Comparison of Lit Criticisms & A-level texts

Psychoanalysis

The Great Gatsby

Chapter 1

• “Reserving judgements is a matter of infinite hope” — exploration of identity, morality, and the American Dream, emphasising the complexity of human behaviour and motivations. He suppresses his true thoughts in favour of a more socially acceptable persona, reflecting the struggle between authentic self and societal expectations that is central to the narrative. Shows conflict between outer and inner feelings

• “I’m inclined to reserve all judgment” — Nick's an unreliable narrator, as he has his own biases while attempting to understand the lives of others within the societal framework. Nick presents as tolerant, but later in the novel, he clearly judges people. This suggests self-deception and unconscious bias.

• “Whenever you feel like criticising anyone.. just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” — embodies a sense of privilege and the complexity of empathy, consider the social and economic contexts that shape individuals' experiences and actions. Shows how early influences affect a persons psychological outlook on life

Chapter 2

• “I married him because I thought he was a gentleman” — misguided perception of social status and morality, illustrating how societal expectations can cloud judgment and contribute to personal disillusionment. reveals her disappointment and repressed desires for wealth and status instead of love

• “Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand” — physical dominance highlighting toxic masculinity and the notion of power dynamics within relationships, further emphasising the corruptive influence of wealth and privilege on personal interactions. Sudden violence reflects uncontrolled impulses and aggression similar to instinctive drives

• “I want to get one of those dogs” — material desires constructed a new identity to escape her real life in which she wasn’t happy with.

Chapter 3

• “People were not invited - they went there” — Gatsby’s party attracted people chasing pleasure, fun and escape away from responsibility, showing hidden desires and social masks

• “This is an unusual party for me. I haven’t even seen the host.” — Gatsby’s mysterious absence suggests he hides his real identity, reinforcing themes of illusion and constructed self. His choice to remain hidden symbolises a deeper disconnect between his public image and private identity, effectively illustrating the enigmatic nature of his character and the societal pressures that drive individuals to hide their true selves.

• “Everyone is discontented in their own way.” — This observation highlights the pervasive sense of dissatisfaction among the characters, reflecting how their material ambitions and social aspirations ultimately leave them unfulfilled. This echoes the idea that the pursuit of wealth and status can create a façade that obscures genuine happiness and authentic relationships, emphasising the critical lens through which we should examine their interactions and motivations.

• “He stretched out his arms toward the dark water… and distinguished nothing except a single green light.” — This moment encapsulates the unattainable dreams and desires that haunt the characters, symbolising hope and ambition amidst the overwhelming darkness of their realities, thus reinforcing the central theme of longing that pervades the text. By juxtaposing these sentiments, we see how characters are often driven by their aspirations, yet remain trapped in cycles of disillusionment, a concept that is vital for analysing their development and the societal critique inherent in their struggles. And how Gatsby’s unconscious longing for Daisy and his idealised dream.

Chapter 4

• “He hurried the phrase ‘educated at Oxford,’ or swallowed it.” — Gatsby seems anxious about his past, showing insecurity and the psychological need to reshape his identity.

Othello

Poetry Anthology

Who so list

• shows the speaker’s relentless pursuit of the hind, representing the unconscious desire

• “hunt” and “hind” metaphor shows the struggle in the relationship, the deer = object of desire

• This desire is complicated by the societal constraints placed upon the speaker, highlighting themes of unattainable love and the frustration that comes with it.

Sonnet 116

• the love is mutual

• “it is an ever-fixed mark” — desire for certainty within a relationship

the flea

• desire and love towards the woman is portrayed through the metaphor of a flea, representing the merging of lives and the intensity of passion shared between lovers.

to his coy mistress

• three - part structure of the mind theory revealing the characters complexity and the tension between desires and proper love.

• allusions/imagry = deeper understanding a character’s unconscious suggesting that the speakers love is not just physical but also a reflection of his state

the scrutiny

• gives into his desires and is open with them e.g “treasures in unplowed ground”

garden of love

• Use of religon can be used as a manifestation of the superego which is trying to control the independent desires which is seen in love = “chapel was built in the midst” → religon trying to stop love (the conscious trying to stop an instinctual need)

Song (ae fond kiss)

• desire for women is difficult → sighs and groans sounds like sounds children makes when expressing its pain from being ripped from there mother = love is clingy

she walks in beauty

• dark and light is mentioned throughout the poem → absence of light is when she is not with him

remember

• The memory of the women can represent the woman’s need to be remembered at least unconsciously

the ruined maid

• behavior driven by themes of three part structure of the mind theory → ID = the base instinct to live a comfortable life (the ruined maid gives into comfort but social status but the country girl doesnt)

at an inn

• ID = base desire to have a romantic relationship regulated by superego

la belle dame sans merci

• desire for women → the fairy acts maternally towards the knight feeding him and putting him to sleep this nurturing behaviour contrasts with the knight's initial lust, suggesting that the knight's idealisation of femininity is both comforting and ultimately fatal

Non sum

• ID = desire for pleasure controls his life, leading him into a cycle of seeking fulfilment through external validation, yet ultimately leaving him empty and isolated → “ i cried for madder music and stronger wine”

Marxism

The Great Gatsby

Chapter 1

• “Her voice is full of money” — Daisy is associated and described solely by her money = people 's perception of her value is intrinsically linked to wealth and social status, highlighting the critique of materialism inherent in the novel.

• “The white places of fashionable East egg” — class divide = old money vs others, explains the theme of social stratification and the superficiality of wealth

• “"raw ivy” & “bright vines”— symbolize the entrapment of characters within their social roles, reinforcing the idea that despite appearances, lives dictated by societal expectations, difference between the weak fresh ivy and the secure vines representing how the vines (old money) has a more secure life and are so big infront of everyone, contrasting with the fresh ivy (new money) that struggles to climb

• “imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy” — can never be old money no matter how they try to achieve the appearance, authenticity in wealth and status cannot be fabricated = divisions between the established affluent and those who attempt to rise into their ranks.

• “glittered along the water” — reflects the allure of the American dream, yet highlights the transient and superficial nature of wealth, as the characters are often drawn to the illusion of prosperity while remaining unfulfilled and disconnected from true happiness.

• “courtesy bay” —

Chapter 2

• “Valley of ashes” — symbol of the working class, ashes representing death and decay, contrasting sharply with the vibrant lifestyle of the wealthy characters (“bright vines”, glistening water” etc)

• “grey” “desolate” — highlight the despair and hopelessness experienced by the lower class, contrasting to the opulent settings of the upper class, representing poverty and issues with the status and class and how the pure have nothing

• “I want to get one of those dogs” — could represent identity through objects and how having a dog is expensive and was seen as a symbol of status, emphasising the superficiality of wealth, shows the lengths to which characters go to try and be part of the elite

Chapter 3

• “Men and girls came and went like moths” — moths are attracted to light = attracted to money, nature of their pursuits and the superficial relationships formed in the need for social status → lives are dictated by the presence of wealth, much like moths drawn to the danger of flames = the emptiness and fragility of their need for social status

• “Champagne was served in glasses bigger than finger bowls” — excess wealth, capitalism is wasteful, taking away from the lower class who need it, showing moral problems that comes with indulgence and the illusion of happiness social status provides.

Chapter 4

• “Gatsby bought that house so that daisy would be just across the bay” — Gatsby's wealth is a means to an end, reflecting his desire for acceptance and love, his extravagant lifestyle becomes a hollow, contrast between dreams and reality.

• “He wants her to see his house” — Gatsby is hoping the grandeur of his house will convince daisy to get back with him and not their genuine love

Othello

Act 1

• “I am not what I am” (scene 1) Iago manipulates hierarchy to get what he wants, as he believes that, as the lower class he wont be treated the same, awareness of the societal structures, appearance versus reality

• “An old black ram..” (scene 1) — racist attitudes of the time, Iago's exploiting racial stereotypes for his gain, rams were used as sacrifice in the Bible (and was considered lower class) insinuating that Othello is lower class

• “rude am i in my speech” (scene 3) — acknowledges his outsider status, perception vs. reality, he undermines the prejudices of those around him, ignores superficial judgments.

• “my life upon her faith” (scene 3) — deep trust in Desdemona, highlighting his vulnerability and the significance of faith in their relationship, foreshadowing, power imbalance

Act 2

• "I do suspect the lusty Moor" (scene 1) — reinforcing the theme of jealousy and betrayal, , illustrating societal views on race and sexuality - prostitutes etc were considered of the lowest class and highly disrespected suggest O is that low class undermines and ridicules him

• "The Moor is of a free and open nature" (scene 1) — contrasts Othello's honesty with his own duplicity, showcasing the irony inherent in perceptions versus reality, undermining O cause they dont have the same social understanding as them

• “Our general’s wife is now the general” — power tied to relationships (women didnt have any power without her husband)

Act 3

• “I am your own forever” (scene 3) — possivness as man will be ridiculed, expresses vulnerability = highlighting societal expectations of masculinity

• hankercheif” — becomes a material object of power and possessiveness over D, object dominating their human relations

• “farewell the tranquil mind! farewell content!” — Othello loses control when his status and identity is threatened = fragility of his masculinity

• “Men should be what they seem “ — people are not what they appear, they manipulate the social hierarchy to get what he wants and what he deems fair

Act 4

• “Lie with her, lie on her” — reduces D to an object— Othello's language reveals his descent into jealousy and irrationality, stripping Desdemona of her humanity

• “A horned mans a monster and a beast” (scene 1) — reliant on his reputation and status but being “cuckolded” lowers his status; identity is tied to how others perceive him

• “i will chop her into messes! cuckold me?” (scene 1) — treats D as property and reflects patriarchal system, Othello's rage and possessiveness stem from his insecurities about not upholding his repuatation or status.

• “but never taint my love” (scene 2) — accapting suffering, remains loyal despite disrespect, revealing she is “obedient” or “submissive” showing the power within the structure

Act 5

• “I took you for that cunning whore of Venice” (scene 2) — reduces Desdemona to an social label - dehumanising her, language becomes a tool of power and dehumanisation

• “then must you speak of one that loved not wisely but too well” (scene 2) — control narrative reflecting his need for a credible reputation and self-justification, people are shaped by social forces, showing how individuals uphold systems even when thinking after their death

• “the night that either makes me or fordoes me quite” (scene 1) — Iago is obsessed with status and his ambition to improve his class, ambition can corrupt and lead to moral degradation in the pursuit of power.

The Poetry Anthology

A Song (Absent from thee)

• “Absense, hear thou my protestation” dependancy on each other creates

La Belle Dame Sans Merci

• “no bird sings” — bleak ending being consumed by illusion ( false capitalist promises)

• “she looked at me as she did love” — knight is deceived, paralleling how dominant classes convince the younger classes

Non Sum Qualis

• “madder music, stronger wine” — indulging reflecting how higher classes only do things as they can, excess indulgences, escapism etc

• “i have been faithful.. in my fashion” — suggesting moral fragmentation and the struggle for authenticity in a world that prioritizes social status over genuine relationships.

Remember

• Remember me when i am gone away” — desire for memory instead of material legacy

• “better by far you should forget and smile” rejecting ownership opposite views of capitalist

She walks in beauty

• her beauty is described as etherial and an object of admiration, reflecting patriarchal and class ideology

• “a heart whose love is innocent” constructing a perfect image of womanhood expecting a nurturing and submissive role, thereby reinforcing traditional gender norms and the male gaze in Victorian society.

Ae fond kiss

• “had we never loved sae kindly” — authentic connect instead of material, love ≠ possesion from economic exchange

Who so list to hunt

• diamond crusted collar = showing off how much money they had, could suggest pospossessionsesion of the lover rather than genuine affection, conflicts between love and materialism in relationships (class/ status gets in the way of true love as it is off so much importance)

The flea

• “this flea is you and i” trivial object becomes a symbol of there relationship, and uses the symbol to sell the idea of there relationship to the female

Garden of love

• “chapel was built in the midst” — church controlling natural freedom and being the highest authority

• “thou shalt not writ over the door” — prohibitation of natural desire, highlighting the conflict between institutional authority and personal passion.

the ruined maid

• “we never do work when were ruined” — highlighting labour divide - working class vs those who exploit for proft = needing survival as class is everything

the scrutiny

• “why would i swear love more” — questions the authenticity of emotion in a class-structured society, love may be focused upon social status and financial stability.

to his coy mistress

• “had we but world enough, and time” — time = limited resource, fantasy of abundance

Feminism

The Great Gatsby

Chapter 1

• “i hope she ‘ll be a fool - thats the best thing a girl can be in this world a beautiful little fool” — daisy recognises that women (and her own) position is safer being passive as they have no real power or authority by themselves

• “her voice is full of money” daisy is reduced to wealth and status → women are seen as objects within a patriarchal society where males desire are prioritised

• “Miss baker was lounging.. completely motionless” jordon presented as an object and is represented as silent listening to everyone else (passive = a stereotypical women’s characteristic)

• mrytle represented as the telephone call during dinner which represents that males can do what they want and women can not act as if they have agency or control over their lives.

Chapter 2

• “Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!” triptych - mrtyle is silenced by tom slapping her which shows make dominance over female expression, women are subjugated and denied their voices = gender inequality

• “i married him because I thought he was a gentleman” — Myrtle relies on marriage for status limiting female independence

Chapter 3

• “girls were putting their heads on mens shoulders” — women shown as dependent on men, men are never vulnerable, reinforcing traditional gender roles and the notion that women's identities are often intertwined with male approval.

• “Jordan Baker.. incurably dishonest” — society punishes women who are independent and are framed negatively

Chapter 4

• “Daisy was rhe first “nice girl” he had ever known” — women are categorised morally instead of how they are or how smart they are

• Daisy ripping the “pearl necklace” that tom got her could show her small defence against the normal pat society but then it gets put right on her, implying no matter how much women wanted to break through the norms, men always felt they possessed them

Othello

Act 1

• “Look to your house, your daughter and your bags!” (scene 1) — Desdemona categorisesed with the other possessions of the household, suggesting that women are seen as property rather than individuals = male dominance in relationships.

• “An old black ram is tupping your white ewe” (scene 1) — objectification of Desdemona, implying she does not have any authority to have chosen othello she was simply “stolen” and possessed

• “O thou foul thief!” (scene 2) — Desdemona is treated as stolen property, undermining of her autonomy, patriarchal view that women are not seen as equals → but as items to be owned and controlled.

• “my life upon her faith” (scene 3) — O controlling Desdemona’s value

Act 2

• “Our general’s wife is now the general” (scene 1) — suggesting women have no name without their husband and their life and status is reliant on males and cant make a name for themselves

• “reputation, reputation, reputation!” (scene 3) — male characters in the play emphasize the importance of honor, showing how societal expectations confine women's identities to their relationships with men showing how female reputations are fragile

Act 3

• “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy” (scene 3) — patriarchal control through suspicion of women and how it undermines their autonomy, toxic dynamics of power = male dominance and female submission.

• “I am your forever” — Emilia showing submission against the patriarchal society

Act 4

• “Lie with her? lie on her?” (scene 1) — obsession with female sexuality that that posses the women and reflects the toxic masculinity present in the play, reduces women to mere objects of desire, never ending cycle of control (first father and then husband”

• “handkerchief” (scene 1) — Desdemona’s fidelity is reduced to an object and when D looses it O takes it as direct proof that she has been unfaithful, material possessions = personal worth in a patriarchal context.

• “they are all but stomachs and we all but food” (scene 3) — implies the objectification of women, where men consume and dispose of them according to their needs = predatory nature of male desire in the play.

• “let husbands know their wives have sense like them” (scene 3) — suggests an awakening of female agency and challenges the patriarchal norms, indicating that women possess intellect and autonomy = deep-rooted insecurities within men that force them to view women as inferior.

Act 5

• “I will not charm my tongue, i am bound to speak” (scene 2) — emilia defies her husband which is out the norm for a women of that time, challenging the societal expectations placed upon women

• “she was as false as water” (scene 2) — sexist comment that reflects the deeply ingrained misogyny of the characters = women are often judged for their perceived lack of loyalty or moral integrity

The Poetry Anthology

A song (Absent from thee)

• “Absence, hear thou my protestation.” — male centred love, women is a passive objec

• “i could not live if thou wert gone” — dependency framed around male voice and not female agency or perspective

The flea

• "Mark but this flea, and mark in this" — the flea serves as a symbol of desire, reducing the female to a mere tool for his sexual pursuit and not proper love

• The women in the poem never speaks although it is a conversation between her and the male speaker, her objectification by the male voice as he never shows her opinions = lack of agency (in the males perspective)

At an inn

• “we said we would meet no more” — social constructs of the time, male and females cannot be friends as society believes that women are not capable of not being for the male gaze

La belle dame sans merci

• la belle dame sans merci” — women are demonised for being independent as males believe they dont have the ability to be productive

Non Sum qualis

• “gone with the wind” — females’ identity is erased

• “i have forgot much, cynara” — women are idealised and objectified and are presented as a prize to be won

She walks in beauty

• “she walks in beauty” — women reduced to appearance except for her personal characteristics and the longing of the observer (male gaze)

• “a mind at peace with all below” — idealised perfection → unrealistic stadstandardsnerds set by men for women

The garden of love

• “thou shalt not” — women are restricted and don’t have freedom (especially from religion)

The ruined maid

• “you aint ruined.. you’re respectable now” — being a mistress gives women power and authority over themselves and their money → irony as she is ruined but is in a better position then before

• “and now you’ve gay bracelets and bright feathers” — appearance tied to survival and societal expectations = irony as personal adornments often come at the cost of moral compromise

the scrutiny

• “when i have loved my round” — women are treated as interchangeable, meaning once men is finished using a women he just goes on to the next = disrespect

• “why should you swear i am forsworn” — male has much more freedom , men can use women like objects without consequence whilst it is detrimental to a womens position

To his coy mistress

• “had we but world enough and time” — pressuring women sexually to do their bidding as they bebelieveleive they have right over them

• “My vegetable love should grow” — woman objectified by male desire = doesn’t care about the result of the woman’s reputation if they use the women

whoso list to hunt

• “Noli me tangere, for caesars I am” — woman are described as property of a powerful man and not of their characteristics, and the only reason the man backed of the woman was because she was owned, implying they feel like they have a right towards women and their autonomy

• “the vain travail hath wearied me so sore” — male fustration at a lack of control over women

New Historicism

The Great Gatsby

Chapter 1

• “The white palaces of fashionable East Egg” — reflects the 1920s old money aristocracy within the class hierarchy

• “im inclined to reserve all judgements” — nick reflects modern uncertainty post World War I

• “i hope she’ll be a fool” — shows 1920s gender expectations despite the emergence of the “new women” movement

Chapter 2

• “valley of ashes” — industrial wasteland which critiques of the industrial capitalism in the 1920’s

• “he broke her nose” — normalised domestic violence in patriarchal society

Chapter 3

• “Champagne was served” — during the roaring twenties , alcohol was prohibited (through prohibition), meaning only the rich could have access to alcohol.

• “men and girls came and went like moths” — people using each other to try to get themselves in a better social position

Chapter 4

• “a lot of these newly rich people are just big bootleggers” rise of wealth through illegal trade due to prohibition (main way of getting rich at the time)

Othello

Act 1

• “An old black ram” — reflecting racial attitudes in Venice

• “your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs,” — highlighting the deeply entrenched prejudices and the conflict between love and societal acceptance in uncommon interracial relationships.

• “your daughter and your bags” — women as property, which is the patriarchal norm

• “foul thief” (scene 2) — marriage seen as a social transaction to improve social position

• “divided duty” — reflects women’s expectations of being obedient

Act 2

• “you rise to play and go to bed to work” — misogyny typical of the period

• “reputation, reputation!” — Honour culture is very important for men at the time

Act 3

• “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy” — jealousy tied to honour and masculinity as how your daughter/wife acted reflected on you

Act 4

• “lie with her” — historical gender controlol of a woman’s chastity control

• “they are all but stomachs” — emilia criituqes the patriarchy, which was normalised at the time

Act 5

• “speak of me as I am” — concern with legacy as that was crucial at the time (and their reputation)

The Poetry Anthology

Who so list

• shifts the focus from purely romantic unrequited love to a complex interaction between literature and political power in Henry VIII’s court, showing politcal fustration navigating the overwheleming power of the king (“and graven with diamonds (…) for ceasors i am”

Sonnet 116

• “let me not to the marriage of true minds” → mirrors book of common prayer and goes against religon

the flea

• three lives in one → sacrilege → cloister → marriage temple trying to convince her with religion as her reputation is of alot of importance

to his coy mistress

• “coyness” is a reflection of the patriacpatriarchalhal society of the time that speaker wishes to overcome

The scrutiny

• focus on time “tedious tweleve hours” reflects the context of the traditional stable patriarchal love was falling out of favour

A song (absent from thee)

• the class distinction within the sexual market of the 17th century, frequented by the aristocracy

The garden of love

• “a chapel was built” critique of organised religion and at the time symbolising how organised religon is destroying natural free human existence, anti religon was very shocking

Song (ae fond kiss)

• at the end of a passionate affair with agnus which could reflect the social and economic backdrop of the late 18th-centuary Scotland

Remember

• reflects Victorian values of morals from the time which was very popular in the 19th century

The ruined maid

• Criticising Victorian hypocrisy

• by highlighting the stark contrast between the societal expectations placed on women and the harsh realities they face.

At an inn

• Inconsistent love between the speaker and his “friend”, reflecting social contracts of the 19th century

La Belle Dame Sans Merci

• medival knight notians and his subsequent downfall illustrate the dangers of idealized love, as the knight becomes entrapped in a dream world ultimately leading to his desolation.