Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Question 2 of 3
2002, Form B. Often in literature, a character’s success in achieving goals depends on keeping a secret and divulging it only at the right moment, if at all. Choose a novel or play of literary merit that requires a character to keep a secret. In a well-organized essay, briefly explain the necessity for secrecy and how the character’s choice to reveal or keep the secret affects the plot and contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. You may select a work from the list below, or you may choose another work of recognized literary merit suitable to the topic. Do NOT write about a short story, poem, or film.
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This question lends itself to Crime and Punishment. Raskolnikov has to keep the secret of his double homicide. As he keeps the secret he suffers, showing how guilt provides a strong punishment. His choosing to keep the secret creates a detective story of this book. When he eventually chooses to reveal his secret, the novel becomes a story of christian redemption. Because of Raskolnikov's secret, the novel is able to explore morality.
ReplyDeleteI also would respond with Crime and Punishment. I agree with what Simon says about the secret allowing the novel to explore morality. Throughout the novel there are many scenes where Raskolnikov is torn between confessing or not. Analyzing the times when he does confess shows the reader a deeper understanding to Raskolnikov's true intentions and his own morality. Specifically that he confesses to Sonya, a complete stranger, allows the transition of the book into (like Simon said) a story of christian redemption. Raskolnikov sees in Sonya hope and the faith that he can be saved which allows him to finally confess.
DeleteOthello
ReplyDeleteIago entire plot to undermine Othello requires Iago to keep the secret from Othello. Iago accomplices, such as Roderigo and Emilia are all kept from Iago's true ideas. Emilia realizes the truth, but it is too late to save Desdemona. Roderigo realizes that Iago just used him as a plot device. Othello's breaking point for when he accuses Desdemona of adultery is when he secretly overhears a conversation between Cassio and Desdemona. The idea of secrecy heavily advances the plot in this play, and acts as an overarching theme as Shakespeare's message to the audience/reader.
I would also use Othello. I agree with Walter's points about Iago's secrecy, but I think every character in the play has a certain degree of secrecy. All of the relationships ultimately break down because of a failure to communicate, whether it is Othello's suspicions, Desdemona's fears, or Emilia's discontentment with her life. Each character's secrecy plays a part in the eventual tragic ending.
DeleteHeart of Darkness
ReplyDeleteWhen Marlow visits The Incumbent at the conclusion of the novel, she asks him to recount Kurtz's last words. Marlow cannot bear to tell her that her finance said "The horror! The horror!" with his last breath, so he instead informs her that it was her name that he uttered. The fact that this secret is never revealed to her in some sense makes the entire plot irrelevant, for society will never understand the events preceding, nor benefit from what Kurtz and Marlow discovered. It does however contribute to the most integral theme of the text which is the distortion of truth, especially in the glorification of imperialism. It is arguably the ultimate "horror" of Heart of Darkness.
Oooops! Meant "Intended" rather than "Incumbent." Too many GOPO flashcards...
DeleteI would write about Mr. Rochester's secret in Jane Eyre. He doesn't want to tell Jane that he's married because...well the whole polygamy thing. Of course, he keeps the secret, but the revelation of it shapes the course of the novel, which seemed as though it were headed straight for a happy ending. It is this secret that derails Jane's journey towards finding love having come from being a poor orphan. In a sense, it's one of the major obstacles in Jane's journey.
ReplyDeleteAs I was scrolling through the four comments, I thought "no way, nobody chose Jane Eyre!" and then James came to the rescue. -_-
DeleteI, too, would write about Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester's hidden (and deranged) wife. It's necessary for him to keep Bertha a secret not only because of "the whole polygamy thing" but also because Rochester is hiding Bertha from himself. Despite that he's quite a "dark and stormy" fellow, I like to believe that he does have a conscience and therefore has to tuck Bertha away physically and also in his own head in order to court and then marry Jane. Of course, he doesn't willingly tell the secret - Bertha makes her presence known at Thornfield by burning the castle to the ground. While Rochester pays the price (loses a hand and, temporarily, his eyesight), the story ends on a positive note as Jane, Rochester, and Pilot live happily ever after.
Just like James and Michael, I would write about Jane Eyre. Mr. Rochester chooses to keep Bertha’s existence as a secret from Jane. It is necessary for him to keep this secret in order to maintain their relationship, as well as their imbalance of power. Bronte portrays Jane as a character who wants to keep her individuality in a society where women live to conform, and this requires her to stay as an equal in her relationship with Mr. Rochester. But whether he is her boss, or her husband, this secret allows him to still have greater power in their relationship, representing the constant struggle for equality. Jane’s determination to stay with her moral convictions throughout the discovery of the secret displays the heroic characteristics that Bronte wants to highlight.
DeleteOthello. The plot hinges on Iago's secrecy. Iago needs to be secretive with everyone: Othello, Desdemona,Roderigo, etc. His greatest plan is the fall of othello. He lies to his wife and uses the handkerchief to incriminate Cassio. His secrets are reveled to the characters at the end, but it is too late because Othello, Roderigo, Desdemona, and Emilia- all innocent people are already dead. The secrecy/deception helps Iago achive his goal of ruining Othello, he just does not plan on getting caught.
ReplyDeleteSome good suggestions here guys, but let's go back to the prompt- how the secret progresses the plot and contributes to the meaning of the text as a whole... isn't anyone seeing the obvious Power and the Glory or is it just me?
ReplyDeleteI would use Power and the Glory :) even though I thought of Othello first! The whiskey priest has to keep his identity a secret, which meant the difference between life and death, between freedom and entrapment. The priest only chooses to reveal his identity to people he trusts, to people he could pass on faith to. When the lieutenant did not know of the priest's identity, he was a "good man" to him. When the lieutenant knew, he could not look pass that one fact to see true goodness in the priest. The meaning of the book and the importance of faith is emphasized by the secret and the telling of it.
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