ESSAY PLAN by Ms Murr

All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss.

Synonyms

fame:

renown,celebrity,stardom,popularity,notability,note,distinction, prominence,esteem,importance, greatness, eminence, glory,stature, standing,reputation, repute

ambition:

aspiration,intention,goal,aim,objective,object,purpose,intent,plan, scheme,mission,calling,vocation,desire,wish,design,target,end,dream,
hope,
determination,desire,enterprise,initiative,eagerness,motivation,enthusiasm,zeal,commitment,a sense of purpose,longing,yearning,hankering
willing:
ready,prepared,disposed,inclined
giving up:
  • abandonstar
  • backdownstar
  • capitulatestar
  • cave instar
  • ceasestar
  • cedestar
  • collapsestar
  • complystar
  • concedestar
  • desiststar
  • foldstar
  • quitstar
  • relinquishstar
  • resignstar
  • stopstar
  • submitstar
  • surrenderstar
  • yieldstar
What is the command termand what is it asking you to do?
“Discuss” asks you to:
offer a considered and balanced review that include a range of arguments, factors or hypotheses. Opinions or conclusions should be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.
RESTATE THE ESSAY TOPIC – this may mean turning it into a question.
All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss.
eg. Are people prepared to do anything to achieve fame and fulfill their ambitions in All About Eve and if so, exactly what are they prepared to give up?
What is your contention?
CONTENTION: There are some characters in All About Eve who are driven by the prospect of stardom and the fulfilment of their desires, while others seem content to give up the spoils of the limelight in order to attain happiness.
PARA 1
MAIN IDEA - Eve and her sinister and unwavering lust for the spotlight – her trajectory as a character as demonstrated by Mankiewicz through
  • Wardrobe
  • Use of Film Noir Conventions
  • The ‘true’ Eve


PARA 2
MAIN IDEA - Addison and his ambition to remain essential to the theatre – as revealed by Mankiewics thorough his
  • Scathing observations
  • Power gained through his part as a critic
  • Disregard for relationships that embody truth
  • He preys on the young, the up and coming, the next big thing.
PARA 3
MAIN IDEA - marriage and the conventions of a happy relationship offer an alternative to fulfilment gained through the world of the theatre. As signified by characters like Karen and Margo.
  • Karen as “Happy little wife” – there is an ease and contentment about her in this role that undersmine the notion of happiness and fulfilment as a result of fame.
  • Margo gives up everything in order to seek a life of peace and contentment.
PARA 4 -
MAIN IDEA – What else? Through a feminist lens…..Mankiewicz suggests that for women at least, fame and ambition have a shelf life.
  • Margo’s options in the film are
continue working and playing the part of young women, unhappily and unrealistically; OR
become angry and aggressive and unaccepting of the above option and lose those closest to her; OR
accept her place as a woman who is fading in terms of youth, beauty and potency, only to define herself as a wife.
  • Not the case for the men in the film, who, despite their age, continue to chase greatness and esteem and continue on in their careers with a sense of purpose. Eg. Max Fabian, Adisson, Lloyd and Bill.