David Lodge’s novel Small World is a campus novel. Campus novels are located in the university environment, and usually the main characters are university teachers and students, generally “university people”. Also the themes of campus novels are clearly linked to university life, studying, and the hierarchy in the university. Campus novels are usually also very comic and there is a lot of satire in the stories. Very often the fact that the characters are academic people is highlighted in campus novels.
In this essay I am going to analyze the second of the two extracts of Small World, which were studied in class. This extract takes place in the summertime, right after the end of the school year, which in a sense deviates from the general setting of a
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In the first place, the whole enthusiastic attitude of the narrator makes the story a bit comic, because the narrator seems like a small kid, even though he is a serious, academic person. There are also many comic scenes in the story.
The socio-cultural perspective is also an important thing in campus novels. In this extract it can be seen that the university people, especially the teachers, have their own little world. This can be seen from for example the way how the characters speak to each other. There is also some references to things that might be some “inside” things to university people.
There might be many purposes to these choices. In a way this extract is quite a traditional campus novel story, but as mentioned it lacks some of the key features (students, hierarchy). The reason for this might be that the writer has wanted to give a different viewpoint to the university life, by placing the story outside the actual university campus. In this extract the characters are adults, and there is no teenagers seen. The reason for this might be that then the story might appear as more interesting to adult readers, and university
In this analysis includes a summary of the characters and the issues they are dealing with, as well as concepts that are seen that we have discussed in class. Such as stereotyping and the lack of discrimination and prejudice, then finally I suggest a few actions that can be taken to help solve the issues at hand, allowing the involved parties to explain their positions and give them a few immersion opportunities to experience their individual cultures.
The book can be used as a metaphor for education as a whole. For example, Kate can represent modern institutions and companies. Due to education inflation and credentialism, all they look at is your educational experience and what knowledge you have. This can be applied to Kate as she originally believed your educational background will represent your success in life. In comparison to this, you have Kate’s family, who can relate to students in society. Kate’s family understands that there is more to life than education and knowledge. The same applies to students, who argue there is more to people than their education and years in
This extract emphasises the lonely, outworld feeling that would have been felt living in such settings. This puts into perspective the feeling that will be felt during the coarse of the plot development.
hooks, bell. "Keeping Close to Home: Class and Education." The Presence of Others. 2nd ed. Andrea Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. 85-95.
The composer has aimed this text for general reading by all people over the age of ten. However as this publication is the young reader’s edition, it is targeted at young readers. People who may wish to read the book may be able to attain it through mediums such as book stores and libraries etc. Although this publication of the novel is the young reader’s edition, there is a publication aimed at adults.
Salvador Late or Early and No Speak English are two fascinating short stories written by the same author; Sandra Cisneros. Each story explores the different ways Sandra use to demonstrate conflict. One of her more famous developments of conflicts is her vivid description of setting. By her use of subtle hints during the description of the setting, Sandra Cisneros is able to foreshadow future events with the diction she chooses. Therefore, Sandra Cisneros develops the conflict of Salvador Late or Early and No Speak English through the use of advanced diction and foreshadowing in the description of each short stories’ settings. Simply because of Sandra Cisneros’ diction choice through the setting description does it allow the audience to fully understand where and when the short story is taking place.
The first and most evident example of alienation and isolation in the novel is Len...
This section shows how characters are emotionally isolated which is an element of gothic literature. Not only do the people around the protagonist choose to isolate themselves, but he partakes in it too, as he judges them for their own lack of social behavior. The fact that there is a great amount of opportunity to do so also reinforces how far they have brought their minds into seclusion.
The discussion of children and school also gives well meaning of an organized and well-balanced village the people have put together, one the average parent would want their children raised in. “They tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play, and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands (p.445).” The thought of children playing also illustrates of a positive outlook for the rest of the story, a sense of happiness.
First of all, the book follows the themes of isolation, innocence, and corrupted maturity through the setting. In
In the first sentences of this essay, it is easy to relate to Graff’s words. Immediately, he engages readers in the topic and begins to establish his pathos. By using the phrase “Everyone knows some young person”, Graff relates to a common identity and appeals to his readers emotions. This broad generalization expands the author’s audience by automatically including all of his readers. It is Graff’s opinion that “schools and colleges might be at fau...
In David Malouf’s novel An Imaginary Life, one of the most prevalent influences on the characters’ lives is the particular environment in which they are placed. Malouf explores the issues of the interrelationship between man and his natural environment, and the impact that changes in environment have on human personality. Through the characterisation of Ovid and the Boy, the effects of setting and physical surroundings are fully explored, and consequently issues such as isolation, conformity to society and the development of culture, including education and language, are discussed.
To emphasize the importance of the process of a university education Ciardi explains to the audience through rhetorical questions how a university education can help you in your civilization and substation of morals that have been set in place by previous generations. For an example Ciardi uses democratic and how it’s learned to demonstrate to the audience how your education isn't just meant to help you professionally, but in addition, in your personal life while at home with your family “But having finished the day’s work, what do you do with those other eight hours [while at home]…What sort of family will you be raising?” is a direct indication to the audience the point Ciardi is making. He wants the audience to think about future generations and how current morals will be carried on through them. Ciardi is expressing to the audience how a university education helps to make those eight hours of your life (that isn’t working or sleeping) significant and noteworthy by taking the time while you’re at a university completing your degree to actually read the books assigned because they will one day have great