In the Skin of a Lion notes and draft essay: H E R E (1 Viewer)

[Dreamerish*~]

if anyone needs it.
i know the pain of doing this text, hopefully it would be easier for you guys '-_-

 

[glitterfairy]

I'd just like to add a bit to this. The notes above are not bad, but somewhat generic - remember that you MUST pull examples from the text and state why they were used.

For example:

Why is Ondaatje constructing an "unofficial history"? This is pretty obvious, but cover all corners.

Now about the text referring to itself as artificial and constructed - you can go into this a LOT more. Now, everyone studying this text LOOK HERE AND READ THIS BIT. I don't spoon feed, but I will give a hint - Alice says somewhere that "You reach people through metaphor". Provided someone actually responds, this can go into a discussion about metaphor (VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!!). But to continue with other things I think are important to add:

The lyrical prose is more than just pretty. Have a look at some creation myths one day. They're also written quite prettily. Why so? What is the effect of this?

Ah, and now there is intertextuality. Currently doing a bit of this in Uni. Intertextuality is really great - provided the reader actually knows what you're quoting or referring to, it can open up doors for entirely different meanings - or add depth to the meaning already presented (eg "walking away from his house, he knew exactly how Adam must have felt when he left Eden". Lame example, but you get what I mean). This also links with metaphor, but I'll wait for some more responses before I go into that further - it is really really something you need to work out for yourselves to get the full effect, but I'm here to nudge the process slightly

Mini-narratives can be linked to metaphor

Lack of reality also to be linked to metaphor

Ooh! ok so there is some metaphor in this thing. Something that can be added - there's a line like "the puppet was brought before the authorities, unable to speak a word" which would be GREAT.

Final note with the essay - please underline your texts!

 

[ega321]

'Dreamerish*~'.... THANK YOU soooo much! You have no idea how much this helps!
Also, to any one else who is doing Skin... you may like to try this (i dont think it is as good as 'Dreamerish*~' notes, but have a go!):
http://hsc.csu.edu.au/english/advanced/critical_study/2595/skin_of_lion.html

it was prepared by a teacher (i think!) at hornsby girls... only just found it and had a quick look through... seems ok! it suggests a few other readings other than poco and pomo... eg
marxist
feminist
narratological (this is the only other one there is detail on)
psychoanalytical
this link mostly covers pomo, poco and narratological readings.

i really enjoyed this book, but i wish we didn't have to study it in such depth and ruin it!!!
ps. you can also have a liberal humanist reading of the book, which I THINK is based on character and how people normally would read the book if they weren't studying it. I have been told NOT to go down that path, though i know some people have.

 

[glitterfairy]

^^ The abovementioned article was written by Mr David Eldridge, head of the english department at Hornsby Girl's High.

A lot of it - to my recollection - didn't make a great deal of sense until I had a more in-depth knowledge of the text, as it's a bit heavier than what I normally read. It is, however, an extremely good article, but requires one to have already formed some of their own opinion about the book (ie no spoon-feeding).