stylistic commentary, Ejercicios de Literatura inglesa

¡Descarga stylistic commentary y más Ejercicios en PDF de Literatura inglesa solo en Docsity! Descargado en: patatabrava.com CRITICA PRACTICA A LA LITERATURA ANGLESA (UV) STYLISTIC COMMENTARY MODEL PROF. 13-14 erience and reflection will be felt by some of my readers. Animated by important object, 1 shall disdain to cull my phrases or polish my style; - 1 at being useful, and sincerity will render me unaffected; for, wishing rather ¡persuade by the force of my arguments, than dazzle by the elegance of my ge, I shall not waste my time in rounding periods, or in fabricating the id bombast of artificial feelings, which, coming from the head, never reach heart. I shall be employed about things, notwords! - and, anxious to render sex more respectable members of society, I shall try to avoid that lowery ion which has slided from essays into novels, and from novels into familiar and conversations. -se pretty superlatives, dropping glibly from the tongue, vitiate the taste, create a kind of sickly delicacy that turns away from simple unadorned ¡hi and a deluge of false sentiments and overstretched feelings, stiling the emotions of the heart, render the domestic pleasures insipid, that t to sweeten the exercise of those severe duties, which educate a rational immortal being for a nobler field of action. 1e education of women has, of late, been more attended to than formerly; they are still reckoned a frivolous sex, and ridiculed or pitied by the writers 10 endeavour by satire or instruction to improve them. It is acknowledged they spend many of the first years of their lives in acquiring a smattering accomplishments; meanwhile strength of body and mind are sacrificed to tine notions of beauty, to the desire of establishing themselves, - the only women can rise in the world, - by marriage. And this desire making mere ¡als of them, when they marty they act as such children may be expected 'act: - they dress; they paint, and nickname God's creatures: - Surely these beings are only fit for a seraglio'! - Can they be expected to govern a ily with judgement, or take care of the poor babes whom they bring into e world? ú 11 Practical criticism of prose (eighteenth-century) Practical criticism of prose (piece from 1792) Focus on and analyse the question A focusing exercise will bring to our attention the key instructions. (AQA (AEB) June 1998) Read the following passage carefully then write about your response to it. You should consider the following in your essay: + What the writer is saying about the position of women in society; + Howshe says it; and + Howeffective sheis in attracting and holding your attention. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft (1792) My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if 1 treat them like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces, and viewing them as if they were in astate of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone. I earnestly wish to point out in what true dignity and human happiness consists — I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire strength, both of mind and body, and 10, convince them that the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of senti? ment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithels weakness, and that those beings who are only the objects of pity and thal kind of love, which has been termed its sister, will soon become objects contempt. Dismissing then, those pretty feminine phrases, which the men condescend: ingly use to soften our slavish dependence, and despising that weak eleganY' of mind, exquisite sensibility, and sweet docility of manners, supposed t0 D£ the sexual characteristics of the weaker vessel, I wish to show that elegance $ inferior to virtue, that the first object of laudable ambition is to obtain a chal” acter as a human being, regardless of the distinction of sex; and that secondaW views should be brought to this simple touchstone. a This is a rough sketch of my plan; and should I express my conviction the energetic emotions that 1 feel whenever 1 think of the subject, the dicta! closely and think /s consider the title of any work; it has been attributed to the text for a good in and can be extremely helpful to us in our efforts to establish precisely a piece 'is about. The title points to the writer's wish to establish the merits ice of women's rights, so itis no surprise that even after only one reading of Sage, we can see that itis to do with the social situation of women at the of writing. is the time to answer the basic comprehension-type questions. Remember points to consider? t is happening? It is an appeal to other women of her time to become mg and to shake off society's view of them as weak and worthy of pity. whom is it happening? The focus is upon all the women of her time, iglio: harem  “dress... paint and nickname God's creatures' are surely fit only for a “ser Why, then, are they expected to 'govern a family with judgement or take car the poor babes whom they bring into the world? This rhetorical quest which she ends focuses sharply on the conflict between society trea women and its expectations of them. Look now at the sheet Language Annotations, Questions 2 and 3, Box 11.2 LANGUAGE ANNOTATIONS, QUESTIONS 2and 3 Read this passage carefully, then write about your response to it. You should consider: + what Mary Wollstonecraft is saying about the position of women in: society; Qe howshe saysit o ¡9 how effectively she engages your attention. O aan vocative. [Creatures instead of flattering their Jascinafing graces, and view- ing them as if they were in serpetual childhc e L (ea in what true dig d and human happiness consists [wish to persuade a 758 endeavour to acquire strength, both of mind and body, and toco) loan d «fince thenpthat the soft phrases, susceptibiliy of heart, delicacy > “onesd of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous y . with epithets of weakness, and that those beings who are only the objects of pity and that kind of love, which has been termed its sister, will soon become objects of contempt. (Dismissing Jhen, those pretty feminine phrases, which the men Ñ «condescendingly use to soften our slavish dependence, anddespis>, Gng)that weak elegancy of mind, exquisite sensibility, and sweet «docility of manners, supposed to be the sexual characteristics of 2 // Subject, the dictates of experience and reflection will Language. some ofany readers» Ánimated by this important obje [shall 4 a to cull my phrases or polish my style;—Talm at being use- y will render me unaffected; for wishing rather to o! Eo the ele self a 194 Mastering Practical Criticism. which, coming from the head, never reach the heart. — 1 shall be employed about things, not words! - and, anxious to render my 2: sex more respectable members of society shal)try to avoid that 7” Mowery diction which has slided from essays into novels, and fi ovels into familiar letters and conversation. onial Thesq pretty superlatives, e from thedongud, vitiate Y P theGasto, and create a kind ofísi that as away from oo bid — simple unadormed trutlx; and a deluge Sia — overstretched feelings, stiling the natural emotions of the heart, f assertive render the domestic pleasures insipid, that ought to áweetep the | tone. exercise of those severe duties, which educate a rational and 40 immortal being for a nobler field ofaction. ae Egg O balanced— she] “The education of women has, oflate, been more attended to than> E anal merty(fepthey are still reckoned a frivolous sex, and ridiculed or pitied by the writers who endeavour by satire or instruction to improve them. Itis acknowledged that they spend many of the first PL29105% years of their lives in acquiring a smattering of accomplishments; meanwhile strength of body and mind are Gacriiced o libenine ¿motive únotions of beauty, to the desire of establishing themselves, - the only — language way women can rise in the world, - by marriage. And this desire (2.9 making mere ánimal) of them, when they many they act as such ama rtaren may be expected to act they dress; they paint, and nick name Gods creatures: - Surely these weak beings are only ftfora q, 0.0, —— Geraglio”- Can they be expected to govern a family with judgement, + vhetorical. or take care of the poor babes whom they bringinto e and sarcastic Source: Marx WoLISIONECRAFT, A Vindication of the Rights/of Woman, 1792 oragureea Oguestion engages the reader How does it end? In the discussion below, emboldened words represent the key features of her conclusion. Where has the essay taken us? Through what territories of the writers mind have we travelled? Itis her viewpoint. Where does she stand at the end? Summarise concisely the ground that we have covered in the essay. What are we left with at the end? Response is about feelings, so focus on these too. The conclusion dealt with in the previous section suggests that the piece has moved steadily towards a strong and challenging climax. Wollstonecraft starts on a note of biting sarcasm, asking the forgiveness of her sex for treating them “like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces', and she is direct and forceful throughout the piece, perhaps to illustrate the fact that the women of her time are not allowed to be. Practical críticism of prose (eighteenth-century) 195  engage the attention of most readers. Her language is challenging — al “anxious to render [her] sex more respectable members of society) and it.cox argued that she is presenting opinion as fact when she refuses to 'view | as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood! This technique will attract readers attention, if only to criticise her lack of objectivity. She states e that she 'earnestly wishles] to point out' line 4) and 'to persuade women' (line denoting a certain self-consciousness. She is aware of her own writing a vehicle to express her ideas and persuade others, and this is in itself engaging, She is states openly that she is 'dismissing' (line 12) the devices used by men 1 manipulate women into a certain position in society and that she “wish/es] show (line 16) or prove her argument. We are aware ofa woman with a we are struck by her candour and we inevitably respond to this in some way. She shares with us her intentions: “This is a rough sketch of my plan' (line shall disdain to cull my phrases' line 23); 'L shall not waste my time (line and we feel as if we are her confidantes — we know how she is going to appro! the problem of vindicating the rights of women. Throughout the piece her language is provocative - she talks of 'fascinati graces, “pretty superlatives 'sickly delicacy' - and extreme with references tc “animals' and “a seraglio' in an effort to evoke a response in the reader. The tone is bold and unequivocal throughout, and within the first sentence w are made aware of Wollstonecrafts stance on the subject of women's rights. Now let us review how we approached our analysis: The first step was that of close reading and thinking. Then we focused on the conflict throughout the essay. The next step was to track this conflict and trace its development. We then thought about the end of the essay and the ground that we had covel Finally we considered our responses to the piece. We now have enough material for an essay on the text, a sample version of which follows. A jample essay - A Vindication of the Rights of Woman In this passage Mary Wollstonecraft presents an outline of her intentions for the work to follow. Her style is such that the reader is awakened and engaged by sarcasm in the opening line then given a clear synopsis of the writers ideas and desire to influence in the first paragraph before she becomes more passionately critical. As the piece develops, the language becomes stronger, more confrontational and even more persuasive, thereby reflecting the very process she urges women to undergo. This is a courageous piece — written not in the twenty-first century as one might assume from its outspokenness and its essential message, but in the eighteenth century. Bearing this in mind as we read makes the argumentative 198 Mastering Practical Críticism style ana coment even more vasta. rr and men to open their eyes and see the injustice of patriarchal perceptions of women and femininity. Men need to stop limiting and silencing women with heir expectations, and women need to stop complying. This is an incitement o rebellion and as such its underlying conflicts are plain to see and openly reflected in the language and structures Wollstonecraft uses. 0 “The opening words place her clearly in the conflict; this is her 'own sex' that is under attack and she is going to fight “the men' who are attacking. The lan- guage of conflict and determination peppers the first paragraph (and indeed the whole piece): 1 earnestly wish to point out... to persuade.... to convince, she states as she calls women to fight “the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment and refinement [which] are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness' by “acquirling] strength of both mind and body. She sees “rational creatures' where men see women 'in a state of perpetual child- hood, unable to stand alone. Her first action, therefore, is that of “dismissing those pretty feminine phrases' she sees as a weapon of control “which the men condescendingly use to soften our slavish dependence She employs the language of rational argu- ment traditionally connected with men: “wishing rather to persuade by the force of my arguments than dazzle by the elegance of my language" “Thus her “simple unadorned truth is juxtaposed with the “sickly delicacy' usu- ally expected to be 'dropping glibly from the tongue” of her fellow women. This is therefore an internal conflict for Wollstonecraft, as she fights against society's expectations as well as an external conflict between men and women. As has already been suggested, her language becomes stronger and more ser- ¡ous as the piece develops. From the unity suggested by “our slavish dependence" and the emotive and dramatic imagery of slavery employed here, Wollstonecraft moves on to a clear attack on the nature of women's expression and the fact that ithas a direct effect on their lives, their enjoyment and their usefulness or ability to fulfil their “natural role. Rather than simply being reflections of women's sta- tus, their prety feminine phrases' reinforce women's 'meekness' and are described in more vicious terms as 'sickly, false” and 'overstretched! As a result, they are actively 'stifling, so that “weak elegancy of mind, exquisite sensibility and sweet docility of manners” lines 14-15) in fact “render the domestic pleas- ures insipid, that ought to sweeten the exercise of those severe duties, which educate rational and immortal being for a nobler field of action. Herein lies the cruxof Wollstonecrafts argument, which is articulated numer- ous times in different ways throughout this piece, but arguably never more clearly than when she states in paragraph two that she wishes to 'show that elegance is inferior to virtue, that the first object of laudable ambition is to obtain a character as a human being regardless of the distinction of sex. This aim is clearly contrasted with the “current” conception of women as “the weaker vessel' - a lower grade inanimate and empty object —'animals' and “children' -who, by definition, are not capable of adult thought or responsibility. Marriage, she acknowledges, is women's usual route to social advance- ment. She points out, however, that this is just another social trap that makes Practical críticism of prose (eighteenth-century) 199  mero armas Une wnen tey marry” because they “act as such childréj may be expected to act' and therefore these “weak beings are only fit for seraglio” As such, marriage prevents women from fulfilling their potential as hum beings. After all, Wollstonecraft concludes, in this weakened, devalued any dehumanised state, how 'can they be expected to govern a family with judge ment, or take care of the poor babes whom they bring into the world? final note is a serious one, as women's unique role is referred to and their nee to be in control - the use of 'govern judgement and 'take care' highlight this. despite their treatment at the hands of society, which expects them simultan- eously to be mother, whore, child and pet. Wollstonecrafts direct and forceful style thus comes to a strong and cha ging climax as she appeals to women to fulfil their potential as mothers homemakers. As has been shown, the language employed is provocative a stirring, in clear juxtaposition with that expected of women. It is, howe more than this. Wollstonecraft presents in this piece a cogent, reasoned arg ment employing much of the rhetoric of logical - one might even say, trad. itionally masculine — debate. Having made her apologies to some of her audience in line 1, she moves on to Outline her argument in the rest of the first paragraph, explaining what she wishes to achieve and why it is important. The second paragraph is a further development of her methods and aims, and here she employs the list that clari: fes the feminine characteristics which need to be overcome: “weak elegancy of | mind; 'exquisite sensibility and sweet docility of manners' and the 'stronger' attributes that should replace them»: 'virtue' and 'obtainling] a character. The third paragraph seems to “express [her] conviction' and to justify her direct style as a means to an important end: 1 shall be employed about things not words! and, anxious to render my sex more respectable members of society, As has been already discussed, the fourth paragraph then launches an all- out attack on the falseness of women's language and expected behaviour, and their stifling effects, Then the final paragraph places Wollstonecraft in context, providing some sociohistorical background to the situation of women. She | acknowledges that, “The education of women has of late been more attended | to than formerly” but ensures that this concession is followed by yet) thereby | indicating that this is not enough. Similarly, she adds weight to her observa- | tion by her phraseology: “It is acknowledged; which serves to summon other minds who agree. It is clear that Wollstonecraft uses two important persuasive techniques to hold and influence her readers. It is the intermingling of the coldly rational language of debate and the emotive diction of the personal appeal ofa mem- ber of the oppressed group concerned, speaking directly to '[her] readers, | together with what one might describe as the 'shock factor” of the authors | candour that make this an engaging, inspiring and persuasive piece. It has the | potential to appeal in differing ways to both men (possibly through the rhet- oric of debate) and women (through emotive appeal) of the eighteenth and twenty-first centuries alike. 200 Mastering Practical Críticism mí 12 Practical criticism of poetry — comparison The comparative question Sometimes you will be asked to compare two pieces of literature, and we should now look at that task and at ways of approaching it. The choice of these two texts lor comparative study does not always mean poetry; sometimes examining boards set a poem to be compared to a short piece of prose, or even drama. Students often shy away from this exercise, as they believe that they cannot hope fully to understand and appreciate two texts in the time usually given to analysing one, and the mixture of genres is sometimes off-putting. However, you are strongly advised to consider this option as a viable alternative. It is not impossible and in some ways itis easier than focusing solely on one. A You may be wondering how it could possibly be easier to deal with two texts rather than one in the same available time. The answer is simple; you will not be expected to analyse either to the same depth when handling two as you would when dealing with one. You can rely on the fact that both texts will have content in common: that is, the subject matter will be the same. It could be that one was written in an earlier century and the other is contemporary, or that one has a cer- tain viewpoint and the other quite a different one. Itis possible that the forms are different; one might be a poem and the other a letter or a diary entry. Be prepared for any combination, but rest assured that they will both be about the same “thing' and do not panic when you see this option. Its sets a viable alternative to handling one text, and many students opt for this question every year, most successfully. 4 Students have often related to me that they found this option easier because the same subject matter was presented in two different ways, and if they found it hard to grasp in one form, they often understood it more clearly when seeing ¡tin another. In terms of time in an examination, you would naturally only be expected to spend about half the time analysing each text that you would if you were dealing with a single text. Another advantage to this option is that there will inevitably be a great deal more to say, and therefore you are unlikely ever to be stuck for material. So, you see, there are several good reasons to consider a question like this, and you should not discountiit automatically before reading the texts involved. Practical ríticism of poetry — comparison 201