The Book Trumps The Kindle

   In this day and age, interactive books are a godsend when travelling or commuting, but I am sad to learn that there have been suggestions of the kindle being favoured over the traditional book. There are so many reasons why being a book lover is the best thing in the world to me. I love the fact that there are stores purely dedicated to folks who share the same enthusiasm, places where you can drink coffee and read. The feel of a book in your hand, the rough faded pages rustle as you turn over, the spine is wrinkled because it's loved, the pages a little torn from excitement. Then there's the smell of a book - nothing delights me more. What about the special purchase of a hardback? If it's a hardback it's a book I've been waiting for or a classic that I'm obsessed with; it gets special treatment and is treasured. A bookshelf is a pleasure all its own, a place to marvel at your favourite titles, a place for your new babies to live and something you love to look at and love others to look at. 

A book is an investment, something that can be passed on to hundreds of others in a lifetime. A book is something that is loved by everyone that chooses to love it and hated by none. Books are unique and joyful creations that can never be replaced. The starry night time stories of childhood are as prominent in our adult lives as they were when told to us; books can't be forgotten. They define who we are and sometimes how we became who we are. 

The pages of a book tells a story to the next owner. I've found books with secret notes and diary entries in, books with doodles, books with torn out pages. Every owner has had their own special relationship with each one they read. Tear stains, ink blotches, margin notes, broken spine, missing pages; it all means something. Then you wonder, why have these pages been torn out? Who were they crying over? Were they happy tears? Were they tears at all? Why were they using green ink? Did they feel the same as me when they read this chapter? 'Oh, someone's signed their name here, I better do the same'. A book can become your best friend.

Top 20 Things You Should Know About Book Lovers

1. When you ask them to pick their favourite book, they'll pick at least 5.

2. If you interrupt them when reading, look out.

3. When you mention a book in a passing comment, prepare for a full on debate or commentary.

4. They will never accept a film to be better than the book.

5. Because most of the time, the characters they enjoyed imagining have been completely ruined.

6. When their favourite character dies, it feels real.

7. They actually get angry when a book they love gets a bad review.

8. When someone gives the ending of a book away.

9. They feel like this every time they enter a book store.

10. If you tell them they read way too much, they won't get it.

11. Reading is a form of dreaming to them.

12. Starting a new book feels like Christmas Day all over again.

13. The smell of new books is amazing to them.

14. And old books smell even better.

15. The library feels like home to them.

16. There is a constant struggle between wanting new books and having to find room for them.

17. Kindles will never take the place of books.

18. Reading a book always beats watching TV.

19. Sticking to a single chapter before bed is harder than you think.

20. When reading, they'll always be accompanied by a cup of tea.

Feminine Roles: Frankenstein & Dracula

   19^th Century novels featured the concept of the ‘fallen woman’ and the ‘new woman’. Both of which are present in Dracula (Stoker, 1897) and Frankenstein (Shelley, 1818). Characters such as Mina and Caroline represent the ‘new woman’ to a certain extent, however we see how men are still superior to women even when the women seem to surpass them whether it be through brains or logic. Elizabeth and Lucy are set up as the ‘fallen women’. It is interesting to view how the traditional stereotypes of women still seem to overshadow the more modern perspectives and the ‘fallen woman’ role is more prominent or believable than the ‘new woman’.
   There were increasing movements towards more independence and freedom for women in the nineteenth century. Texts such as The Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Wollstonecraft, 1792) started this movement in the late eighteenth century. Mary Wollstonecraft acted as a beacon of hope for women with her controversy. She believed in education and independence which is exactly what characters like Mina Harker represents. Mina is a prime example of the ‘new woman’ in nineteenth century Britain. We see that she has substance and isn’t just defined by her relationship with her husband, Jonathan Harker. In fact, she is more active than her husband on the quest to defeat Dracula. It seems that Jonathan doesn’t fully acknowledge Mina’s intelligence, it is Van Helsing who really admires Mina’s attributes. He describes her as ‘One of God’s women’ (Stoker, 1897, loc. 2869) and says that she has ‘a man’s brain’ and ‘a woman’s heart’ (loc. 3553). This displays the change in perceptions of women; women were no longer being viewed as objects.
   Expanding on this point, Elizabeth’s character is first and foremost noticed for her beauty and not much else; Victor describes that ‘Everyone loved Elizabeth’ (Shelley, 1818, loc. 307) and his mother calls her ‘a pretty present for my Victor’ (loc. 307). Already she is being viewed as an object. The Frankenstein family mould her into the ideal woman, a role that she happily accepts and excels at. The differing views of Elizabeth and Mina are most likely due to the time difference in which the novels were written. Frankenstein is written much earlier in the nineteenth century than Dracula. It is interesting looking at the change in the way women are viewed in such a short space of time. Mina is much closer to experiencing equality than Elizabeth is. Similarly to Mina being labelled as a ‘gift from God’, Elizabeth’s name means ‘gift of God’; it is intriguing to see how the women possess different ‘gifts’. Mina embraces the gift of intelligence whilst Elizabeth embraces the gift of beauty.
   This idea of the ‘new woman’ creates slight conflict with the Gothic tradition of the fallen woman. Frankenstein and Dracula are essentially Gothic novels and are well recognised texts within the genre, in fact Dracula helped define the Gothic genre. Gothic tradition is well focused on the idea of a vulnerable female character. It is interesting to see how Mina is seen as separate to the situation that Lucy is part of, she is almost part of the male characters team. However, not all characters succumb to resisting the damsel in distress role. Lucy and Elizabeth both fall victim to the powerful male characters (both Dracula and the monster) yet Mina manages to escape. It’s almost as if Shelley is suggesting that intelligence is the key to survival, not beauty. Or more specifically, Shelley is suggesting that to survive in a man’s world, intelligence will rule over beauty. Van Helsings’ fascination with Mina supports this idea, he seems to root for her more than he does for Lucy.
   The sexualisation of women was a common feature of 19^th Century fiction and was celebrated. For Lucy and Elizabeth, sexuality is certainly the main focus of their characters. Both repeatedly fawned over for their beauty, their sexualisation is crucial in defining their downfall. It’s notable that Lucy and Elizabeth who are both so focused on beauty die, yet Mina who is focused on intellect and morality survives. In the 19^th Century ‘The fallen woman was a stain on society and had to be punished, either by the intolerable pangs of conscience or death – preferably both’ (Cunningham, 1978, pg. 21). Both Elizabeth and Lucy assume the role of the ‘fallen woman’ but from differing perspectives of what a ‘fallen’ woman is.
   Elizabeth is suitable for marriage and not useful for much else. Her downfall resides in the fact that she is useless in dealing with the outside world or with anything outside of her marriage, much like many women of the 19^th Century. Her pathetic attempt in saving Justine prove just how helpless she is in the public sphere. She doesn’t represent the ‘new woman’ in any sense of the phrase, she represents the ‘passive woman’ who is defined by marriage. Without marrying Victor, her death could have been avoided. Shelley is sending us a subtle message here. Certainly, Shelley believed in marriage and was of course married herself however she didn’t believe in being defined by marriage. Elizabeth’s death could be seen as metaphorical in terms of her loss of identity inside of her marriage. Furthermore, her death can be described as being caused by her husband specifically because it is his creation and his disregard for his problems and in fact for his wife. His rejection of her is due to his incestuous desires and the monster is a representation of the evil in his sexuality. The male superiority is what rules Elizabeth’s life and she is aware of how powerless she is. For many women in the 19^th Century Elizabeth’s situation would have been very close to home.
   In comparison, Lucy Westenra isn’t defined by marriage as she doesn’t survive to experience it. She is the ‘fallen woman’ because she is unable to save herself from herself. The moment she becomes sexualised as a vampire, she loses complete control of her own life and again, like Elizabeth, she becomes reliant on male characters. Unfortunately, neither can be rescued from their predicament. As Lucy takes on the role of a vampire, her sexual power is overwhelming for the male characters. When described as having ‘a languorous, voluptuous grace’ (loc. 3209) she has become the fallen women. In the 19^th Century, to be described as ‘voluptuous’ would have been a reference to Victorian prostitutes. She oozes sexual desire which supports this idea. She says ‘Come to me Arthur. Leave these others and come to me. My arms are hungry for you. Come, and we can rest together. Come, my husband, come!’ (loc. 3209). The sexual innuendos change our perspectives of the seemingly innocent Lucy. Dr. Seward announces that she has become ‘unclean’ and when she is wanted by no man, she becomes disposable as she has nothing to offer outside of her vanity.
   The emphasis on appearances with the women in both novels highlights the true hardships of women in the 19^th Century. ‘Not all women in late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century Britain were victims of what we now call patriarchal oppression’ (Moore & Strachan, 2010, pg. 41). The emphasis on beauty seems shallow to a modern audience, but Mina acts as a beacon of hope. She is a paragon of virtue compared to Lucy and Elizabeth who lack virtue.
   Mina isn’t however immune to becoming overpowered by male dominance. For example, she becomes victim to Dracula himself despite her intelligence and strong personality. Her seemingly ‘male’ attributes still can’t save her from the charms of Dracula; the dominant male of the novel. ‘With his left hand he held both Mrs Harker's hands, keeping them away with her arms at full tension; his right hand gripped her by the back of the neck, forcing her face down on his bosom’ (Stoker, 1897, loc. 4273). With words such as ‘tension’ and ‘forcing’ being used, we feel as though ‘something like a rape is in progress’ (Armstrong, pg. 264). This shows that she isn’t as in control as we thought; he uses the forces of seduction against her which only highlights that women still haven’t obtained the equality they sought after. We accept that Lucy’s been overpowered by Dracula as she represents the damsel in distress stereotype, however, we find it difficult to accept that Mina has been violated as we root for her as a character who will assist others in defeating the Count.
   Frankenstein as a novel that is ‘without a heroine, without even an important female victim’ (Moers, 1976, pg. 90). This is indeed true, Elizabeth and Mina are polar opposites. Elizabeth does bring something important to the novel though. She shows us the real reality for women and highlights the femininity of the novel. Moers explains that the novel is about ‘the motif of revulsion against new born life’ (pg. 90). It is a well-known fact that Shelley’s mother was the brilliant Mary Wollstonecraft and after giving birth to Shelley, she died due to an infection that arose from her being unable to release the placenta. Elizabeth’s death is similarly due a new born creation that comes in the form of a monster. As the monster comes alive, Elizabeth meets her fate. Like Wollstonecraft, her death is innocent and is taken place by a new life. As the monster laments ‘I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind?’ (loc. 1827) we see that personalities are created, we aren’t born with them. Furthermore, the creation has been made by the hands of man, her husband to be specific. To expand on her point Moers explains that the novels ‘emphasis is not upon what precedes birth, not upon birth itself, but upon what follows birth: the trauma of the afterbirth’. There is a clear connection between Shelley’s relationship with birth and Elizabeth’s experience post-birth. Elizabeth embodies the pain and strife that is forced upon women and specifically, not on men. Elizabeth suffers the ultimate pain and Shelley is highlighting that it is due to her being a woman.
   If we bring both texts together, we see that the ideas of femininity are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Stoker focuses on the positive nature of a woman, he illuminates a womans caring nature and celebrates the creation of the ‘new woman’. In comparison, Shelley focuses on the restriction of women, she carries on the ideas that her mother fought so hard to expose society too. Shelley focuses on two points involving marriage; loss of identity and also the hardship of birth and new born life. It’s interesting to see the change in perspectives during the years in between both novels being written. Stoker shows the progression and acceptance of women whilst Shelley brings the repression of women to light.

Bibliography

Armstrong, N. (2005) ‘Feminism, Fiction and the Utopian Promise of Dracula’. Differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies, 16 (1): 264.

Cunningham, G. (1978) The New Woman and The Victorian Novel. London: The Macmillan Press.

Moers, E. (1976) Literary Women: The Great Writers. [Online] Available from: http://knarf.english.upenn.edu/Articles/moers.html [Accessed 15/12/14].

Moore, J. & Strachan, J. (2010) Key Concepts In Romantic Literature. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Shelley, M. (1818) Frankenstein. [Kindle Edition] Amazon Media EU Sarl. Available from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0084BN44Q?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o02 [Accessed 06/11/14].

Stoker, B. (1897) Dracula. [Kindle Edition] Amazon Media EU Sarl. Available from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0084B5TK8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o03_ [Accessed 06/11/14].

Wollstonecraft, M. (1792) The Vindication of The Rights of Woman. [Kindle Edition] Amazon Media EU Sarl. Available from: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/css/order-history/ref=oh_aui_pagination_4_1?ie=UTF8&orderFilter=months-6&search=&startIndex=0 [Accessed 24/11/14].

Gender Roles: Peter Pan & Little Women

  Little Women (Alcott, 1880) and Peter Pan (Barrie, 1904) adhere to gender conventions of the time in which they were written, however they also push the boundaries of gender expectations. Jo March is the perfect example of the ‘new woman’ of the 19^th Century. She is strong willed and isn’t defined by the domestic sphere. She is defined by the public sphere with her passion for writing and the publishing of her writings; she has ambition. One of the first things that we discover about Jo is that she’s a tomboy. In chapter one, her Mother tells her to ‘remember that you’re a young lady’ (Alcott, 1880, loc. 102-107) she retaliates claiming that she’s not and says ‘It’s bad enough to be a girl’ (Alcott, loc. 102-107). True enough, growing up as a girl in the 19^th Century was quite different to today. In terms of expectations, girls were supposed to dress proper, speak proper and remain in the home environment. It could be said that Jo’s outgoing ambitious attitude is a hundred years before her time. Peter Pan doesn’t feature a character like Jo. Our main character Peter doesn’t seem to be restrained in any way at all, he is free to roam and partake on the adventures. Wendy also participates in the fun, however she always returns to the domestic sphere where she is seen to be most happy. Wendy shows some reluctance to grow up however, she essentially already has begun to as she acts as a mother figure for the boys. It could be viewed that this is a way of showing that for boys, there is no specific place that they are expected to reside; women take the brunt of the responsibilities of the home and family life. Jo rejects the gender conventions whilst Wendy conforms to them.
   Peter Pan is a book about pure adventure and courage; the complete opposite to Little Women. ‘The mild tales that girls read simply to pass away the time are ineffective’ (Avery, 1965, pg. 138) with boys. Peter Pan is ‘located at the epicentre of the so-called first Golden-Age of children’s literature’ (Watson, 2009, pg. 141) and features many references to other childhood favourites such as Robinson Crusoe (Defoe, 1719) with the island life and Treasure Island (Stevenson, 1883) with the swashbuckling pirates. Peter Pan and Little Women are the ideal texts for discussing the gender ideals of children through books in the 19^th Century. There was a strict difference between what girls were expected to read and what boys were expected to read. For example, Peter Pan promotes the outdoors and adventure; fiction for boys was more fun and exciting whilst fiction for girls was essentially about taking care of the home. If we look at the production of chap books in the 19^th Century we can see the social constraints that boys and girls were faced with from a young age. Chapbooks were an inexpensive way to enjoy literature even if you couldn’t afford books, as most people couldn’t. A Little Pretty Little Pocket Book (John Newbery, 1744) for girls came with a pin cushion, and the chapbook for boys came with a ball. We immediately associate the ball with boys and the pin cushion with girls but the idea was created to make either one of the books equally attractive to both boys and girls. However, The Adventures of a Pincushion (Kilner, 1783) state clearly that it’s ‘designed chiefly for the use of young ladies’ in its title with no mention of boys. Modern children’s literature is very different to when it started. In the preface to A Cambridge Companion to Children’s Literature it explains how it ‘is a category that has developed over at least 300 years into an entire parallel universe’ (Grenby & Immel, 2009, pg. 13).
   Interestingly, despite the deliberate separation between fiction for boys and girls, both genders (adults as well as children) enjoyed and still enjoy both books and both texts have also been modernised and are still popular. Little Women was modernised into a film in both 1949 and 1994. Peter Pan was republished numerous times and also made into films and a play titled just Peter Pan or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up (1904). Notice that the play is titled The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up; he’s choosing not to do so, it isn’t forced upon him. Peter Hollindale explains how Peter Pan ‘is a play about boundaries between childhood and adulthood’ and how ‘these boundaries are ever changing’ (pg. 161). Expanding on his point about boundaries, Hollindale asks us ‘Is there a clear line of demarcation between them, like a national frontier, with no chance of return once crossed?’ (pg. 161). This point is agreeable especially if we look at scenes such as Peter’s visit to Wendy when she’s an adult. She has reached the point of return when we discover she can no longer fly or return to Neverland. The natural ‘boundaries’ have been put in place here as Wendy has assumed the role of housewife and Mother. The idea of losing the power of imagination as you grow up is very real. Peter Hunt explains that ‘childhood, after all, is a state that we grow away from’ (Hunt, 2005, pg. 5). Peter can be viewed as a ‘tragic boy’ because he believes that a world that allows you to stay young forever is the real or only world which as a realistic take on how children think. As a child we are wrapped up in ourselves unknowingly and there are no boundaries to our imagination.
   Peter shows a reluctance to grow up when he keeps probing Wendy with questions about whether the relationship they have is real or not. There is a sense of panic in his questions showing us that he wants it to be pretend although we see that Wendy wishes it wasn’t. In addition to this, Peter has had three women falling in love with him and not once has he shown any signs of interest. He calls Wendy ‘queer’ and he explains that ‘Tigerlily is just the same. There is something she wants me to be, but she says it is not my mother’ (Barrie, 1904, loc. 1355- 1359). Peter’s puzzled reaction to the girl’s infatuation is comical and reminds us how young the characters are. We are quick to forget sometimes because of how mature Wendy’s character is. Wendy, Tigerlily and Tinkerbell have all shown signs of affection for Peter and as a twelve year old he barely understands. This search for Peter’s affections shows the ideal of marriage and relationships being a key part of women’s lives from a young age.
   Similarly, the importance of marriage is also a key theme in ‘Little Women’. As a nineteenth century novel about four sisters, marriage was considered the most important part of a woman’s life in this time period. Mrs. March reiterates this by explaining to the girls that she wants her daughters to be ‘admired, loved and respected’ (loc. 1490 - 1494) and goes on to say that ‘To be loved and chosen by a good man is the best and sweetest thing which can happen to a woman’ (loc. 1490-1494). It is interesting to see how Jo’s attitude is considered by her mother as rebellious or inappropriate when by today’s standards it is seen as typical of a child or teenager; she has ambition and it is hard for modern readers to view that attribute as something negative. There is no doubt that Mrs. March is a loving mother, however, it’s clear that she wants Jo to remain at home with her rather than elsewhere. Complete freedom doesn’t seem to be an option. Avery explains how ‘Victorians asserted that a girl’s place was at her mother’s knee’ and a how a ‘girl might be exposed to dangerous influences and be distracted from her duty in the home’ (pg. 203). In the 19^th Century, it was very true that marriage was most women’s only ambition, they weren’t permitted to do much else in life. Taking all this into consideration, it’s interesting and perplexing to see that no matter how hard Jo tries to defy the conventions of being a woman with her defiant personality, the natural process of womanhood sets in as she grows up and she does end up married.
      In relation to this, an interesting text to look at in relation to gender conventions of womanhood is Mary Wollstonecraft’s ‘The Vindication of Women’ (1792). The most striking thing about this text is how honest and carefree Wollstonecraft seems in putting her point across; it was revolutionary. In relation to Jo March’s character, Wollstonecraft supported the right for women to go out to work and become successful. She believed that women should be ‘educated in such a manner as to be able to think and act for themselves’ (Wollstonecraft, 1792, loc. 829). Jo March’s character represents the new generation of women who were taking heed of this advice and making a life for themselves outside of the home and marriage. Similarly, Wendy’s character experiments outside of the home environment, despite being very comfortable in the domestic settings of the home. Wollstonecraft argues that women would be much stronger physically and mentally if they were brought up the same as men. She explains that she would ‘hear of none of these infantine airs, if girls were allowed to take sufficient exercise, and not confined in close rooms till their muscles are relaxed, and their powers of digestion destroyed’ (loc. 1089). Although ‘The Vindication of the Rights of Women’ was written a century prior to ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Little Women’ being written, Wollstonecraft’s ideas were the beginning of the shift in gender dynamics although it has taken up until the 21^st Century for women to be treated with equality.  

Bibliography

Alcott, L. M. (1880) Little Women. [Kindle Edition] Amazon Media EU Sarl. Available from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0082Z1CVQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o07_ [Accessed 05/10/14].

Avery, G. (1965) 19^th Century Children. Great Britain: Northumberland Press.

Barrie, J. M. (1904) Peter Pan. [Kindle Edition] Amazon Media EU Sarl. Available from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CX3FKG6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o06_ [Accessed 05/10/14].

Defoe, D. (1719) Robinson Crusoe. [Kindle Edition] Amazon Media EU Sarl. Available from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004UJ7VJU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o00_ [Accessed: 11/12/14].

Grenby, M. O. and Immel, A. (2009) The Cambridge Companion to Children’s Literature. 6^th edn. UK: Cambridge University Press.

Hunt, P. (2005) Understanding Children’s Literature. 2^nd edn. USA: Routledge.

Kilner, A M. (1783) The Adventures of a Pincushion. London: J Fairburn.

Montgomery, H. and Watson, J N. (2009) Children’s Literature: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Newbery, J. (1744) A Little Pretty Pocket Book. Reprint. Great Britain: Dodo Press. (2009)

Stevenson, L R. (1883) Treasure Island. [Kindle Edition]. Amazon Media EU Sarl. Available from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0084AZXKK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o00_ [Accessed: 03/10/14].

Wollstonecraft, M. (1792) A Vindication of the Rights of Women. [Kindle Edition] Amazon Media EU Sarl. Available from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004TP7JMO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o01_ [Accessed 24/11/14].

To Kill A Mockingbird: Good vs. Evil

   

   The theme of good versus evil is central to the novel and the main plot is based around the discovery of evil and also the acceptance of it. The acceptance of evil happens gradually as the children grow up and unearth the reality of an adult world. The children are introduced at a young age and are pre-adolescent; they are innocent to evil as they have never witnessed it. There is a however a transition that takes place between both Jem and Scout; a transition from innocence to experience as they grow up together. It is during this transition that the children come to realise that they must include an understanding of evil to gain true knowledge in the world because evil is all around us.
   For example, both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are both threatened by evil and cannot prepare themselves for the evil that they will encounter. The novel witnesses the evil destroying them. Tom Robinson’s character highlights the stark reality of racism in South America in the 1930’s. Lee grew up in Monroeville, Alabama in the mid 1930’s so she would have been all too familiar with the hardship of racism and the novel is undoubtedly autobiographical to some extent. It has been suggested by Joyce Milton that the novel is in fact autobiographical and explains how ‘interviewers who met the author often felt as though they were coming face to face with a grown up version of Scout Finch’ (Milton, 1984, pg. 1). For modern readers, it is hard to grasp and understand the severe racism, but it is important that we remember the time in which the novel was set. We witness the racist treatment Tom receives and we also witness Jem fall victim to evil as he becomes familiar with racism during the trial. Tom has all the odds against him in the society they live in and Jem gets caught up in the controversy of his father’s lawsuit. Scout maintains her faith in humanity whereas Jem is badly affected by what he has seen and his faith is left damaged. It is arguable that Jem’s loss of faith in humanity is due to his age and understanding, as he is older he understands the forms of evil more than Scout does.
   It is true that evil plays a huge part in the novel, however, Atticus Finch acts as a beacon of hope. He explains to them that in life, most people have both good and evil in them. Terry Gadd explains how Atticus ‘tries to teach his children that courage is not a man with a gun, that he cannot be considered courageous for shooting a dog’ (Gadd, 2000, pg. 26). Atticus makes a valid point in both the novel and reality; he is actually highlighting the real evil to the children.
    The forces of evil appears to be greater than the small town that the family live in. The Finch’s live a small-town life, and knowing that the threat of evil, or anything could upset this, is worrying. In addition to this idea of racism being an overpowering force of evil, Boo Radley is also seen as a form of evil. He is a misunderstood character and has three facades in the novel; monster Boo, fantasy Boo and the real Boo. Scouts description of Boo as the monster is quite comical in some ways, indeed we feel that he’s an odd character, but we see how a child could view him. A child’s perspective is what gives the novel an element of comic relief; something much needed after the discovery of racism. For example, Scout describes him as tall and says that ‘he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that's why his hands were blood stained’ (Lee, 1960, pg. 14). Scout and Jem’s ideas about Boo are typical of thrilling ghost stories you would expect from children of their age. As such, Boo becomes a kind of myth or fantasy. As a fantasy figure, the children aren’t just afraid of Boo, they are obsessed by him and almost long for a meeting or friendship with him, it’s the thrill of the unknown that drives their obsession.
   Finally, the real Boo Radley is understood and as the children have made the journey from ignorance to knowledge, they understand that the real evil is the racism involved in Tom Robinson’s trial, not Boo. Jem says "Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time... it's because he wants to stay inside" (Lee, 1960, pg. 251). It can be said that Jem is referring to the reality of racism again by suggesting that staying inside allows you to avoid seeing the evil of the world, and furthermore, maybe he thinks that Boo has the right idea and they’ve had the wrong idea; he now understands why Boo is a recluse. It is at this point that there is a creation of a whole new perspective. Scout looks around and sees things from Boo’s perspective, she reiterates Atticus’ voice of reason and quotes ‘Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them’ she adds that ‘Just standing on the Radley porch was enough’ (Lee, 1960, pg. 308).
   The novel is very much a journey from discovery to acceptance. Boo Radley has undergone a transformation and is now seen as normal and society is unnatural. The children have discovered the true reality of evil and matured in the process. It is interesting how at the beginning of the novel, the evil comes in the form of Boo Radley, and towards the end, the evil is more real and is portrayed through the whole idea of racism and how prominent it is in the 1930’s American society. Perhaps the most upsetting thing for the reader is knowing that the novel tells a story of the many cases of racism that were untold in the 1930’s, we too undergo a transformation upon completion of the book just as Scout and Jem did. We feel grateful for the novel and moved by it.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Your Favourite Childhood Stories & Books

1. Peter Pan was said to be semi-autobiographical. Not literally of course. It has been widely suggested that 'The Boy Who Never Grew Up' is actually based on Barrie's brother who died when he was six years old. He never grew up because he never had chance to grow up. Barrie began to dress and act like his brother to gain back his mothers affections but she never recovered from his death.

2. Alice In Wonderland's Mock Turtle Soup actually existed! The soup was a favourite in the Victorian period. It consisted of chopping off a calf's head and boiling it until the horn was soft, then adding mutton, veil and Madeira wine. Nice.

3. Dementors. J.K Rowling based the creation of the dementors represent depression and were focused around her own dealings with the disease.

4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The book originated from a bed time story that Dahl used to tell his two daughters Tessa and Olivia.

5. The Jungle Book. We pronounce Mowgli's name wrong according to Kipling's daughter. We pronounce the first syllable of his name like 'show' when it should be pronounced like 'cow'. After the creation of the 1967 film, Kipling's daughter never forgave Disney for the mix up.

6. The Wind In The Willows. When Grahame first wrote the book in 1908, it received mass rejection. It was only when the novel got published in America that it got true recognition and became popular in Britain and still remains a favourite.

7. Treasure Island. The book by Stevenson has been adapted 50 times into plays, films (The Muppets adaptation is perhaps the most notable), silent films, TV programmes, radio shows and audiobooks.

8. To Kill A Mockingbird. Scout's character was based on a youthful version of Lee. Lee dressed like a boy and had her hair cropped to a boys style. Interviewers who met her immediately felt like they were meeting a grown up version of Scout. Lee grew up in Monroeville, Alabama, so the novel could well be a first hand account of what she experienced as a child.

9. Little Women. In keeping with ideas of characters being based on the writers, Jo was said to be based on Alcott. Alcott's remained unmarried and wanted Jo to remain unmarried as she is based on herself. She felt angry that she was pressured to marry Jo off.

10. The Little Mermaid. Hans Christian Andersen's novel of The Little Mermaid was much more grim than the Disney version of the story. In the book, Ariel dies if she chooses to live as a woman with legs; every single step she will take as a woman will feel like she is walking on shards of glass.

Free-writing: The Ultimate Cure For Stress

   As a student, the pressures of everyday life seem to be magnified by about a thousand, maybe more some days. Finding time to fit in friends, family, my job, work placement and a little bit of me time seems impossible! I have however discovered an easy way to get rid of negativity and pent up stress - free-writing. Before I had tried free-writing as a method of relaxation, I didn't have much faith in it at all. After a stressful day of lectures and reading, the last thing I would want to do is pick up a book and write but believe me, it works. It's surprisingly therapeutic picking up a pen, your favourite notebook and just letting you're thoughts run wild on paper; more often than not, ideas for my stories and other genres of writing have stemmed from free-writing.

What are the benefits of free-writing?
The main benefit of free-writing is that your writing will be honest and full of emotion. Try writing when you're feeling a strong emotion, whether it's when you're feeling heartbroken or when you're feeling so happy you could burst! It doesn't matter if what you've written doesn't make sense because it meant something to you when you wrote it. It's most important to write in the midst of these emotions because often, they are the trickiest to make realistic in fiction.

My tips:
1. Pick a notebook that you really like. This may seem like a silly starting point but it is important. If you pick a notebook that you like, without realising, you'll be more inclined to go and write in it. Try http://www.paperchase.co.uk/ they may be a bit more expensive but they make up for it in being gorgeous!

2. Write something as soon as you wake up. Keep a notebook by your bedside, that way you can record your dreams as soon as you wake from them. A lot of the time when I'm led in bed before sleeping an idea will come to me and I will write continuously for up to 10 minutes. If you put a thought on hold, you'll lose it.

3. Write without thinking. Write whatever is in your mind, it might come out completely backwards, it might be inappropriate, it might be a jumble of letters, it might be purely based on swearing (I've done this numerous times). The point is that it doesn't matter, it's for you to see and nobody else. Here are some examples of what you're free-writing might look like:

4. Do your writing exercises. A writing exercise can be anything, even if it's just recalling a childhood memory and writing as much as you can remember down. The aim is to keep your imagination active and to get yourself to draw on your personal experiences. Perhaps it will inspire you to write an autobiographical piece.

5. In a nutshell: It's point is to keep going, and that is the only point.


Beginner Guidelines

1. Give yourself a time limit (this can be anything between five to twenty minutes usually).

2. Keep your hand moving until your time is up. Don't stop to think about what your writing and don't check over as you write.

3. The grammar and neatness of your work doesn't matter, so don't worry.

4. If you run out of ideas or enthusiasm halfway through, write about what you fancy for tea, what the weather's like, how much you hate sprouts; anything.

5. If you feel annoyed because you can't think of anything to write, then write about being annoyed about it.

6. When you've used your time up, close your notebook and don't read over what you've done immediately; go back to it a few days later.

Wuthering Heights - Feminist Criticism

   Emily Bronte's 1847 Gothic romance novel, Wuthering Heights, can easily be analysed and critiqued through a feminist lens. The novel is seen by many critics as a novel that introduced a change in the way women were coming to be observed in society and how things were changing for women, thus making this novel a controversial one. Bronte conveys this change in society not only through female characters such as Catherine Earnshaw, but surprisingly through Heathcliff's character also.   

   The Victorian period was a hard time for women as they had to measure up to what was expected of them. For example, the Victorian feminine ideal was a woman that was 'the angel in the house'; a feminine figure that ensured hospitality and a moral guide, and also to be a paragon of virtue. Women were to be molded into this ideal and were expected to live by it. Catherine is seen by many as a feminist role model and her independence in the beginning of the novel separates her from the female norms of this period. Catherine doesn't care for dresses and being pretty she would much rather play on the moors with Heathcliff barefoot. However we see how Catherine eventually falls into being a lady through her transformation at Thrushcross Grange. Nelly refers to Catherine's transformation as a "reform" (Bronte, 1847, pg. 63) This shows the audience to see how a woman can't lead a carefree life in Victorian society, the conventions give security for women. Lyn Pykett explains how Catherine's transformation illuminates the power of the social production of female gentility. Furthermore, we see how her personality changes with the change in her appearance. As Catherine confides in Nelly Dean about her acceptance of Edgar's hand in marriage, we discover how her place as a woman in society has been persuaded by the conventions that have been set up for women. Social ambition is what motivates her now, not her wild passions and love. She explains "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know I love him" (pg. 86). Here we see how Catherine has moved from changing the conventions on her own terms, too succumbing to the conventions for women.  

   As Catherine succumbs to becoming a lady, Heathcliff also falls into a position of equal powerlessness. Heathcliff is disempowered due to him being dark skinned and "gipsy in aspect" (pg. 27), he has no prospects and isn't heir to any money or property. This way Heathcliff can be read as a male character with a female position in society. He is not eligible. Edgar is the one who is always referred to as 'the master' and is the one who has all the power and masculinity. Heathcliff is feminine next to Edgar and he is dispossessed, ruled by the father and an outcast from society with his unknown background. The fact that Catherine spoils her own destiny and accepts Edgar to be her husband is a display of the struggle for women in society. Money and property was a key aspect of acceptance. Because Heathcliff isn't worthy in societies eyes (despite being worthy in Catherine's eyes) she goes against her own wishes and hearts desires.  

   Despite Catherine's rejection of Heathcliff for a better life, they both end up in the same condition at the end of the novel; unable to eat and feverish. There are suggestions that Heathcliff is a complimentary part of Catherine throughout the novel. First he is the manifestation of Catherine's desire for a whip. He is "a complimentary addition to her being who fleshes out all her lacks" (pg. 265). Then Catherine states that "he is more myself than I am" (pg. 88) and also Heathcliff arranges for his body to merge with Catherine's after death so that they become indistinguishable. All of these points collectively support the idea of Heathcliff being portrayed as a female type character. Furthermore, the fact that he is dis-empowered and is characterized as the female puts more strain on his relationship with Catherine and pushes them further apart. The idea that they won't fit together becomes more apparent.  

   Female writers in the Victorian period were directed to abstain from writing social and political criticism in their work in their work because of their restricted position as female writers in the literary world. Critics have argued that the rural and remote setting of Wuthering Heights can be a representation of women's remote position from society and modern industry.   

   Wuthering Heights has attracted a large number of feminist critics due to the autobiographical nature of the novel. Emily Bronte would have drawn on her personal experiences as a female in a society where women were highly inferior to men. Feminists readings of the novel illuminate the focus on a "female tradition" in Victorian literature. Bronte can be seen as started a new female tradition with this female empowering novel.   Lyn Pykkets essay titled "Changing The Names: The Two Catherines" (Pykett, 1989, pg. 86) highlights the mirroring of both Catherine and Cathy. Pykett supports my point that Emily Bronte's views are shown through the novel and its plot is contradictory to the ideas of women during the period. For example, Catherine's marriage to Edgar should have resolved her issues and fulfilled her social ambition but instead it deepens her problems. Catherine's inner conflict begins when she is still a child. Catherine begins life as a carefree, independent female who is more concerned with nature and being outdoors than the domestic sphere and its constraints. This is the beginning of her inner conflict; who she is inside and who she is expected to be. Lyn Pykett explains the "difficulties of trying to be the heroine of one's own life in a social and domestic milieu which cannot provide a theater for heroinism" (pg. 92) . She adds on the point that Catherine's sense of power does not leave her with a feeling of self fulfillment. I agree with this point indefinitely but it is also apparent that the only way Catherine can or would achieve complete self fulfilment would be if she could be with Heathcliff, he is her counterpart and soul mate. The social constraints that restrict Catherine is what prevents her from reaching the fulfillment that she so desperately sought after.   

   It is interesting to look closer at Cathy's character and question whether or not she is a representation of what Catherine's life would have been like lest she refused Edgars hand in marriage. It has been discussed that Cathy and Hareton's relationship can be interpreted as similar to the relationship that Catherine and Heathcliff would have shared, had they become a couple and obviated the social normality's that protruded on their daily lives and caused them such heartache. It is exciting to watch Cathy and Hareton's relationship as it acts out what we as an audience so desperately wanted to see happen with Catherine and Heathcliff. Pykett describes Heathcliff as "an unfulfilled possibility, a route not taken" (pg. 469). However, the fact that Heathcliff and Catherine could not be together adds to the realism of the novel and is needed in the plot to give a truthful image of the feminine inferiority of the Victorian period. Situations similar to what Heathcliff and Catherine undertake would have been common and it is the fact that we know that Catherine wants to abstain from the marital traditions and rebel is what makes this novel both interesting and controversial. The truthfulness of Catherine's struggle in the novel is what makes Wuthering Heights so open and appealing to feminist criticism and furthermore, historical criticism.    

   The beginning of the novel and indeed the most part of it is key in deciphering the story of Catherine Earnshaw. Lockwood is the one who discovers her late identities scratched into paint in his quarters during his visit to Wuthering Heights. Lockwood's revelation of the writings is an important part of the narrative as it lays out Catherine's journey through her relationships and maps out the stages of her feelings before we learn about them.

Lockwood reads:   

"This writing was nothing but a name repeated in all kinds of characters large and small -

Catherine Earnshaw, here and there varied to Catherine Heathcliff, and then again to Catherine Linton" (pg. 38). The variation of both the style of writing and placement can be seen as a representation of the mixture of emotions that Catherine endured and also the uncertainty in her life. This moment when Lockwood discovers her graffiti is what sets up the narrative for us and fires up our curiosity. Furthermore, Catherine writing down two marital names would have been very unusual to a Victorian audience. It is another instance where feminist criticism thrives as having two marital names suggests that Catherine was married twice at first glance. This would have been both interesting to an audience and recognized as a rarity to most. Both names circulate through the text and each name is associated with a different aspect of Catherine's personality. When she is Catherine Linton, she is posing as the person society wants her to be, the person she is expected to be in both the public sphere and the private sphere; the 'angel in the house'. As Catherine Heathcliff, she is who she wants be, who she really is. As we journey through the novel, we become more sympathetic towards Catherine in relation to her writing Heathcliff as her surname. This is because we can see that she knows she can never be Catherine Heathcliff but amidst her real title as Catherine Linton, her desire to be Heathcliff's wife is still present.  

   The novel as a whole raises the question 'What is a woman?' or 'What does a woman want?'. Both questions are essentially based around Catherine's inability to choose between two men. This is a typical plot that a Victorian romance novel would follow, however, Bronte defines the plot in her novel by displaying the difficulties living as a woman. Catherine is interpreted as the heroine in the novel, however, she can't be the heroine of her own life because she is doomed by her gender. She has no authority where she needs it most. Bronte uses the question "What Is a woman?" and shows us what a woman really is, and what she has to be. Catherine is the creator of feminism in the novel. Wuthering Heights represents a new age in literature and a change in a dominantly patriarchal society.  

Bibliography  

-  Barr, K. (2011) Representation of Women In Gothic Literature: Wuthering Heights. [Online] Available: http://suite101.com/a/representation-of-women-in-gothic-literature-wutheringheights-a343037  Page Break  

-  Bronte, E. (1847) Wuthering Heights. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited.  - Gilbert, S & Gubar, S. (1979). The Madwoman in the Attic: the Women Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literature Imagination. [Online] Available:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=d0XzQ4QMNb0C&pg=PT185&dq=Feminist+History:+W uthering+Heights+Essays+In+Literature&hl=en&sa=X&ei=iwbMUpBPx_GFB6bhgOgE&ved=0 CEsQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Feminist%20History%3A%20Wuthering%20Heights%20Essays

%20In%20Literature&f=false  

-  Jacobs, E. (2011) Reflections Of Elizabeth: Feminist Criticism and Wuthering Heights. [Online] Available: http://elizjacobs.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/feminist-criticism-andwuthering.html   

-  Peterson, L. (2003) Wuthering Heights: Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. 2nd edn.

London: PALGRAVE.  

-  Pykett, L. (1989) Women Writers: Emily Bronte. USA: Barnes & Noble Books.  - Senf, C. (1985) Emily Bronte's version of Feminist History: Wuthering Heights. [Online] Available:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=fN0gOdKQZD4C&pg=PA64&dq=Emily+Bronte's+versio n+of+Feminist+History:+Wuthering+Heights+Essays+In+Literature&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TgbMU qrhCcyShQfS2oCgAQ&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Emily%20Bronte's%20version%2

0of%20Feminist%20History%3A%20Wuthering%20Heights%20Essays%20In%20Literature&f

=false