Identity On The Basis Of Gender And Social Conflicts

Society always determines the way we treat issues of gender and social conflicts. Throughout different times there have been studies on these two factors that always have an influence on the attitude placed on them. This proposal is going to discuss the issue of identity on the basis of gender and social conflicts.

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Looking at two novels from Jane Austen and Charles Dickens we can see that there was tension in the characters especially as they struggled hard to find their place in the society as well as family. These two novels show how the characters struggled to get and be acknowledged in society.

Charles' Dickens novel Great Expectation explores the character of Pip whereas Jane Austen's novel explores the character of Anne. Great Expectations has the effect of social class that affecte3d the protagonist, Pip and changed his character as seen at the end of the novel. It tells the story of rags to riches.

The events from the start of the novel to the end had a lot of influence on how the character had his identity moulded. On the other hand, Jane Austen's Persuasion tells us of the story of Anne, a young lady who also faces an identity crisis throughout the book.

As a woman, Anne is a burden to her family because she is still a spinster at the age of 28 and the family treats her badly. Her two older sister do not show her any sympathy whereas her own father does not care about her as he says she is not pretty enough.

These two books are very important to this proposal because they all discuss issues to do with identity. The two cases have shown how gender and social conflicts can influence identity on people. This shows that gender and social class can have big influences on a person's identity and can create a lot of changes in terms of identity.

The society frowned upon these people and did not have respect for them. Gender and social class were used to determine the worth of somebody in society and often used as tools of disillusioning someone. The two authors, though from two different eras complement each other in terms of how they present their issues using the characters.

The paper seeks to delve deep and look at why society marginalizes individuals on the basis of gender and class? What is the effect of this marginalization on the characters in terms of how they relate with people? How do these characters thrive and develop when they are facing this marginalization? These are some of the important questions that we are supposed to answer in the course of the proposal.

The questions form a deeper insight into the characters of the people who faced the marginalization. Of great interest is looking at the identity change at the end of the novel due to this marginalization. The characters facing the marginalization had to adjust to what the society expected and this changes in identity.

The authors reflect upon the inner conflicts that are inherent in the book, the point of view as well as social norms. An example of this marginalization is in the case where Lady Russell advises Anne against marrying Captain Wentworth who is referred to as a commoner (Persuasion, 31-32). In Dickens' novel, we see that Pip was affected by social class and always held loyalty in high regards (Great Expectation, 39)

Annotated bibliography.

Annotation 1: scholarly article 1

Reference:

Langbauer, Laurie. Novels of Everyday Life: The Series in English Fiction, 1850-1930. Cornell

University Press, 1999. Print.

Annotation: the book looks at the 20th-century feminism assertion that according to French Marxist viewed it as a way that was insolent, emphatic, and resentful. The French Philosopher, Henri Lefebvre held the view that in the society, women who decide to be in conflict with the traditional roles assigned are always doing this to hide from the responsibilities.

This means that this ends up creating an environment where all other people will do the same and in the end, it is the society that hurts. Lefebvre goes further to group women into a social role that they were supposed to produce children and serve their men.

It is this argument that according to Langbauer says that believing that men are superior to women leads to discussions that seek the emancipation of women and this leads to drawing of other imaginary social constraints. The book Persuasion by Jane Austen is a mock that is presented ironically as a reply to Lefebvre's views.

Annotated bibliography.

Annotation 2: scholarly article 2

Reference:

Ledger, Sally and Holly Furneaux. Charles Dickens in Context. Literature in Context. Cambridge University Press, 2011. Illustrated, Reprint.

Annotation: In the book, Ledger and Furneaux look at the life of Charles Dickens and also examine the roles of the events that happened to his life and how they shaped his writing. What is very important in the book that Ledger and Furneaux examine is the aspect of Dickens time in a private academy and in the academy, many of the children came from "Lower and Middle classes".

The boys were young and they were in the academy to help them 'begin the world'. It is these events at the academy that Ledger and Furneaux believe influenced Dickens into having Pip as a protagonist in the book, Great Expectations. In Great Expectations, Pip had to struggle and work hard to find his way in life.

He did odd jobs at a very young age as a comparison to Dickens in the academy. In the novel, Dickens jobs were mentioned and this means that the events in the academy which was part of Dickens' life influenced the novel. The article is important as it brings into the picture the issue of social class and its influence on identity.

Annotated bibliography.

Annotation 2: scholarly article 2

Reference:

Walder, Dennis. The Realist Novel. Approaching Literature. Routledge, 2005. Print.

Annotation: In the book, the author (Walder), gives us the ideas that were proposed by one Richard Whately. According to Richard, Austen is a moralistic writer just like Maria Edgeworth. He looks at Austen as a Christian writer whose writing was influenced by her orthodox views. Richard says that Austen writes to an audience what they exactly need.

As a Christian writer, Austen deals with the things that affect society as a whole. In the novel Persuasion, Jane Austen writes about Anne Anne who has gone away from Christian norms and this is because she rejected the norms that were set by Christianity and these were the male social conventions.

This book is important in looking at the character of Anne Anne in the novel. It gives an in-depth analysis of the social conventional norms that were in the society in those times. Anne refuses to marry while she was young something that was against the social convention rules.

Identity on the basis of gender and social conflicts.

The two novels represent the issue of identity through the eyes of society. The characters, Anne Elliot and Pip have been represented as individuals who had to struggle in society because of the social norms. Anne, a daughter of a nobleman faces difficulties.

She two sisters who are not sympathetic to her and also her father does not care about her. The novel tells us that as she grew up her father found little to admire about her (Persuasion, 3). She was brought up by Lady Russel who had become a very good friend to her. She was also a very shy girl who had been isolated psychologically and detached physically.

Austen presents Anne as a quiet girl who did not speak too much in gatherings. This character had been shaped because of how life had been to her.

When she was nineteen, she fell in love with Captain Wentworth who was a poor man although the author tells us he was intelligent. Captain Wentworth loved Anne very much but unfortunately, because of his social class, Anne was persuaded to leave him. According to his father, that was a degrading alliance.

On the other hand, Lady Russel also received the news with more tempered and pardonable pride (Persuasion, 13). This shows the aspect of social conflicts in terms of class. The father denied Wentworth because of her social status. Anne allows herself to be manipulated and this she regrets later after Wentworth came back.

In Great Expectations, we see the protagonist, Pip who lived in impoverished Kent, England. It, therefore, means that he was from the low class in the society. The story sets a good mood in telling us the story of the protagonist who moved from rags to riches.

The events that happened due to social conflicts moulded the identity of Pip. Throughout the novel, we come across the events that in one way or the other had a big impact on Pip's identity in the novel as it ends. The development from childhood and the kind of life that he lived were life-changing and were the basis of the development of his character.

He grew from a child into a man that was aware of the society. The book paints a picture of a poor background and how the protagonist struggled. Pip states that he "...loved Joe perhaps for no better reason than because the dear fellow let me love him" (Great Expectations 41). In this statement what the author was implying was that he had problems expressing how he felt about the people that were in his life.

In the novel, we see a lack of expression that Pip exhibited and this was because of the frustrations for the way he is feeling about Estella. This means that the social class that he was in was greatly influencing his character.

Through the experiences she had Anne, does not have any contempt for the people from lower classes and this has been shown through the event when she engaged to Wentworth. Anne does this unlike the rest of her family who does not show any respect to the people from lower classes.

One example has been given when she went to visit Mrs Smith who was a poor widow. Her husband had left her with a lot of debts when he died. When she goes to visit her, her dad was against the idea. This shows that Anne's dad did not love the people from the lower class. Anne went and thanked Mrs. Smith who was the one who comforted her when her mother died.

Anne took everybody as a human being without looking at the background which they came from. Anne's relationship with Captain Wentworth was made strong because of her kind spirit and intelligence (Persuasion 75). They eventually get married and Anne decides to take her destiny in her own hands and not leave it to other people to decide it. The character Anne represents the women who have been emancipated and liberated through marriage. She finds a man who adores her and makes sure that she is happy.

Great Expectations offers a good and close way of explaining the meaning of life. Pip learns so much as he grows, he learns about the meaning of life. And also the values that are important in one's life. The author uses many of the characters as a way for Pip to learn more about life.

They come to his life to provide insights and also to exemplify the culture of the Victorian times. When she wanted Estella, Pip had to disregard his humble background that was in Kent. He works hard to become better so that he can suit Estella. Throughout the novel we see Pip with a lot of expectations just as the title of the book. He has to struggle so much in life after his parents died. The identity of Pip develops not only through himself but also through the interaction with other people. From the time of his childhood up to when he was an adult, he goes through a lot of transformation. This life changes Pip so much and even when he becomes wealthy he has to learn how to behave like the wealthy. This shows the issue of changing identity in terms of the social class. In Great Expectations, Pip had to struggle and work hard to find his way in life. Through the struggles, he moves from lower cla...