Transcript Superman and Paula Brown’s New Snowsuit

Superman and Paula Brown’s
New Snowsuit
SYLVIA PLATH
Sylvia Plath
 1932 – 1963 (30 y.o)
 Born - Massachusetts
 Studied and died in England
 Married famous poet Ted Hughes in 1956 and had 2
children.
 Suffered from depression. Committed suicide after
long struggle.
Superman and Paula Brown’s New Snowsuit
 Pre-Reading task
In pairs write down a list of words that you would
associate with Superman:
1. Firstly, as a young child.
2. Secondly, as a young adult
Is there a difference in these lists?
Now read the short story.
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Wrongly Accused
 Do all the children know that the narrator did not
push Paula? Are they perhaps unsure of what really
happened? Try to find evidence for your answer.
 Why should all the children take the side of a child
that “nobody...really liked”? How sure are we that
the narrator is right in giving this measure of Paula’s
unpopularity?
 How good, in your view, are adults at knowing which
children are truthful and which ones are more
dishonest?
Discussion Points
 Have you ever been accused of something you
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haven’t done?
How did you feel?
Have you ever accused someone of something they
haven’t done?
Have you ever conformed to peer pressure at
someone else’s expense?
Who can you identify best with within the short
story?
Setting
 1941 – The year America joined WWII
 America
 Why do you think the setting is relevant? What
comparisons can be made between this story and the
war?
Reference to War
 War is often referred to throughout the short story.
Task1:
Skim through the short story and list all of the facts we
learn from it.
War
Task 2:
Why do you think Plath makes so many references to the war? Consider the
following:
 At the start, the narrator hardly notices the threat of war because she is so
caught up in her own private world of Superman.
 The war gradually affects the narrator more and more - her uncle might be
drafted, she practices for an air raid - but she does not seem worried (despite
the fact that the adults are).
 She is physically affected when she sees the horrific way the Japanese treated
their prisoners of war. After that experience, she cannot dream of Superman
again, so we know her childhood is beginning to fade.
 The group of children have their own mini 'war' when Paula blames the
narrator for spoiling her snowsuit. The narrator is the innocent victim and
everyone else becomes her enemy. She is scarred for ever by the experience.
 As World War Two rages on, the narrator gradually becomes more aware of its
horrors - and has to fight her own 'war'.
 All references to the peaceful, innocent childhood portrayed at the start of the
story disappear by the end of it - only the real, grown-up world remains.
Themes
 What themes can you identify within the short story?
Themes
 Childhood vs. adulthood
 Fantasy vs. reality
 Scapegoats
 Disillusionment
 Man vs. Superman
 Material possessions vs. Moral values
 Betrayal
Contrasts
 Most of these themes contain contrasts.
Task
Explain and give examples of the following contrasts
within the story:
Fantasy
Reality
Light
Dark
Material Possessions
Human Values
Peace
War
Childhood
Adulthood
Safety at home
Danger Abroad
Task
Group 1
Identify and discuss the importance of the title in introducing the
themes already discussed. Be prepared to share your thoughts
Group 2
Identify and discuss the themes of childhood/fantasy vs. adult
reality.
Group 3
Identify and discuss the theme of disillusionment. Can you find a key
incident(s) where the narrator is becoming disillusioned? Hint –
remember importance of setting.
Group 4
Discuss the theme of scapegoats. Why has the narrator become a
suitable scapegoat for both the children and adults? Who do you
think the writer thinks is worse adults or children?
Group 5
Discuss the theme of materialism. What is more important to the
characters within this text material possession or moral values? Do
you think society has changed since then? Is it worse or better?
Fantasy vs. Reality
 Beginning of story – games/being saved/good
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vs.evil/good always wins.
All of this is represented in the games played by the
narrator and the references to Superman.
Setting of war disturbs this. Would the good guys win?
Cinema/ US propaganda film – Had thus far been
protected from reality and such graphic images. (Key
incident) Contrast between fantasy (her life so far) in
Snow White and reality (Japanese POW) beginning to
seep into her life.
Fantasy disappears in last line.
Man vs. Superman
 Beginning – Uncle Frank had been narrator’s
Superman. Superman enforces justice and makes
wrongs right.
 End – No-one to save her from her own injustice.
Disillusioned of Superman and fantasy.
Scapegoats
 An important theme and made more relevant due to
the setting of the story.
 War – Jews made scapegoats by Nazis encouraging
Germans to blame them for the countries problems.
Symbolism
 Light and Dark
 Costumes
 Superman
 Paula Brown