How have writers used narrative voice and/or characterization to explore a social or intellectual concern in the two works you have studied?
- both major barbara and the outsider make an argument about society.
- Shaw states that the real power lies in the hands of the people who control the money (that is the business owners for example)
- Shaw also states that organisations such as the salvation army are in fact not helping the poor at all. All they are doing is trading prayer for food and hence obtaining the gap between the rich and the poor.
-Camus on the other hand also introduces an argument about society however he focuses on the ways in which society can be blind sometimes, in the way that we perceive others.
Whereas Shaw uses characterisation to convey his opinion, Camus uses narrative.
Whereas Shaw
*INTRODUCTION* ------
1.You have to start with a hook (something that grabs the readers attention)
2. Introduce what you are talking about
3. The thesis statement
4. State what the idea is. What is the message? (move from the generals to the particulars)
5. What is used to transmit the message/idea
6. Link to first body Paragraph (
PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE-
x proves this point.
He does it by so and so.
"Quote"
What does the quote show/mean. Why is this effective? How does it work towards establishing an argument about society.
PARAGRAPH 1- Major Barbara.
Shaw states that the only way to help the poor is through commerce rather than organisations such as the salvation army.
-> CUSINS. Then the way of life lies through the factory of death?
BARBARA. Yes,
PARAGRAPH 2- Shaw claims society and all the power lies in the hands of the people who have the money. Rather than the government.
-> Turning our backs on Bodger and Undershaft is turning our backs on life.
-> Undershaft and Bodger: their hands stretch everywhere: when we feed a starving fellow creature, it is with their bread, because there is no other bread;
PARAGRAOH 3- Camus portrays how closed minded and enclosed (follows the rules even though they're not sure why) society is through viewing it from the perspective of a mentally challenged character.
PARAGRAPH 4- Establishes an argument of how there are pre engraved values of what society perceives as normal and not (immoral). Howe we are completely devoted to these standards even though we do not realise that these standards are in reality only beliefs which could always be different or wrong.
*CONCLUSION*
Major barbara establishes an argument about society through characterisation whereas The outside (Camus) does so through narrative.
How have writers used narrative voice and/or characterisation to explore a social or intellectual concern in the two works you have studied?
INTRODUCTION
Shaws main argument in his play Major Barbara is one of poverty versus wealth. Or rather the exploration of what is the right or the ‘moral’ way to solve poverty. Clearly the writer stands by using commerce in order to employ people and help them raise their own quality of life. Therefore he establishes a question and argues his point all throughout the discussion that is his play, Major Barbara. He does so through characterisation, mainly of Barbara who has strong beliefs which are throughout the play, manipulated by her father and mostly, Cousins. ”CUSINS. Then the way of life lies through the factory of death? BARBARA. Yes” Her unwillingness and stubborn character that was very much against the idea of wealth and commerce is slowly manipulated until finally she sees how providing people with jobs (whether they are immoral or not) can be and is beneficial for all individuals. Hence when she experiences a change in opinion the play ends as Shaw has proven his point. He closes his whole argument through the evolution of a character and therefore relies heavily on characterisation to make his point. The change of opinion within Barbara is the core to the play and the primary way in how Shaw explores the theme of wealth vs poverty.
Another primary point Shaw establishes within his play is that in fact all power does not lay in the hands of the government but the hands of the ones which behold the money. With this he relies heavily on characterisation however he establishes this point through Undershaft as well a Barbara. He establishes his point in the midst of act 2 where Undershaft and Bodger agree to buy out the Salvation army. By doing so shows the real power which they hold and how they can, not only, influence the poor but those who do not want to listen to them as well. Which is Barbara, ultimately Undershaft forces Barbara to join him by firstly taking her job (with his money) and later on taking her boyfriend as well (as Cousins takes over his business for the sake of money). It is one of the key points that unveils the argument. In other words Barbara represents the government in this case as she is a ‘man of the people’ and a ‘saviour of souls’ who wants best for the population however her power is overthrown by people with money. Ultimately this is how Shaw establishes yet another important argument in the play.
In the contrary, as we have studied L’Etranger (The Outsider) a work by Albert Camus which speaks to the social concerns in society by writing the novella through the perspective of a mentally challenged individual. His focus on narrative has a powerful effect as the reader delves into a completely different style f thought.
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