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English question help please

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  • 30-05-2005 6:18pm
    #1
    Johnerr
    Registered Users Posts: 240 ✭✭


    ok, been told general vision and viewpoint is coming up, so i've decided to pull the finger out and do a question on it,

    ''The general vision and viewpoint of texts can be quite similar or ver different''

    In the light of the above statement, compare the general vision in at least two texts on your comparative coruse.

    Texts i am studying
    Silas Marner
    Dancing at lughnasa
    Withness


    Since it says at least two in the question i would prolaby focus on Withness and D@L.

    I'm going to write about the different worlds and that, is that ok, what would you guys write about???


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    #2
    Waltons
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,677 ✭✭✭Waltons


    For Silas Marner I'd write about Eliot's preference for the old ways over the new, casual religion as opposed to religious fanaticism and maybe the roles of men and women.
    Didn't do the other two texts though...


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    #3
    baby*cham*bell
    Closed Accounts Posts: 330 ✭✭baby*cham*bell


    use your 3 texts, you can write more.

    layout:
    intro ( the usual crap)
    answer the following:
    do my texts have an optimitic/pessimistic view?

    do they have a moral vision? (do the bad guys get punished, good guys rewarded?)

    what gives life its meaning in my texts?


    just make sure you keep refering to the exam q and you'll be fine

    hope i helped (got and A in that essay!)


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    #4
    Scarinae
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 11,362 ✭✭✭✭Scarinae


    I haven't done any of those texts I'm afraid, but the way our teacher always got us to approach those questions was - If you were an alien approaching Earth for the first time, and the only guide you had for what type of place the Earth was was those three texts, what impression would you have of it?
    In other words, are the texts optimistic or pessimistic in outlook, how do they portray the world?
    My three texts are 'Of Mice and Men', 'The Playboy of the Western World' and 'Home Before Night'. So, if I was approaching the question, I would talk about how 'Of Mice and Men' is very bleak, things never work out the way they are planned, friendships are something suspicious, everyone is out for what they can get; in 'The Playboy', everyone is lonely, emotional poverty abounds, but people can make something of themselves if they believe in their own abilities... Blah blah blah. I hope that's helped a bit, rather than just confusing you!


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    #5
    the smiley one
    Closed Accounts Posts: 362 ✭✭the smiley one


    Johnerr wrote:
    ok, been told general vision and viewpoint is coming up, so i've decided to pull the finger out and do a question on it,

    ''The general vision and viewpoint of texts can be quite similar or ver different''

    In the light of the above statement, compare the general vision in at least two texts on your comparative coruse.

    Texts i am studying
    Silas Marner
    Dancing at lughnasa
    Withness


    Since it says at least two in the question i would prolaby focus on Withness and D@L.

    I'm going to write about the different worlds and that, is that ok, what would you guys write about???

    I'm studying the same ones! snap!

    anyway, for GV+V, what you need to do is look at the overall viewpoint of the text.. i.e. is it fundamentally optimistic or pessimistic, and what I do is, I look at the ways that this is shown in the texts.

    k, so for each individual text, GENERALLY
    Silas Marner - optimistice (happy, neat ending)
    DAL - pessimistic (sad, tragic ending)
    Witness - ....ambigous... (happy and sad ending)

    (in brackets are just one example of how you could support this point of view; there are lots of things you could use, I just chose the endings)

    and basically compare how each of the text put this viewpoint across to the reader and how it affects them
    (the two different worlds thing should really be left in Theme and Issue..)

    :)


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    #6
    Johnerr
    Registered Users Posts: 240 ✭✭Johnerr


    Ok so pick out certain points in the texts, I.e. the ending key moments or the texts in general and elaborate on these , discussing how each text gets the point across and how people are affected,

    I kinda have an idea, but could you give an example of how the vision and viewpoint can be the same, like something you could write a bit on.


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    #7
    D-Generate
    Registered Users Posts: 2,945 ✭✭✭D-Generate


    My texts are
    Witness
    Playboy of the Western World
    Panther in the Basement

    First of all for a GV&V question define what you believe GV&V to be, I take it as being the author's outlook on life is and what they want to say to us.
    Even though it says at least 2 texts I would generally (oh the pun) take 3 for a GV&V question, this allows you to show 2 authors that have the same view on one point but one author that thinks differently whihc looks good in an answer.

    I use 4 or so points for this question and they are as follows
    1) It is impossible to transform yourself
    Book in Witness does not transform
    Proffi in Panther does not
    Christy in Playboy does (contrasts)

    2) Our destiny is changed by the environment and outside interference
    Corruption comes to town in Witness with Book having no input
    Israel formed in Panther with Proffi having no input
    Christy does change his destiny directly (contrasts)

    3) Communities have strength through unity
    Raising of the barn in Witness
    Defense during Arab War in Panther
    Community turns on one another in Playboy (contrast)

    4) Pessimistic/Optimistic outlook?
    Witness Optimistic
    Playboy Optimistic
    Panther somewhat pessimistic (contrasts)

    The comes the ending and thus is the question done.
    The comparatives are very easy really, 3 modes and the questions have to be general so you can basically learn off the stuff not that I do because learning off is silly usually.


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    #8
    Johnerr
    Registered Users Posts: 240 ✭✭Johnerr


    ok so

    1) It is impossible to transform yourself
    Book in Witness does not transform
    Mundi family do not transform
    Silas does transform

    2) Our destiny is changed by the environment and outside interference
    Corruption comes to town in Witness with Book having no input
    D@L jack comes home, iligimate son
    Silas Marner, Eppie arrives

    3)Communities have strength through unity
    Raising of the barn in Witness
    D@L Family stick together everyone does there part
    Silas, gets accpeted into the community through Eppie.

    4) Pessimistic/Optimistic outlook?
    Witness Optimistic
    D@L pessimistic
    Silas is optimistic


    How would you structure this anwser, would you discuss each point (1-4) in paragraphs one after the other (some points taking one or more paragraphs) or interlink each point throught out the anwser??


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    #9
    the smiley one
    Closed Accounts Posts: 362 ✭✭the smiley one


    hmmmm, well the three texts we are doing are kinda different so you will have to contrast a lot as opposed to drawing paralells
    k, so for example the endings:

    Perhaps one of the most defining moments in all of the texts are the endings. At the conclusion we can see how the general vision and viewpoint of the text materialises through the actions and fates of the characters. In DAL, we presented with the closing tableau in which we are informed the tragic fates of the characters; Rose and Agnes destitute in a Southwark hospice, Kate losing her job, Father Jack's death etc. This shows us the ultimatly grim and depressing viewpoint of the text as a whole. Conversely in SM, a fairytale ending occurs with Eppie married to Aaron Winthrop, and Silas finally accepted into the community. The vison of the text is undoubtedly positive as Eppie remarks "I think nobody could be happier than we are". Witness, unlike the other two texts, has conflicting signals in the ending. The "baddies" are caught but one can't help but feel the poignancy of the separation of Book (harrison Ford) and Rachael (Kelly McGillis). It has elements for happiness like SM, and elements of tragedy like DAL, therefore it is hard to say decisively how exactly the characters feel, or indeed Wier, uplifted or downtrodden. Therefore we can see how the endings of the three texts suitable convey their overall GV+V.

    *sigh*
    ok, hope that helps and if that is totally the wrong idea about the GV+V thing will someone please correct me as I had trouble with the whole boundaries for GV+V ....but they are corrected now....I think...

    :)


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    #10
    Da_IRISH_ONE4U
    Closed Accounts Posts: 95 ✭✭Da_IRISH_ONE4U


    I've heard Gen Vision is very likely to come up to. Ive nothing prepared for it YET either. Just wondering, how long does that answer have to be around? How many points are you expected to make? :confused:


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    #11
    JackKelly
    Registered Users Posts: 3,225 ✭✭✭JackKelly


    from what i've heard, the content is almost irrelevant as long as you make comparisons. It's almost a case of counting up the C's and giving the mark


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    #12
    Finch*
    Closed Accounts Posts: 396 ✭✭Finch*


    Da_IRISH_ONE4U wrote:
    I've heard Gen Vision is very likely to come up to. Ive nothing prepared for it YET either. Just wondering, how long does that answer have to be around? How many points are you expected to make? :confused:

    doesnt it HAVE to come up? isn't it general vision and viewpoint and themes this year, and you have to get a question on both, and answer one?


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    #13
    *Angel*
    Registered Users Posts: 1,496 ✭✭✭*Angel*


    Finch* wrote:
    doesnt it HAVE to come up? isn't it general vision and viewpoint and themes this year, and you have to get a question on both, and answer one?

    There is 3 possibilities including Theme & Issue, General Vision & Viewpoint and Literary Genre, only 2 come up so it isn't a sure thing.


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    #14
    Finch*
    Closed Accounts Posts: 396 ✭✭Finch*


    Oh God I've Been Living A Lie!!!!


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    #15
    D-Generate
    Registered Users Posts: 2,945 ✭✭✭D-Generate


    I would just do one point after another and new paragraph for each text with in the points. Also don't forget that it is comparative texts so constantly refer back to the other two texts

    ____'s inability to transform is analogous with ____'s in the text _____

    In _____ we see the main character _____ have an experience much the same as ______

    So on and so forth, you get the idea.

    Out of the 3 my favourite is GV&V, then Theme and Issue, I don't really like Literary Genre but if I have to do it I will.


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    #16
    BraveheartGal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 264 ✭✭BraveheartGal


    Da_IRISH_ONE4U wrote:
    I've heard Gen Vision is very likely to come up to. Ive nothing prepared for it YET either. Just wondering, how long does that answer have to be around? How many points are you expected to make? :confused:
    have done nothing for general vision
    our teacher gave us a bunch load of notes for culture, found out it wasnt comin up , and said ah ye'll be grand jus adapt it to gv&v
    ?!?!

    we didnt do theme either

    silas marner
    juno and the paycock
    amongst women

    (im prayin genre comes up)
    dont suppose anyone knows if its likely?


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    #17
    besty
    Registered Users Posts: 4,010 ✭✭✭besty


    it might seem like an obvious point, but KEEP making links between the texts - no matter how tenuous they might seem. trust me


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    #18
    Johnerr
    Registered Users Posts: 240 ✭✭Johnerr


    literary genre how would you got about anwsering a question on this?


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    #19
    Finch*
    Closed Accounts Posts: 396 ✭✭Finch*


    well i studied a play/autobiography and a novella so i'd be pointing out the differences and such, like play is for stage to be performed etc and how that affects our viewing of it. obviously id be doing more than just that but i havent got the time to write an entire essay down, which texts did u study + what genre are they?


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    #20
    the smiley one
    Closed Accounts Posts: 362 ✭✭the smiley one


    AFAIK you can comment on the texts under headings like:
    Character Creation
    Dialogue
    Actual Genre (ie realism etc.)
    Symbolism
    Setting
    Narrator style
    Use of specific techniques by the different forms ie. camera angles, music, descriptive passages
    etc.

    Just get a gew of those that your comfortable with and you know you can make comparisons with, do out an essay plan, with back-up from texts, learn it off and spew it out in the exam - easy*!

    :)





    *well not really but it sounds it...


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