Literature Flashcards
Poem I: Sonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun
What does the girl look like?
- Eyes: Ordinary, not bright like the sun.
- Lips: Less red than coral.
- Breasts: Brownish (“dun”), not white.
- Hair: Black and wiry.
- Cheeks: Not rosy (lacking red and white tones).
Breath: Unpleasant (“reeks”).
Voice: Not as pleasing as music.
Walk: Normal, treads on the ground, not divine or ethereal.
Poem II: I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
- What does the speaker compare himself to?
- What flowers appear in the poem?
- Where are the daffodils located?
- How many daffodils does the speaker see?
- What other element is personified?
- What effect does the memory have on the speaker?
What does the speaker compare himself to?
- A lonely cloud floating over valleys and hills.
What flowers appear in the poem?
- Golden daffodils, described as fluttering, dancing, and tossing their heads.
Where are the daffodils located?
- Beside a lake, beneath trees, along the margin of a bay.
How many daffodils does the speaker see?
- Approximately ten thousand, arranged in a “never-ending line.”
What other element is personified?
- The waves, described as dancing but less gleeful than the daffodils.
What effect does the memory have on the speaker?
- It brings pleasure and fills his heart with joy during moments of solitude
Poem III: Ozymandias
Theme/Message: The poem explores the transient nature of power and the inevitable decline of empires.
Metaphor: The ruined statue symbolizes human ambition, arrogance, and the ephemeral nature of greatness.
Imagery: The shattered visage and vast, empty desert emphasize the decay of once-mighty achievements.
Irony: Ozymandias’ boast (“King of Kings”) contrasts starkly with the desolate surroundings, highlighting the futility of human pride and legacy.
Poem IIII: Anthem for Doomed Youth
Compares soldiers’ deaths in war to slaughtered cattle.
Traditional funeral rites are replaced by violent sounds: “wailing shells,” “bugles.”
Focus shifts to grief at home: “holy glimmers of goodbyes,” “drawing-down of blinds.”
Highlights the dehumanizing brutality of war.
Poem V: The Fat Black Woman Goes Shopping
Depicts the fat Black woman’s struggle to find clothes in cold London stores.
Highlights cultural alienation: “frozen thin mannequins,” “slimming glances.”
Contrasts her desire for vibrant, flowing fabrics with limited, “lean” fashion choices.
Expresses frustration through curses in Yaruba/Swahili, emphasizing identity and resistance.
Plot and Characters of the Garden Party
Plot
- Laura, a young woman from a wealthy family, is tasked with organizing a garden party.
- During preparations, news of a working-class neighbor’s death disrupts her sense of propriety.
- After the party, Laura visits the dead man’s house, experiencing an epiphany about life, death, and class.
Characters
- Laura: The dynamic protagonist; empathetic and reflective, she grows from naivety to deeper awareness.
- Jose: Laura’s shallow sister, a static and flat character, emphasizing Laura’s depth.
- Laurie: Laura’s supportive brother, symbolizing a kindred spirit and understanding.
- The Mother: Symbol of upper-class control and appearance, reinforces social hierarchy.
Analysis of the Garden Party
Class Divide: The contrast between the opulence of the garden party and the stark reality of the working-class death.
Initiation Story: Laura’s journey from organizing the party (failed initiation) to her epiphany at the dead man’s home (completed initiation).
Symbols:
- Basket: Represents class hierarchy and control from Laura’s mother.
- Hat with Golden Daisies: Symbolizes Laura’s innocence, transitioning from childhood to maturity.
- Garden: Controlled freedom, contrasted with Laura’s ultimate realization outside her sheltered world.
- House on the Hill: Represents privilege and distance from reality; Laura descends to confront truth.
Plot and Character summary of “The Embassy of Cambodia”
Plot Summary:
- Fatou, an African woman, works as a servant for the Derawal family in London.
- She is an outsider in the world of the wealthy and struggles with her invisibility.
- The story uses a badminton match metaphor to illustrate her constant battle for survival.
- Fatou’s life is marked by her dependence on others, yet she remains passive and resigned to her fate.
- The ending is open, leaving her future unresolved as she watches a badminton game, symbolizing her own struggles.
Characters:
- Fatou: A Sudanese woman who works as a servant; static character, struggling with invisibility and survival but never gains agency or escape.
- The Derawals: The wealthy family who employs Fatou; their privilege and hierarchical control over her life contrast with her position.
- Andrew: A secondary character who represents privilege and ignorance of struggle; he is a source of support for Fatou but not a true companion.
Analysis of the Emabassy of Cambodia
Characterization: Fatou is a static yet round character, struggling without an epiphany. The story reflects the invisible lives of people like her.
Narrative Technique: The narrative shifts perspectives, blending omniscient and internal viewpoints, which reflects the complexity of Fatou’s life and the story’s message.
Metaphors: The badminton match represents Fatou’s defense in life; swimming symbolizes survival; and the passport stands for identity and agency.
Themes: Postcolonialism, survival, and invisibility, with a focus on the dynamics of power and privilege in a multicultural society.
Context: The setting mirrors Cambodia’s historical genocide, with Fatou’s life paralleling the ignored struggles of oppressed people.
Character and Plot Summary of Vile Bodies
Plot Summary:
- Vile Bodies is a satirical exploration of the “Bright Young People” of the 1920s, focusing on their hedonistic lifestyles and the emptiness they feel.
- Adam Fenwick-Symes, the protagonist, struggles to navigate the social scene while attempting to marry Nina Blount, although their relationship lacks depth and meaning.
- The novel focuses on the disillusionment, instability, and emptiness of the characters, with the repeated motif of parties and a search for money and status.
- The novel ends with Adam, Chastity, and a drunk general aimlessly sitting in a car, symbolizing the wasted potential and the impending collapse of a generation.
Characters:
- Adam Fenwick-Symes: The protagonist, disillusioned and aimless, caught in a shallow, unstable relationship with Nina.
- Nina Blount: Adam’s fiancée, detached and indifferent, representing the vacuous nature of the Bright Young People.
- Ginger Littlejohn: A larger-than-life figure who dies before his marriage, representing the fleeting nature of the characters’ lives.
- Agatha Runcible: An empty, self-destructive character who epitomizes the novel’s theme of futility and the superficiality of the social scene.
Analysis of Vile Bodies
Fragmentation & Subjectivity: The novel is fragmented, with characters entering and exiting without clear development, reflecting the chaotic and unstable nature of the world.
Disillusionment: The characters embody post-WWI disillusionment, lacking purpose or direction in a world that has lost its stability.
Alienation: The characters, including Adam and Nina, are alienated from themselves and each other, highlighting the modernist focus on individual isolation.
Uncertainty & Absurdity: The plot leads nowhere, and characters’ actions have no lasting consequences, showcasing the modernist rejection of traditional narrative structure.
Character and Plot Summary of Tamara Drewe
Plot Summary:
- Tamara Drewe is a modern reimagining of Far from the Madding Crowd.
- Tamara returns to her childhood home, disrupting the lives of the Hardimans (Nick and Beth) and Glen Larson.
- Themes of love, betrayal, and personal growth unfold in a rural setting.
Character Summary:
- Tamara Drewe: Confident, enigmatic, disrupts relationships; symbol of female empowerment.
- Beth Hardiman: Supportive wife, becomes independent and emancipated from her husband, Nick.
- Nick Hardiman: Author, symbol of toxic masculinity; static character.
- Glen Larson: Writer at the Stonefield retreat; passive, manipulative.
- Casey Shaw: Teenage girl, observer; grows into a more independent character.
Analaysis of Tamara Drewe
Polyphonic narrative with multiple narrators, showing varied perspectives.
Feminist themes: women evolve, assert independence, while men remain static and toxic.
Metaphors (sheep, cows, tree) represent themes of stagnation, growth, and female unity.
Women are blamed but hold power; they use it to change their circumstances.
Character and Plot Summary of pygmalion
Plot Summary:
- Setting: Early 20th-century London.
- Premise: Linguistics expert Henry Higgins bets Colonel Pickering he can transform Eliza, a poor flower girl, into a refined lady by teaching her proper speech.
- Conflict: Eliza struggles with her new identity and role in society.
- Climax: Eliza speaks well at a ball but is disillusioned.
- Resolution: Eliza leaves Higgins, seeking independence.
Character Summary:
- Eliza Doolittle: A clever flower girl who transforms but seeks independence.
- Henry Higgins: A self-centered linguist who treats Eliza as an experiment.
- Colonel Pickering: A kind phonetics expert, respectful to Eliza.
- Alfred Doolittle: Eliza’s father, who undergoes a moral shift after inheriting money.
Analysis of Pygmalion
Analysis:
- Class & Transformation: Eliza’s change doesn’t lead to empowerment, critiquing class structures.
- Gender & Power: Eliza seeks independence, highlighting gender power dynamics.
- Communication & Identity: Language represents class, but Eliza’s internal struggles remain.
- Irony & Symbolism: Higgins’ failure to understand Eliza’s needs and the symbolic use of rings/slippers.
Key Details:
- Shaw’s Critique: Focus on class roles with telling names (e.g., Mr. Doolittle).
- Higgins’ Limits: Cannot teach Eliza high-society conversation.
- Ending: Shaw rejected a romantic ending, focusing on Eliza’s independence.
- Social Commentary: Critiques class norms through characters like Doolittle.
- Eliza’s Growth: True transformation is her independence from Higgins.
Characters and Plot of Little Revolution
Plot Summary:
- Set during the 2011 London riots in Hackney.
- Interviews edited by Alecky Blythe to explore community tensions.
- Focus on class divide between middle-class Clapton Square and working-class Pembury Estate.
- No real solutions or change by the end.
Characters:
- Alecky Blythe: Interviews people, offering no clear answers.
- Siva: Marginalized, ignored by the steering group.
- Deanne & Tony: Middle-class, try to help but misunderstand real issues.
- Kate & Sadie: Working-class, feel ignored by middle class.
- Steering Group: Well-meaning but disconnected from reality.
Analysis of Little Revolution
Themes:
- Class & Race: Disconnection between middle and working class; racial profiling by police.
- Reality vs. Perception: Edited interviews create a constructed narrative.
- Ineffective Aid: Tea party and charity efforts fail to address real problems.
- Political Commentary: Critiques systems that ignore underlying issues.
Key Symbols:
- Tea Party: Represents middle-class ignorance and comfort.
- Siva’s Marginalization: Symbolizes societal disregard for marginalized voices.
