Sir Percy Blakeney, under his assumed role of The Scarlet Pimpernel faces the threat of his own death in order to rescue the innocent French aristocrasts from their fate at the guillotine.
Lastly, 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest', written by Ken Kesey also heavily portrays the theme of self sacrifice through the protagonist RP McMurphy who volunteers to be admitted to the psychiatric hospital in order to avoid the prison work camp. Much like Carton, McMurphy holds the role as a Christ-like figure, helping the patients from the moment he arrives. His ultimate sacrifice inspires many of the oppressed patients to regain their confidence and live their own lives.This is excellent - stylish langaueg and well written summarises of the three texts but with the focus being the question. You just need to finish by returning to the key ideas that link the texts and a clear reference to your question.

Hope this helps. ;D

[loribeany]

Chapter one ;D

The use of setting in a novel can effectively introduce new themes and on a deeper level, say more about the wider world in general. It is through setting that authors can explore how surroundings can impact upon civilisation.

Dickens’ use of setting skilfully portrays the declining state of society throughout ‘A Tale Of Two Cities.’ The socially unsettled hubs of civilisation, London and Paris, are shown as homes to compassionless beings who care only about themselves. The choice of large cities for the setting reflects the cold, impersonal nature of society at times and also the loneliness people can feel even in the busiest of places.

‘In England, there was scarcely an amount of order and protection to justify much national boasting.’

Although England could technically be described as the ‘safe haven’ of the novel as it is not in the throes of revolution, it is still far from being a utopia. Dickens highlights the corruption by introducing one of the major sites we are shown in London, the court room. At the trial of Charles Darnay, a man who was mistakenly arrested, a whole crowd of drunks and delinquents gather to see the condemned man sentenced to death, as if the courtroom proceedings were a spectator sport. As this scene demonstrates, there is not much difference in the way people from London conduct themselves compared to their Parisian counterparts.

‘France, less favoured on the whole as to matters spiritual than her sister of the shield and trident, rolled with exceeding smoothness downhill.’

Dickens craftily uses the French Tribunals to mirror that of the court in London, however, the trials in France are shown to be much worse. Hundreds of, largely innocent, French aristocrats are brought to trial and sentenced to death every day as revenge for their wealth and status. Dickens makes clear that the jurors are often drunk and occasionally do not even pay attention to the proceedings even though other peoples’ lives are in their hands. The lack of authoritative support combined with the bloodthirsty nature of the ‘audience’ at the trials convey the deteriorating state of society.

In blending the two cities and their problems together and largely focussing on a small number of protagonists and their lives, Dickens conveys the personal and emotional aspect of the French Revolution whilst showing that even in times of the hardest adversity, society can be cruel.



In contrast, Orczy’s depiction of England in ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ is that of a welcoming haven for the escaped French aristocrats.

‘‘Welcome! Welcome to Old England!’ Said Lord Antony, effusively, as he came eagerly forward with both hands outstretched towards the newcomers.’

The use of Mr Jellyband’s pub, ‘The Fisherman’s Rest’, reflects the friendly nature of England Orczy is portraying. ‘The Fisherman’s Rest’ is said to be constantly filled with laughter and a friendly atmosphere. Although it is a small place, it is warm and welcoming towards the French aristocrats and the people are shown to be less prejudiced than that of French.

France is shown as a completely different entity to England. Orczy plunges the reader into the throes of the French Revolution, the setting clearly showing the diminishing state of society. The reader is first introduced to France and its people as

‘A surging, seething crowd of beings that are human only in name, for to the eye and ear they seem naught but savage creatures, animated by vile passions and by the lust of vengeance and of hate.’

This crowd gathers at the West Barricade in Paris to watch as aristocrats are slaughtered at the guillotine, condemned as ‘traitors’ to France. The French lower classes are shown to turn the escape attempts of the aristocrats into a spectator sport. They gather at the gates of the city to watch the daily attempts to evade Sergeant Bibo, who in the past had great success in preventing aristocrats from escaping, highlighting the bloodthirsty nature of the masses portrayed by Orczy, whose sympathies clearly lie with the aristocrats.


Throughout ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ the setting of the psychiatric is used as a metaphor for the oppression Kesey sees in modern society. The hospital represents physical and metaphorical emasculation - it is not about curing people, it is about the manipulation of the weak until they are forced to conform. The hospital is depicted as a viewing platform for visitors. The true cold nature of the hospital is hidden to the outsiders and a warm façade is adopted, showing how helpless the patients really are as no one truly knows what is going on.

‘‘What a cheery atmosphere, don’t you agree?’ He’ll bustle around the school teachers, who are bunched together for safety, clapping his hands together.’

The reality of the inner workings of the hospital under Nurse Ratched’s rule is completely different to what is portrayed to outsiders. The patients live in constant fear of the mental and physical abuse distributed by Nurse Ratched and her aides, who were chosen for their compassionless personalities.

‘But when you shave before breakfast like she has me do some mornings - six thirty in the morning in a room all white walls and white basins and long tube lights in the ceiling making sure there aren’t any shadows, and faces all round you trapped screaming behind mirrors.’

The hospital represents society at large and its views towards minority groups. Kesey effectively portrays the emotional turmoil and the feeling of helplessness faced by many in our modern society which he believes attempts to break down those who are already suffering. The setting is also largely the source of Nurse Ratched’s power. Her ability to keep the ‘outside world’ away from her ward enables her to use the close quarters of the ward to keep her patients downtrodden and to almost pit them against each other, rewarding them for telling the secrets of other patients, further strengthening her rule.

The hospital is a small world of regulations, routine and discipline under the unrelenting rule of a dictator figure. On a deeper level, the use of a psychiatric hospital for the setting depicts Kesey’s ideas on a modern society.

Overall, it is clear that the use of setting in a novel can add another dimension and skilfully portray wider ideas of the world and how the consideration of time and place can impact upon a novel’s characters and civilisation as a whole.
Dickens’ use of setting shows the darker side of society in a time of great adversity.
Orczy presents England as a beacon of hope in dark times, however also highlights the deteriorating state of society not all that far away in Paris.
Kesey reflects his views on society at large by setting the novel in a psychiatric hospital run by a dictator figure preaching oppression to the already downtrodden patients.

[mcf]

Hi Lauren,

Will look at this tomorrow.

Hope this helps. ;D

[loribeany]

Chapter two bwah ;D

Society’s destructive nature and freedom are shown as incredibly important factors in each of the three novels. Each novel consists of characters yearning for freedom from oppression, however, due to the destructive force of society, this is not always possible.

In ‘A Tale Of Two Cities,’ the clear class distinctions mean society is heavily segregated - the lower class condemned to the dirty, disease ridden streets whilst the rich are richer than ever, caring only about themselves. The selfish nature of the rich is shown particularly clearly in the instance where the Marquis Evremonde runs over and kills a poor boy, showing no respect.
The ostentatious quality of the rich is clearly highlighted in the way they conduct themselves. During the Revolution the rich were richer than ever and Dickens skilfully portrays the way they exploit this wealth.

‘Yes. It took four men, all four ablaze with gorgeous decoration, and the chief of them unable to exist with fewer than two gold watches in his pocket, emulative of the noble and chaste fashion set by Monseigneur, to conduct the happy chocolate to Monseigneur’s lips.’

Whilst the rich are expressing their wealth, on the other side of the spectrum, the poor cannot even afford the basics.

‘The women were a sight to chill the boldest. From such household occupations as their bare poverty yielded, from their children from their aged and their sick crouching, on the bare ground, famished and naked.’

Sydney Carton is shown to be a character desperately seeking freedom from his mundane existence where he feels he is a credit to no one. His love for Lucie Manette gives him temporary freedom as his love for her gives him faith that his life is worth living. However, he soon realises that she will never love him the way he loves her. Instead, he decides to devote his life to making her happy, even if this means making the ultimate sacrifice, proving he has grown as a character and has gained his own personal freedom.
The French aristocrats are seeking refuge from death as the guillotine, however the depicted bloodthirsty nature of society and the lack of a sense of community forbids them to escape as no one will risk their own safety to help them, thus showing a great contrast to ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel.’


In ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel,’ the French are portrayed as people who are desperate for retribution at any cost, resulting in rebellion and revolution as the lower class seek to wipe out the entire upper class, sending them all to the guillotine.

‘And daily, hourly, the hideous instrument of torture claimed its many victims - old men, young women, tiny children, even until the day it would demand the head of a King and a beautiful young Queen.’

However, in England, the people are determined to help the French escape the uprising and social turmoil of the Revolution. In contrast to ‘A Tale Of Two Cities,’ the Scarlet Pimpernel and his followers are devoted to doing the right thing, risking their own lives to help the innocent French aristocrats escape to freedom and a safe haven in the form of England.

‘And this band of young Englishmen had, to her own knowledge, bearded the implacable and bloodthirsty tribunal of the Revolution, within the very walls of Paris itself, and had snatched away condemned victims, almost from the very foot of the guillotine.’

As a result of their bravery, the Pimpernel and his followers are held in high regard by the aristocracy.


In ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,’ the hospital represents all that is evil in society and the clinical oppression often faced by minority groups. Kesey sees society as a matriarchal dictatorship where the repression of natural desires leads people to lash out. By means of clinical oppression, society destroys the natural impulses of others. The hospital represents society at large and its views towards minorities. Kesey sees society as a destructive force, forcing people to conform to what is viewed as ‘normal’.

‘Yes. This is what I know. The ward is a factory for the combine. It’s for fixing up mistakes made in the neighbours and in the schools and in the churches, the hospital is. When a completed product goes back into society, all fixed up, good as new, better than new sometimes, it brings joy to the Big Nurse’s heart.’

The expression of freedom is seen as a key component to sanity. Kesey explores how the repression of this freedom and human desire destroys natural impulses. Kesey largely focuses on the patients’ inability to laugh. The patients seem shocked to hear McMurphy laughing as they are not used to any expression of freedom, which McMurphy quickly picks up on.

‘But the rest are even scared to open up and laugh. You know, that’s the first thing that got me about this place, that there wasn’t anybody laughing. I haven’t heard a real laugh since I came through that door, do you know that? Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing.’

The patients of the psychiatric hospital are shown to seek freedom from Nurse Ratched’s rule, however, exposure to her oppression for such a long time left them weak, downtrodden and unable to stand up for themselves. McMurphy provides the perfect foil for Nurse Ratched’s bitter personality. He inspires the patients to want freedom, as shown in his attempt to smash the window to escape. Although everyone, including McMurphy, knows he cannot break it, he still tries, showing the patients that they will not get anywhere unless they try.

Overall, each author clearly depicts the view that society is largely a destructive force, destroying the freedom and natural impulses of many. Each protagonist is seen to value freedom and seek it, particularly in times of adversity.
Sydney Carton in ‘A Tale Of Two Cities’ is shown to seek freedom from his life as he feels there is nothing worth living for.
The French aristocrats in ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ seek freedom in the form of England from certain death at the guillotine.
RP McMurphy inspires the psychiatric ward patients to seek freedom from oppression throughout ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.’

[mcf]

Hi Lauren,

You are a star. Will prob be tomorrow before I get round to marking.

Hope this helps. ;D

[mcf]

The useis the word use the most accurate for what you are saying. of setting in a novel can effectively introduce new themesnew themes seems rather vague and non-specific. and on a deeper level, say morewhat do you mean? Is it to do with social commentaries etc? about the wider world in generalavoid finishing with 'general'. It is through setting that authors can explore how surroundings can impact upon civilisation. Do you have any secondary reading to support such claims?

Dickens’ use of setting skilfully portrays the declining state of society throughout ‘A Tale Of Two Cities.’Reference to the period in History and the historicsl context is always vital here when creating an impression of a particular place. The socially unsettled hubs of civilisation, London and Paris, are shown as homes to compassionless beings who care only about themselves. ;D The choice of large cities for the setting reflects the cold, impersonal nature of society at times and also the loneliness people can feel even in the busiest of places.Why is this? and refer this back to your question.

‘In England, there was scarcely an amount of order and protection to justify much national boasting.’

Although England could technicallywatch expression here. be described as the ‘safe haven’ of the novel as it is not in the throes of revolution, it is still far from being a utopia. Dickens highlights the corruption[bexpression the corruption doesn't sound correct.][/b] by introducing one of the major sites we are shown in London, the court room. At the trial of Charles Darnay, a man who was mistakenly arrested, a whole crowd of drunks and delinquents gather to see the condemned man sentenced to death, as if the courtroom proceedings were a spectator sport.this needs to be developed - the idea of other people's suffering as 'sport' and the idea of schadenfruede - taken pleasure in other peoples suffering and again the insular nature of the individual and a clear lack of passion - despite there being a miscarriage of justice - nobody is prepared to scarifice themselves for the greater good. As this scene demonstrates, there is not much difference in the way people from London conduct themselves compared to their Parisian counterparts. what are you introducing now?

‘France, less favoured on the whole as to matters spiritual than her sister of the shield and trident, rolled with exceeding smoothness downhill.’

Dickens craftilypoor word choice uses the French Tribunals to mirror that of the court room in London, however, the trials in France are shown to be much worse.work on ex[pression 'much worse' lacks sophistication Hundreds of, largely innocent, French aristocrats are brought to trial and sentenced to death every day as revenge for their wealth and status. Dickens makes clear that the jurors are often drunk and occasionally do not even pay attention to the proceedings even though other peoples’ lives are in their hands. The lack of authoritative support combined with the bloodthirsty nature of the ‘audience’ at the trials convey the deteriorating state of society.bring this back to the question

In blending the two cities and their problems together and largely focussing on a small number of protagonists and their lives, Dickens conveys the personal and emotional aspect of the French Revolution whilst showing that even in times of the hardest adversity, society can be cruel. what do you mean by cruel and what do you believe to be at the root of this selfish nature?



In contrast, Orczy’s depiction of England in ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ is that of a welcoming haven for the escaped French aristocrats.how?

‘‘Welcome! Welcome to Old England!’ Said Lord Antony, effusively, as he came eagerly forward with both hands outstretched towards the newcomers.’

The use of Mr Jellyband’s pub, ‘The Fisherman’s Rest’, reflects the friendly nature of England Orczy is portraying. ;D ‘The Fisherman’s Rest’ is said to be constantly filled with laughter and a friendly atmospherequotation - remember you don't have to layout all quotations like a PEE structure as you can insert them into the text - remember also that you need to footnote your quotations - see model dissertations.. Although it is a small place, it is warm and welcoming towards the French aristocrats and the people are shown to be less prejudiced than that of French.what about the title of the pub and what is its role in relation to the quotation and how nit is used.

France is shown as a completely different entity to England. Orczy plunges the reader into the throes of the French Revolution, the setting clearly showingrpt the diminishing state of society. The reader is first introduced to France and its people as

‘A surging, seething crowd of beings that are human only in name, for to the eye and ear they seem naught but savage creatures, animated by vile passions and by the lust of vengeance and of hate.’

This crowd gathers at the West Barricade in Paris to watch as aristocrats are slaughtered at the guillotine, condemned as ‘traitors’ to France. ;D The French lower classes are shown to turn the escape attempts of the aristocrats into a spectator sport. They gather at the gates of the city to watch the daily attempts to evade Sergeant Bibo, who in the past had great success in preventing aristocrats from escaping, highlighting the bloodthirsty nature of the masses portrayed by Orczy, whose sympathies clearly lie with the aristocrats.any other descriptions of Paris itself?


ensure that your langaueg signposts the movement to another text.Throughout ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ the setting of the psychiatric is used as a metaphor for the oppression Kesey sees in modern society ;D. The hospital represents physical and metaphorical emasculation - it is not about curing people, it is about the manipulation of the weak until they are forced to conform. ;D The hospital is depicted as a viewing platform for visitors. The true cold nature of the hospital is hidden to the outsiders and a warm façade is adopted, showing how helpless the patients really are as no one truly knows what is going on. ;D

‘‘What a cheery atmosphere, don’t you agree?’ He’ll bustle around the school teachers, who are bunched together for safety, clapping his hands together.’ ;D

The reality of the inner workings of the hospital under Nurse Ratched’s rule is completely different to what is portrayed to outsiders. The patients live in constant fear of the mental and physical abuse distributed by Nurse Ratched and her aides, who were chosen for their compassionless personalities. ;D

‘But when you shave before breakfast like she has me do some mornings - six thirty in the morning in a room all white walls and white basins and long tube lights in the ceiling making sure there aren’t any shadows, and faces all round you trapped screaming behind mirrors.’

The hospital represents society at large and its views towards minority groups. Kesey effectively portrays the emotional turmoil and the feeling of helplessness faced by many in our modern society which he believes attempts to break down those who are already suffering. ;Dmake some reference to the quotation - use of white?The setting is also largely the source of Nurse Ratched’s power. Her ability to keep the ‘outside world’ away from her ward enables her to use the close quarters of the ward to keep her patients downtrodden and to almost pit them against each other, rewarding them for telling the secrets of other patients, further strengthening her rule. ;D

The hospital is a small world of regulations, routine and discipline under the unrelenting rule of a dictator figure. On a deeper level, the use of a psychiatric hospital for the setting depicts Kesey’s ideas on a modern society. ;D

Overall, it is clear that the use of setting in a novel can add another dimension and skilfully portray wider ideas of the world and how the consideration of time and place can impact upon a novel’s characters and civilisation as a wholedevelop what you mean by this..
Dickens’ use of setting shows the darker side of society in a time of great adversityneeds to be more than one sentence for this,.
Orczy presents England as a beacon of hope in dark times, however also highlights the deteriorating state of society not all that far away in Paris.
Kesey reflects his views on society at large by setting the novel in a psychiatric hospital run by a dictator figure preaching oppression to the already downtrodden patients. ;D

Hope this helps. ;D