1970. Choose a
character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay
in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in
which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and
responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.
In “Gentlemen and Players” by
Joanne Harris, the story revolves around St. Oswald’s, a private school for
boys. In this society males of wealth
with family backgrounds worth mentioning are held in esteem, the definition of
the privileged class. The distinction between
classes is perpetuated through the establishment of prestigious schools. Even though girls are present in the wealthy
families, it still is the males who take preference, even in 20th century
England. In the still present male dominated
society, females of lower wealth stand little chance for achievement.
The narrator, Julia, lives on
the campus with her father, a janitor at St. Oswald. Her father desires wealth and position in
society which he has no means to achieve, thus he turns to alcohol and is
abusive toward Julia. Chastising her for
not being more like himself, he wishes that Julia had been a boy. Looking
at her own life in contrast to the privileged boys, she wishes she could be a
part of that society. She sees the
opportunity they have compared to what little chance she has in life. However, once she trespasses into the society
posing as a boy she finds her presence unwelcome. Angered by the rejection and seemingly by the
forces preventing her from overcoming her status in life, she seeks
revenge.
In response to the hurt caused
by the people and society, Julia enters St. Oswald as a (female) teacher. She contrives a plan to ruin St. Oswald, a representative
of the societal standards. She sees the
school as a continuation of her pain as it prevented her from achieving her own
ambitions. Due to the school’s choice in
who can attend, Julia never is able to become a member of the elite class. Through a scandal and murders she tries achieving
her objective; however, she stops short once her plan is discovered, only to
resume it in later years.
To me, you seem to just scratch the surface of this question. Yes, begin to answer what the question is asking, but it seems very vague to me. Part A in the question you answer pretty well in the first paragraph, but when it comes to Part B the answer is harder to find. I had trouble distinguishing the difference between the summary of your plot and your response (paragraphs 2 and 3). When you talk about Julia entering the school as a boy and being a teacher, seems to be your answer for Part B. But I don't think that you have explained that in a clear enough way to answer Part B fully. It seems as more of a plot summary than HOW she responds to the society in which she lives.
ReplyDeleteYou're off to a great start with your first paragraph introducing the society and telling us that a major class distinction is public school vs. private school. I have read this book so I am already familiar with the plot but to someone who hasn't is going to need some clearer details. When describing Julia/Julian's situation you tell us that he is living on the campus because his father is the janitor at the private school but I would add the detail that Julian was bullied at the poor public school to emphasize your private vs. public school argument. Also, when you get to answer the second part of the prompt (how the character responds the society) I agree that anger and needing revenge is her response but I think you could've gone further and explain how her antics weren't just for revenge but were meant to take down the school (especially because the school represents the preference of the wealthy male). Maybe you would want to mention her wanting to strike at the "heart" of St. Oswald's.
ReplyDeleteIf I were you, I would spend a paragraph summarizing the novel and then examining it piece by piece to support your thesis. The way you do it gets your point across, but it seems more like your intending to summarize it and add some meaning as a secondary thought. Separating the analysis from the summary would allow you to focus more on supporting your thesis, and would let you get a lot deeper into the nitty-gritty.
ReplyDelete