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March 29, 2024, 09:15:10 am

Author Topic: Please help me with writing a comparative essay of Invictus and Ransom!  (Read 1380 times)  Share 

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suskieanna

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So the topic is
“He has come here to kneel to Achilles. Instead the great Achilles is kneeling to him.” (Ransom)
“Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon. (Invictus)
Compare the way the two texts depict the impact of changes in perspective.

I only found two examples:
Ransom: Priam's view changes after his son's death and after meeting the goddess.
Invictus: Francois Pienaar's perspective changes after meeting Mandela.

Can anyone give me any possible examples related to this topic and some quotes if possible? Please help! I really have no idea....

Matthew_Whelan

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Hi I am also studying those two texts. Prompts with quotes mean they are very important so make sure you discuss the scene between Achilles and Priam  as well as Mandela's 'forgiveness preaching' scenes.

Francois changing his view is particularly relevant and can be contrasted to his father who still holds a apartheid view. The word "impact" in the prompt means you have to emphasise what these changes have done for characters. A key point for Ransom that you will have to discuss is Priam's view of the world as he begins to realise the ordinary while travelling with Somax; this relates to the theme of abandoning the conventional King role to be appeal as a mere father.
Back to Invictus, the scene with the body guards playing rugby together and Mandela saying 'do you still think this is a waste of time' [something like that] shows the change in perspective of both blacks and Afrikaners to become more accepting of each other. Another scene which reflects this is at the final rugby match it shows that small black kid trying to listen in to the police radio on the match. At the start the police don't want him near but as the match progresses they appear to forget this and are cheering for the Springboks. They even lift the kid up and cheer together at the end.

Im sure there are plenty more ideas and scenes but these are the first that came to my mind, hope it helps!
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OZLexico

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Hi, you might like to think about the key terms "impact of changes in perspective" and consider how this is represented in your two texts. You could also break this down a bit by thinking why is a change of perspective needed in the world of the texts (what is it changing from?), what kinds of changes in perspective take place and then maybe think about the effect (impact) these changes may have on a personal and political level. Don't forget that you can draw your examples from minor characters. I think you should be careful about how much time you spend discussing the quotes - they are a  handy kind of hook to the topic to get you thinking but you want to spend most of the time developing your comparison. The quote from "Ransom" expresses the surprising role reversal experienced by Priam in his meeting with Achilles, the quote from "Invictus" suggests that Mandela understands and accepts the contradiction in his statement but enacting it and motivating others to "forgiveness" will prove to be more difficult.  You are right that Priam's encounter with the goddess helps him form a plan for change (that will have an impact on ...) - in himself, in his appearance, in his relationship to his family and society, and the role of King of Troy. Yes the meeting with Mandela is a turning point - think of the scene of the rugby clinic in the townships where the event goes well despite the players negative reaction to the squalid environment the children live in. There's also the scene in the change rooms when Pienaar is increasingly allied to the coaches rather than the players, and he tells them to learn the new national anthem. One player calls it a "terrorist song" but Pienaar says "It means 'God bless Africa'. " Other examples can be seen in Mandela's defence of the Springboks name (something the Africaans population holds dear) and his wearing of the Springbok track suit, Pienaar has an extra ticket to the World Cup match for the family's black housekeeper  Eunice (when black South Africans would not support the Springboks in their earlier matches).  You could also look at the lyrics of the World Cup song - The World in Union" .  So to return to "Ransom" a bit ... Achilles "change of perspective" in his argument with Agammemnon is his way of demanding respect. When Patroclus is disguised as Achilles on the battlefield, this inspires the Greeks and strikes fear into the Trojans. This disguise has an impact on the warriors but the death of Patroclus forces Achilles' 'perspective' to change again - he thinks killing Hector will take away his own sense of guilt at the death of his friend. You might also want to consider the final parts of the novel and the comments it makes on the nature of storytelling and what gets remembered with the passing of time.