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The Good Life, Homeric/elite vs. classical Democracy, COLOR KEY Aqua:…

- - - - Clash between ideologies
        
        Duty vs. Family
        
        For Antigone, family = duty; for Creon, the state = duty. Hence despite going against the authority, Antigone fulfills her familial duties through properly burying his brother.
        
        Reason vs. Emotion
        
        Antigone and Creon are driven by emotion while Ismene and Haemon intervene through rationalizing the situation.
        
        Authority vs. Tyranny
        
        Creon blurs the line between authority and tyranny; he abides by the rules of the state too much to the point that it makes him a despot
      - CHORUS: oldest element of Greek theater, sung by a group of dancers to worship the gods, celebrate military victories, and mourn the dead. It is an anonymous group that functions as a bridge between the actors and the audience.
      - Power: Creon adheres to the rules of the state so strictly because he wants to maintain his power as king, causing him to act without emotion. Yet as the play progresses, the line between order and tyranny blurs because he insists upon maintaining political and social order without thinking of the importance of family.
      - Loyalty: For Antigone, loyalty among family means the most and she insists upon properly burying her brother because the divine law expects her to
      - A Raisin in the Sun: Like Antigone, A Raisin in the Sun explores the clash between reason and emotion through shedding light on Walter's idealism and Ruth's pragmatism.
        Madame Bovary: Emma Bovary resembles Antigone in that she defies social norms, although in the former case it is solely for personal satisfaction.
        A Reluctant Fundamentalist: Hamid also explores the idea of 'duty' through Changez's ambivalence. While he wants to belong in American society, Changez is embittered by America's grandeur and secretly hopes for its decline. This stems from his strong sense of duty for his family, culture, and Pakistan.
      - TRAGIC HERO: single character whose fate and suffering are the central focus of the play
      - Ancient Greece in the 5th century; play written around 442 BCE
        
        Athenian democracy: Through Cleisthene's reforms (tribal reform, council of 500, law of ostracism), a democratic Athens was formed, yet it didn't represent a true form of democracy as citizenship was a privilege exclusive to male citizens
  - - - Desire:
        Emma is consumed by her desire to be a member of the upper class
      - LITERARY REALISM: Madame Bovary is regarded as one of the greatest works of literary realism because it portrays realistic, everyday elements of life featuring mundane characters.
      - SOCIAL COMMENTARY: Flaubert is extremely critical of the emerging bourgeoisie due to their superficiality and lack of refinement. His contempt is shown through the way he portrays the characters; he presents most figures as foolish, unsophisticated and unlikable beings who are fundamentally flawed.
      - Dissatisfaction:
        A key element that fuels Emma's desire; she's unimpressed with her marriage life, so she seeks satisfaction elsewhere
      - Confinement/entrapment:
        Emma's affairs stem from her antipathy towards confinement and restraint; she dreams of achieving more
      - Antigone: Like Emma, Antigone is outspoken about her beliefs and prioritizes her personal values over societal expectations.
        A Raisin in the Sun: In contrast, Ruth is an exemplification of the 19th-century ideal woman model and strengths the dominant gender paradigm.
        The Reluctant Fundamentalist: Changez's eventual disillusionment of the American dream parallels Emma's tragic fate; both were essentially hopeless romantics who didn't end up fulfilling their expectations.
      - 19th century France: the rise of the bourgeoisie
        
        haute bourgeoisie: wealthy industrialists
        
        petite bourgeoisie: merchants and white collar workers such as doctors and lawyers
        
        Charles and Emma
      - Class:
        Emma desires an upward social mobility as she wants to be a part of the upper-class, the nobility.
    - - Beneatha is a 'rebel' in the sense that she aspires to become a doctor despite society (aka Walter) discouraging her from achieving it due to her being a woman.
- - - - In South Korea, being affiliated with the West (specifically the United States) is seen as a sign of wealth and privilege. Having a globalized background is regarded an asset, hence international schools are prevalent and attending boarding schools/colleges in the US/UK is common.
  - - - "Harlem", Langston Hughes:
        "What happens to a dream deferred?"; Hughes explores the idea of racial inequality by comparing it to a 'deferred dream'. An unrealized dream may "dry up like a raisin in the sun"––hence the title of the play––as it fades away. It may "fester like a sore", "stink like rotten meat" or "sag like a heavy load" and turn into an unappealing form, indicating the reality of a dream that's been held off for so long––it eventually becomes a weight, a burden, an imposition that hinders progress.
        
        Walter's 'deferred dream'; his insistence upon owning a liquor store through Mama's insurance money arises from his desire to fulfill his deferred dream.
      - "kitchenette building", Gwendolyn Brooks:
        Brooks sheds light on the reality of poverty by exploring the physical and psychological sense of entrapment poverty evokes. She suggests that one's dreams are smothered by the reality one faces––the cramped house, daily responsibilities, burdens––and while daydreams of a better life are inspiring, they're cut short and out of reach.
    - - Yet Walter's insistence upon Ruth's "support" is hypocritical since he expects Ruth's complete subservience while he longs to free himself from being a secondary figure. This reveals the social climate of 1950s America and its inherently patriarchal system.
- - - - Freedom: In Anarres, "freedom" forms the basis of society in the sense that the Anarresti people are free from capitalistic ideas such as state rule and possessions. In Urras, "freedom" means success––wealth and power.
        
        Yet are they actually 'free'?
    - - "Filty propertarians"––in Anarres, property is considered a sin.
- - - - "You see yourself, you see yourself..." Kincaid criticizes tourists for being so self-absorbed and refusing to see what's underneath the physical beauty.