hakan+-+texts+in+time+intro

Texts are shaped by the social and personal contexts of their composers. Different contextual times in which texts are written will impact what messages are presented throughout them and the way in which their composers will convey these messages across. __Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese" (1849__) and __F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1926)__ are both texts which explore the nature of love and how this love can be influenced by those around us and the contextual time in which we live in. Despite sharing similar themes, they are depicted differently as a result of the differing values of their composers, who lived in different contextual times. EBB was from the Victorian era, where patriarchal dominance, sexual repression and subservience of women were common. These surrounding values are reflected in EBB’s sonnets, and are evident through her unwillingness to accept physical love, and her want for eternal spiritual love with Robert Browning. Similarly to this, TGG was influenced by the post-world war 1920’s, a.k.a the roaring twenties. This contextual time was quite the opposite of the Victorian Era. During this time, people lived lavish lifestyles where hard partying was common and sexual encounters were to be experienced. This was an age of moral decrepitude, where rejection of religious values and breaking of laws (illegal manufacturing of alcohol) were occurring. This too has influenced Fitzgerald in his representation and portrayal of love in TGG.
 * TEXTS IN TIME**

(then im going to talk about various loves portrayed in the two texts e.g. for Browning I will use idealised love, platonic love and transforming love and I need some suggestions for different types of love in Gatsby? ) any criticism would be much apreciated thanks mr warren

Texts **and the messages they present** are shaped by the social and personal contexts of their composers. __Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese" (1849__) and __F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1926)__ are both texts which explore the nature of love and how this love can be influenced by those around us and the contextual time in which we live in. Despite sharing similar themes, they are depicted differently as a result of the differing values of their composers, who lived in different contextual times. EBB was from the Victorian era, where patriarchal dominance, sexual repression and subservience of women were common. **Browning's personal context - dominating father, being an invalid and middle aged - were shaped by these practices; but she challenged these values in her sonnets and her life.** Similarly to this, TGG was influenced by the post-world war 1920’s, a.k.a the roaring twenties. This contextual time was quite **different to** the Victorian Era. **A wealthy classes showed conscipuous consumption, hedonistic attitudes and greed and a general decline in spiritual values and moral and ethical practices.** This was an age of moral decrepitude, where rejection of religious values and breaking of laws (illegal manufacturing of alcohol) were occurring. **Fitzgerald's own pursuit of the wealthy socialite Zelda, and his failed attempts to live a lavish, celebrity lifestyle in New York has parallels with his creation of Jay Gatsby.**

I'd be inclined to put this context material in the paragraphs about each composer and text. But it can work like this. I'd try and define or explain the types of love in the intro. Something like: Browning expresses the transforming power of genuine, trusting connection with another, overcoming her own doubts to rejoice in the unlikely relationship with the younger Robert Browning. Her sonnets also reflect her classical education and Methodist upbringing in the Platonic ideals of love and spiritual values that transcend simple pious religion. Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby's pursuit of an idealised love for Daisy Buchanan in a setting that reflected the corruption and weakness of the failed American Dream. Fitzgerald also questions whether genuine love is possible whem spiritual values are absent in in a society dominated by greed, privelege and rampant consumerism. This is evident in the marriage of Daisy and Tom.

I suggest: 1 poem(s) that shows transforming power of love 2 the nature of Gatsby's love: for an ideal. References to the green light (3 across the novel) could be used; 3 spiritual values in a poem (love even after death and so on) 4 lack of spiritual; values in novel (valley of ashes, the eyes), the marriage of Daisy and Tom. that would be my basic pattern. Mr w