“The general vision and viewpoint of a text can be changed or reinforced by the ending of a text”.
#625Lab. Corrected by experienced examiner, graded as H3 with feedback on how to improve. You may also like: Leaving Cert English Complete Guide (€). Here is another essay on the same texts.
Significant events in All My Sons (AMS), The Great Gatsby (TGG), and in Brooklyn where (M) vital to my understanding of the general vision and viewpoint(GV&V) the author was trying to convey in each text. They where (M) confirmed or changed to different extents because of their contrasting endings. (Stronger more specific introduction needed. If it confirmed it, what did it confirm? Or what did it change it to?)
As I look back on my study of my comparative texts, I can see how the opening scenes both reveal the GV&V of texts and how they differ from the endings of those texts. In AMS, Kate Kellher`s inability (L) to move on is evident. (When?) She suggests that a tree breaking in the same month as her son Larry`s birthday being reason enough to believe he is not dead. She then finds his long-lost baseball glove and it only strengthens her belief. The lie about Larry`s true whereabouts is eating her up. (Comment on GV&V, what is it positive or negative?) The ending of this text reinforces this oppressive and pessimistic GV&V and opening in which the characters are held captive by their family members suicide. (Unclear. Is the point about opening or ending?) In contrast (L) the opening scenes of TGG are quite the opposite. (To what?) Gatsby is shown to be reaching out over the bay at a green light. I felt this was quite an optimistic opening representing Gatsby`s ambition to reach for goals. We know that the green light acts as a symbol throughout the text and so I also felt this image showed his desire to better himself. This GV&V is reinforced during the text (This is a throw away comment, develop it) but ultimately the ending extinguishes the optimistic and ambitious outlook of the central character. It becomes clear that the once optimistic GV&V has been changed to one of pessimism by the ending.(This needs to be dealt with Prove it here) The opening scenes of Brooklyn are different to those in TGG but like those in AMS in that Eilis is living in a quite an oppressive town in Wexford. (How is this similar) Her work is spirit numbing and lacks any stimulus whatever. This is summed up when she has must give a man a single cigarette from a box. I believe Eilis is trapped and her family are holding her back from her achieving her full potential. The pessimistic opening here is completely flipped on its head by the ending which is completely optimistic. Eilis arriving back to Brooklyn and embracing Tony is a climax of optimism for Eilis and the overall GV&V. The three texts have varying openings from optimism in TGG to utter pessimism in AMS and Brooklyn. They are different in that these outlooks are changed or enhanced to different extents in each. (I am not sure that you have proven this. Stating a comparison is not enough. There needs to be more in depth analysis and development.)
Key moments in each of my three texts also have a huge part to play in confirming the GV&V of that text. These moments can confirm a certain outlook in a text but with that can be a break in the genral (M) narrative of the text. In AMS (L) upon Chris hearing the ugly truth about his father`s past he immediately dismisses the money being offered to him. (Awkward sentence). His reaction endears him to me and its(L) obvious he looks at the money seeing it as being tainted or dirty. It is a rare optimistic moment in the text, but even this moment is overshadowed by the fact that Joe Kellher (M) has committed an awful sin. The optimistic moment is an (L) opposite to the pessimistic ending of the text where the family is left torn to shreds by the truth about Larry. TGG in comparison has much (many) more frequent (Awkward Sentence) optimistic moments than in AMS. One of these is when, after meeting Daisy in Nick`s house Gatsby shows Daisy around his own mansion. It is clearly a moment that Gatsby has been looking forward to for a long time. His nerves are evident and so too are Daisy`s awe and happiness in his house. The nagging voice in the back of my head throughout this text telling me that it is all too good to be true vanishes and I wonder are the pair destined to be happy forever together. (Prove the comparison rather than just stating it.) The ending of this text couldn’t have more of a pessimistic GV&V in comparison with this wholly optimistic moment. The opposite holds true in Brooklyn as in TGG where pessimistic moments are juxtaposed with an optimistic ending and GV&V. When Eilis first moves to Brooklyn she undoubtedly struggles. When Eilis decides to return home after her sister`s death Tony pressurizes her into marrying her. When she offers a promise of marriage instead of actual marriage, he rather disingenuously replies that if she will promise to one why not the other. It is a rare moment of pessimism where Eilis is left venerable (M) and emotionally unstable. It serves as a reminder to me that even though the overall GV&V of this text is changed by the ending, the optimistic picture painted by the author is not completely optimistic. The key moments mentioned above are similar in that they are contradictory to the overall GV&V of each text. It is however, until these moments are seen with the ending in mind that I can judge whether the GV&V has been changed or enhanced by them. It is clear to me that in this instance the GV&V has been changed by the ending in each three texts from optimism to pessimism in AMS and TGG and from pessimism to optimism in Brooklyn.
Key scenes helped me gain a better understanding of the GV&V of my texts. In AMS, Joe reads the letter from Larry and our worst fears and confirmed. Joe effectively killed his son because of his uncontrollable need to make money. I feel sorry for Joe because I know it must be very hard to read such a letter but also feel like he got what was coming to him. His first mistake in letting the faulty planes being sold and second mistake in letting Anne`s father take the fall leave a sour taste in my mouth on his character.(Edit this sentence) It is a pessimistic scene and this GV&V is compounded by the utterly pessimistic ending in which Joe takes his own life. The plaza scene is similarly pessimistic in TGG. Gatsby believes Daisy is ready to leave Tom and stay with him but while he confronts Tom Daisy loses face and, in the end, doesn’t have the courage to leave Tom. Nick notes that “with every word she (Daisy) was drawing further and further into herself”. It shows to me that Gatsby was always destined to fail with Daisy and with being accepted into the upper class. The pessimism seen here is reinforced by the ending like that of AMS in which one of our central characters, this time Gatsby, dies. (Why is this different?) In strong contrast to the scenes in AMS and in TGG, the Mrs Kelly scene is optimistic in Brooklyn. Although she is being faced with a challenge that highlights the oppressive nature on Enniscorthy, her reaction to this problem is what endears Eilis to me. She defiantly says “My name is Eilis Fiorello” banishing all self-doubt and doubt on Mrs Kelly`s part in relation to her marital status. This brilliantly optimistic moment is once again reinforced by the powerful sun imagery and warm embrace of Eilis and Tony in the ending of this text. These two scenes add to the optimistic GV&V of the text. Even though the key scenes in AMS and TGG are different to those in Brooklyn in their GV&V it is in my opinion worth noting that all of their endings reinforce the GV&V that is portrayed in the key scenes.
Overall the GV&V of AMS is pessimistic. The family is left ruined by the lie that they told themselves more than anyone that Larry wasn’t dead. There are some optimistic moments in the text but the text is generally dominated by scenes of pessimism especially in the case of the last scene. TGG is not as thoroughly pessimistic as AMS from my point of view but nevertheless the failure of Gatsby in achieving his goals and eventual death summarise the pessimistic GV&V of the text. Brooklyn is the opposite of AMS in that there are rare pessimistic moments surrounded by optimistic moments.
You show great knowledge of your texts, good use of key moments.
You are comparing but there needs to be more depth in the connections. Compare in light of the question: is the opening to TGG and AMS similar because they reinforce or change GVV?
A link is not enough.
Develop the commentary on the ending, prove it with support. The point seems unfinished.
21-P-15
21-C-13
21-L-14
7-M-7
49/70
