CHARACTERS / · Frederic Henry
· Catherine Barkley
· Rinaldi
· The Priest
· Count Greffi
· Helen Ferguson
· Emilio
· Passini
· Piani
· Aymo
· Bonello
· Miss Gage
· Miss Van Campen / · Lewis
· Nick
· Henry
· Zac
· Lucy
· Doug
· Roy
· Justin
· Cherry
· Ruth
· Julie
KEY THEMES / · The brutality of war
· Male Camaraderie/ Companionship/ Fraternity/ Friendship/ Bonds
· Fantasy and Reality
· Love
· Loss/Grief/Death
· Faith
· Roles of Men and Women / · Love and Loyalty
· Madness/Mental illness
· Reality and Illusion
· Theatre as art
· Attitudes of mainstream society
· Development of Lewis
· Normality
· Roles of Men and Women
LITERARY TECHNIQUES / · Symbolism – rain, mud, Catherine’s hair, riding stick, the bat,
· Foreshadowing
· Sensory Language – graphic brutality – particularly when describing war
· Simile
· Juxtaposition of landscape/nature with war
· First person narration - unreliable
· Journalistic writing style – detached, matter-of-fact, realistic reporting of events demonstrate the inability to process and emotionally engage in the reality of war / · Stage directions/ setting
· Dialogue / conversation/ monologue
· Colloquial language
· Symbolism – darkness
· Irony – ‘Old’
· Comedy – Black humour
· Epic Theatre (Brecht)
EXAM TEXT RESPONSE PLANNING:
- Understand the question and key words
- Develop your overall position on the question
- Plan – topic sentences for each intended paragraph
- A good paragraph is DETAILED. Lengthy, expands on ideas and uses 3-5 short quotes to make a point
- Consider the opposing or an alternative point of view
A Farewell to Arms:
Mateship:
“great friend”
“war brother’
“baby”
“The priest was good but dull. The officers were not good but dull”
“there are much worse wounded than me”
“I would never see him now. I would never see any of them now. That life was over”
CONTENTIONS:
· Frederic Henry forms strong relationships with his fellow soldiers however, once he decides to leave the army, he is able to forget these relatively easily.
· The soldiers form a strong bond as a means of survival however, these are essentially superficial connections.
· Hemingway admits that there is a strong camaraderie amongst the soldiers, however, he suggests that this is largely the result of the environment in which they find themselves.
· It is the war that allows the men to form stronger relationships with each other.
BLOCK PARAGRAPH
It is their shared experience and need to survive that allows Frederic Henry and his fellow soldiers to connect with each other. Facing a war that seems void of any sense of humanity, where men are simply “blown to bits”, these men try to bring some sense of meaning and purpose to their lives by supporting and consoling each other. The men on the Italian battlefront of World War One see such destruction and loss of life, that when they are together off duty, they encourage one another to live to excess. These men have ‘beautiful adventures’, drinking and whoring in an attempt to forget the atrocities they have witnessed. Frederic Henry and his ‘war brothers’ assist each other in their need to survive by teasing and taunting one another. Their shameless baiting of the only ‘honourable’ man in their group, the Priest, shows the superficial perspectives the men have on life. They realise that every day they face death and as a result, their only concern is to enjoy the time they have. In this way, the men support each other, connected by the sense of danger and mortality they face daily.
Cosi:
Lewis’ development:
CONTENTIONS:
· Lewis is the true radical as he comes to challenge society’s views when it comes to the treatment and understanding of mental patients
· Lewis begins the play as a hesitant and naïve individual who lacks confidence and conviction
The character of Lewis Riley epitomises Nowra’s belief that mental patients deserve more sensitive consideration from society as a whole. The patients are presented as people who have been abandoned by society, institutionalised in a place that remains entirely separate from the outside world. Just like the asylum which has been built on discarded government property, the patients too have been discarded by society. They remain not only physically separated from the outside world, but also are denied knowledge of the realities that are occurring within it. Cherry demonstrates the ignorance of the patients, surprised to learn that there is a war raging, claiming that ‘no one tells [them] anything’. Lewis challenges this attitude of society, coming instead to appreciate the stories and lessons the patients have to offer. Initially, he too is judgemental of the patients, fearful that they may ‘go berserk’ while he is directing the play. Nowra comes to show that the real ignorance lies in this way of seeing the patients. While initially he wishes he could ‘just say no’, as he spends more time with the patients and hears their stories, he realises what they are capable of and chooses them over the moratorium that he had once counted to be important. When Lucy tells Lewis ‘you’ve changed’, she intends for this to be a negative comment however, the audience sees Lewis as a more sensitive and aware individual who is more seriously concerned for the welfare of others than his self-proclaimed justice-seeking friends, Lucy and Nick.
FINAL TIPS:
· Every time you refer to the title of the text, ensure that you underline it to identify it correctly.
· Know how to spell the full title as well as the author’s name correctly.
· Check your spelling, especially of common words (their, there and they’re!!)
· Just get started!!! Use the structure to organise what is expected of you to include in each paragraph, from introduction to conclusion!