Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen

Characters
Mrs. Bennet/Mr. Bennet Lydia Kitty Mary Elizabeth Mr. Darcy Janestatic character, model of virtue GardinersThe source of wisdom and parental advice to the Bennet sisters. Mrs. Gardiner brings Jane to London after Mr. Bingley breaks contact with her. Mrs. Gardiner also advises both Lydia and Elizabeth to remain cautious of Wickham. Role: Mr. Gardiner is a merchant, putting him in a lower social class than those who had money and did not have to work. However, the Gardiners pleasant demeanor demonstrates that to Austen, some of the best trends break the bounds of social hierarchies. Colonel Fitzwilliam- A cousin of Mr. Darcy -- he is a companion to Elizabeth during her stay with the Collinses. Role: He tells Elizabeth that he must marry someone with a large fortune because he is the second son, the first case in the novel where a man's marriage choices are constrained by financial need. Georgiana Darcy Lady Catherine and Miss De BourghDarcys aunt and her daughter. Pompous. Role: Lady Catherine wants Darcy to marry Miss De Bourgh, and this knowledge forces Elizabeth to reflect on class roles for a bit. However, after seeing Miss De Bourgh and weak, unpleasant character, Elizabeth is no longer worried Miss Bingley + Mrs. HurstBingleys two sisters. Both are pompous and have no virtue. Miss Bingley constantly ridicules the poor manners of Elizabeths mother and sisters to try to destabilize the infatutation Darcy initially has with Elizabeth. She pretends to be a genuine friend to Jane but ridicules her behind her back. Charlotte LucasElizabeths close friend who marries Mr. Collins not because she is in love with him but because she views it as practical. Role: Acts as foil to Elizabeths views on marriage Mrs. Phillipsserves to spread gossip. Mrs. Bennets sister. Lives in Meryton. The Bennet sisters, particularly Lydia and Kitty, often visit her in order to socialize with the officers.

Themes
Pride and Prejudice As said in the words of Mary at the beginning of the novel, "human nature is particularly prone to [pride]. In the novel, pride is a major obstacle to achieving happiness because it prevents people from seeing the truth of a situation.

Familyfamily is primarily responsible for the moral and intellectual education of children. Due to Mr. and Mrs. Bennets failure, Lydia acts out and Kitty follows suit. Even when Elizabeth advises her father not to allow Lydia to go to Brighton, he ignores the advice because he thinks it would too difficult to deal with Lydia's complaining. The result is the scandal of Lydia's elopement with Wickham. GenderAusten is critical of gender issues. Ex: -The entailment of the Longbourn estate is an extreme hardship on the Bennet family -Charlottes need to marry someone -The novels beginning-- It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. ClassThe novel does not propose egalitarianism, but it criticizes the overemphasis on class . EX: -Darcys pride is rooted in his class consciousness -SATIRE: The relationship between Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine -In the end of the novel Elizabeth accepts class society, but likewise Darcy accepts that it is not an end in itself Individual and societySociety is heavily involved in the individual life. Society has a strong role to play in individual virtue. -Darcy believes it is his burden to expose Wickham -The scandal that erupts when Lydia elopes with Wickham

ArcadiaTom Stoppard
Characters
HannahAcademic, feminist research. She represents the voice of reason. Ex: -Resists Valentines idea of calling her his fianc -Scorns Gus flirtation/reacts passively/awkwardly to it -Rejects Bernards proposal that Lord Byron would have killed someone out of love Role: Hannahs inability to accept love shows her inability to know herself. Love sex plays an important role in human lifeit is the heat constantly agitating things. In the end, she accepts Gus proposal to dance, creating a dynamic change to her initial character. ThomasinaA genius clearly driven not only by academic pursuit (examples: the mathematic iterations, her statements about Cleopatra and the Alexandrian library), but also sexual knowledge. She asks Septimus what carnal embrace is. -She believes sex messes up the universe because it is completely random -When Thomasina and Septimus dance in the end, there is tension between the tutor/student role and the sexual tension between the two SeptimusThomasinas tutor not only in academics, but on all subjects, including carnal embrace. Septimus often takes things too literallyassuming Thomasinas rabbit equations are pictures of actual rabbits, not equations that devour its young. Role: Illustrates that cleverness will not only get you so far The tutor/pupil dynamic is often reversed. Thomasinas complex ideas surpass Septimus ability to understand, but he gives her an A grade on her essays about them initially dismissing them. Her ability to think outside the box is what gets her to such a genuine genius stage in the play. BernardDesires fame and recognition, which leads him to jump to conclusions (example: his theory that Lord Byron killed Mr. Chater in a love duel). His evidence is spotty (example: some of the letters he doesnt bring on stage, although one is clearly platonic) -Stoppards own criticism of academic eagerness -Biggest contribution: the discovery of the hermit to Hannah Ezra ChaterPoet who is published by Captain Brice only because Brice desires to seduce Chaters unfaithful wife. Chater lacks moral willafter hearing about Septimus and Mrs. Chater, he still forgives Septimus with enough flattery. Role: Demonstrates the tension between free will and fatewhile Ezra thinks he is Deciding whom to forgive and when, he is simply being manipulated by all the characters in the play Valentine Coverly-- Valentine is the voice of modern science in the play. As a mathematician, he explains to Hannah (and, by extension, to the audience) exactly what's going on with fractals and grouse and Thomasina's rabbit equations. Super interested in the march of knowledge. It's the best possible time to be alive, when almost everything you thought you knew is wrong Role: Valentines conflicting views of knowledge contrast his view of history with that of Bernards. Valentine views history as a collective accumulation of knowledge, with order

being largely irrelevant (Ex: Its like arguing who got to calculus first.it doesnt matter). This means that initially, he believes Thomasinas discoveries dont matter because they dont produce any knowledge but pave the way for it. However, he changes by the end of the play. ChloeHannahs counterpart, Chloe is interested in the sexual nature of things. Her relationship with Bernard. Richard Noakes: The gardener in charge of transforming Sidley Park from mass produced classical style to gothic Disneyland, he is the main agent for the descent of thinking into feeling. He is like a reality TV producer, trying to think out the authentic and genuine, and producing something sculpted and unnatural.

Themes
Emotional Knowledge vs. Intellectual Knowledgethe text explores the tension between the two and the ways that this tension can be resolved. Mystery of SexSex is what constantly tosses life into randomness. It casts knowledge into a dull and mundane light (Ex: When we have found all the mysteries and lost all the meaning, we will be alone, on an empty shore). It is where we looked when we have solved the academic mysteries in our life (ex: Hannah solves her academic mystery and turns to Gus and accepts his dance). The play ends with both Hannah and Gus and Thomasina and Septimus embracing the sexual nature of life. Path of KnowledgeIs the journey more important than the end product? Septimus tells Thomasina she should not be upset with the loss of the Alexandrian libraries because those discoveries will be had again

Candide (Satire Piece)

Characters
Candide Pangloss: Panglosss optimism that all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds is the main aim of Voltaires satire. The branches off into his satire of religion, where a powerful god creates the world and therefore the world must be good. Voltaires attitude -Optimism produces passivity (i.e. when Pangloss says not to save Jaques) -This theory is destroyed by tons of evidenceEx. Pangloss gets syphilis, dies multiple times, and yet maintains his optimistic attitude to the point where the reader cannot take his attitude seriously. Martin: Foil to Pangloss, and often the voice of Voltaire, Martin is much more realistic about the world and this allows him to make accurate predictions about the lives of other characters (ex. His predictions about the happiness of Paquette and Giroflee). However, he is overly pessimistic at times, failing to predict Cacambos actions, demonstrating the Voltaire prefers a flexible ideology over on that is polarized to either end of the extreme.

Themes
The Folly of Optimism(see Pangloss character description) Philosophy vs. EvidenceMany of the tragic events/catastrophes in the book result from blindly believing in principals based on their philosophical justifications instead of their rational evidence basis. (Ex. While Candide lies under rubble after the Lisbon earthquake, Pangloss ignores his requests for oil and wine and instead struggles to prove the causes of the earthquake) Hypocrisy of Religion Ex. The novel involves the encounter of a the daughter of a catholic pope (a man who should have been celibate). Various other religious leaders/men who steal, keep mistresses, and refuse to help unless people are willing to submit to them Corrupting Power of money ExCandides money makes him more unhappy, people try to steal from him, he tries To buy his way to getting Cunegonde

Frankenstein
Oh what a story to hear while the ice is thawing. opening line Walton serves as a foil to Victorchooses to steer back during his journey to the country where no man has travelled P. Krempe P. Waldman Caroline Elizabeth Cornelius Agrippa Henryclose friend of Victors WilliamVictors brother, murdered by the monster Justine--

Themes
Pursuit of KnowledgeDangerous Sublime and NatureNature often contributes to the mood of people, and serves as symbolic of the conflicts in the novel. Shelley was a romanticist writer who believed in the sublime. Beautiful scenery cheers up Victor after Justines execution for allegedly killing William. MonstrosityA deviation from the natural pervades the nove. The monsters physical appearance is far from that of a normal human being: he is eight feet tall and has yellow skin. However, his creation is also unnaturalconstructed from trying to work against nature. Victor himself isolates himself from natural tendencies by estranging himself and engaging in obsessive behaviors. Frames of Reference-- Language plays an enormous role in the monsters development. By hearing and watching the peasants, the monster learns to speak and read, which enables him to understand the manner of his creation, as described in Victors journal. He later leaves notes for Victor along the chase into the northern ice, inscribing words in trees and on rocks, turning nature itself into a writing surface. Birth EdenParadise Lost provides a backdrop for Frankensteins identity. He connects himself to Adam, but also to the devil. Victor worries that if he makes the monster a female mate, they will spawn a race of devils.