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Aidan starr James nellis and Harry magnay (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2009-11-17 @ 09:57:10
In both 'superman' and 'growing up', both sets of children are portrayed as intelligent yet primitive and animalistic.
“There was another second of silence, then Jimmy lane turned on me 'you did it' he taunted... and then the rest of them faced me with a strange joy in the back of their eyes.”
The fact that there was a 'second of silence' shows his rationalism and intelligence. On the other hand this shows maturity, as he thought about his actions, the fact that he then 'turned' on the narrator's persona shows Plath's use of anthropomorphism to represent childhood as a primitive and selfish time.
This compares to Kate, in 'Growing Up', “leaning on the swing... apparently in deep thought.” This also shows her intelligence and maturity as she is trying to decode the problems of the world around her. However, similarly to Jimmy in 'Superman', we also see Kate's sister Jenny's vicious and vindictive behaviour: “Her lips curled back to show all her teeth.”
These characteristics have connotations of a wild animal, also portraying childhood as a primitive experience.
Lizzy Lee and Lauren Kerwin (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2009-11-17 @ 09:57:41
How are children portrayed in “Superman” and “Growing up”
By Lizzy and Lauren.
In “ Superman”, Plath portrays the use of the younger generation through the Narrator who is obliviously innocently cruel as she judges and mocks 'Sheldon Fein' this also gives the reader an passageway into Plath's view on mankind as a whole:
“Sheldon Fein, the sallow mamma's boy on our block who was left out of the boy's games because he cried whenever anybody tagged him and always managed to fall down and skin his fat knee's.”
This demonstrates to the audience how the Narrator, in one breath, is boasting about how her and her companion have generously included him in their little games, but on the other hand she is judging him, and cruelly mocking his persona which as a whole makes her as cruel and malicious as the bullies. The word “sallow mamma's boy” reflects on the honesty of the Narrator and how she doesn't conceal her true inner opinions about Sheldon. It also suggests and generates this character instantly as a weak and reliant little boy who is the twisted parody of the happenings of the surroundings. Similarly, Carey gives an evident view of childhood in“Growing Up”, the supposed 'alpha' male Robert Quick is shocked to find out that his two precious, liberated daughters are violent and almost possessed as they torment the sentimental 'Snort' for no apparant reason:
“The two children dashed after the bitch, laughing, bumping together, falling over each other and snatching up anything they could find to throw at the fugitive.”
The word 'fugitive' is their clear perception of Snort, and its evident how they are tangling his state in with their travesty of their kind of entertainment. It also compares with Sheldon Fein, and how he is a background character but really he is the first victim of the supposed innocent youth. The daughters are seen as schadenfreudic, enjoying the stark misery and pain of the defenceless animal, however like the Narrator in “Superman” their ignorance is key as they don't become aware of this “objects” emotions. Carey and Plath both generate the use of childhood to run parallel to the plot throughout their story, which gives an insight to the reader of the sheer cruelty of children and enables to manipulate the audience's emotions to feel a strong sympathy towards the victims of these stories
JACK Gef Luke (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2009-11-17 @ 09:57:55
In both “Superman” and “Growing Up”, Cary and Plath portray childhood as a time of oblivious attitudes and evil. In “Growing Up”, Cary clearly demonstrates this through the shocking quotation:
“Kill him, scalp him, torture him”.
The fact that the children are viciously attempting to attack their beloved father illustrates that they are both evil, wild and ignorant of his obvious and excruciating pain. “Torture him” presents their secretive love for schadenfreude on an all new, terrifying level. Also, the use of repetition: “him, him, him” dehumanises and belittles their own father, who has come to love them over the years the have been so close together.
Similarly, in “Superman”, the stuck up character of Paula Brown imperiously states to the innocent narrator: “Want to play?”.
Although in both stories they are 'playing', in “Superman” the game appears to be a happy, typical and loving game of 'tag'. This is in direct and sudden contrast to the evil and malicious 'game' that the girls are forcing upon their poor,weak and dandy father.
The style in which the question is forced upon the narrator shows that Paula is a child who is clearly oblivious to the thoughts and feelings of other people.
cassie (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2009-11-17 @ 09:58:10
Cassie and Charlotte.. and kirsty.
In Plath's 'Superman', childhood is portrayed as a ruthless time of great fear and cruelty.
'”The rest of them faced me with a strange joy flickering in the back of their eyes. 'You did it, you pushed her.'”'
Here Plath conveys the children as teasing and unfair because they are depersonalising the narrator by 'ganging up' on her. This is further supported by the“strange joy” that is hidden in the “back of their eyes.” This shows the children to be malicious and almost manic as they appear to be gaining pleasure and “joy” through belittling the protagonist. Moreover, it displays them as having schadenfreudic attitudes, as they appear to be enjoying the suffering of others.
Similarly, in “Growing up”, Cary also demonstrates the vindictive side of childhood;
“Kill him-scalp him. Torture him.”
The inclusion of the word “torture” alongside the word “kill” shows the children in the story to be extremely sadistic, as they are aiming to cause much suffering to their innocent father. Additionally, the continuous use of the word “him” closely compares to the repetition of “you” in 'superman'.
The absence of names in both of these quotes makes the children seem animalistic because of their degrading attitudes and behaviour.
Sophie Gina And Chloe (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2009-11-17 @ 09:58:34
Compare the portrayal of children in “Growing Up” and “Super-Man”
In “Growing Up” Cary portrays children as over controlling in difficult situations.
“sit down, daddy – sit down – how dare you get up.”
This imperative command shows how the children try to take the role of an adult in order to keep the situation under their control. “Sit down” also shows how they physically want to be superior over their father. Similarly Plath shows Paula brown and the other children taking the situation into their own hands when Paula Brown wrecks her new snow suit. The narrator is singled out and persecuted by the compulsive group who don't want to take responsibility. Which is another flaw of children. The way the children gang up against her shows they are schadenfruededic
“The rest of them faced me with a strange joy flickering in the back of their eyes.”
This enjoyment of the persona's pain shows the true extent of the cruel and savage mind of a child, it also shows that they feel safe in this malevolent act because shes out ruled by number.
Jenny and Helen (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2009-11-17 @ 09:58:54
Compare the portrayal of children in “Superman” and “Growing Up”
Jenny and Helen:
In Superman and Growing up both authors present children in a vindictive, inconsiderate and malicious way. In Superman, Plath says: 'Jimmy Lane turned to me. “You did it” he taunted.' This shows the children as malicious because they have blamed the narrator who is innocent. 'Turned' represents the two different sides of children, good and evil. It also suggests Jimmy Lane's change in personality as he may have once been her friend but as he now realises he may be in trouble he “turns” on her proving he is untrustworthy. The word 'taunted' suggests the children are ganging up on her implying she is different to them proving they are animalistic as in the animal world they kill the different one.
Similarly, where Plath uses the word 'turned' to show the contrasting sides of children, Cary uses the phrase 'crazy'. It implies the girls haven't had any boundaries forced upon them from their father therefore there is little wonder the girls are as wild as they are. Cary demonstrates the two girls as schadenfreude: “Jenny's face: crazy, murderous...she wanted to hurt.' The phrase 'wanted to hurt' makes Jenny seem like a violent, aggressive young girl like in Superman, when Plath shows the children as animalistic characters...
Samanda Ellen and Kiara (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2009-11-17 @ 09:59:11
In “Growing Up,” Cary portrays the children as unfettered and imaginative, however they utilise this imagination to devise new games which are taken to a whole new level of violence not usually associated with childhood:
“ “Paleface – Paleface Robbie. Kill him – scalp him. Torture him.” ” This shows that they are playing a twisted parody of Cowboys and Indians. Although, the imperative “torture him” seems all too real to their father who is the victim in all of this.
Plath, however, believes that children use their imagination to liberate themselves from the restraints of reality:
“These nightly adventures in space began when Superman started invading my dreams and teaching me how to fly.” The protagonist obviously feels restricted by everyday life and resorts to her dreams to relieve the pressure from the real world. Her need for Superman as her hero shows her innocence and her craving for a father figure as he represents Uncle Frank, “the strongest man she knows.”
In “Growing Up,” the word “torture” insinuates painful restriction stuck in the cruel reality of the world whereas Plath's character “fly”s to freedom and tranquility.
Megan G and Charlotte B (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2009-11-17 @ 09:59:27
In “superman and paula brown” and “growing up” the nature and body language of the children change at some point to show a darker side of childhood.
“in the well of faces moving towards me i saw no help”
“No help” shows the inconsiderate and vindictive side of the children and that, for the first time, she is experiencing this cruel side of childhood, which enables her to evaluate her life. Furthermore, the “well of faces” shows the magnitude of the situation and that their faces are empty; she must acknowledge that there is a need to question her niave view of childhood.
Similarly, in 'Growing Up' an outburst of cruelty is shown from the children expressing repressed anger and an animilistic side of them.
(unfinished)
Bradley and Jordan (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2009-11-17 @ 09:59:40
In both Plath's 'Superman..' and Cary's 'Growing Up', children are portrayed to be both malevolent and perplex, In 'Superman, Plath describes the children as animalistic and sinful;
“ Sheldon and Paula and Jimmy and the rest of them faced me with a strange joy flickering in the back of their eyes “
The use of the words “strange joy flickering in the back of their eyes” suggests that the children are schadenfreude, and want to deal a great amount of harm to the narrator for the pleasure of themselves. There is also an animalistic view to these words' “ and the rest of them”, this suggests that the 'children' have swarmed the narrator like a pack of dogs and are intending to prolong her suffering. This quotation can be compared to Cary's view of children in 'Growing Up', which is similar to Plath's view that children can be malevolent and feral;
'Paleface – Paleface Robbie. Kill him – scalp him. Torture him.'
This can be interpreted to be a misunderstanding of a re-enactment of a Cowboys' and Indians' brawl, however it is now no more of a torture ceremony than a game. The children keep on referring to the father as “him”, which can be interpreted to mean that the children merely think of their father as a nobody, and would instead 'Torture him'. Both 'Torture him' and 'strange joy flickering in their eyes” suggest that through out childhood, there is an obscene amount of hatred and dislike building up inside, waiting to be unleashed on any unsuspecting hum
Antonia Katherine and Roberta (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2009-11-17 @ 10:00:05
In 'Growing up' and 'superman', both Plath and Cary portray childhood as a time of naivety and contentment. Plath conveys childhood as a time of fantasies and joy; “Those were the days of my technicolour dreams”. This quotation implies how the anonymous narrator is having a happy time. This is because children dream of fantasies when they are having a good time. Even though the word 'technicolour' reveals she is having vivid illusions and bright, exciting dreams, it also indicates how life is no longer fanciful, created by the phrase 'those were the days'.
In 'Growing up', Cary describes the girls in a innocent and blithe way; “lying...by the pond with her book under her nose”. This portrays a gleeful image as the girl appears to be relaxed and carefree, caused by the word 'lying'. It conveys a time of happiness as the girl is doing something she is enjoying – reading. Both Cary and Plath, produce scenes of fantasy as the 'dreaming' and 'reading' can both be compared as joyful. This is because they both have fantasies and imagination incorporated into them, showing a common time of childhood.
By Antonia, Katherine and Roberta
Ellie Savannah and Lauren (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2009-11-17 @ 10:00:46
In “Superman...” Plath portrays children as inconsiderate and malicious:
“Pulled the wings from flies and legs off grasshoppers... and watch them struggle.”
This suggests that the child gets satisfaction from the sight of pain, therefore implying children have no conscience of right and wrong. “Struggle” could highlight how growing up is difficult in itself and so they would rather divert the attention onto others suffering.
However, Jenny, from “Growing Up”, reacts to the dog so aggressively in order to attract attention as her father has ignored the fact that she's maturing:
“Snatched a bamboo from the border and hurled it at Snort like a spear.”
Carey uses alliteration in order to reflect the vindictive actions of the child who'se innocent enough to believe that it's just a “game”.
sakinah amanda becky (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2009-11-17 @ 10:01:12
Both Cary and Plath portray children as masters of cruelty, vindictiveness and schadenfreunde. In 'Superman' Sheldon represents the malicious side of childhood as he constantly abuses innocent animals for his own pleasure. 'He used to pull the wings from flies and the legs off grasshoppers,...and watch them struggling.' by pulling off the wings and legs it emphasises that there is a vindictive side to all innocence. This is further conveyed by 'watch them struggling' as Sheldon is aware that the insects are in pain, but he still persists in letting them suffer to satisfy his own amusement. This implies that even in childhood, which is supposed to be all innocence, there is still a natural instinct to cause pain. Similarly, in 'Growing up' Carey portrays the evilness of children through the girls violent actions towards the dog Snort. ' snatching up anything they could find to throw at the fugitive, pebbles, dead daffodils, bits of flowerpots, lumps of earth.'