Reaction Paper Persuasion- Alfie Tutt

During the nineteenth century in England social divisions were more common than they had ever been since the abolishment of the feudal system in the mid 1600’s. Jane Austen in her book Persuasion shows these social differences between the different classes. Furthermore, the class someone is placed in is, in many circumstances, down to their wealth. In Persuasion, the characters Mary, Mr. Wentworth and Sir Walter show these social divisions to be true when approached with certain situations.

The importance of wealth and a noble title are at the forefront of importance in Persuasion. Mary, who is married to Charles Musgrove, constantly rejects lower class people into her social sphere. For example, while on a walk through the forest with her husband and sisters, Charles Hayter and Henrietta both want to visit the Hayter house, but Mary is shown to be shocked at the statement expressing her disbelief in their need to go near the house of such a poor family, as it would not look good for her or her families image to be associated with people who are in a different socio-economic class to her. After refusing to go to the house, and apologizing for bringing them close to the Hayter’s house, she quickly talks to Captain Wentworth, trying to show she has no affiliation with a family of lower status. She promptly assures Captain Wentworth that “It is very unpleasant, having such connexions! But I do assure you, I have never been in the house above twice in my life” (Austen 63). Mary demonstrates how people of any type of nobility quickly shun the idea of interaction with anyone of a lower standing than them, even if her sister was to marry into the Hayter’s family.

Mr. Wentworth also provides an understanding of how Jane Austen displays the change occurring in England with a shift to the importance of wealth and title. When Mr. Wentworth and Anne were first in love seven years before they meet in the book, the narrator describes them being deeply in love while still young, and quickly they moved to marry each other. However because Mr. Wentworth held no title and had little money to offer Anne, Lady Russell and Sir Walter strictly advised Anne against the move, as a woman of her nobility should marry better than a poor man. Anne, therefore, refused Mr. Wentworth. However by the time she met him seven years later he had not only gained the title of Captain, due to his naval triumph, but also moreover gained serious wealth. Due to Captain Wentworth’s new fortune, Sir Walter saw that “ his personal claim and…superiority of appearance might not be unfairly balanced against her superiority of rank…assisted by his well-sounding name enabled Sir Walter at last to prepare his pen” (Austen 185). While skeptical seven years ago, chapter twenty-four shows Sir Walter’s newfound admiration for Captain Wentworth due to his sizeable wealth, making him a worthy partner for Anne.

Sir Walter Elliot is another character that also embodies the change in English society. At the start of the book it is prevalent that “Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot’s character; vanity of person and of situation…he considered the blessing of beauty as inferior only to the blessing of a baronetcy” (Austen 2). Even though Sir Walter’s title was not as noble as he perceived it to be, he constantly shunned people of the lower class. When he decided to lease his house he was in sharp disapproval of a naval officer staying in his home and took much persuading by Lady Russell to agree to give Mr. Croft a meeting. After the meeting he swiftly decided Mr. Croft was good enough. Later in the book Sir Walter also furthers the difference in social class but at the other end of the spectrum. While in Bath, Sir Walter is offered the opportunity to go to visit his relative, Lady Dalyrmple’s house. Previously relations between the two families had been bad with no contact for many years. However, Lady Dalyrmple is now one of the wealthiest people in Bath, and so Sir Walter abandons all his family pride, and does whatever he can to please Lady Dalyrmple. Sir Walter’s actions not only reflect the difference of social class, but more importantly that even someone of Sir Walter’s high family principles will throw them all away in order to be friends with someone above his standing. Anne is disgusted with his actions and sees it as weak.

In conclusion, the difference between social classes, now dependent on wealth and title was strongly prevalent in Jane Austen’s Persuasion. The characters Mary, Captain Wentworth, and Sir Walter all show the change in English society through various situations.

Work Cited

Austen, Jane. Persuasion. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 1997. Print.

Reaction Paper-Alfie Tutt

Reaction Paper

Gretchen Schulz and R.J.R. Rockwood in their article Fairyland without a map, discuss in detail how Connie’s perception of the world around her has effected her actions. Moreover the article shows how the author uses fairytale stories as motifs to be followed by Connie in the story. After re-reading the story again, the apparent connection between Connie’s perception on the characters, and the motifs impacting the direction of the story, are both easily identifiable.

Arnold Friend plays a vital role because we view him as Connie’s inner world does, Connie determines how “Arnold is, or has to be, at least in her eyes…effectively rearrange and remodel the world of objective reality”(Schulz, Rockwood 114).  Furthermore the authors point out that the book is heavily based on “psychological realism” essentially meaning more emphasis is added to the characterization of a character and their internal responses to circumstances. Connie in the book is the perfect example of how psychological realism is used, the use of psychological realism makes it seem that Friend’s qualities are presented subjectively instead of objective with facts. It is important to point out that Connie embodies the average teenager at this time, as she is fascinated and frightened at the same time which trap her in a traumatic situation in which she does not know what to do, Connie "couldn't decide if she liked him or if he was just a jerk, and so she dawdled in the doorway and wouldn't come down or go back inside”(Oates 4). Later in the article it is pointed out that because of Motifs and symbolism used in the book, Arnold Friend is a character that Connie could not resist being interested in because he embodies the type of music she loves. The article later shows how Connie’s view of Arnold Friend results in her coming out of the womb as “the women in Connie wants to be born” (Schulz, Rockwood 127), creating the connection to Little Red Riding Hood with Arnold Friend being the woodcutter forcing her out her comfort zone.

Connie’s indecisiveness directly connects to her inability to understand whether she belongs in society, constantly stuck between “home and anywhere that was not home…at the boundary between childhood and adulthood, hesitant and yet anxious”. Later in their article, Schulz and Rockwood examine the behavior of Connie as stuck in the difficult transition away from childhood and therefore needing help from others to turn towards maturity and personal identity. Connie’s perception of the world is moreover altered due to the author’s personal style. Oates throughout her life used vivid imagery and symbolism in order to explain stories and further the plot similar to myths or folk tales. The symbolism was shown in other such books as The Assassins, but is even more prevalent in relation to Connie. Oates book uses “Motifs from such tales as "The Spirit in the bottle…Cinderella…and The Three Little Pigs”(Schulz, Rockwood 116). The article points out that Connie’s actions shows that children can compensate creating a happier ending to the situation. One book, The Spirit in the Bottle, is used as a motif because the bottle “is the drive-in restaurant where the tee-agers hangout…the boy on the bottle cap reminds us of the boy named Eddie” (Schulz, Rockwood 118).  Schulz and Rockwood show that the use of The Spirit in the Bottle… creates the mistake of Connie in inciting Arnold Friend’s interest in her. Similar to the fair tale “Connie has uncorked the bottle, but…she is not equipped to recognize…the laughing Arnold friend as the potentially destructive force which must be controlled” (Schulz, Rockwood 119)

However, as pointed out in the article Connie does not follow the trend but furthermore is symbolic for the whole generation, that has dramatically changed since previous ones. As mentioned “the only ‘stories’ Connie knows are those of the sexually provocative but superficial lyrics of the popular songs”(Schulz, Rockwood 116). The problem with these songs is that they present no model of behavior as previously mentioned stories, creating a false imagery of life. I found it interesting how the article briefly makes the connection of Connie’s generation comparative to stories such as the Burghers of Hamelin, as these stories are used as motifs for Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”.

In conclusion, the article “Fairyland Without a Map”, written by Gretchen Schulz and R.J.R. Rockwood, accurately makes a reference to the strong use of Connie’s inner world in reference to psychological realism. The article also makes a strong connection between fairytales and the story with the use of motifs, creating a meaning to the story.

Work cited:

Gretchen, Schulz, and R.J.R, Rockwood. In Fairyland, without a Map: Connie’s Exploration Inward in Joyce Carol Oates. Literature and Phycology 30, 198-. Print.

Oates, Joyce Carol, and Elaine Showalter. "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 1994. Print.

Present Shock reaction post- Alfie Tutt

Game of Thrones presents a perfect example of Rushkoff’s ideas, reflecting presentist cultural ethos. Game of Thrones reflects Rushkoff’s idea of Meta narrative, and furthermore the TV show does not have an identifiable end, but instead keeps threads going most likely to entertain the reader while abandoning traditional narrative structure. Games of Thrones is a perfect example of the presentist cultural ethos because it is set up closely to a fantasy role playing game, and reflects the present in some sense because it is taking a rather different spin on medieval times while not relating itself at all closely to the idea at hand. Game of Thrones is a perfect example of narrative collapse because there is no linear story, but instead reflects our need for multiple story lines and events.

Game of Thrones mainly reflects Rushkoff’s ideas of Meta narrative. Rushkoff defines Meta narrative as a show that “creates sustained tension-with little expectation of final resolution” (Rushkoff 34). Game of Thrones embodies this idea because of its ability to sustain tension while not providing a clear vision of a final resolution, the main purpose being in order to create agitation amongst viewers, and increase their attention towards the show. The last season of Game of Thrones executed this technic well because it ended on an unresolved conflict of Jon Snow’s death, and whether he would potentially show up later in the next series. Game of Thrones also embodies the style of Meta Narrative because it embodies a role playing game, from the opening scene all the way to the final credits because of its ability to create an arced storyline or narrative arc. Game of Thrones also uses Rushkoff’s idea of having no identifiable end, and therefore creating multiple sub stories or threads abandoning the linear path that most generic movies and television shows attempt to take. Rushkoff identifies that the “traditional linear story works by creating a character we can identify with, putting that character in danger, and then allowing him or her to discover a way out” (Rushkoff 19). On the contrary to the linear story, Game of Thrones takes on multiple perspectives from a variety of characters, with different issues. The multiple perspectives result in multiple plots and eliminate the use of one overarching story. It is worth noting that the book series that ties into Game of Thrones has not yet been completed, but regardless of this fact the storyline still seems to bring no exact end to the series.

Furthermore Game of Thrones can be used to present a strong twist on medieval and even mythological stories altering the traditional narrative and presenting a new version based on presentist culture. While not actually having stated the time period in congruent with the real worlds time period it is widely speculated that Game of Thrones is loosely based on medieval times and furthermore myth. Game of Thrones presents misguided views on life in medieval time, and also presents more of a presentist version of the War of Roses between rival families. One main presentist view which was been added to Game of Thrones even though already being around in medieval times, is the battle of the religions, which has become more relevant, with questions arising about radical religious groups. Game of Thrones takes in the presentist idea of radical religious groups such as the followers of the Lord of Light, the contest going on between multiple religions in Game of Thrones. Even though there were some religious conflicts around the medieval period, the idea of religious conflict has surged in the past couple of years especially, and is evident with the religious divides in Game of Thrones. Furthermore, Game of Thrones presents a presentist view of the world because of the opening title that is reminiscent of a fantasy role-playing game or board game, and adds a presentist touch to the show. In an interview with Wired, Rushkoff states that Game of Thrones embodies narrative collapse because “ it’s structured less like a TV show or a movie than a Soap Opera…these open ended narratives are much more consonant with the open-ended, fantasy role playing like sensibility of presentism”(Wired).  Game of Thrones embodies the new idea of an open ended TV show presenting an obvious presentist theme that was not common in previous years and may have been looked down upon.

In conclusion Game of Thrones, even though mentioned briefly in Present Shock, embodies the themes set forth by Rushkoff much more than mentioned, and further expands on many of Rushkoff’s ideas through different means.

Work cited:

Rushkoff, Douglass. Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now. New York: Penguin, 2013. Print.

"Living in the Present Is a Disorder." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.

Style used by Hemingway in A Moveable Feast- Alfie Tutt reaction post

In Hemingway’s book A Moveable Feast, He uses rhetorical devices and flash forwards to show that his writing style as informative and reflective on his life.

Hemingway talks as if he is retelling his life giving an informative feel to the book, while presenting the reader with an understanding of Hemingway’s subconscious feelings at the same time. For example, Hemingway flashes forward in the book while talking about his trip to the Alps, to when he lost his first wife Hadley, stating that he believed “Hadley, who had no possible blame, ever, came well out of it finally and married a much finer man than I ever was or could hope to be” (Hemingway 123). Hemingway uses the flash forward while talking about how his and Hadley’s relationship became careless after their time in the Alps, creating a connection between the reader’s viewpoint 50 years after the event had occurred.  Hemingway’s subsequent flash forwards are also to used to connect Hemingway’s feeling of where events were misleading or played a significant role in the remainder of his life. Hemingway also uses rhetoric devices such as polysyndetons as well as symbolism. Symbolism is used in the title of the book; the moveable feast Hemingway says was Paris, where most of Hemingway’s happier moments occurred. Hemingway uses an informative style to convey to the reader his experience with different writers such as Fitzgerald, giving the reader added information on the writers true personality to reveal problems within Fitzgerald’s life, and reasons for his death (mainly being associated with Fitzgerald’s wife). Hemingway also used a change to second person constantly throughout the book which added to the book by making the reader think and putting them in Hemingway’s position while getting the reader involved in the story.

We read Hemingway’s book because it demonstrates a different style of writing (especially since Hemingway is looking back on these events) that have to be taken into account when accurately analyzing a piece of writing. We also read A Moveable Feast because it displays one of the countries most renowned writers, Ernest Hemingway, and his recollection of his flamboyant life in Paris, which would appear to be one spark of brightness in an otherwise dull life. The text shifts between present and past, creating a problematic situation for the reader. The genre of Hemingway’s book has to be a fictional journal, because whilst Hemingway is retelling moments about his time in Paris, due to the time difference between living in Paris and writing the book, he could not have recalled such intricate details. These examples include the detailed description of the food he ate every day. Furthermore the book is fictional because it reads as more of a story, and is written very much in the form of a journal or diary.

Work Cited: 

Hemingway, Ernest, Seán A. Hemingway, and Patrick Hemingway. A Moveable Feast: The Restored Edition. New York, NY: Scribner, 2009. Print.

End of Education reaction paper- Alfie Tutt

End of Education reaction paper

Neil Postman, in his book End of Education sheds light on the multiple issues with public schools, especially since public schools lack a diverse curriculum, when in fact schools in the 21^st century are getting increasingly diverse. Neil Postman accurately explains the need for information about different cultures in public schools, as well as the importance of learning about religious issues and time periods previously looked down upon.

Modern public schools create a society, which is lacking in knowledge of the diversity within the community.  Neil Postman highlights the lack of diversity taught in schools when America itself is a very diverse country. In fact the most recent US census showed that by the year 2043 over half the population could be Hispanic. This seems bizarre that for such a diverse country the understanding of different cultures seems to be seriously lacking in our curriculum. Postman explains that in an average  “American classroom, the student population will embody several different traditions” (Postman 159). Postman further shows that while it may be uncomfortable for students to learn about different cultures, it has the ability to help students in the future when approaching people of different cultures. Also it helps students who choose to travel abroad as they will be able to learn the customs of that society. Unfortunately public schools do not offer any of what Postman is advocating for and therefor have aimed to create a society based on true American spirit and failed miserably by not showing and teaching what makes America great, which is not the great level a patriotism, but the mix of different ethnicities and cultures currently in the country. Instead the population has seen to be uneducated on other countries and customs of those countries.

Public schools also lack the teaching of religious subjects and leave vital information out of the curriculum, just because it is controversial. Therefor when a student goes out into the real world they lack vital knowledge about the past, meaning public schools are creating a culturally unaware society. Unless going to a religious schools, current public schools in the US lack the teaching of other religions, which plays huge importance with a lack of political awareness of the students. Because most of the time, students don’t get the whole picture but instead few one groups actions as a whole religions actions, when instead it is only a minor portion of that religion that agree with what has been done. An excellent example can come from straight after the 9/11 attacks when unaware students were all to quick to call all Muslims terrorists when that statement is anything but true. Public schools also try to go on the safe side of caution, meaning subjects such as Slavery or Eurocentric issues are not covered in class, when they really should be because they teach students about how people used to think, and give students an incite into the future as well. Neil Postman also accurately presents the need for information about different religions and time periods that were previously not taught in school. Postman stresses that even though the Eurocentric time period is sometimes looked down on for its suppression of certain groups of people, US students should still study the topic. Studying the topic is important because to go forward we must look back into our past, and learn from our past mistakes, and how they were made in order to move forward. Furthermore, students need to learn about different religions to improve their global understanding and be able to make a contribution to the world when they are older. Postman believes that the reasons for studying religions are that “ so much of our painting, music, architecture, literature and science are intertwined with religion”(152 Postman). Postman expresses how religion has resulted in dramatic changes in Human history, whether it is challenging religion such as Copernicus did when showing an alternative theory to the Church’s belief that everything revolves around the sun, or the early writings of Islamic scripts, as well as the development of mathematics in the Middle East. Postman also adds that another reason for emphasis on religious education is that all great religions are stories that tell us about different cultures and places, giving us a greater understanding of how the world came to be how it is today.

Public school’s currently create culturally unaware while leaving key details out of the curriculum. Postman, brings up vital points about areas of education in the United States that are severely lacking, creating what is a diverse America into one which can not see past its own American dream.

Work Cited:

Postman, Neil. The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School. New York: Vintage, 1996. Print.