Outlines

• Comparing Robert Frost’s “After Apple-picking” to “Apples” by Laurie Lee
• Jude the Obscure
• Medieval Literature

Comparing Robert Frost’s “After Apple-picking” to “Apples” by Laurie Lee

• I. Introduction
  
  • A. Opening
    
  • B. Thesis
    
    • i) By comparing After Apple-picking by Robert Frost and Apples, by Laurie Lee one can see how the poets coincidentally use similar subjects to illustrate a broader, more meaningful issue.
      
  • C. Plan
    
    • i) Subject
      
    • ii) Tone
      
    • iii)Style
      
• II. Subject
  
  • A. Simple subjects=Larger message
    
  • B. Issue
    
    • i) Effect of man's interference with nature
      
    • ii) Same message, different points
      
      • a) message=man interfering with nature for his own gain leads to destruction
        
      • b) Frost
        
      • c) Lee
        
  • III. Tone
    
    • A. Tone reflects message
      
    • B. Frost
      
      • i) empty
        
      • ii) resigned
        
      • iii) like surrendering to an adversary
        
      • iv) man accepting that he has destroyed much of the environment and has harmed himself in doing so
        
    • C. Lee
      
      • i) warm
        
      • ii) peaceful
        
      • iii) like rolling with a gentle change
        
  • IV. Style
    
    • A. Style further enhances message
      
    • B. Frost
      
      • i) Narrative
        
        • a) detached/less emotional/man's carelessness toward nature
          
        • b) more directly factual
          
    • C. Lee
      
      • i) Descriptive
        
        • a) appreciative/emotional/beauty of nature functioning naturally
          
      • ii) Imagery
        
        • a) diction (how it contributes to imagery)
          
        • b) simile
          
    • V. Conclusion
      
      • A. Plan
        
        • i) Subject
          
        • ii) Style
          
      • B. Thesis Reworded
        
      • C. Concluding Statement
        

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  Jude the Obscure

  • I. Introduction
    
    • A. Opening
      
    • B. Thesis
      
      • i) In Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy presents characters who violate the conventions of the repressive Victorian society while attempting to follow their natural instincts.
        
    • C. Plan
      
      • i) arouses sympathy in reader
        
      • ii) laughs with the character
        
  • II. Sympathy
    
    • A. Difference in values
      
      • i) present society is much more liberated
        
      • ii) we sympathize with characters when they’re persecuted for things which we don’t find unacceptable
        
      • iii) Hardy knew that would happen
        
        • a) pendulum
          
        • b) recognized his society was unreasonable
          
    • B. Jude (love)
      
      • i) society said you had to marry
        
      • ii) Jude and Sue
        
        • a) we sympathize because they act on impulses we accept and relate with
          
        • b) we sympathize when they’re punished
          
  • III. Laughing With The Character
    
    • A. Victorian customs regarding love
      
      • i) Jude and Sue laugh at the system.
        
      • ii) Hardy reveals how ridiculous he thinks it is through the characters (wedlock)
        
    • B.Sue and Jude’s happiness
      
      • i) Greek
        
        • a) Sue’s statues (she gets in trouble)
          
        • b) p. 365 Greek joyousness
          
        • c) in times of happiness, they can laugh at society
          
  • IV. Conclusion
    
    • A. Plan
      
      • i) sympathy
        
      • ii) laughing
        
    • B. Thesis reworded
      
    • C. Conclusion
      
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  Medieval Literature

  • I. Introduction
    
    • A. Opening
      
    • B. Thesis
      
      • i) The Medieval Period was a time of considerable social transformation and this is often reflected in the literature of that age.
    • C. Plan
      
      • i) church
        
        • a) becoming corrupt
      • ii) politics
        
        • a) feudal system (prevailing still) middle class just beginning to emerge
      • iii) ideals
        
        • a) chivalry
  • II. Church
    • A. Ideals
      
      • i) man required to work until he died
        
      • ii) earthly things nothing compared to closeness with God
        
      • iii) obedience of commandments = eternal salvation
    • B. Ideals vs. Reality
      
      • i) church became corrupt
        
      • ii) hypocracy - mostly at high levels
        
        • a) shown in Prologue
          
          • 1. Nun
            
          • 2. Monk
      • iii) still some honesty
        
        • a) Parson
  • III. Politics
    
    • A. Feudalism
      
      • i. hierarchy
        
        • a) shown in Prologue
          
          • 1. variety of social order
            
          • 2. vast array of characters
      • ii) gradual emergence of middle class
        
        • a) guildsmen (trade)
  • IV. Chivalry
    
    • A. Ideals
      
      • i) bravery
        
      • ii) honor
        
      • iii) courtesy
        
      • iv) fairness to enemies
    • B. Knighthood - Integral Part of Feudalism
      
      • i) Canterbury Tales
        
        • a) Knight
          
          • 1. described first
            
          • 2. one of only three pilgrims described honestly praisingly
      • ii) Gawain
        
        • a) learns lesson of humility
          
        • b) test motif (above)
    • C. Chivalry in Practice
      
      • i) difficult to tell how much it was actually adhered to
  • V. Conclusion
    
    • A. Plan
      
      • i) church
        
      • ii) politics
        
      • iii) chivalry
    • B. Thesis Reworded
      
    • C. Concluding Statement

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