Ms Cotter's Class

What is Cultural Context?Cultural context refers to the setting of a text (both time and place). This will have a significant impact on the plot of a text, as well as the values and attitudes of the characters. In your Leaving Cert. exam, there will be two cultural context questions. One will be a full essay worth 70 marks and the other will be split into two parts, totalling 70 marks. You will choose one of these. Please remember the importance of achieving high “purpose” marks. This is key to attaining a high grade. You must apply your knowledge of your texts to the question asked. Some of these questions are trickier than others but looking over past questions will help you to prepare. The structure of your response:Altogether, your comparative essay will contain eleven sections and will be structured as follows:

1. Introduction- here you will refer to the question, introduce your texts, their authors and codes, and provide a brief piece of information on their respective settings. You will also introduce your three topics: social setting, gender and love and marriage. Social setting- paragraph one- General point about social setting. Discuss text 1- NLMG- remember to refer to question Social setting- paragraph two- text 2- PHIC- ensure to use a linking phrase to connect both texts. Refer back to NLMG. Social setting- paragraph three- Ladybird- use linking phrases and refer back to NLMG and PHICGender- paragraph one- general topic sentence- discuss text 1- NLMG Gender- paragraph two- text 2 PHIC- linking phrases, refer back to NLMG Gender- paragraph three- text 3 Ladybird- linking phrases, refer back to PHIC and NLMG Love and marriage- paragraph one- general topic sentence- NLMGLM- paragraph two- text 2 PHIC, refer back to NLMG LM- paragraph three- text 3 Ladybird- refer back to NLMG and PHICConclusion- refer to question, no new information 

Topic sentences and comparisons are highlighted in bold Key points: 

• Know key details about your texts- names, places, etcDo not merely summarize your texts. This will cause you to lose marks You must answer only the question that is asked You have to be seen to be making comparisons and contrasts between the texts- use linking phrases to do this – p 287-288 of textbook You will have to reference specific events in your texts to reinforce your points- these are called “key moments” and are essentially moments in the text that are important for your particular subheading You will have one “anchor text” – that is, a main text that you discuss first. The other two texts will then be compared and contrasted to this. Your anchor text is NLMG. 

Sample Essay: The cultural context of a text refers to the setting of each text and how it influences the values espoused and attitudes held by the characters within the world of the text. The three texts I have studied are Never Let Me Go (henceforth, NLMG) written by Kazuo Ishiguro, Philadelphia, Here I Come! (henceforth, PHIC) and Ladybird, directed by Greta Gerwig. NLMG is set in a dystopian world where clones donate their vital organs once they reach adulthood. PHIC is set in the fictional town of Ballybeg, Donegal in the early 1960s and chronicles the events taking place the night before and the morning of Gar O’ Donnell’s planned move to Philadelphia. Ladybird is set in Sacramento, California in 2002 and chronicles Christine ‘Ladybird’ McPherson’s senior year of high school. In each text, we are presented with differing views of social class, love and marriage and gender. In each text, setting and social class affect and influence the lives of the characters. In NLMG, the lives of the central characters are significantly restricted by the setting of the novel and their social class. NLMG is set in a dystopian world where clones are manufactured to donate their organs once they reach adulthood. They will continue to donate their organs until they ‘complete’, the book’s clinical term for death. The action of the novel takes place in three different English settings: Hailsham, The Cottages and Dover which represents three different junctures in our characters’ lives. The first setting we are introduced to by our narrator is Hailsham, a seemingly prestigious but mysterious school that the clones attend until they are 16. Their freedom here is rather limited. They do not leave the confines of Hailsham and are intimidated by urban legends of students who have attempted to do so before. Hailsham is an intriguing place. The reader does not quite understand its purpose. It places heavy emphasis on creativity and imagination. When the students leave, they learn from other clones that they are regarded as somewhat different or special. Despite this belief, we find out at the conclusion of the novel that this is not the case. Any clone, regardless of background, is considered subhuman. As Miss Lucy tells them ‘‘None of you will go to America, none of you will be film stars…your lives are set out for you. You’ll become adults, then before you’re old, before you’re even middle-aged, you’ll start to donate your vital organs. That’s what each of you was created to do.’ They are entirely stripped of their social class. In Hailsham, their otherness and inferiority is reinforced to them from an early age, as Kathy H states ‘we certainly knew-though not in any deep sense- that we were different from our guardians and also from normal people outside.” While the Cottages offer more freedom than Hailsham, the clones’ lives are still restricted. The Hailsham alumni appear somewhat institutionalised by their time at Hailsham. Kathy states that there is a part of the students that will always be ‘fearful of the world.’ In the latter part of the novel, the setting is bleak and desolate to reflect the clones’ current situation and the reader’s dawning realisation that there is no escaping their cruel fate. This is a world where the clones have no autonomy over their own bodies and where their freedom has always been limited. They are never considered human, even by the people who are sympathetic towards them. Miss Emily states ‘we took away your art because we thought it would reveal your souls. Or to put it more finely, we did it to prove you had souls at all.’ She states that she felt ‘revulsion’ when she looked at them and Madame refers to the clones as ‘creatures.’ In PHIC, Gar is rather restricted by his social class, but once more he is not as confined as the clones in NLMG. While the clones’ inferior status in NLMG will ultimately result in their deaths, Gar’s fate is not as unfortunate. Despite this, his social status has still resulted in significant unhappiness in his life. Gar was once in a relationship with Kate Doogan, and wished to marry her, but her father, a senator, made it clear to Gar that he did not believe he was good enough for her. Senator Doogan tells Gar that he hopes Kate will marry Francis King, a man from the same elite social class as the Doogans (Senator Dogan mentions that he and Francis’ father went to university together). He makes it clear that he does not believe Gar, the son of a grocer, is good enough for Kate. It is this failed relationship with Kate that contributes to Gar wanting to leave Ballybeg. When she visits him on the night before his planned departure, he scathingly refers to Ballybeg as a “bloody quagmire, a backwater, a dead-end.” We do not see Gar ever leave the confines of Ballybeg, but it is hard to imagine that emigration will have a positive impact on him. Gar’s problems in Ireland run much deeper and it seems they will inevitably follow him wherever he goes. The key difference between Gar and Kathy in NLMG is that at least Gar is afforded the opportunity to escape; Kathy and the other clones must passively accept her fate. Ladybird is set in Sacramento, California in 2002. Like Gar in PHIC, Ladybird looks down on her hometown with disdain, believing it to be devoid of any cultural identity, referring to it derisively as ‘the Midwest of California.’ She compares it unfavourably to the East Coast, where she longs to attend college, stating ‘I want to go where culture is, like New York. Or at least Connecticut or New Hampshire.’ Ladybird’s disdain for her hometown is a source of much conflict between herself and her mother, Marion. Marion is frustrated by what she perceives as Ladybird’s snobbery, asking ‘How in the world did I raise such a snob?’ She also clashes with Ladybird about how they spend their money, telling her that treating themselves is ‘something rich people do. We are not rich people.’ Ladybird attends a Catholic school, which her mother feels she should be more grateful for. Ladybird is embarrassed by her home and her neighbourhood. When she passes by a beautiful blue house with white shutters, she tells her friend Julie that if it were her home, she would ‘have friends over all the time.’ Later on, she discovers that this home belongs to her boyfriend, Danny. Ladybird chooses to lie to the popular and wealthy Jenna, stating that the blue house belongs to her family. Jenna comments that she knows the area because it is where her and her family had their ‘starter house.’ Ladybird’s family are not well-off- this is highlighted repeatedly throughout the film. Her parents have sent her to a private Catholic school and this is a rather large sacrifice for them. Ladybird and her brother Miguel both work part-time jobs. Her father mentions refinancing the house to pay for Ladybird’s university tuition and he applies for the same job as his own son. She chooses to spend Thanksgiving with Danny and his wealthy family rather than her own. She spots a picture of former Republican president Ronald Reagan on the wall and asks Danny if it is a joke. When she helps his grandmother to fold napkins at the table, she is then ordered to complete the entire table, making it clear to the audience that the wealthy woman views her more as hired help than a guest. When Danny collects her for this dinner, he shares Ladybird’s comment that her house is on ‘the wrong side of the tracks’ with her parents. They are clearly hurt by this. The audience sympathise with her parents here, as Ladybird enters wearing a dress her mother bought her in ‘Thrift Town’ and lovingly altered it for her. Marion also feels a sense of frustration with her family’s social status. Her and Ladybird’s ‘favourite Sunday activity’ is visiting open houses they will never be able to afford. Subtle changes in Ladybird’s attitude towards her hometown are introduced towards the end of the film. At her school, Sister Sarah Joan points out to her that she writes about Sacramento ‘so affectionately, and with such care.’ In her voicemail to her parents at the end of the film, she notes that she felt ‘emotional’ the first time she drove through Sacramento and seems to remember it fondly.  Conversely to the clones in NLMG, Ladybird is afforded the opportunity to escape her situation. She feels similar shame to Gar in PHIC about her social class, but compared to the clones in NLMG, both Ladybird and Gar are not as unfortunate as they think. The clones are considered sub-human, the lowest of the low, whereas Ladybird and Gar’s lives have value. In the context of the tragedy of the clones’ impending fates, Gar and Ladybiry’s disdain for their respective settings seems rather dramatic. Gender roles are more restrictive in some texts than in others. One could argue that gender differences are not particularly relevant or indeed restrictive in NLMG, however Ishiguro explores many stereotypes associated with gender. Ruth and Kathy’s friendship is typical of the competitive rivalry we often see between fictional female characters. Kathy embodies the nurturing and maternal archetype, while Ruth epitomises negative traits that are often solely associated with females: she is at times catty, manipulative and uses her sexuality to get what she wants. Tommy also embodies traits that are often associated with men in literature; as a child, he lashes out violently because he is unable to articulate his emotions. So while Ruth can be aggressive in a more passive way, Tommy had a more physical way of expressing his anger.Kathy’s nurturing and maternal nature is explored throughout the entire text. At Hailsham, she is protective of Tommy and is one of the only children to be mindful of his temper. In a defining scene in the novel, Kathy holds an imaginary baby to her chest as she listens to the song ‘Never Let Me Go.’ She imagines that the song describes the relationship between a mother and her miracle baby. Later on in life, Kathy will utilise her inherent nurturing instincts to care for other donors, a job she clearly excels at. Female sexuality is also explored in the novel. Kathy believes that her possible (a name given to the person from whom she was cloned) must have been a sex worker or a pornographic actress because she experiences sexual desire and is ashamed of it. Indeed, Ruth uses this as a means to drive a wedge between Kathy and Tommy, telling Kathy that Tommy ‘doesn’t like girls who’ve been with… well, you know, with this person and that.’ Despite the stereotypes that are explored in the novel, clones are ultimately denied any autonomy over themselves, regardless of their gender. Both male and female clones are ultimately subservient to the non-clone population.Conversely, gender roles do restrict the lives of the characters in PHIC. Interestingly, although the world of the text is significantly patriarchal, the men in the text do not lead easy lives and are restricted by their inability to communicate in any meaningful way with one another. This is perhaps best exemplified in Gar O’ Donnell’s statement ‘to hell with all strong, silent men!’ In NLMG, although Tommy struggles to express himself at times, he at least does release his frustration and anger in outbursts. Gar is unable to express himself at all and his relationship with his father is significantly impacted by this. Gar wishes that his father would show some semblance of love towards him as he is about to emigrate, privately urging him ‘Screwballs, say something! Say something, father!’ We see Gar’s true feelings as his conscience is literally present on stage through the character Gar Private, who frequently mocks Public for his inability to say what he truly feels. We are given no such insight in SB O’ Donnell’s character, but there are signs throughout the play that he is struggling with his emotions and is sad that his son is leaving (he has difficulty sleeping and he reads the paper upside down, for example). Madge points this out to Gar, stating ‘just because he doesn’t say much doesn’t mean he doesn’t have feelings like the rest of us.’ When Gar’s friends come to visit him, they fail to meaningfully express any real emotion at him leaving, instead engaging in empty posturing as they discuss courting women. This reminds us of the rather misogynist attitudes towards female sexuality present in NLMG. Women too seem to suffer in this wholly patriarchal society. Madge, the O’ Donnell’s housekeeper, plays the typical role of the downtrodden woman who looks after the men of the house. Her maternal and nurturing nature is reminiscent of Kathy in NLMG. She appears exhausted and disillusioned with the behaviour of SB but she is nevertheless under his control as his employee. Similarly, Kate Doogan is under the control of her father, Senator Doogan, as she does not appear to have a say in who she can marry. In this world, both genders appear to be rather restricted, but for different reasons. Once more, however, while both men and women are restricted by their gender in PHIC, they are not as restricted as the clones in NLMG, who are not restricted by gender but rather by their clone status. Similarly to PHIC, it is men who suffer the most under a patriarchal society but this time the most important relationships explored in the film are between women. Ladybird’s relationship with her mother is the most prominent relationship explored, and her friendship with Julie is also important to the narrative and to shaping Ladybird as a person.Ladybird’s relationship with her mother is complex, as both women are headstrong and assertive. In comparison, the men appear rather laidback and passive. While Ladybird and her mother are incredibly expressive in sharing their feelings, the men in this world are much more reticent and this is explored through many male characters: notably Danny, Father Leviatch, Larry (Ladybird’s father) and even Kyle. Danny reveals to Ladybird the difficulty he has in coming out. Both Father Leviatch and Larry struggle with depression and both struggle to open up about it, with Father Leviatch telling Marion that he has shared his struggles with ‘no one.’ Once more, this reminds us of the men in PHIC, who fail to open up to one another or to anyone. Although Kyle could be vilified by the audience for his apathy towards Ladybird, one has to feel sorry for him. It is clear that he too is struggling with deep insecurities and his posturing and posing is rather ridiculous. His failure to convey his true self is reminiscent of ‘the boys’ in PHIC, who similarly engage in attitudinising. Ultimately, Ladybird’s relationship with her mother and Julie are presented as far more significant in her life than her romantic endeavours. While a female friendship is explored in NLMG, it is worth noting that this friendship breaks apart because of a man. The message in Ladybird is clear: female friendships are more important than fleeting romance. Each text presents us with different views of love and marriage. The concept of love plays a pivotal role in the novel. As the clones have no real freedom or autonomy, it is one of the only things that brings them joy. The novel presents us with a rather bizarre love triangle between Ruth, Kathy and Tommy. Although Ruth is Tommy’s girlfriend for a significant amount of time, it is difficult to see any real connection between them. Having a boyfriend (regardless of who he is) seems to almost be a status symbol to Ruth and she even treats Tommy with at best, indifference, and at worst, cruelty. At the cottages, she seems to mimic the behaviour of other couples rather than being motivated by any real desire or love for Tommy. The connection between Tommy and Kathy is established early on in the novel. Tommy is an outlet for Kathy’s nurturing and maternal nature. He is prone to temperamental outbursts and while the other children ridicule him for this, Kathy is patient and understanding and does her best to help him. Their connection is deep; they share their theories about their purpose with each other as well as comforting each other in difficult times. While Tommy’s relationship with Ruth appears purely physical, it is far more meaningful with Kathy. Ruth regrets keeping the two apart and suggests they will be granted a ‘deferral’- a possibility that their lives will be spared because they are genuinely in love. Although this turns out to be false, it does not detract from the love between Kathy and Tommy. At the end of the novel, Tommy has ‘completed’ and Kathy is about to begin her donation process. While their love for each other doesn’t ultimately save them, it made their brief lives worth living, as Kathy notes ‘I lost Ruth, then I lost Tommy, but I won’t lose my memories of them.’ In contrast to NLMG, the view of love in PHIC is entirely negative. In NLMG, although the characters are not afforded a proper life together, they at least have loving memories to cherish. In PHIC, the characters are haunted by their regrets. Master Boyle has lapsed into alcoholism due to his regrets over the breakdown of his relationship with Gar’s mother. S.B. O’ Donnell also regrets the age difference between himself and his deceased wife, telling Madge ‘I was too old for her, Madge, eh?’ Most significantly, Gar deeply regrets not standing up to Senator Doogan. He painfully remembers Kate’s marriage to Francis King and admits that this ‘has left a deep scar on the aul skitter of a soul.’  Kate’s decision was ultimately informed by pragmatism (and her father’s influence). In a telling moment in the play, when asked by Gar about her husband’s welfare, Kate responds that she hears ‘no complaints.’ This suggests that there is a breakdown in communication between the couple, a recurring theme in the play. Thus, in PHIC, love and marriage are presented as bringing nothing but pain and regret. While Kathy can look back fondly at her relationship with Tommy, Gar is embittered and saddened and the memories of his time with Kate only serve to haunt him. In Ladybird, love and marriage are portrayed in a more realistic manner. Conversely to Gar in PHIC, Ladybird does not allow the failure of her relationships to cause her bitterness or regret and unlike Kathy, her romantic relationships lack any real substance. The film subverts the traditional ‘coming of age’ film trope by focusing more on family and friendship, rather than romance. Ladybird’s romantic relationships in the film do allow Ladybird to form a better understanding of herself, but they do not define her. Her brief romantic relationship with Danny is rather innocent and portrayed as wholly idealistic- their communications are romantic and gentle but not particularly substantive. Her relationship with Kyle is also rather idealistic. To the viewer, Kyle appears pretentious and conceited but Ladybird views him as an interesting, desirable rebel. Kyle’s revelation to Ladybird that he was not a virgin destroys Ladybird’s romantic view of him and their relationship. The traditional romantic tropes in the film are subverted as they are used to reinforce the strength of Ladybird’s relationship with both her best friend and her mother. She chooses to ditch prom and spend it with Julie, whom she had neglected in favour of Jenna. The heart-warming montage of the pair enjoying their night together is often reserved for couples in film. Similarly, Marion’s dash back to the airport is another common trope in romantic films, but here it is used to characterise Marion’s love for her daughter. Therefore, the most important relationships in the film are actually between women and although Ladybird’s romantic relationships are an important part of her maturity, they do not define her. Unlike Kathy, who leaves the cottages because she could no longer be around Ruth and Tommy and Gar, who choose to emigrate, Ladybird’s attitude to the failure of her relationships is much more level-headed. Please make a note of any words that you didn’t understand here: