The Age of Innocence Prelim Review UNDERLINE titles

The Age of Innocence Prelim Review

• UNDERLINE titles of books • Place titles of poems in “inverted commas” • Write your FULL name • Write the Paper No – 9748/01 or 8811/01

2(a) ‘An unforgiving machine where individual sentiments are ignored. ’ Discuss the ways in which Wharton presents the social world of New York.

#1 ADDRESSING THE KEYWORDS

What is the first keyword? ‘unforgiving’ What does it imply? Rigid, intolerant, harsh, ruthless

What is the next keyword? ‘machine’ What does it imply? mechanical, unthinking, mere reproductions

What is the next keyword? ‘individual sentiments are ignored’ What does this imply? Overlooking or deliberate ignoring of an individual’s personal desires,

OR

X OR

CHARACTERISTIC EFFECT OF OR OLD NEW YORK CONSEQUENCE A society comprising of unthinking individuals who mechanically conform to conventions to the point that they become reproductions of previous generations ‘unforgiving’ Society is intolerant and converges to punish individuals who transgress or refuse to conform to its customs and conventions. A society that is a powerful driving force that is able to exert great pressure on individuals to conform to its standards and customs. ‘individual sentiments are ignored’ Old New York as capable of overpowering and suppressing an individual’s personal desires and coercing an individual to conform to its customs. ‘individual sentiments are ignored’ Old New York is portrayed as deliberately prioritizing its customs over the personal welfare and freedom of its members. Eg. Disapproval of Ellen’s divorce

#2 IDENTIFYING RELEVANT EVIDENCE & METHODS

A society comprising of unthinking individuals who mechanically conform to conventions to the point that they become reproductions of previous generations. What motifs or images are immediately recalled?

- - - Set A Theatre motif where the audience watches and scrutinizes individuals ‘opera glasses’ as a symbol of power and surveillance ONY’s attention to appearance and details Eg. Constant references to colour & detailing of material in Archer’s wedding (‘eight bouquets of white lilac and lilies-of-the-valley’, ‘gold and sapphire sleeve-links’, ‘cat’seye scarf-pin’) References to a hieroglyphic world Set B - Industrial motif – May as ‘artificial product’, cog in the ‘powerful engine’ of Old New York (61), ‘she was simply ripening into a copy of her mother’ (243) - Images of conformity ‘dolls cut of the same folded paper’, ‘patterns stenciled on a wall’ - Diction that implies that individuals are manufactured Eg ‘automatically’, ‘trained’

Tribal Motif Key Event #1: Ellen Olenska’s expulsion from society Narrator’s commentary Key Event #2: Treatment of the Beauforts postscandal Old New York society is intolerant and converges to punish individuals who transgress or refuse to conform to its customs and conventions.

#3 WHY NO W-H-Y? ?

(WHY) Wharton encourages her readers to critically view Old New York society (HOW) 1) Archer’s POV 2) Motif of DEATH & SUFFOCATION 3) Motif of PRISON (WHAT) Old New York is presented as capable of overpowering and suppressing an individual’s personal desires and coercing an individual to conform to its customs.

2(b) Write a critical commentary on the following passage, relating it to the presentation of Newland Archer here and elsewhere in the novel.

#1 INTRODUCING THE INTRODUCTION… AGAIN!

CONTEXT OF THE PASSAGE AN INFORMED MAP OF WHAT THE MARKER CAN EXPECT IN YOUR ESSAY (KEY POINTS + METHODS) THESIS STATEMENT THE ESSENTIALS

Introduction (Brief description of passage) The passage is a scene where Archer takes watches a performance of ‘The Shaughraun’. (Key points on Archer) In this passage, we are presented with Newland Archer’s growing romantic feelings for Ellen Olenska, which hint as his immaturity and inability to separate visions from reality. The (Key method in extract) satirical narrator mocks Archer’s immaturity at the start of his bildungsroman. (Purpose – links to immediate narrative progression) The portrayal of Archer’s romantic visions and immaturity propels him into a dilemma which will then be unravelled in the process of his growth to maturity.

#2 FOCUSING ON THE RIGHT IDEA

Newland Archer as a strict conformist to Old New York’s customs and rituals. ‘The popularity of the admirable English company was at its height, and the Shaughraun always packed the house’ ‘It was always for the sake of that particular scene that Newland Archer went to see ‘The Shaughraun’’ N O I T A E L S E L R Characterisation of Miss A F R Dyas ‘narrow black O C velvet ribbon’ ‘the little scene acquired an added poignancy by reminding – he could not have said why – of his leave-taking from Madame Olenska after their confidential talk a week or ten days earlier’ Archer is presented as an individual with a growing romantic interest in Ellen.

#3 COMMON MISREADING

Common Misreading ‘Archer had made her understand this, as he was bound to do; he had also made her understand that simplehearted kindly New York… was precisely the place where she could least hope for indulgence’ X Archer has gained maturity

Readers are presented with a more critical view of Archer as an immature and unreliable protagonist.

narrator’s satirical commentary ‘it would have been difficult to discover any resemblance between the two situations’ Archer and Ellen were not ‘two lovers parting in heart-broken silence’ but ‘client and lawyer separating after a talk’ Factual debunking ‘[Miss Dyas’] pale and pleasantly ugly face was utterly unlike Ellen Olenska’s vivid countenance’ absolute and insistent rejections of any real similarity between the play and reality

Immaturity Self-discovery… eventually

#4 CLOSE ANALYSIS FOR METHODS & EFFECTS

In the extract, Archer’s perception of himself as a romantic hero is illustrated through his ideal and romanticized image of Ellen and himself.

g n u o y e v i s s a p e t h t s o y l t lm c a a x , t e e i s u a q s m e i g h h n i T ‘ k h t uc r m t o s h n r w a e t o t m t a o n m w o s o r n e , p n f kind o nd to happe from them ou nk b a d i r e o h r v s e a e w to sh y h a c w u r m e h w f o o h t u o t n e , ’ w m d e n h a t ‘she was young, she w as frightened, she was de sperate – what more natural than that she should be grateful to h er rescuer? ’

You’re not looking for PROOF ! Eg. Newland Archer sees Ellen as ‘young’, ‘frightened’ and ‘desperate’.

Nor are you narrating… Newland Archer sees Ellen as ‘young’, frightened’ and ‘desperate’ which means that he thinks of her as someone pitiful who needs saving. He also sees himself as ‘her rescuer’ which shows that he is a romantic because he thinks of himself as a hero and the person who will save Ellen. Check your sentence construction: If you’re beginning with “Archer SEES (active verb)” and following your quotes with “which means that / which shows that”… you’re narrating.

To avoid narrating… Always comment on effects and purpose Are you using phrases such as “The use of…” / “The references to…” followed by “implies/suggests/connotes…”?

How do the quotes ‘young’, ‘frightened’, ‘desperate’ reveal how Archer sees himself as Ellen’s champion and educator? Newland sees himself as Ellen’s champion and educator as seen by his perspective (METHOD) in characterizing her as ‘young’, ‘frightened’, ‘desperate’, all of the above words convey the effect of Ellen being a damsel in distress in need of rescuing (EFFECT). student’s sample

How does the quote ‘quiet, almost passive’ reveal how Archer sees himself as Ellen’s champion and educator? Furthermore, he describes her as ‘quiet, almost passive’, thus the use of characterization in Archer’s description (METHOD) allows the reader to view Ellen as helpless (EFFECT) in her troubles. student’s sample

Now, you try! Recall your sentence construction: The use of… suggests/implies… ‘The quiet, almost passive young woman struck him as exactly the kind of person to whom things were bound to happen, no matter how much she shrank from them and went out of her way to avoid them’ (How is Archer’s perception of & attitude towards Ellen’s misfortune presented to us? )

student’s sample ‘The quiet, almost passive young woman struck him as exactly the kind of person to whom things were bound to happen, no matter how much she shrank from them and went out of her way to avoid them’ The use of absolute and high modality terms (METHOD) in ‘bound to happen’, ‘no matter how much’ suggest Newland’s complete and unwavering certainty of Ellen’s misfortune (EFFECT) in the Old New York society.

Once More! ‘her rescuer’ How is Archer’s perception & attitude towards his relationship with Ellen presented to us?

student’s sample ‘her rescuer’. The use of descriptions (METHOD) such as ‘rescuer’ reveals how Archer elevates (EFFECT) himself to a heroic light.