AO3 wider reading - Comparison Flashcards
who wrote A Farewell to Arms
Hemingway 1929
what is A Farewell to Arms about
during ww1, Frederic meets Catherine, a nurse. they begin a love affair whilst he recovers but then are separated. They escape to Switzerland but Catherine dies from a Cesarean and their baby is stillborn
comparisons between A Farewell To Arms and TGOW
- both ma and Catherine hold themselves calm in times of adversity
- catherine’s stillbirth shows the incessant nature of war, Rose’s shows hope
comparisons between A Farewell to Arms and TGG
- both highlight the Lost Generation and Americans searching for meaning
Who wrote My Antonia
Willa Cather, 1918
describe the plot of My Antonia
Jim meets Antonia on the western frontier and grow up together. They meet at the end 20 years later when Antonia runs a farm with her husband and children
My Antonia and TGG comparisons
- first person, recollective narratives
- both explore American identity - characters consciously shape themselves to be ‘proper Americans’
my antonia and TGOW comparisons
- agricultural struggles
- Mr Shimerda/Grampa as head of the family, but their supposed lack of purpose leads to his suicide (no breadwinners)
My antonia key quotes
- “there was nothing but land”
- “things will be easy for you. but they will be hard for us”
who wrote native son
richard wright 1940
native son plot
bigger gets a job at the wealthy Dalton house and accidentally kills their daughter. Bigger escapes when the police find her remains and out of paranoia kills his girlfriend too. his is arrested and sentenced to death
comparisons between Native Son and TGG
- communities struggling to find existence (particularly poverty and class repression)
- racist attitudes of Tom Buchanan are prevalent in Native Son
native son and TGOW comparisons
- jan promotes communism as providing racial equality. Steinbeck features the threat of communism through ‘reds’ and ‘labour-fakers’
- both bigger murdering mary and Tom attacking the sheriff show the seizing of power
native son key quotes
- “in all his life these two murders were the most meaningful things that had ever happened to him”
- “eight dollars per week.. for one rat-infested room”
who wrote age of innocence
edith wharton 1920
age of innocence plot
newland archer is engaged to May Welland. they befriend Ellen Olenska, her cousin, who has unconvential views. Archer and ellen have an affair but break up when they realise May is pregnant. 25 years later, when May has died, Archer plans to visit Ellen but decides to forget about the past
age of innocence TGG comparisons
- social conventions of american society
- inequalities of wealth and class (New York’s upper strata in AoI)
- both newland and gatsby desire the golden girl, but they are forbidden due to marriage
age of innocence key quotes
Ellen - “I want to be free; I want to wipe out all the past”
May - “Newland don’t give her up because of me!” (thinking he’s having an affair with an unknown woman”
