I'm not some elite paper grader or anything, but sometimes people like a second opinion on their stuff. Drop me a PM.
offering help with essays / papers
offering help with essays / papers
hey, if anyone would like me to take a look over their papers for readability, grammar, spelling, or just an honest opinion, I'd be more than happy to help, as long as it's not some 12 page thesis. if you're in a situation where you have to write a paper that long, you better have a handle on it yourself
I'm not some elite paper grader or anything, but sometimes people like a second opinion on their stuff. Drop me a PM.
I'm not some elite paper grader or anything, but sometimes people like a second opinion on their stuff. Drop me a PM.
BRICK!
rfa::never give up::
nyfa
rfa::never give up::
nyfa
Same here.
I really enjoy reading essays. The more argumentative the better. If anyone is looking for someone to help with editing, getting ideas, or anything else paper writing related, drop me a line.
I really enjoy reading essays. The more argumentative the better. If anyone is looking for someone to help with editing, getting ideas, or anything else paper writing related, drop me a line.
Daniel G. 'Vanderwax'
'The head of state has called for me, by name, but I don't have time for him.'
A Conflict Between Preface and Plot
An essay on Oscar Wilde’s The Portrait of Dorian Gray
By Erik Chan (Student #6762066)
For Dr. D.S. Lenoski (Course #004.216)
May 18, 2005
Common convention declares that the preface of a body of writing exists as a statement in which the body’s purpose and message are reiterated in advance; the preface declares the intentions of the body of writing. Oscar Wilde‘s preface to his own novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, defies this convention -- the preface, in this instance, romantically proclaims ideals, which oftentimes contradict the ideals portrayed throughout the story. The preface and body, or plot, do not consistently and wholly disprove each other in this novel, yet their disagreement creates an overbearing air of ambiguity, which may instil either great insight to the credit of the novel, or create a barrier in which the discord between preface and plot confuses the reader. Whether these contradictions were the intent of the author is irrelevant, similarly are the intentions of the artist irrelevant to the viewer’s personal interpretations. The preface of this novel is a collection of statements, the second half of which tend to agree with the ideals professed throughout the story, while the first half tend to contradict the aforementioned ideals. The preface is the novel’s own opposition in a debate regarding the natures of art and life – what follows is an account of the consistency, and lack thereof, between the preface and plot of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.
The nineteenth statement of the preface reads, “Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril” (4), in description of the surface of a painting. This statement is certainly a vital aspect in the premise of the novel – Dorian Gray’s granted wish to remain youthful, while his portrait decays from old age and the indulgence in sinfulness, entwines his fate with that of the painting. This connection between Dorian Gray and the portrait is revealed in the final chapter of the story, in which he stabs the painting and their magical bond is severed; the painting returns to its original state while it’s former imperfections are transferred to Dorian Gray, who falls dead from plunging the knife into his “soul”. Dorian Gray becomes intimate with his portrait and entrusts it with his true identity, while he borrows the painting’s everlasting beauty with which he wishes to portray himself. Ultimately Dorian Gray suffers in his fate, from the lurking perils beneath the surface of his portrait.
While the previously quoted statement presents an argument consistent with that of the plot of the story, a similarly valid statement, of the same preface, presents the following incongruent argument: “Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming.” (3). The Picture of Dorian Gray defies this law – the magical nature of the relationship between the portrait and Dorian Gray dictates that all corruption is cast into the painting, while the beauty and charm of the art is bestowed on, and remains with, the character. Dorian Gray passionately detests his portrait. It reminds him of his own cruelty – of his evils; it reminds him of the actions, and thoughts, and memories of which no person wishes to be reminded. The portrait was painted by Dorian Gray’s closest friend, Basil Hallward; at its moment of creation, the painting was a beautiful work of art, which opened the eyes of the artist to the beauty and romance of life. Dorian Gray’s wish to retain his youthful looks granted him the inclusion of eternal charm. This possession of never-ending charm flatly defies the aforementioned statement, which ties corruption to the lack of charm. The significance of this inconsistency between the preface and plot of the novel is dependant on individual perception of the novel as a whole, and relies not on the author’s initial purpose.
The preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray is ambiguous and written in a manner in which its statements may be suggested of almost any circumstance. For instance some statements made by the preface defend the statements made by the plot of the story, while others conflict. An example of this phenomenon is the comparison between two subsequent statements made in the first half of the preface: “Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.” (3). As previously deconstructed, the first statement within this quote conflicts with the truths of the plot of the story. The second statement, however truly it may compliment the first, is derogatory of the outcome of the novel – Basil Hallward, the sympathetic artist who puts his heart and soul into his masterpiece portrait of Dorian Gray, is an appreciative connoisseur of the beauty of art. Basil Hallward could be said to have originally planted the seeds of Dorian Gray’s narcissism, as, inspired by his beauty, he introduces Dorian Gray to Lord Henry Wotton – the man whose ideals infect and smother Dorian Gray’s child-like purity. Basil Hallward discovers his own self in the creation of Dorian Gray’s portrait: “’his personality has suggested to me an entirely new manner in art, an entirely new mode of style. I see things differently, I think of them differently. I can now recreate life in a way that was hidden from me before.’” (13). He appreciates the beauty that is personified by Dorian Gray: “’The merely visible presence of this lad – […] ah! I wonder can you realize all that that means? Unconsciously he defines for me the lines of a fresh school, a school that is to have in it all the passion of the romantic spirit, all the perfection of the spirit that is Greek.’” (13). Contrary to the second statement of the preface quote in question, however, Basil Hallward is hopeless – he is betrayed by his art and his death is premature and tragic. This close-knit, contradictory phenomenon is intriguing in the least, and emphasizes both perspectives in equal measure.
The pattern of variance in philosophy between the two perspectives in the novel is overbearing; a substantial collection of the statements of the preface argues a position that is correlated with that within the story – an equally substantial collection argues the contrary. Extended examples, contrary to the plot of the novel, of the first, second and thirteenth statements, made by the preface, follow.
“The artist is the creator of beautiful things.” (3) – another falsehood in correlation to the perspective of the plot, in which the plot’s opposing stand is a dominant element in the conflict between preface and plot. The artist, Basil Hallward, as previously mentioned, is he who instigates the celebration of Dorian Gray’s physical charm. By this action, in addition to the creation of an aesthetically pleasing body of art, the artist is also he who is responsible for the abomination that his art finally becomes. It is the artist’s work that spurs the poisoning of Dorian Gray’s soul, and it is due to the artist that Dorian Gray falls prey to sinful behaviour and ultimate death. In this scenario of reality, the artist becomes the creator of a terrible manner of deformation, rather than beauty.
The second statement made by the preface, (“To reveal art and conceal the artist is art’s aim.” (3)), is flatly disproved within the first two pages of the story. The artist, in his inhibition to exhibit his painting, states, “’I know you will laugh at me, […] but I really can’t exhibit it. I have put too much of myself into it.’” (6).
Perhaps the artist, who finds beauty in beautiful things, is granted no hope, as a previous statement decreed, due to the following statement; “No artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style.” (3). Basil Hallward has a habit of defying all the laws subjected to him by the preface. Upon discovery of Dorian Gray’s terrible secret, Basil Hallward, with sympathy for his friend’s disposition, attempts to draw him from his wicked ways: “’It is never too late, Dorian. Let us kneel down and try if we cannot remember a prayer. Isn’t there a verse somewhere, “Though your sins be as scarlet, yet I will make them as white as snow”?’” (151). Basil Hallward sympathizes with his friend’s plight – his belief in beautiful things, his ethical standing, propels him to detangle the web of sin Dorian Gray has wound around his own soul.
The plethora of ideas propounded by Oscar Wilde, within the pages of his fantasy story, conflict with each other. The statements made by the preface are partially true in relation to, and in agreement with, the entirety of the novel. Perhaps, this thematic dissonance (a mismatch between the story of his own life and that of his plot) sprouts from a fictionalized account of his observations of events surrounding his life. Regardless of allusions to Wilde’s purpose, The Picture of Dorian Gray offers many questions to those who dare to question: “Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.” (4)
Work Cited
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Penguin Books Ltd, 2003.
An essay on Oscar Wilde’s The Portrait of Dorian Gray
By Erik Chan (Student #6762066)
For Dr. D.S. Lenoski (Course #004.216)
May 18, 2005
Common convention declares that the preface of a body of writing exists as a statement in which the body’s purpose and message are reiterated in advance; the preface declares the intentions of the body of writing. Oscar Wilde‘s preface to his own novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, defies this convention -- the preface, in this instance, romantically proclaims ideals, which oftentimes contradict the ideals portrayed throughout the story. The preface and body, or plot, do not consistently and wholly disprove each other in this novel, yet their disagreement creates an overbearing air of ambiguity, which may instil either great insight to the credit of the novel, or create a barrier in which the discord between preface and plot confuses the reader. Whether these contradictions were the intent of the author is irrelevant, similarly are the intentions of the artist irrelevant to the viewer’s personal interpretations. The preface of this novel is a collection of statements, the second half of which tend to agree with the ideals professed throughout the story, while the first half tend to contradict the aforementioned ideals. The preface is the novel’s own opposition in a debate regarding the natures of art and life – what follows is an account of the consistency, and lack thereof, between the preface and plot of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.
The nineteenth statement of the preface reads, “Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril” (4), in description of the surface of a painting. This statement is certainly a vital aspect in the premise of the novel – Dorian Gray’s granted wish to remain youthful, while his portrait decays from old age and the indulgence in sinfulness, entwines his fate with that of the painting. This connection between Dorian Gray and the portrait is revealed in the final chapter of the story, in which he stabs the painting and their magical bond is severed; the painting returns to its original state while it’s former imperfections are transferred to Dorian Gray, who falls dead from plunging the knife into his “soul”. Dorian Gray becomes intimate with his portrait and entrusts it with his true identity, while he borrows the painting’s everlasting beauty with which he wishes to portray himself. Ultimately Dorian Gray suffers in his fate, from the lurking perils beneath the surface of his portrait.
While the previously quoted statement presents an argument consistent with that of the plot of the story, a similarly valid statement, of the same preface, presents the following incongruent argument: “Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming.” (3). The Picture of Dorian Gray defies this law – the magical nature of the relationship between the portrait and Dorian Gray dictates that all corruption is cast into the painting, while the beauty and charm of the art is bestowed on, and remains with, the character. Dorian Gray passionately detests his portrait. It reminds him of his own cruelty – of his evils; it reminds him of the actions, and thoughts, and memories of which no person wishes to be reminded. The portrait was painted by Dorian Gray’s closest friend, Basil Hallward; at its moment of creation, the painting was a beautiful work of art, which opened the eyes of the artist to the beauty and romance of life. Dorian Gray’s wish to retain his youthful looks granted him the inclusion of eternal charm. This possession of never-ending charm flatly defies the aforementioned statement, which ties corruption to the lack of charm. The significance of this inconsistency between the preface and plot of the novel is dependant on individual perception of the novel as a whole, and relies not on the author’s initial purpose.
The preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray is ambiguous and written in a manner in which its statements may be suggested of almost any circumstance. For instance some statements made by the preface defend the statements made by the plot of the story, while others conflict. An example of this phenomenon is the comparison between two subsequent statements made in the first half of the preface: “Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.” (3). As previously deconstructed, the first statement within this quote conflicts with the truths of the plot of the story. The second statement, however truly it may compliment the first, is derogatory of the outcome of the novel – Basil Hallward, the sympathetic artist who puts his heart and soul into his masterpiece portrait of Dorian Gray, is an appreciative connoisseur of the beauty of art. Basil Hallward could be said to have originally planted the seeds of Dorian Gray’s narcissism, as, inspired by his beauty, he introduces Dorian Gray to Lord Henry Wotton – the man whose ideals infect and smother Dorian Gray’s child-like purity. Basil Hallward discovers his own self in the creation of Dorian Gray’s portrait: “’his personality has suggested to me an entirely new manner in art, an entirely new mode of style. I see things differently, I think of them differently. I can now recreate life in a way that was hidden from me before.’” (13). He appreciates the beauty that is personified by Dorian Gray: “’The merely visible presence of this lad – […] ah! I wonder can you realize all that that means? Unconsciously he defines for me the lines of a fresh school, a school that is to have in it all the passion of the romantic spirit, all the perfection of the spirit that is Greek.’” (13). Contrary to the second statement of the preface quote in question, however, Basil Hallward is hopeless – he is betrayed by his art and his death is premature and tragic. This close-knit, contradictory phenomenon is intriguing in the least, and emphasizes both perspectives in equal measure.
The pattern of variance in philosophy between the two perspectives in the novel is overbearing; a substantial collection of the statements of the preface argues a position that is correlated with that within the story – an equally substantial collection argues the contrary. Extended examples, contrary to the plot of the novel, of the first, second and thirteenth statements, made by the preface, follow.
“The artist is the creator of beautiful things.” (3) – another falsehood in correlation to the perspective of the plot, in which the plot’s opposing stand is a dominant element in the conflict between preface and plot. The artist, Basil Hallward, as previously mentioned, is he who instigates the celebration of Dorian Gray’s physical charm. By this action, in addition to the creation of an aesthetically pleasing body of art, the artist is also he who is responsible for the abomination that his art finally becomes. It is the artist’s work that spurs the poisoning of Dorian Gray’s soul, and it is due to the artist that Dorian Gray falls prey to sinful behaviour and ultimate death. In this scenario of reality, the artist becomes the creator of a terrible manner of deformation, rather than beauty.
The second statement made by the preface, (“To reveal art and conceal the artist is art’s aim.” (3)), is flatly disproved within the first two pages of the story. The artist, in his inhibition to exhibit his painting, states, “’I know you will laugh at me, […] but I really can’t exhibit it. I have put too much of myself into it.’” (6).
Perhaps the artist, who finds beauty in beautiful things, is granted no hope, as a previous statement decreed, due to the following statement; “No artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style.” (3). Basil Hallward has a habit of defying all the laws subjected to him by the preface. Upon discovery of Dorian Gray’s terrible secret, Basil Hallward, with sympathy for his friend’s disposition, attempts to draw him from his wicked ways: “’It is never too late, Dorian. Let us kneel down and try if we cannot remember a prayer. Isn’t there a verse somewhere, “Though your sins be as scarlet, yet I will make them as white as snow”?’” (151). Basil Hallward sympathizes with his friend’s plight – his belief in beautiful things, his ethical standing, propels him to detangle the web of sin Dorian Gray has wound around his own soul.
The plethora of ideas propounded by Oscar Wilde, within the pages of his fantasy story, conflict with each other. The statements made by the preface are partially true in relation to, and in agreement with, the entirety of the novel. Perhaps, this thematic dissonance (a mismatch between the story of his own life and that of his plot) sprouts from a fictionalized account of his observations of events surrounding his life. Regardless of allusions to Wilde’s purpose, The Picture of Dorian Gray offers many questions to those who dare to question: “Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.” (4)
Work Cited
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Penguin Books Ltd, 2003.
Oops -- my bad. I can't edit posts in this forum.
I copied my essay directly from Microsoft Word and my indentations didn't copy, even though they were simply 10 blank spaces each. My italics also didn't come through, but that isn't important.
One thing I wasn't sure about was the punctuation after the page number references...I really have no idea what to do about that @________@ It seems really silly to end a quote with a period and follow it with a page number and another period -- it's like the page number is its own sentence! But at the same time without the punctuation the page number reference appears to be a part of the proceeding sentence!: CONFUSION!
I also have a tendency to use commas where they don't belong, but my biggest concern is that everything makes sense to someone who doesn't know the book, and that everything makes sense period.
Thanks
I copied my essay directly from Microsoft Word and my indentations didn't copy, even though they were simply 10 blank spaces each. My italics also didn't come through, but that isn't important.
One thing I wasn't sure about was the punctuation after the page number references...I really have no idea what to do about that @________@ It seems really silly to end a quote with a period and follow it with a page number and another period -- it's like the page number is its own sentence! But at the same time without the punctuation the page number reference appears to be a part of the proceeding sentence!: CONFUSION!
I also have a tendency to use commas where they don't belong, but my biggest concern is that everything makes sense to someone who doesn't know the book, and that everything makes sense period.
Thanks
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bigdirtyfoot
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bigdirtyfoot
- Sloppy
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- Location: NC
So you're saying that if my quote ends in a question mark, that the question mark should go after the page number? That's silly.
What about THIS monster of a quote? What would the styles you're following do with the period (if you're moving them around) encased in three sets of quotation marks, AND ends in a question mark???:
“’It is never too late, Dorian. Let us kneel down and try if we cannot remember a prayer. Isn’t there a verse somewhere, “Though your sins be as scarlet, yet I will make them as white as snow”?’” (151).
What about THIS monster of a quote? What would the styles you're following do with the period (if you're moving them around) encased in three sets of quotation marks, AND ends in a question mark???:
“’It is never too late, Dorian. Let us kneel down and try if we cannot remember a prayer. Isn’t there a verse somewhere, “Though your sins be as scarlet, yet I will make them as white as snow”?’” (151).
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bigdirtyfoot
- Sloppy
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- Joined: 22 Apr 2002 12:30
- Location: NC
Place the citation immediately after the quotation but before anypunctuation ending the clause or sentence. However, if thequotation ends with an exclamation point or a question mark, place that punctuation mark before the closing quotation mark, and then write the parenthetical citation followed by the punctuation that ends the clauseor sentence.
From http://www.mhhe.com/mayfieldpub/tsw/mla-cq.htm
Their example is:
Noting that gravitational and kinetic energies are no longer equal, Lightman asks, "Whyare [they] becoming unbalanced at this particular moment in cosmic time, just when Homosapiens happened to arrive?" (61).
For inner-quotations this site (http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/quotations.shtml) says:
If quotation marks appear within the text of a quotation that already has the usual double-quote marks [ “ ” ] around it (a quote-within-a-quote), set off that inner quotation with single-quote marks [ ‘ ’ ] . Such a quote-within-a-quote within an indented quotation is marked with double-quote marks.
So I would assume your quotation would be like:
Blah blah introduce the quote, “It is never too late, Dorian. Let us kneel down and try if we cannot remember a prayer. Isn’t there a verse somewhere, 'Though your sins be as scarlet, yet I will make them as white as snow?’” (151).
From http://www.mhhe.com/mayfieldpub/tsw/mla-cq.htm
Their example is:
Noting that gravitational and kinetic energies are no longer equal, Lightman asks, "Whyare [they] becoming unbalanced at this particular moment in cosmic time, just when Homosapiens happened to arrive?" (61).
For inner-quotations this site (http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/quotations.shtml) says:
If quotation marks appear within the text of a quotation that already has the usual double-quote marks [ “ ” ] around it (a quote-within-a-quote), set off that inner quotation with single-quote marks [ ‘ ’ ] . Such a quote-within-a-quote within an indented quotation is marked with double-quote marks.
So I would assume your quotation would be like:
Blah blah introduce the quote, “It is never too late, Dorian. Let us kneel down and try if we cannot remember a prayer. Isn’t there a verse somewhere, 'Though your sins be as scarlet, yet I will make them as white as snow?’” (151).
Well, no: The quotation-within-quotation is not a question -- the question mark is clearly after the first quotation mark. The style I was taught in all my classes places punctuation marks within the ending quotation mark. Placing the citation within the quotation marks would make the citation a part of the quotation, which it is not.
When you say "write the parenthetical citation followed by the punctuation that ends the clause or sentence.", do you refer to what I am doing in this sentence (continuing the punctuation of the sentence containing the quotation)?
Thank you for helping; you logic just isn't making sense to me
When you say "write the parenthetical citation followed by the punctuation that ends the clause or sentence.", do you refer to what I am doing in this sentence (continuing the punctuation of the sentence containing the quotation)?
Thank you for helping; you logic just isn't making sense to me
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bigdirtyfoot
- Sloppy
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- Joined: 22 Apr 2002 12:30
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What that means (by the way I copied that from that site) is that whatever comes at the end of the sentence (to close your sentence, not the quotation) is to be put following the parentheses citation. For example, like (6).
I just reread your quotation that you're using, and I'm kind of stumped. I see what you mean about the inner quotation not being a question, and the outer quotation being the question. (This reminds me of the different timing of events in Magic the Gathering for some odd reason)
Let's see, I think it's actually like this:
“It is never too late, Dorian. Let us kneel down and try if we cannot remember a prayer. Isn’t there a verse somewhere, 'Though your sins be as scarlet, yet I will make them as white as snow’?” (151).
The thing you've got to remember is that the inner quotation isn't surrounded by quotation marks, but by apostrophes that act as quotation marks. Or at least, that would make this sentence make more sense to me:
I don't know, this is pretty confusing, but I'm pretty sure everything I typed is correct. Hope this helps somehow!
I just reread your quotation that you're using, and I'm kind of stumped. I see what you mean about the inner quotation not being a question, and the outer quotation being the question. (This reminds me of the different timing of events in Magic the Gathering for some odd reason)
Let's see, I think it's actually like this:
“It is never too late, Dorian. Let us kneel down and try if we cannot remember a prayer. Isn’t there a verse somewhere, 'Though your sins be as scarlet, yet I will make them as white as snow’?” (151).
The thing you've got to remember is that the inner quotation isn't surrounded by quotation marks, but by apostrophes that act as quotation marks. Or at least, that would make this sentence make more sense to me:
So... all I'm saying in my statement above is that the question mark is clearly after the second apostrophe (the one that closes the inner quotation).Erik Chan wrote:Well, no: The quotation-within-quotation is not a question -- the question mark is clearly after the first quotation mark.
Definitely, the punctuation marks in normal sentences are within the ending quotation mark. However, in a citation, these rules become altered and in some cases the punctuation mark will come at the end of the sentence (periods, commas, unfinished sentences, etc.) as a period to close your sentence. But yeah, the citation doesn't go within the quotation marks. Definitely not. I didn't think I had done that?Erik Chan wrote:The style I was taught in all my classes places punctuation marks within the ending quotation mark. Placing the citation within the quotation marks would make the citation a part of the quotation, which it is not.
I don't know, this is pretty confusing, but I'm pretty sure everything I typed is correct. Hope this helps somehow!
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bigdirtyfoot
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I just wanted to clarify that the only times a punctuation will come before the ending quotation mark in a citation are if you're using an exclamation point or a question mark. So all other times, you will leave the phrase blank and the phrase will be "closed" by the closing quotation mark, followed by the citation and a period.
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bigdirtyfoot
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Art and Reality
An essay on J.M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World
John Millington Synge’s three-act play, The Playboy of the Western World, is a romanticized, comic presentation of peasant life in western Ireland. In this play, Synge suggests the importance of art and dreams, in relation to the congested realities of life; the artful elements of unreality in the play result in the comic, and in the success of the hero of the story, Christy Mahon. These elements define the originality of Synge’s vision and thusly create an inviting pretext. The aesthetic liberties adopted by the author instil in the play a greater sense of true, engrossed reality than that of the common perspective of the lifestyles of the people of Mayo, Ireland. Though laughable and conspicuously romantic, the manner in which Synge punctuates his Mayo and its inhabitants arguably evokes more truth than if the play was absent of the comedic altogether. Synge’s romantic, comic perspective of western Ireland expresses reality truer than reality itself.
The Playboy of the Western World is highly romanticized through such aspects as the overall optimism of the common Mayo peasant; the comedy of the thematic slaying of Old Mahon; the Mayo people’s instant adoring acceptance, and protection, of a foreign criminal; as well as the ambiguous metaphorical allusions to other significant classical fictitious and historical figures and their contexts (such as Christ, Odysseus, and Oedipus). Popular patriotic criticism renounced Synge’s play as a mockery of Irish nationalism; Synge’s intent, more realistically, was to convey a true, human portrayal of the contentment, and joy of life, possessed by the impoverished peasantry of western Ireland, regardless of their impoverishment. The manner in which Synge portrays his Mayo is a combination of, and therein confliction between, romanticism, in artistic interpretation of the people of Mayo, and Irish nationalism, in his devotion to detail regarding the western Irish culture. Through his overly romanticized depiction of Mayo, and its inhabitants, Synge presents a story that is believable and real in its humanity.
The comedy of The Playboy of the Western World is crystallized as a result of the romantic perspective produced by Synge, yet is also found in the mundanity of every day life; this aspect of the comic in mundane life accentuates the aforementioned comedy of romanticizing the already comic. The play on mundanity furthermore suggests, in addition to the comic elements of the story, a certain level of earnestness of Synge’s creative intentions; The Playboy of the Western World is a comedy, yet contains real human solemnity. The people of Mayo are trapped by their poverty and monotonous dispositions in life – they desire a poetic hero to enchant their lives with vigour, and true loyalty for their withering culture. Christy Mahon fits the hero’s mould absolutely. Literally fleeing from his past does not separate Christy from that which he aims to abandon – he is unable to physically escape, as his past chases him to Mayo. His aspiration to break free from his oppressed lifestyle is what ultimately transforms him into the character that inspires dreams, and simultaneously the acceptance of reality, in others. Inspired by the criticism and desire of his newly found peers, Christy fuels his aspirations, becoming the individual he demands of himself, as well as the poetic hero desired by the people of Mayo. It is Christy’s ability to dream that enables him to steadily progress in life, and achieve his goals.
In addition to Christy’s means of self-propulsion (dreaming), are the aforementioned allusions to uncannily similar figures of the past. Connections are made between Christy and the story of Odysseus; Christy is a weary traveller who is saved and sheltered by Pageen Mike, as Odysseus was saved from destitution, in the land of the Phaeacians, by Princess Nausicaa. Likewise, Widow Quin can be viewed in a similar fashion as the sorceress Circe, who enchanted men for ill purpose. A connection is also made between Christy and Oedipus, who similarly killed his father and departed to save a foreign city. There is a further connection between Christy and Widow Casey, which is similar to the sexual relationship of Oedipus and his mother, Jocasta; Widow Casey represents a mother figure to Christy, who is offered as a bride by his overbearing father. The most prominent of these metaphorical allusions, however, is that of the association of Christy with the figure of Christ. The similarity is introduced immediately, through the obvious variation on the name. The names Christy and Mahon can be interpreted respectively as Christ and man, which allude to Christy’s inner conflict between art and life – the life of mankind – as well as the interaction between Christy as the poetic hero and the mundane people of Mayo. The introduction of Christy in the play, as a downtrodden figure emerging from a ditch is reminiscent of Christ’s portrayal of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Similar as the allusion of Pageen Mike’s impersonation of the Princess Nausicaa, Pageen Mike also represents the Good Samaritan of this parable by nursing Christy to returned health. Subsequent associations between Christy and Christ are found in Christy’s riding of the mule; the allusion of Shawn as Judas Iscariot and Christy as the lord of Mayo; even in Christy’s mockery by the people of Mayo at the site of his near-execution, similar of the rebuke of Christ at the crucifixion. These adaptable similarities strengthen the romantic context in which Synge presents his characters and their environment. The connection of Christy with the figure of Christ brings to reality the strength of Christy’s character as the ultimate poetic hero. The association with multiple examples of romantic literature imbue the play with a greater sense of, and inclination towards, a romantic context. This romanticized outlook not only strengthens the circumstantiality of the play, but communicates a reality that is more genuinely human-natured than otherwise communicated.
The comedy of The Playboy of the Western World is intensified by romanticized reality, in the similarities with other significant works of literature of the past; Old Mahon’s thematic death; and Christy’s development as an artistic individual, and of his poetic influence over others – even god: ‘“It's little you'll think if my love's a poacher's, or an earl's itself, when you'll feel my two hands stretched around you, and I squeezing kisses on your puckered lips, till I'd feel a kind of pity for the Lord God is all ages sitting lonesome in his golden chair.”’ (108). This romantic approach to life is a manner in which life itself is better represented; the comedy propounded via this romance is only an exaggeration of reality, therefore the comedy is ultimately conceived by the foundations of the nature of human life. Likewise, as the play alludes, it is important to mock life in order that one may truly understand and appreciate its beauty. Life bereft of romance, art and dreams is nothing more than an obstruction in the course of death. By this philosophy Synge parodies life, extracting the comical from reality in order to make light of, and simultaneously emphasize, life itself. Synge uses the weaknesses and tragedies of humanity as an asset in the construction of his comedy. He evokes immense irony in the success and development of the weak, frightened and incpable Christy who becomes the hero of the town. Synge also promotes the value of dreams and the real success that results in the pursuit of them.
It is important to realize the difference between art and life; one cannot expect to commit murder and be hailed with praise and admiration. It is important to first both understand art independently and life independently, and then to understand their connection and their complementation of each other. To commit murder is ethically wrong, as a fact of life, but to understand that death is merely the absence of life is to enlighten the soul to better understand life itself. Throughout The Playboy of the Western World, Christy repetitively attempts to kill his father, Old Mahon. If Christy were not to develop as an artist over the course of the story, his father’s death would not be comic, as Christy would not adjust romantically to understand and expose the comic relief of the scene. In the final act of the play, Christy is in fact finally confronted with the reality of the punishment of his crime; it can be argued that this is due to his complete development as an artist prior to this moment. Old Mahon emerges and when he realizes that Christy has become an individual of artistic vision the solemnity of the scene is broken and Christy’s victory over life is celebrated. It is the recognition and embracing of art in life that is celebrated subliminally in Synge’s play. Art is the essence of life and life is the essence of art – one cannot exist without the other; as life lends all to art, which is barren beyond life, art provides barren life with flavour, which comes of life: Art expresses reality truer than reality itself.
Comments and Criticism? It's due tomorrow, so anytthing will help! I felt really unsure of my conclusion -- I was just really eager to finish this, so any help there would probably help the most! Thanks!!!
An essay on J.M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World
John Millington Synge’s three-act play, The Playboy of the Western World, is a romanticized, comic presentation of peasant life in western Ireland. In this play, Synge suggests the importance of art and dreams, in relation to the congested realities of life; the artful elements of unreality in the play result in the comic, and in the success of the hero of the story, Christy Mahon. These elements define the originality of Synge’s vision and thusly create an inviting pretext. The aesthetic liberties adopted by the author instil in the play a greater sense of true, engrossed reality than that of the common perspective of the lifestyles of the people of Mayo, Ireland. Though laughable and conspicuously romantic, the manner in which Synge punctuates his Mayo and its inhabitants arguably evokes more truth than if the play was absent of the comedic altogether. Synge’s romantic, comic perspective of western Ireland expresses reality truer than reality itself.
The Playboy of the Western World is highly romanticized through such aspects as the overall optimism of the common Mayo peasant; the comedy of the thematic slaying of Old Mahon; the Mayo people’s instant adoring acceptance, and protection, of a foreign criminal; as well as the ambiguous metaphorical allusions to other significant classical fictitious and historical figures and their contexts (such as Christ, Odysseus, and Oedipus). Popular patriotic criticism renounced Synge’s play as a mockery of Irish nationalism; Synge’s intent, more realistically, was to convey a true, human portrayal of the contentment, and joy of life, possessed by the impoverished peasantry of western Ireland, regardless of their impoverishment. The manner in which Synge portrays his Mayo is a combination of, and therein confliction between, romanticism, in artistic interpretation of the people of Mayo, and Irish nationalism, in his devotion to detail regarding the western Irish culture. Through his overly romanticized depiction of Mayo, and its inhabitants, Synge presents a story that is believable and real in its humanity.
The comedy of The Playboy of the Western World is crystallized as a result of the romantic perspective produced by Synge, yet is also found in the mundanity of every day life; this aspect of the comic in mundane life accentuates the aforementioned comedy of romanticizing the already comic. The play on mundanity furthermore suggests, in addition to the comic elements of the story, a certain level of earnestness of Synge’s creative intentions; The Playboy of the Western World is a comedy, yet contains real human solemnity. The people of Mayo are trapped by their poverty and monotonous dispositions in life – they desire a poetic hero to enchant their lives with vigour, and true loyalty for their withering culture. Christy Mahon fits the hero’s mould absolutely. Literally fleeing from his past does not separate Christy from that which he aims to abandon – he is unable to physically escape, as his past chases him to Mayo. His aspiration to break free from his oppressed lifestyle is what ultimately transforms him into the character that inspires dreams, and simultaneously the acceptance of reality, in others. Inspired by the criticism and desire of his newly found peers, Christy fuels his aspirations, becoming the individual he demands of himself, as well as the poetic hero desired by the people of Mayo. It is Christy’s ability to dream that enables him to steadily progress in life, and achieve his goals.
In addition to Christy’s means of self-propulsion (dreaming), are the aforementioned allusions to uncannily similar figures of the past. Connections are made between Christy and the story of Odysseus; Christy is a weary traveller who is saved and sheltered by Pageen Mike, as Odysseus was saved from destitution, in the land of the Phaeacians, by Princess Nausicaa. Likewise, Widow Quin can be viewed in a similar fashion as the sorceress Circe, who enchanted men for ill purpose. A connection is also made between Christy and Oedipus, who similarly killed his father and departed to save a foreign city. There is a further connection between Christy and Widow Casey, which is similar to the sexual relationship of Oedipus and his mother, Jocasta; Widow Casey represents a mother figure to Christy, who is offered as a bride by his overbearing father. The most prominent of these metaphorical allusions, however, is that of the association of Christy with the figure of Christ. The similarity is introduced immediately, through the obvious variation on the name. The names Christy and Mahon can be interpreted respectively as Christ and man, which allude to Christy’s inner conflict between art and life – the life of mankind – as well as the interaction between Christy as the poetic hero and the mundane people of Mayo. The introduction of Christy in the play, as a downtrodden figure emerging from a ditch is reminiscent of Christ’s portrayal of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Similar as the allusion of Pageen Mike’s impersonation of the Princess Nausicaa, Pageen Mike also represents the Good Samaritan of this parable by nursing Christy to returned health. Subsequent associations between Christy and Christ are found in Christy’s riding of the mule; the allusion of Shawn as Judas Iscariot and Christy as the lord of Mayo; even in Christy’s mockery by the people of Mayo at the site of his near-execution, similar of the rebuke of Christ at the crucifixion. These adaptable similarities strengthen the romantic context in which Synge presents his characters and their environment. The connection of Christy with the figure of Christ brings to reality the strength of Christy’s character as the ultimate poetic hero. The association with multiple examples of romantic literature imbue the play with a greater sense of, and inclination towards, a romantic context. This romanticized outlook not only strengthens the circumstantiality of the play, but communicates a reality that is more genuinely human-natured than otherwise communicated.
The comedy of The Playboy of the Western World is intensified by romanticized reality, in the similarities with other significant works of literature of the past; Old Mahon’s thematic death; and Christy’s development as an artistic individual, and of his poetic influence over others – even god: ‘“It's little you'll think if my love's a poacher's, or an earl's itself, when you'll feel my two hands stretched around you, and I squeezing kisses on your puckered lips, till I'd feel a kind of pity for the Lord God is all ages sitting lonesome in his golden chair.”’ (108). This romantic approach to life is a manner in which life itself is better represented; the comedy propounded via this romance is only an exaggeration of reality, therefore the comedy is ultimately conceived by the foundations of the nature of human life. Likewise, as the play alludes, it is important to mock life in order that one may truly understand and appreciate its beauty. Life bereft of romance, art and dreams is nothing more than an obstruction in the course of death. By this philosophy Synge parodies life, extracting the comical from reality in order to make light of, and simultaneously emphasize, life itself. Synge uses the weaknesses and tragedies of humanity as an asset in the construction of his comedy. He evokes immense irony in the success and development of the weak, frightened and incpable Christy who becomes the hero of the town. Synge also promotes the value of dreams and the real success that results in the pursuit of them.
It is important to realize the difference between art and life; one cannot expect to commit murder and be hailed with praise and admiration. It is important to first both understand art independently and life independently, and then to understand their connection and their complementation of each other. To commit murder is ethically wrong, as a fact of life, but to understand that death is merely the absence of life is to enlighten the soul to better understand life itself. Throughout The Playboy of the Western World, Christy repetitively attempts to kill his father, Old Mahon. If Christy were not to develop as an artist over the course of the story, his father’s death would not be comic, as Christy would not adjust romantically to understand and expose the comic relief of the scene. In the final act of the play, Christy is in fact finally confronted with the reality of the punishment of his crime; it can be argued that this is due to his complete development as an artist prior to this moment. Old Mahon emerges and when he realizes that Christy has become an individual of artistic vision the solemnity of the scene is broken and Christy’s victory over life is celebrated. It is the recognition and embracing of art in life that is celebrated subliminally in Synge’s play. Art is the essence of life and life is the essence of art – one cannot exist without the other; as life lends all to art, which is barren beyond life, art provides barren life with flavour, which comes of life: Art expresses reality truer than reality itself.
Comments and Criticism? It's due tomorrow, so anytthing will help! I felt really unsure of my conclusion -- I was just really eager to finish this, so any help there would probably help the most! Thanks!!!