Post 9: Canongate Myth Series Prompted Writing
Prompt: In some works of literature, childhood and adolescence are portrayed as times graced by innocence and a sense of wonder; in other works, they are depicted as times of tribulation and terror. Focusing on a single novel or play, explain how its representation of childhood or adolescence shapes the meaning of the work as a whole. You may select a work from the list below or choose another appropriate novel or play of similar literary
Essay: In Ragnarok: The End of the Gods by A. S. Byatt, the thin child moves away from home and her childhood innocence as World War II erupts throughout Europe. Byatt contrasts the child's certainty found only in the apocalyptic ending of Ragnarok to her disillusionment with the idea of a positive end to war around her. Through Byatt's portrayal of the thin child's loss of faith, she argues that a total rebirth of culture and ideals is necessary for the continuation of mankind.
As war erupts across Europe and the blitz descends on London, the main character named only as the "thin child" leaves her city home to find safety. This move is the first step in the child's loss of innocence throughout the book. She is facing the terrors of war and has to run from it, a situation uncommon in a happy childhood. As the book begins with this transition, the idea of rebirth is present. As the thin child narrates her life in her new village, she repeatedly discusses the differences between her new life and her old life. Her new life, rural, safe, is a major shift from her old city home. As the child goes through this change she is undergoing a rebirth of self.
This rebirth of self is characterized by a loss of faith, further driving the thin child from her childhood innocence. Living during a war, especially one so threatening to her life pushes the thin child to question her faith. Throughout internal dialogue in the book, she questions how any god could allow this war to happen. This loss of faith includes her disbelief in the tales of Norse Gods in Asgard and the Gods. Although she compares her belief in these stories to her belief in Christianity, she claims they intrigue her curiosity while losing faith in Christianity triggers guilt and shame. This questioning, much more pessimistic and discouraged than common in childhood, characterizes the child's loss of innocence, through a loss of faith. Not only does the child lose her faith in Christianity and religion, she begins to lose faith in her family's future. Surrounded by the sounds of bombing, knowing fighting is occurring throughout Europe, she begins to lose hope in the idea of her father ever returning from war. Her childhood has been permanently marred from the ongoing war, replacing her innocent outlook on the world with one of disappointment and pessimism. This rebirth of self, innocence to cynicism, is necessary for the continued survival of the thin child. In order to survive the loss of her childhood, she was reborn with new ideals and views on the outcome of life. This now bleak and discouraged attitude on the prospects of the war effectively replaces the innocent child who would not have survived war. The thin child discusses how both she and her mother pretend as though her father is still alive even though they know he's not. This certainty in his demise, resultant of her new understanding of the terror in the world, is the only thing she puts her faith in throughout the novel.
This certainty is mirrored by her comfort in the end of the textbook. Asgard and the Gods ends with the great war of Ragnarok which is fabled to end the world. The child professes that she finds comfort in the idea of the total and utter destruction, similar to what is going on in her own world. Her certainty that her father is dead matches the prophetic ending of Ragnarok as the child moves to place her faith, not in religion, but in destruction.
This faith, too, is lost as the story draws to a close in both Asgard and the Gods and World War II. Neither world, neither story, ends with total and utter destruction. In both, there is a rebirth, a starting over and rebuilding. Having spent the last several years waiting for the cataclysmic ending, having no faith in the idea of rebirth, she expresses disappointment. She claims to like the idea of total destruction much better. This is the result of her childhood being upturned and centered around terror and fear. Her complete loss of faith has led her to be wary of the possibility of rebirth, even as she regains her long-thought-dead father. His return, and their subsequent move back to the city, emphasizes the loss of the last of her faith. Where she held certainty in the end of all things, she now must face a rebirth. She must readjust to her old home as she returns a different person than she left. She left as an innocent child; she returns as one who has lost all faith in the world and higher powers.
Just like the Gods, just like post-war Europe, Byatt argues that the thin child too must undergo rebirth to avoid total and complete destruction. For the Gods, they started anew in a new world. For Europe, as the war ends, waves of political and social reform sweep the world. And the thin child is reborn first in her move away from home and then to her move back to ensure her own survival.
Reflection:
I was asked to write an essay answering the 2008 AP English Literature and Composition Open Question prompt, discussing the depiction of childhood in a book of my choice. In my essay, I addressed this depiction in Ragnarok: The End of the Gods by A. S. Byatt. In my self-assessment, I gave myself a 6 on my essay. While I believed I addressed some of the complexity in the book I think my essay was "brief, less incisive and less well supported than those in the 9-8 category." I think I could have addressed more specific examples and gone more in-depth in the analysis of the text.
Score Reveal: I received a score of 7 on this essay. The feedback on the essay was very similar to what I said when I gave myself the score of 6. The justification for this score was "the analysis is less thorough, less perceptive, and/or less specific in supporting detail than that of ones in the 9-8 range." I need to continue to work on specific detail and uncovering greater complexities in the work. In addition, it was pointed out that my essay became repetitive. This goes along with the overall goal of focusing my analysis to more specifics.
Essay: In Ragnarok: The End of the Gods by A. S. Byatt, the thin child moves away from home and her childhood innocence as World War II erupts throughout Europe. Byatt contrasts the child's certainty found only in the apocalyptic ending of Ragnarok to her disillusionment with the idea of a positive end to war around her. Through Byatt's portrayal of the thin child's loss of faith, she argues that a total rebirth of culture and ideals is necessary for the continuation of mankind.
As war erupts across Europe and the blitz descends on London, the main character named only as the "thin child" leaves her city home to find safety. This move is the first step in the child's loss of innocence throughout the book. She is facing the terrors of war and has to run from it, a situation uncommon in a happy childhood. As the book begins with this transition, the idea of rebirth is present. As the thin child narrates her life in her new village, she repeatedly discusses the differences between her new life and her old life. Her new life, rural, safe, is a major shift from her old city home. As the child goes through this change she is undergoing a rebirth of self.
This rebirth of self is characterized by a loss of faith, further driving the thin child from her childhood innocence. Living during a war, especially one so threatening to her life pushes the thin child to question her faith. Throughout internal dialogue in the book, she questions how any god could allow this war to happen. This loss of faith includes her disbelief in the tales of Norse Gods in Asgard and the Gods. Although she compares her belief in these stories to her belief in Christianity, she claims they intrigue her curiosity while losing faith in Christianity triggers guilt and shame. This questioning, much more pessimistic and discouraged than common in childhood, characterizes the child's loss of innocence, through a loss of faith. Not only does the child lose her faith in Christianity and religion, she begins to lose faith in her family's future. Surrounded by the sounds of bombing, knowing fighting is occurring throughout Europe, she begins to lose hope in the idea of her father ever returning from war. Her childhood has been permanently marred from the ongoing war, replacing her innocent outlook on the world with one of disappointment and pessimism. This rebirth of self, innocence to cynicism, is necessary for the continued survival of the thin child. In order to survive the loss of her childhood, she was reborn with new ideals and views on the outcome of life. This now bleak and discouraged attitude on the prospects of the war effectively replaces the innocent child who would not have survived war. The thin child discusses how both she and her mother pretend as though her father is still alive even though they know he's not. This certainty in his demise, resultant of her new understanding of the terror in the world, is the only thing she puts her faith in throughout the novel.
This certainty is mirrored by her comfort in the end of the textbook. Asgard and the Gods ends with the great war of Ragnarok which is fabled to end the world. The child professes that she finds comfort in the idea of the total and utter destruction, similar to what is going on in her own world. Her certainty that her father is dead matches the prophetic ending of Ragnarok as the child moves to place her faith, not in religion, but in destruction.
This faith, too, is lost as the story draws to a close in both Asgard and the Gods and World War II. Neither world, neither story, ends with total and utter destruction. In both, there is a rebirth, a starting over and rebuilding. Having spent the last several years waiting for the cataclysmic ending, having no faith in the idea of rebirth, she expresses disappointment. She claims to like the idea of total destruction much better. This is the result of her childhood being upturned and centered around terror and fear. Her complete loss of faith has led her to be wary of the possibility of rebirth, even as she regains her long-thought-dead father. His return, and their subsequent move back to the city, emphasizes the loss of the last of her faith. Where she held certainty in the end of all things, she now must face a rebirth. She must readjust to her old home as she returns a different person than she left. She left as an innocent child; she returns as one who has lost all faith in the world and higher powers.
Just like the Gods, just like post-war Europe, Byatt argues that the thin child too must undergo rebirth to avoid total and complete destruction. For the Gods, they started anew in a new world. For Europe, as the war ends, waves of political and social reform sweep the world. And the thin child is reborn first in her move away from home and then to her move back to ensure her own survival.
Reflection:
I was asked to write an essay answering the 2008 AP English Literature and Composition Open Question prompt, discussing the depiction of childhood in a book of my choice. In my essay, I addressed this depiction in Ragnarok: The End of the Gods by A. S. Byatt. In my self-assessment, I gave myself a 6 on my essay. While I believed I addressed some of the complexity in the book I think my essay was "brief, less incisive and less well supported than those in the 9-8 category." I think I could have addressed more specific examples and gone more in-depth in the analysis of the text.
Score Reveal: I received a score of 7 on this essay. The feedback on the essay was very similar to what I said when I gave myself the score of 6. The justification for this score was "the analysis is less thorough, less perceptive, and/or less specific in supporting detail than that of ones in the 9-8 range." I need to continue to work on specific detail and uncovering greater complexities in the work. In addition, it was pointed out that my essay became repetitive. This goes along with the overall goal of focusing my analysis to more specifics.
Comments
Post a Comment