Revision
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What would your line of argument be?
Include both texts
Anchor them both to genre
Make a clear statement answering the question
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Pride and Prejudice is a romance so our interest as a reader follows
the fortunes of those seeking love - structurally we expect a
romance to conclude with marriage. However, as this is also a satire
and comedy of manners, courtship and marriage is often more a
vehicle for Austen’s attack on the follies of society. The Yellow
Wallpaper, in contrast, is not a romance and is not driven by a
narrative destined towards a wedding; instead it is a psychological
horror story exploring the unhappy feelings experienced due to the
restraints of marriage. Both Lizzie and the narrator in TYW both try
to challenge society’s expectations but where this ends happily in
P&P ‘Jane smiles, I laugh’ the narrator of YW has a far worse fate.
So whilst both writers focus on marriage, this is far more than just a
narrative outcome- but provides material for the social
commentary of each writer.
AO2 devices I will refer to?
Passages I will use?
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AO2 devices I will include: focaliser/ structure/ linear narrative
/ direct speech/ letter/ irony
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It is not the marriage of L and D which interests us so much as
Lizzie’s growth as a character and her changing attitude from
resistance to acceptance of marriage. Austen uses the
tripartite structure to reveal her focaliser’s development and
changing attitude
tripartite structure: first impressions/ revised impressions/
fixed and final impressions
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AO2 devices I will focus on?
Passages/quotes I will use?
AO2 devices I will include: characterisation/ focaliser / foil/ satire/
caricature/ direct speech / sub-plots/ social realism novel– themes of
money/dependency/ social decorum
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Our interest in marriage is heightened by the use of contrast
and foil where Austen offers a range of marriage models for
our consideration – inviting us to share Elizabeth’s scorn and
disapproval
Charlotte Lucas (convenience/ practicality/ use of EB as
focaliser to invite us to reject CL’s expectations)
Lydia (infatuation/ lust)
AO2 devices I will refer to?
Passages/quotes I will use?
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AO2 devices I will include: caricature/ direct speech/
satire/ fairy-tale/ narrative voice/
Mrs Bennet – satirised for her devotion to the act of
marrying off her daughters
Mr Collins – satirised for his assuming Lizzie’s
gratitude for his proposal
Moral to this novel – love should be the foundation
to a happy marriage (fairy tale element / Romantic
influence)
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AO2 devices I will refer to?
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Passages/quotes I will use?
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AO2 devices I will include: symbolism/ first person
narrative viewpoint/ limited direct speech/ unreliable
nvp/
Is character development evident in the narrator like
Lizzie?
Contrasting marriages and sub-plots used to explore
the nature of marriage?
Satire / humour used to comment on marriage?
Happy ending – moral?
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Marriage and the search for a husband is both catalyst and
end point for the narrative in Pride and Prejudice and
therefore has significant responsibility for engaging the
reader’s interest , however, it also serves a thematic and
satirical function acting as a vehicle for Austen to explore the
nature of marriage particularly the constraints placed upon a
woman at the time of writing. Marriage has less narrative
function in YW because it is not a romance but a
psychological thriller and character portrait – for CGP,
marriage is the oppressive force which triggers the
breakdown of the narrator. YWP’s first person nvp dramatises
the impact of marriage whereas P&P’s 3rd person nvp offers a
more intellectualised evaluation of marriage.