Select a novel, play, or epic in which a character experiences such a rift and becomes cut off from "home," whether that home is the character's birthplace, family, homeland, or other special place. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the character's experience with exile is both alienating and enriching, ad how this experience illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or one of comparable literary merit. Do not merely summarize the plot.
Original Essay:
In Shakespeare's "King Lear," the author illustrates the complex facets of family by illuminating the challenges Cordelia faces as a person who has become both alienated and enriched. When she looks upon her family, she sees a cloudless future with no one or no where to go. The intensity with which the author describes this time in her life strikes the complexity of family and how without a family a person can be both alienated and enriched.
Cordelia especially faces the challenge of becoming cut off from family which in turn makes her experience with exile both alienating and enriching. She becomes cut off from family because when her father asked her how much she loved him she could not fakely confess her love, so she truthfully said, "I love your majesty according to my bond, no more, no less"(1.1.89-91). This in turn angered her father and he "exiled" her out of the kingdom by marrying her off to the King of France. The exilation caused Cordelia to become very alienated to her family. She was not the same anymore. All she ever wanted to do was speak truthfully to her father about how much she loved him but he took it the wrong way and misunderstood her.
Now Cordelia faced the effects of exilation and alienation. She no longer had the same bond with her family as she once did and was alone. But during this time Cordelia's father, King Lear realizes how wrong he was when he banished Cordelia. In reality his two eldest daughters just "sugared" him up and he had, "poor judgement"(1.2.289-290) of his daughters. The daughter he should have believed, he left alone and the daughters he should not have believed he believed. This led to the enrichment of Cordelia becomes it becomes apparent to King Lear that the "good" daughter is in fact Cordelia and not Goneril and Regan. Because she spoke the truth.
Thus, Cordelia experiences such a rift with her family that she now no longer has the same bond. Cordelia becomes alienated and enriched by this event, ultimately leading to her father to forgive and accept her again but by that time its too late because Cordelia is hanged.
Reflection:
Description-I was asked to analyze how a characters experience with exile is both alienating and enriching and how this experience illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. The characters experience with exile is being examined.
Scores-I would give myself a 4 because my analysis was underdeveloped and partial. I may have oversimplified my response. My teacher also gave me a 4 because she also thought that my analysis was not adequate enough and the analysis was partial and oversimplified.
Interpretation-The scores are similar because we both thought the analysis was underdeveloped, partial, and oversimplified in some ways. The most important thing about this task was I further learned how to analyze how something like exile can affect a character because exile is both alienating and enriching. It can be explained with theory because by the way it logically follows the prompt and addresses the prompt. It is similar to the Open Question Benchmark Essay we did earlier in the year.
Outcome-I learned how to analyze how a significant event like exile can be both positive and negative because it can be both alienating and enriching. I need to further develop my ideas and have a deeper analysis in my essays.
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