A. Magazine

A.

Summer

Gabriella I-H. - Year 11

From

Should Other Retailers Follow

From The Editor

Ed Wilson - English Teacher

On its surface, writing is not a dangerous activity. We write sitting down, usually safely ensconced inside and, if we're lucky, accompanied by a variety of snacks to fuel our creativity. Michel de Montaigne, the French Renaissance philosopher, wrote the essays for which he became famous in a tower connected to his castle. The circular walls of the tower's library were lined with his favourite books, and the beams of its ceiling inscribed with maxims in Latin and Greek. His study was decorated with his extensive art collection; many of the paintings had been commissioned by Montaigne himself.

Montaigne's writing rooms sound comfortable to the point of selfindulgence. And yet, despite the luxury of his surroundings, the project that he embarked on in the tower required tremendous courage: to ask himself again and again 'What do I know?', to answer that question honestly and to risk the discomfort that must have resulted from sharing those answers with others.

That same courage is present in every contribution to this magazine. Yet again, our students have proved themselves happy to engage with the world through painting, photography, fiction, poetry and essays, and have the courage to share their responses with other people, opening themselves up to new ideas and perspectives in the process. Readers should be aware that some students have addressed sensitive subject matter.

We are proud of every piece of work in this magazine, and of the courageous spirit of inquiry and openness that gave rise to them.

Alice is Out of this World

A review of Alice in Wonderland

By Maria K. - Year

6

Alice in Wonderland has everything a person needs in a story. It has a good adventure, a sprinkle of mystery, depicts growing up, finding your identity and features comedy and a little bit of horror with the Queen of Hearts.

The book was inspired by the author's life. Lewis Carroll (who lived in the Victorian era) struggled with the pollution produced by the Industrial Revolution. While it may seem that the characters are crazy, they represent the suffering of the people in the Victorian era. The book shows that even when you’re struggling, and aren’t as skilled as others, you still have just as much chance of success as anyone else.

This book was originally written in the 1800s, but it’s still popular centuries later. On World Book Day, the BBC interviewed a selection of celebrities who had chosen Alice in Wonderland as their favourite bedtime story. Famous author J.K. Rowling said, “I use this book to escape reality,” and my personal favourite, Ed Sheeran, said “When I read Alice in Wonderland, it reminds me that you can never grow up, no matter what you do!” This shows that people of all ages can love Alice in Wonderland!

In my opinion, I can’t think of a better bedtime story. And trust me, I’ve read them all. Yes, the Hungry Caterpillar and Jack and the Beanstalk are okay, but they haven’t resulted in countless movie adapations, book recreations and inspired many now-famous authors, have they? I feel that out of all the many stories and movies I’ve watched before bedtime, these haven’t even come close to how Alice in Wonderland inspired, calmed and cheered me up throughout my childhood.

In summary, all I’m asking is that you read it. I promise you’ll fall in love with it too.

SeaBEAN

An Extra Chapter :

By Clemmie R. - Year 6

It was a dark and stormy night, and Kit was crying. Mum and Dad were trying to calm her down. Lying in her bed feeling sorry for herself, Alice decided what she was going to do. She had been debating running away for the last couple of days but had chickened out in the last second. She was running away because, ever since Kit was born, Mum and Dad were spending all of their time with the baby.

Just as Alice was putting on her favourite jumper over her pyjamas, she heard Kit stop crying. At that second, she knew it was now or never. She tiptoed to the window and tugged it up, just enough so that she could slip out. Alice ran down the hill as fast as she could, until she got to Indie’s house. Luckily, the window was open in Indie’s room. She slipped in and tiptoed over to Indie’s bed; she was fast asleep, snoring loudly. Alice stood over her for a second, pondering if she should wake her. After a second she decided that, just for good measure, Indie should go with her. Alice had been shaking Indie for a minute when she finally woke up.

“Alice,” she stammered stupidly.

“Yes, it’s me!” Alice whispered intently.

Indie shot up like a bullet. “But why are you here?” she whispered back.

Alice explained her whole plan to her about how she was going to go on an adventure. Of course, Indie was overjoyed.

“Of course, I’ll come with you!” Indie whispered excitedly, and they set off down the hill again, until they came across Sam F’s house.

The exact same thing happened and off down the hill they happily trotted. The same thing happened again with Sam J, and off the four trotted down the hill, to the classroom. When they arrived, they climbed over the fence and over to the SeaBEAN.

“Alice whispered, “Hello!” and pushed on one of the sides of the SeaBEAN; the door popped open and there was the classroom. The four of them stepped inside and the door shut behind them

Alice said confidently, “Lght!” and on flickered a light, just bright enough so they could see. Alice stepped over to the whiteboard and wrote down random coordinates.

Carol Z. - Year 13

The Rock Pool

By Aoife T. - Year 5

Smooth grains of gritty sand made up the heavenly silk carpet. As parents relaxed on their untouched sun beds, young children made their dream mansions, lined with the largest, most precious shells. The majestic, gentle, creamy waves strode like giants towards the well-kept beach. But would it stay that way for long...?

A little way away, a rather bossy tween entered the brilliant beach; a golden mane of elegance hung from her young head that looked radiant. A slight aroma of hay about her hair, she had just finished a packet of ready salted crisps and discarded it as she had done all her life: not into a revolting, slimy bin, but onto the golden sand. Her family couldn’t care less, but it was not missed by all the people at the beach – their heads whipped towards her.

Apparently unaware of this, she ran towards a small, pretty rock pool, full to the brim with a smooth turquoise substance. As her miniature feet hit the freezing surface, she felt an odd shrinking sensation. A shiver ran down her spine and, before she knew it, she was the size of a tadpole, swimming in the homely rock pool.

Her eyes wide open, she gazed, paralysed. Her mouth gaped open; she was unaware that she was producing an impressive amount of drool that was crawling down her chin. Immediately behind her, a croaky voice sounded.

“We have been expecting you,” another added.

Two figures crept out from behind a magnificent shell. A crab and snail appeared.

“We wanted to warn you not to jeopardise these delicate waters. It is thanks to people like you that they are becoming polluted."

At this, Emily felt a stone drop into the pit of her stomach.

“Hello, Emily.”

Under the scrutiny of their stern faces, Emily agreed eagerly She didn’t stay for long before her brief companions released her.

She hated growing to normal size; it made her ache and left a tingly sensation. She was tearful that she should never see her friends again but, from that day on, Emily did a lot of good for the world.

"Just stop now and we may forgive.”

Patrick A. - Year

Autumn at Ashford Prep

By William R. - Year 6

As I started my autumn trail, I glared around and saw nature’s fingers reaching towards me. I carried on and saw the bush that always reminded me of something from the dinosaur era.

I went up the stony steps with bushes growing up the side; brown, green or yellow were the teardrop-shaped leaves. At the top, before the hill, were sapling soldiers guarding the school – standing up to attention, ready for the commander in the distance to instruct them.

Parallel to the farm in the distance, a Roman-like wall with moss growing on it dominated the adventure playground. Looking above me, I spied rain clouds –about to pour down on me. As I made my way along the trail, the clover on the ground held little droplets of water.

Just ahead, acorns were piled; I presumed they were left by squirrels stocking up for winter.

When I looked up, I saw red berries hanging from a tree. I asked myself if they were edible, because the birds probably eat them?

Our school grounds are pretty in the autumn. We are lucky to have this space.

SeaBEAN

An Extra Chapter :

By Libby R. - Year 6

Alice bounded up the pebbled path, which led up to the moss-coated gates of the school; her other yawning classmates were already waiting there for her. Almost instantly, Alice spotted her spectacle-wearing friend, Edie, chatting to a sullen-faced Hannah. Edie beckoned her over. Alice trotted over to Edie and Hannah, and quickly joined their conversation.

After a good five minutes of chatting, the caretaker opened the wooden gates to the little school. Everyone pushed and shoved their way inside. Only Hannah, Alice and Edie had the politeness to say thank you to the caretaker, before they rushed away to their classroom, like all the others.

Having successfully navigated the route to her classroom, Alice arrived at her lesson. She was warmly welcomed by a grinning Dr Foster.

Then Dr Foster uttered the words that brought joy to the students’ pink faces: “Today we are going to visit New York!”

Gasps of excitement escaped the children’s lips.

“Does that mean we can have an American lunch there?” Sam asked, causing Alice and Edie to giggle, bringing further colour to their already pink faces.

After a brief discussion about how waffles were better than pancakes (which Alice thoroughly disagreed on), everyone marched outside, in single-file, to where the black C-Bean was waiting. Gently, Alice pushed her way forwards. As she reached the obsidian black cube, she breathed a single word: “Hello.”

The hole in the wall opened with a little sigh, as if it had been waiting for this moment to come.

When everyone had clambered inside the cube (after a bit of pushing and shoving, that was), Alice silently asked for a whiteboard pen. In a flash, a little compartment in the wall popped out, like a spring, containing the said pen. Alice picked it up and gave it to Dr Foster, who scribbled the longitude and latitude of New York on the wall, leaving white marks where the pen had traced. Fog started to creep through the walls of the C-Bean, causing Alice to shiver. Then everyone stepped backwards, into the mist….

Alice opened her eyes quickly, instantly regretting it, as the New York sun blinded her. The first thing she spotted was a grey blindfold of clouds hiding in the very corner of the sky. Alice suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She screamed and turned around to see… Edie.

“Alice, you don’t need to wake the whole world up, you know,” she laughed, a twinkle in her chocolate brown eyes. “Come on, let’s go find Hannah!” she yelled, and ran out, with Alice quick on her tail.

After a few minutes, the girls found Hannah, sitting calmly on a bench, drawing a realistic picture of a tree.

“Hannah!” Hannah looked up and smiled.

“Hi. I guess you’ve found me. Shall we find the others?” she asked quietly.

Alice was about to agree when she heard petrified shouts and screams. The trio whipped around and saw a great swirling beast galloping towards them. The hurricane of motion seemed to yell at them, then it swept them up into its clutches.

The three girls screamed as they were mercilessly tossed around in the air. Alice whizzed past a screaming Edie, who was grasping her glasses for dear life. As Alice turned, she saw Hannah catch Edie’s hand and then they hurtled towards her, trying to save her from the beast. Hannah and Edie crashed straight into Alice, holding her tightly by the leg.

“Agghh!” the girls yelled in unison.

Suddenly, they were flung carelessly out of the monster. They sailed through the air like an arrow shot from a bow. All the girls could see was the diamond blue sea rushing up to greet them. The girls instinctively let go of each other, setting themselves into a diving position. Alice closed her eyes tightly as she was swallowed by the sea. Which way was up? She didn’t know. She was rapidly losing her breath. She quickly opened her eyes, seeing light shining above her. Alice swam upwards, her head breaking the salty surface. She spotted Hannah and Edie a few metres away. She yelled their names, having spotted the shore only seventy metres away. Frantically, they used the last of their strength, paddling towards the white sand.

Eventually, they reached the sandy shore. Almost instantly, they collapsed on the warm sand. Alice opened her eye and saw… the C-Bean!

Alice pulled herself up and yelled, “Look! The C-Bean! “

Hannah pulled her face off the sand and gasped, causing her to cough. The door of the C-Bean opened, and Dr Foster’s face peeked out. The girls jumped up and ran inside, but not before Alice snatched up a pink shell from the sand.

They arrived back at St. Kilda and rushed inside the classroom. Alice gently lay her shell on the nature table, grabbed a little label and wrote "California" on it.

“There!” Alice said with a smile.

Orchids on the Windowsill

By Evie L. - Year 8

Rivers of rippling pastels, and him sitting before me, Eyes outshining the dazzling cornflowers.

Smile so captivating – the queen of the night would seem monotonous. Laugh like a drop of sunshine, so pure and loving

He reached out and plucked an exquisite bunch of orchids And handed them to me with a look of fantasy. Explained how they would look stunning on the windowsill. Words hypnotic, painting pictures of home.

Collage of colour with orchids leaning.

Framed memories dotted on the wall. Pulled from reminiscent phase by news enough to devastate.

Moon circling, Clock turning, Hope fading, Time passing

Until a click of the door, Thump of boots, Relieving tone, Memories flooding, Adrenaline roaring, Orchids rustling, A glance and nothing. Hope gone, Love gone, Just an ageing woman staring blank, Wilting orchids leaning and drooping, A mouldy brown covered in flies, Paired with a yellow letter laying in tatters on the dusty boards.

Battlefield Descriptions

By Year 7 pupils

The explosions rang deafeningly in the distance. Screams of men on the battlefield hung in the air like a cloud. The man’s knees were shuddering, his heart was pounding against his chest as his legs powered through the grassland like a cheetah. Running for his life, bullets bolted past his face with the intention to kill. Diving into the grass, he lay in as much cover as he could muster while the battle raged endlessly around him. Attempting to crawl away from the beastly battlefield, an enemy soldier fired a bullet directly towards his open back, ready to kill him…

Kit D.

Deep, fiery red clouds filled the sky with flickering flames and billowing smoke. Like a dragon, the cloud reared up and flames exploded from its jaws as its monstrous roar echoed around the vast landscape. The thick stench of smoke filled the air with horrifying gases that made your nostrils tingle and froth. All withered, decayed, and formed from ash, the tank spouted flames that licked and lashed, covering itself in a large red blanket, all tucked up and warm. Deep grey clouds filled the sky with dread and fright: rhinos, ready to charge.

Billy H.

I felt the cool earth pressing into my cheek. I tucked my knees hard into my chest, so hard that I thought my ribs may shatter. All I heard was the ringing in my head and the sound of my heart slamming itself into the walls that have confined it all these years. A prisoner. Like me, like you, we are all prisoners to the futility and pain that comes with war. And what is life but a war? All I had was my battered body and the sound of my desperate, prisoner heart.

Naomie P.

As groups of soldiers charged across the vast field, dusty green swaying grass attacked them. Big flashes of a fiery ombre flew up and into the atmosphere; as soldiers stumbled back, the flowing snaky smoke flew across and into the air. Screams and shouting could be heard, making the army more nervous, and the sky became more ominous by the minute. As some soldiers made their way around the explosion, some fled, trying to escape the disaster.

Maya S.

The grey and red mushroom of fire rose into the sky. Grass slowed the pumping legs of frightened men checking their soldiers every second. Every once in a while, one of them would look to the side and see one of their fellow soldiers drop suddenly to the floor, head buried in the tall grass. The bomb was deafening. So much so that you couldn’t hear the person next to you fall to the floor with a bullet in their back. Burning ash from the great explosion could be seen falling everywhere.

Charlie S.

Dazed and discombobulated men ran from the scene, shouting and crying against the distant blaze of red behind them. Moments ago, the violent colours were just a metal object, like death locked up in a steel coffin: cold, silent and deadly. All it took was a sudden movement for a storm of rage and wrathfulness to unleash in the canister of temper and fury. Men looked back at their companion’s sorrowful fate. The effluvium of death was all around those who survived, unlucky enough to still be alive. The ground was glazed with gizzards and a vile smell rose up from it.

Meadow

S.

Michael S. - Year 10

The Blue Hourglass

By Tara B. - Year 8

The child, ghostly and ethereal, came to the library. The interior was eerie and pitch black, the ceiling towering high, filled with more books than the grains of sand in the hourglass clutched to the spirit’s chest. Small fingers closed around the hourglass as the library’s sides drew inward, the books breathing closely, each whispering a tale. Onwards walked the child, though piles of words, as the mountain’s weight pressed down on its shoulders. The sand in the hourglass seemed to fall at intervals, like the beat of a heart.

Deeper still the child went, its small form swallowed up by the mouth of the mountain, the jagged teeth of books poking at its fading presence. The child had nowhere to go, nowhere to be. It had no name, and barely a face. It was a raw entity from the stars; the only thing to cling onto was the hourglass.

Onward went the child’s feet, never making a sound. The hourglass had almost run out. A soft glow emanated from it; without rotating the glass the clear grains floated upward. Like the turning back of time itself. Golden rays travelled in rivers. The child slowed, and seemed to stutter, like a mechanical creature rusting away into disrepair. The books leaned closer still, whispering in a soft chorus of voices, some flickering their dusted pages, waiting for the child to fall.

The figure picked itself up and walked forward, illuminated by the sand's glow as it fell upward. The book’s cacophony grew louder, now echoing through the chasm. It sounded angry, like a hive of bees: one singular voice. The child, showing no trace of emotion, was drawing closer to the library’s centre. The sands seemed to return to normal. Around the corner, and there, at the core of the library, was the fallen star.

A ghost of a smile played across the child’s face as it walked forward. No longer would it have to cling to that wretched hourglass, with its dying breath trapped in an eternal cycle. As the wisp ascended the steps, drinking in the light, the cavern’s sky lit up with thousands of tiny blue dots, just as the hourglass's grains lit up with a soft blue glow, each an individual colour: Prussian blue, turquoise , navy, aquamarine. All was there as the child brushed the star, allowing the library to be obliterated by the blinding light… And then, only darkness. The child was gone. All that was left was the hourglass turned on its side, the sand spilt on the floor.

Memeros

This dramatic monologue explores the tumultuous marriage between the Greek hero Jason and his wife, Medea, a sorceress, from the perspective of one of their young sons, Memeros.

By Francesca B. - Year 9

When your father is considered a hero and your mother – well, not so much a hero – it’s difficult to take a side. Pheres, my younger brother, probably thinks Dad is the hero in every story, including ours, but I’ve been having a hard time deciding… if there is a decision to be made at all. On the one hand, my mother has been through a great deal, coping with the lying, cheating and just plain dishonesty my father has shown, but on the other, she was the one who put him under a love spell, forcing him to love her.

As I said, it’s difficult.

I know I’m only ten, but waking up in the night and intruding on your mother bawling her eyes out over a large glass of red isn’t something you can just shrug at and go back to playing hide’n’seek after. You have to grow up and look out for your sibling. Seeing Pheres trudging around the house, dragging his stuffed bunny behind, with a look of sorrow on his face, is not something I enjoy. It makes me sick to my stomach. Thinking about him in that much pain makes me angry at both of them. They put us through this. They let my poor brother feel like this. What kind of parents are they? What kind of parents do they think they are? Certainly not good ones.

I don’t have much of an opinion on Glauke, the infamous mistress of my father. That word... "mistress": I learnt that from my mother after she found out about them both. She went pacing angrily through the house that night, purpose in her step. She rambled for hours whilst I held Pheres tightly as we listened from the safety of the top of the stairs. I couldn’t make out much, lots of swearing but also that word – "mistress". It intrigued me. I asked her what it meant the following day. She couldn’t contain her anger as she regaled me with the “wonderful adventures” my father had been on. I left her to it after she started talking about how Glauke’s eyes were too far apart and how she had a five-head.

I love both my parents, but constantly hearing them ranting and complaining about the other is starting to make my ears ring. I know mum feels lonely and I know she’s heartbroken, but I can’t help but think she doesn’t care – about us, I mean. I’ve been feeding the both of us, and putting Pheres to bed, whilst she sleeps, cries, drinks, cries again and then drinks… again. It’s starting to wear me down, starting to scrape away at the protective shield I have crafted, and bringing to the surface emotions I’ve been trying not to feel.

Oscar D-S. - Year 10

The Faded Rose

By Emily B. - Year 9

They were a loving flower.

They were soft and tender.

They were happy and healthy.

They were dark shining red.

Their stem was long: dark green.

They were a long-lived flower.

But there was a hint of black on a petal.

The hint of black grew along the red, loving flower.

All the petals started to darken.

Then one of the dormant petals fell to the floor.

The flower started falling apart.

The stem grew black; the spikes went black too.

Four more petals dropped to the floor.

The flower fell from the vase, landing on top of the black petals on the shimmering wooden floor.

It died there, and all the love in it faded.

The Cool Sea

By Oli F. - Year 10

Glimmering serenely in the distance, the golden sun gleamed in the bright echoes of dusk. Pastel-but-fiery amber and a blooming pink littered the sky in a lavender and dazzling haze. As grand as the crown jewels, the shining horizon cast an incandescent glow on the dreamlike world. Powerful-butdelicate waves of tranquillity ricocheted off the colossal mountains like a kaleidoscope of shimmering memories. Crystal clear ripples of the luxurious ocean twinkled in the calming warmth, as the gentle boat gracefully flowed through the water.

Perched on the edge of the boat, he glared joyfully at the amber sun, smelling the fresh scent of the cool sea. His eyes, a glistening maroon, shone in the summer’s evening as the crisp breeze brushed his dirty-blonde hair. Silver bracelets climbed halfway up his arms, and a gold chain hung elegantly from his neck. Completely disconnected from consciousness, he softly ran his hands through the shimmering ocean as his polished eyes captured the flicker of a dress being carried by the chilled current.

Like the clearest magnifying glass had been inserted into his vision, his eyes swiftly followed the flickers of the dirty yet sparkling dress. The dress was a pool of diamond: it flowed through the water while its glimmers gleamed brightly amidst its surroundings. So glamorous it was – every glimpse of darkness around the dress was peacefully illuminated. It was a mystifying and glowing wonder.

As the sun burned a fiery golden, his maroon eyes lit up, darting back and forth, and in the infinitesimal pause, the heroic mountains transformed into a palette, and the sun was the gold pigment. Those golden splatters on the first canvas he’d created at three twinkled in his mind. A therapeutic beam of nostalgia and light was dappled exquisitely over his magical visions.

Suddenly, the glimmering gold dissolved eerily in the twilight of his mind, and his eyes returned to the last remaining glow of the sun.

Darkness ascended, daylight descended. The sun had set.

Waves of tranquillity merged into brutal waves of trauma and tension. The crystal clear ocean was a deep black blood pool of calamitous solitude. It was bitter and biting, dark and deceptive, silent and sinister. His shimmering memories were a kaleidoscope of insurmountable grief, the dress had despondently sunk and the golden splatters were weak ashes of turmoil. An aura of trepidation struck his panic-stricken body and the warmth disintegrated menacingly in the dying embers of happiness. As fragile as a feather, the gentle boat slowly sank in the shadows, and the serene scene faded into the crumbled night.

Viktoriia K. - Year 10

Pan s Labyrinth an analysis

By Molly H. - Year 13

:

Pan’s Labyrinth is a film about the civil war in Spain, directed by Guillermo del Toro. It attempts to tell the story of the war through the perspective of a child – the protagonist Ofelia. To do so, del Toro uses a range of cinematic devices, such as camera angles and lighting, to show the separation between the real world and Ofelia’s fantasy.

Through Ofelia, the audience experience the war from the perspective of a child. Del Toro uses high-angle shots to show her youth and innocence. The camera angle makes Ofelia seem very small, causing the audience to feel protective of her. Her innocence is also represented with the quote ‘Mercedes… do you believe in fairies?’

Due to her immaturity, Ofelia’s scenes contrast sharply with the scenes of war, which contain dark and violent themes. Therefore, the camera angles are very important to the storytelling of the film, as they emphasise the reality of the war from Ofelia’s point of view.

Furthermore, Ofelia provides a link between the two halves of the film: the fairy tales (or Ofelia’s fantasy) and the civil war with the story of the rebels and Captain Vidal. To show this, del Toro uses symbolic colours through the film. Normally, scenes of Ofelia’s fantasy are shown in reds and yellow, while the reality scenes are presented in cold colours, most noticeably blues. In transitional scenes, we often see greens: for example, in the forest at the start of the scene with the toad, the colours appear very bright and green.

Similarly, Ofelia often wears green, which demonstrates her role as a link between the real world and the magical one in the film. A clear example of this symbolism is when Ofelia enters the room of the pale man, in which the three colours are represented: Ofelia’s bedroom is blue toned, the corridor that leads to the Pale Man’s room is red, and Ofelia is wearing a green dress. Her role as a link between the two stories is crucial because it allows the audience to realise the similarities between both realities: for example, the power that the Pale Man has is similar to Captain Vidal’s power in the real world.

Camera angles are also used to represent the personality of Captain Vidal. Del Toro almost always films the captain from low angle shots, so that he seems tall and powerful. The captain represents the Franco dictatorship, and therefore his power and cruelty remind the audience of the reality of dictatorship.

Furthermore, this camera angle highlights the cruelty of the captain because it shows the power imbalance. An example of this is the scene in which Vidal tortures a rebel and says, ‘If you can count to three without stuttering, you can go’. In this scene, Vidal takes advantage of the rebel’s disability, so that he is unable to resist. During the scene, the rebel is shown from a high angle shot, and Vidal from a low angle, demonstrating the inequality between the two characters.

In conclusion, I believe that the techniques used in Pan’s Labyrinth are essential in allowing Guillermo del Toro to achieve his objectives, as the colours highlight the themes of fantasy and innocence, and the camera angles enable del Toro to show the power dynamics between various characters.

Humanistic psychology an evaluation

By Feena M. - Year 12

The humanistic approach to psychology begins from the premise that all humans are self-determining and therefore people have full conscious control over themselves, their choices and behavior. This differs from other approaches and suggests humans are all unique. The humanistic approach includes Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a theoretical framework for understanding the various levels of need a person must satisfy before they can achieve “self-actualisation” – a state in which they reach their full potential.

In addition to this, Carl Rogers proposes a theory of congruence, arguing that the personal self and the ideal self should be congruent, and an equal match for each other. He argues that a large gap between these two entities causes incongruence, making self-actualisation impossible. For Rogers, many of these incongruences are rooted in childhood. Therefore, to try to close the gap between the personal self and the ideal self, Rogers created client-centered therapy, providing the unconditional positive regard many people fail to receive as children. This helps people to deal with everyday issues, as well as closing the gap between personal and ideal self, thus moving closer to selfactualisation.

Let us consider a case study: Tatiana has “low self-esteem”. This may be stopping her from moving up the hierarchy of needs, creating incongruence and thwarting self-actualisation. Furthermore, Tatiana only feels good about herself when she receives positive comments, suggesting incongruence and lack of self-worth and personal growth. This is starting to affect her achievement at school, moving Tatiana down the hierarchy of needs.

Therefore, Tatiana may benefit from counselling.

One strength of the humanistic approach is that it is not reductionist, as it doesn’t attempt to break complex human behaviour down into simpler forms. This contrasts with approaches such as behaviourism, which argues that all human behaviour fits a pattern of stimulus and response. The humanistic approach acknowledges free will and self-determination, and therefore gives a more complex explanation for human behaviour.

However, one limitation of the approach is that it can be culturally biased, as its reliance on ideas of individual freedom, autonomy and personal growth are all ideas associated with western individualistic cultures. This is controversial, as not all cultures share the same assumption that personal achievement brings fulfillment; collectivist cultures, in places such as India, value ideas such as togetherness and interdependence. These do not strongly resonate with the humanistic approach, which may reduce its validity outside the cultures in which it was developed.

The humanistic approach is also founded on vague ideas that are difficult to test, such as self-actualisation and congruence. These ideas are useful to therapists as tools, but lack reliability, as the findings cannot be tested. The impossibility of testing these concepts empirically means they cannot be deemed scientific. However, the anti-scientific character of the approach means the absence of empirical evidence to support its claims is to be expected.

Two Poems

By Fig B. - Year 13

Down by the Pond

My father makes me pancakes when I stop sleeping again

And my mother places a neat row of clementines

In a trail outside my bedroom door

Towards the garden

The yawning trees stretch their feathered hands towards me in Earnest solemnity and the acorns, dripping from the faulty taps of bold oak, tap my shoulders

A crested bird fellow wanders beside me and we dance

Late into twilight

We lug the record player

To the tree house and it taps its rooted feet to the whispered soundtrack of this comfortable haze

The spring showers assemble to knock on the door and bring offerings

Of plums and sickly jam

A fox somewhere is carrying a rabbit home on his back to share supper with its cubs

They will drink red wine

And eat braised sweetcorn from the farmer’s patch in the field Next door but one

And we will sneak into their tavern and leave gifts

Of ribbon and fireflies

We peel clementines and butter pancakes

As the next day dawns

And my beating heart is still, and there is a tea party happening

Down by the pond

‘What should such fellows as I do, crawling between earth and heaven?’Hamlet and Ophelia, Act 3, Scene 1, Hamlet

The weight of heaven, bedlam, silence, whatever we want to name it sags heavy above the church

With the weight of hell, rose hip, dragonfly pushing upwards through the roots of distant stone

Some seductive oath rings from the organ, a secret forged in gilded robe and stained glass

Traipsing through this liminal road towards an undisclosed future

We turn back and forth, up and down,

we are lost and we are found

This is no urgent escape, we must learn the scriptures of the woods beneath us before we may fly

I am anchored to the secrets of above and below by my aching spine

An eagerness to be seen dribbles off of my bones alongside my skin

I melt from the carved pig's head that precedes the last supper

I am in the air now

I become the sickly aroma that haunts the palms of the fallen archangel

We are all crawling through this forgotten trench in time with the beating drum that squats at the earth’s core

beating a rhythm for all, that is too fast for the pale, tiresome ones

The engraving on Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Hamlet and Ophelia, 1866

To what extent should other retailers follow Zara s model

? '

By Molly W. - Year 13

In recent years, Zara has adopted a vertical integration approach to manufacturing and production, bringing in house operations that would normally be outsourced to a third party. Other fashion retailers have stuck with a horizontal approach to this aspect of the business. Vertical integration has given Zara a unique selling point within the fashion retail industry, and created a solid and impressive business structure. However, this approach is not a viable option for many other firms.

Zara has successfully implemented the vertical integration technique in order to gain control of their manufacturing process, streamlining production in the process. Through their own high-end technology, and a capital-intensive system, they are able to maintain power over their business, as they are not relying on outside parties, like production factories in Asia. As they are in control of their manufacturing process, they are flexible enough to adapt to market trends. They control their raw materials, production runs, stock flows and are able to produce clothes that are unique, on-trend and often with small production runs. Zara buys raw materials locally, reducing transport and stock costs, and allowing a very quick turnover of products. If a product doesn’t work, they can simply end production and move on to a new design, as the outlay on raw materials is significantly reduced.

Other fashion companies have to predict market trends and place orders for manufacturing months in advance. However, designers for Zara can make up to three or four designs a week: for example, an outfit seen on the first night of Madonna’s concert run in Madrid was ready for sale by the time of the last performance. This is achievable because fifty percent of Zara’s production is manufactured in their home country of Spain, in a region where labour is relatively cheap, so they can cut on costs where other retailers cannot. The cheaper and more generic items, such as T-shirts, are outsourced because they can be made at low cost and are more standard items. By producing 76% of their clothes in Europe, Zara can control the supply chain, distribution to market and adjust to the requirements of individual stores (within a quick 48hour turn around period).

However, whilst Zara has perfected this vertical integration model, it is not something all clothing companies can do. The horizontal integration model is far more common with UK retailers, such as the Arcadia Group and Gap UK. They manufacture in places like Asia, where lighter legislation enables a lower cost of production. They also have more brands within the clothing market. Having different and distinctive brands under one umbrella allows a variety of consumers to be targeted, but reduces the flexibility to switch product ranges and adapt to trends efficiently and effectively. Companies operating in this way don’t have the same control as Zara; they can have lower costs, reducing the purchase price of their products. They also benefit from economies of scale, allowing them to bulk-buy resources at a lower unit cost. An obvious example of this sort of retailer is Primark, where the customer knows the quality is less, but the prices are so much cheaper than Zara that purchasing decisions are taken more easily.

Zara’s success is due to owning factories, targeting a smaller market share and creating quality clothing at higher retail prices. Bigger retail companies would not have the finance in place to build their own factories and control vast product ranges and raw materials whilst maintaining low-cost production, which would not suit their target market. Companies such as Arcadia can spread across the whole marketplace, whereas other brands are more targeted: for example, Topshop leans more towards teenagers, Burton towards men and Dorothy Perkins towards women. They have built market share through many brands, whereas Zara have one, more targeted brand, with efficient supply and customer-targeted market trend control. There is no doubt Zara’s model is unique so, while their supply chain is hugely advantageous, it would be difficult for other retailers to simply adopt.

Carol Z. - Year 13

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Gangubai Kathiawadi a reflection

By Dharshini R. - Year 12

Gangubai Kathiawadi is a Bollywood biopic of a woman called Gangubai Harjivandas, who was trafficked in the 1960s. This film spotlights the harsh treatment of women, specifically those who fall prey to human traffickers, and the institutionalised violence perpetrated against them. The protagonist, Gangubai Kathiawadi, is a girl who is deceived by someone she trusts (her fiancé) and forced to work in a brothel in Kamathipura, a neighbourhood in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay). Throughout the film, Gangubai and her friends face mistreatment, abuse and harassment from the men who exploit them. The plot is used as an instrument to show the socio-historic hypocrisy of the men who use these women, whilst simultaneously shaming them. After Gangubai is held against her will, she befriends the other girls working in the institution. Over time, she forges connections with the underworld, and utilises them to become the president of Kamathipura. Kamathipura was and still is known as a red-light district in Mumbai.

Gangubai Kathiawadi clearly shows the discrimination and treatment sex workers deal with daily. For example, when Gangubai is attacked by one of her clients, and hospitalised, the nurses heartlessly put her in a storage room. This illustrates to the audience the little compassion and respect people have towards her. In the movie, Gangubai says ‘No matter who turns up at our doorstep, we don’t judge them. So why do you discriminate against us?’ showing the hardship of her profession. The question ‘So why do you discriminate against us?’ reveals the social stigma that leads to institutionalised violence and discrimination. In addition to the violence and humiliation, the children of the women in the film are denied an education because of their mothers’ situations. Later on, Gangubai describes being deprived of simple things like a mother’s love, and a father’s protection, because people see her as less than human, and she is viewed as shameful and disgusting. On the other hand, the film characterises men as suffering few consequences for their behaviour, carrying on with their "respectable lives".

Colourism is a common problem within Bollywood movies and has a long historical background, with roots in the caste system and colonisation. The caste system originated in ancient India with four caste groups: the lowest caste, the Sudras ("Untouchables"), were forced to clean and work outside in the sun, causing them to have significantly darker skin than the other caste groups. This resulted in the majority of Indian society viewing darker skin as "dirty" and a sign of poverty. On the other hand, many may argue that colourism in India is the end product of colonisation; during British rule in India, Indians were grouped mainly by skin colour, with Europeans at the top of the system. The British did this to pick out people who could work with the government, further dividing Indians, and causing resentment and angst among them.

Many see colourism as a symptom of a ‘post-colonial hangover’. Alia Bhatt, the actor who plays Gangubai, has lighter skin than the rest of the girls who work with her, and is treated with more respect, eventually becoming the president of Kamathipura. The real life Gangubai Kathiawadi was also known for her darker skin, and her portrayal by a lighter-skinned actress further perpetuates the stigma of colourism in Bollywood movies. This strengthens the idea that lighter skin is more desirable than darker skin, and reflects the negative treatment of darker-skinned women: they’re subjected to discrimination in marriage, employment and many other elements in their lives. This is certainly seen in Gangubai Kathiawadi when Afsann, Gangubai’s lover, actively pursues her and tries to marry her, and when a darker-skinned character is called "kala kaloota" ("black crow"), which shows a lack of respect. This may send a harmful message to many women, especially teenagers, who watch the film and see girls with lighter skin getting more opportunities and respect. This can also be seen in Chameli (2003) and Devdas (2002), where the female protagonists, Kareena Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai, are much lighter-skinned than most Indians, and receive admiration from men. The female protagonists, with their light skin and high cheekbones, both fit into Eurocentric beauty standards, and integrate them into Indian beauty standards. This reinforces the stereotype that lighter-skinned women are more beautiful, worthy and superior, causing many young girls to resort to harmful products like skin-whitening creams, such as Fair and Lovely, or skinlightening surgery. The prevalent and frequent issue of colourism has encouraged many people to call for more diverse and inclusive casting for movies, and more awareness of the damaging effect colourism can have on society.

Overall, Gangubai Kathiawadi is a strong and empowering film that helps spotlight how society and the legal system treat marginalised people. It addresses taboo topics in India and does not shy away from sensitive issues. It is also vital to remember the fact that colourism is not only an issue relevant in Gangubai Kathiawadi, but an issue that affects a majority of Bollywood movies. This movie has also helped bring greater awareness to colourism and the horrible treatment of sex workers throughout India, and shows how these issues are not only ingrained in Indian society, but ingrained in many cultures throughout the world.

Scarlett D-S. - Year 8

The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath

An excerpt from an essay considering the presentation of class in both novels

By Kitty W. - Year 13

After World War I, the widening class divide within 20th-century American society created widespread hardship for the poor, but prosperity and material comfort for the rich, and this inequality is clearly exemplified in both The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Both authors evoke sympathy for the working class – from their exclusion from the American Dream, to their social conditioning through exploitation – whilst criticising the conspicuous consumption of the upper class. The texts are united by their exploration of the rich’s exploitation of the poor for personal gain, which perpetuates the class divide and prevents American society from achieving full prosperity.

Both authors explore the theme of poverty due to exploitation from the rich, which was rife in the 20th century. Steinbeck aims to didactically expose the conditions the poor were forced into by the upper class throughout America. The novel’s initial image of the Dust Bowl, where "every moving thing lifted the dust into the air", demonstrates the severity of the current drought and the conditions many Americans had to live through in the 1930s due to the restriction of crop and water availability. By opening the novel with an image of suffocation, Steinbeck gives the reader an insight into the reality of those in poverty, thus evoking sympathy. The novel also ends with metaphorical suffocation in the form of a large flood (an allusion to the Biblical Flood); Bluestone argues that "the water is the emblem of destruction" (1972), aligning this flood with devastating qualities that have the ability to rid the Joads of all their hopes. The novel’s circular structure – it begins and ends in desolation – reinforces Steinbeck’s ultimate aim of exposing the difficulties of being lower class and the near-impossibility of social mobility.

Through his writing, Steinbeck sought to educate his readers and expose the appalling penury that the rich inflict onto the less fortunate, and yet it was banned and viewed as a Communist piece of writing. This critiques American society’s reluctance to acknowledge reality, which was what Steinbeck wanted to prevent through his novel. The Great Gatsby also includes 41

the motif of dust early in the novel with "The Valley of the Ashes", where there are "spasms of bleak dust" and "ash-grey men" which "stir up an impenetrable cloud". Like Steinbeck, Fitzgerald utilises a semantic field of suffocation to reflect the stifling poverty within the town, due to the rich’s consumption. The biblical link to "The Valley of the Shadow of Death" in Psalm 23 – representing mortality and the destruction of the human body – further presents the place as destitute. After World War I, technological advances and consumer-oriented production transformed American society. The neglected area between the rich West and East Eggs displays the consequences of a reckless pursuit of wealth and the uncommercialised side of American society.

Both novels present the "American Dream" as a concept that perpetuates the class divide within society, due to its unattainability. The term was coined by James Adams (1931), who described it as a "dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement". This capitalist ideology influenced American society regardless, unifying everybody in the belief that a better life was possible: both novels contradict this optimism. Like many other Oklahoman families, the Joads' American Dream lies with the hope of a better life in California. Due to the Californian Gold Rush promising people wealth in return for their labour, the state is portrayed as a promised land, offering the work of "pickin’ grapes an’ oranges an’ peaches. That’d be nice work". California, it is implied, is a promised land. The fruit imagery suggests abundance and fertility, therefore lulling the Joads into a false sense of reality.

Fitzgerald also incorporates this concept into The Great Gatsby, and not only presents the lower class as unable to achieve the dream, but also the upper class. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes in the Valley of the Ashes is the first symbol in which the unattainability of the American Dream can be recognised – "the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic". The intimidating billboard becomes symbolic of God watching over the city, assessing the poor and judging the rich. Alternatively, it could be viewed as symbolizing a failed business and, by extension, the failure of the American Dream; the eyes "dimmed a little by the paintless days under the sun and rain brood on over the solemn dumping ground". Fitzgerald’s use of "paintless" highlights the lack of vitality within the Valley, giving the impression of deterioration and depicting the unattainability of the dream.

However, the poor are not only the ones confined by the dream: the rich are too. Due to Gatsby living the idealised American lifestyle of ostentation, wealth, and consumption, many would consider him to be fulfiling the promise of what is considered to be the American Dream. Despite this, Fitzgerald presents Gatsby as unable to be fully content in himself, and always striving for more than he has. This is symbolised by the green light across the sound –"he stretched out his arms towards the dark water… I distinguished nothing except a single green light". The position of the light on the dock at the end of tDaisy Buchanan's garden, and the fact he "stretched out" towards it, reflects how he is yearning for her, wants to renew their relationship and believes she is what will finally bring him fulfilment. The unobtainability of the dream of achieving Daisy is emphasised by the fact that she "seemed as close as a star to the moon". Later in the novel, it could be argued that Gatsby achieves this dream, as he begins to see Daisy and rekindle their relationship; however, this causes him to return to reality and realise that "now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one". Here, Fitzgerald highlights Gatsby’s inability to be content with his life, because as one dream is achieved, it loses its importance – hence why he is always striving for more. The Dream is ultimately unattainable. Staveley suggests that "Gatsby has lost sight of his original ideals and strives instead to reach a place he has created in his own mind", one which is "an impossible perfection" (Staveley, 2014), a figment of the imagination that serves only as a psychological motivation to achieve greater prosperity. Through the pursuit of this dream, Gatsby has perhaps disregarded his initial motivations and replaced them with his desire for Daisy, therefore setting himself up for failure. Ultimately, both authors present the American Dream as a fleeting concept, purely designed to maintain the capitalist society throughout America, rather than to encourage people to forge better, more prosperous lives.

To conclude, both Fitzgerald and Steinbeck explore the theme of class within an early 20th-century American society in similar ways, due to their overall conclusion that the rich take advantage of the poor for personal profit. The exploration of the concept of the American Dream further solidifies the wealth divide, as it serves as a false promise of affluence and success to those who follow it, most pertinently in the case of the Joad family and T.J. Eckleburg. Lastly, the fact that women of a lower class are presented as much more ambitious and driven to lead a better life, when compared to the idle and passive life of Daisy Buchanan, paints the upperclass in a negative light. Ultimately, both texts explore the ever-increasing class divide during the 20th century and how it is encouraged by the upper class’s exploitation of the lower classes, and the resulting hopelessness of the latter.

Should Amazon pay their staff more

By Cathy T. - Year 13

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus had a severe impact on numerous sectors in different industries and regions, affecting the whole economy. However, the e-commerce industry runs in counter direction against the general trend of the economy. The revenue of Amazon – giant of online industry – rose to $108.5 billion in the three months to the end of March 2021, up from $75 billion in the previous quarter, and profit soared by an additional $5.6 billion, up from $2.5 to $ 8.1 billion. This increase reflects greater consumption of Amazon’s goods and, therefore, increased demand for labour at Amazon. The law of demand and supply suggests that increase in the demand for labour will automatically raise salaries, in order to avoid labour shortages. However, Richard E. Just and David Zilberman have argued that risk aversion in the real world may cause the law of supply to fail. This essay will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of salary increases, and the impact of a substantial increase in Amazon’s wages, seeking to establish the balance point between the highest efficiency and the largest profit margin.

Amazon’s CFO Brian Olsavsky has claimed that, in 2020, the capacity constraint was labour, not storage space or fulfillment capacity. Raising wages would undoubtedly attract many employees and overcome the labour shortage, or at least minimise it. In 2018, Amazon reported that it had raised rates to $15 per hour in the US and £9.50 in the UK, after criticism about pay; this was at least 21% higher than the national minimum wage of £7.83 in the UK that year. The company has hired more than 500,000 new employees up to 2020 since the pay rise, almost as many as it has recruited in the last 10 years, proving that the proposition that increasing wages attracts more employees is not only theoretically valid. Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky said that in the third quarter of 2020 it even brought on 248,500 new full-time and part-time permanent employees. It also proves that Amazon's potential employees are an elastic labour supply, with a small wage increase creating a larger quantity of labour supply.

However, Amazon's reputation as an employer has performed poorly in recent years. It dropped 43 places from No. 42 in 2020 to No. 85 in 2022 in the Global RepTrack 100 rankings. Excessive workload is a problem: investigations of Chinese factories producing products like the Echo and Alexa have uncovered illegal practices, including underpayment of wages. This has caused dissatisfaction among employees, leading to some resistance. On Black Friday 2018, Amazon workers in the UK and other EU countries went on strike in protest against working conditions in the company's warehouses. The union taking part in the strike, UNI Global, said that more than 20,000 of its members demonstrated across Europe. The large number of striking employees meant that Amazon was facing a shortage of labour supply, and managers had to take on the work of warehouse workers and pack items.

Raising wages can avert extreme strikes and protests from stagnation of production. Neoclassical economists imagined strikes as the unintended result of bargaining between rational actors – mainly about pay and working conditions. Wage increases may make many frustrated employees feel better about the company and feel that they are being paid in proportion to their workload, thereby reducing resentment and protests. According to a study by Zippia, 65% of employees are dissatisfied with their jobs and decide to leave because of their pay. This suggests pay is the most important employment consideration for most people, and increases in salary may help to curb employee dissatisfaction with excessive workloads.

In addition, pay increases may change consumers’ views about a company’s practices, leading to a reduction of the number of consumers who boycott. Rondova Chun has suggested that a good reputation has a significant impact on a company's ability to reduce costs, set higher prices, and increase profits. J.T. Brown also supports the position that a positive corporate reputation increases consumers' willingness to buy, improves their attitudes toward the company and its products and strengthens brand loyalty.

However, the law of diminishing marginal returns does not seem to support the argument for increased productivity. When the idea that more employees can be recruited has been proven, the increase in the number of employees reaches a zero threshold and productivity stops. The US and UK company wage rises increased pay for about 500,000 employees, and resulted in the recruitment of another 500,000 employees in a year. It is worth considering that new employees do not increase productivity in proportion to the number of employees, which makes the increase in productivity insignificant in comparison to the increase in employees.

Amazon's wage increase is necessary at this time due to intense competition and poor reputation, but the negative effects of an excessive increase far outweigh the benefits. It is sufficient for the company to increase wages above the market average (around 5%). This works to avoid the "spillover effect" of huge wage increases – a 10% raise in Amazon's hourly wages led other employers to offer an average increase of 2.6% in the same commuting zone. Secondly, the elasticity of labour supply in Amazon is supported by the fact that Amazon does not need to implement excessive increases. In addition to higher wages, it is also important to improve employee loyalty through engagement and shared achievement in the company's development. Amazon should allocate some of the extra profits made during the pandemic to employee welfare and internal reorganization, so that employees have a better work experience and increased commitment to the company.

Grace B. - Year 9

The Great Gatsby and The Picture of Dorian Gray

An excerpt from an essay considering the presentation of capitalist societies in both novels

By Louis V. - Year 13

Capitalist morals and values are explored and criticised in The Picture of Dorian Gray (Wilde, 1891) and The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald, 1925). Both novels analyse the upper class’s exploitation of women, obsession with status and the arrogance of young men who have benefited from capitalist systems. The protagonists represent the flawed values of the social elite in both Victorian England and 1920s America. A criticism of wealth can be seen in the depiction of materialism and the use of wealth to exert control and assert social superiority. While Gatsby is ruined through greed and an obsession with appearing to be something he is not, Gray is ruined by the cruel nature he develops throughout the novel. Additionally, both Wilde and Fitzgerald criticise the selfish and cruel personalities the upper class seem to possess. Wilde depicts the Victorian values that influence the behaviour, morals and mannerisms of those in his text, and suggests that society should be far less concerned with temporary possessions and more focused on moral goodness. Similarly, Fitzgerald uses a post-World War One America to create the basis for his novel, focusing on the capitalist and selfish attitudes of the morally corrupt elite through Tom Buchanan and Gatsby.

Firstly, Wilde and Fitzgerald negatively present their capitalist societies through powerful male characters, allowing them to highlight the toxic nature of masculinity within capitalism and its inherent promotion of the patriarchy. Initially, Wilde explores the metamorphosis of Dorian into an increasingly narcissistic version of himself. The novel begins with Dorian as a "young man of extraordinary personal beauty". Wilde implies that, since he is not just an attractive man but one who is "radiantly handsome", he has a right to possess others and to give free rein to his ego. Through a semantic field of vanity and narcissism, Wilde explores the flawed values of a capitalist Victorian society. As Ellen Scheible states: "Dorian seals his fate by choosing his youthful exterior over an ethical life. Throughout the novel, Dorian's beauty turns into a dangerous vanity" (Scheible, 2014).

The character of Dorian Gray as a representation of all that is wrong with society can be seen in his vanity and ego. In Chapter Two, when Lord Henry Wotton meets Dorian, he remarks on his attractive features, saying "All the candour of youth was there, as well as youth's passionate purity". The adjective "extraordinary" is used by Wilde to show the level of emphasis Victorian society places on one's looks, focusing on an individual’s outer appearance rather than the content of their character. This is further emphasised when Lord Henry states "Beauty is a form of Genius". It is implied that good looks are worth more than merit or intellect in the capitalist society Wilde finds himself living in, perfectly illustrated by Lord Henry’s statement "There is absolutely nothing in the world but youth." The character of Dorian Gray is being used as a representation of all that is wrong with society. We look at an individual’s outer appearance rather than the content of their character or their intellect. As Patrick Duggan suggests: "Dorian Grayis a cautionary tale in which Wilde illustrates the dangers of the aesthetic philosophy when not practiced with prudence’" (Duggan, 1992). Duggan is clearly illustrating Wilde’s intention behind his novel; to warn the proud Victorian elite he finds himself surrounded by about the dangers of an aesthetic worldview. As time goes on, the social elite invent new ways to differentiate themselves from the working class, usually through their presentation of themselves and the way others perceive them.

Similarly, Fitzgerald warns against obsession with appearance in The Great Gatsby through his criticism of his protagonist’s capitalist greed and competitive nature. Although Jay Gatsby starts his life in a family of "unsuccessful farmers", he quickly develops an obsession to change the way the world and the social elite perceive him. Nick (Gatsby’s supposed closest friend) states: "He took what he could get, ravenously and unscrupulously… eventually he took Daisy one still October night, took her because he had no real right to touch her hand". Gatsby is aware he will never be a part of the elite to which he’s desperate to belong, so he must resort to taking what "he could get", including Daisy’s hand, since "he had no real right to touch" it. Fitzgerald is criticising the outdated and elitist views that are still embedded in American society, particularly since he is writing shortly after a world war in which those who were of the social elite weren’t nearly as likely to die as a working man.

Fitzgerald was a well-known critic of the American class system, which is in part why he was attracted to modernism. He openly mocked the way the capitalist class system functioned, stating “So we'll just let things take their course, and never be sorry” (Fitzgerald, 1920), criticising how the Western world refused to develop its outdated views, even after a world war. The adverbs "Ravenously and unscrupulously" are also used by Fitzgerald to display the brutal, cruel and selfish nature of those at the top of society. Gatsby has all he can ever want, except recognition, and thus resorts to putting on a façade by mimicking the elite (through his "adoption" of his former mentor, Dan Cody’s, mannerisms). Everything about Gatsby is a façade, deployed entirely to adapt how others see him, as is illustrated by the peculiar character of "Owl-Eyes" who states (when exploring Gatsby’s library) "This fella's a regular Belasco. It's a triumph. What thoroughness! What realism!..." "Belasco" refers to the theatre producer David Belasco, who was renowned for creating hyper-realistic sets. Essentially, the Owl-Eyed man is exposing Gatsby as a sham, a man who is made up entirely of smoke and mirrors: exactly the kind of man that capitalism creates, and one that is constantly trying to prove his place as a part of the social elite. Paul Giles analyses how Gatsby is defined entirely by his "financial criminality or by his neurotic insecurities and jealousy" of the upper class (Giles, 1989). Similarly to Wilde, Fitzgerald is attempting to warn his reader about the dangers behind the value Western capitalist societies place on appearances (both physical and financial), as interpreted by Goldie, and suggests that no good will come of these shallow and vain values, and they must thus be changed for the modern world.

To conclude, both authors criticise the values capitalism upholds and its resistance to changing the status quo. Fitzgerald and Wilde were both highly educated and well-versed in political thinking, publishing various pieces of liberal and socialist works between them, emphasising the need for society to free itself from the chains of capitalism. Both authors demand societal change by criticising the inherent bad nature (in relation to people’s morals) that coincides with the brutal form of capitalism that these authors witnessed in their times of writing. Wilde spent his life being alienated by the upper class while Fitzgerald spent his life presenting its flaws to the American public. Both wanted reform and they demand it in their texts, not for their sake – their lives are comfortable and unthreatened by capitalism – but for the sake of the common man and the "moral man" (Joyce, 2002). Joyce explores how their demands are not ones of self-interest or gain, but give a voice to those who do not have one. These authors are striving for and promoting an idea of socialism, or at least a reduction of the exploitation they see all around them, and they express this by criticising the capitalist system.

Alice

Lottie L. - Year 13

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