EE English A2, help!

[amandae]

Hi!

So, after changing my EE subject twice, I have now landed at English A2.
I want to use the book "Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides. I don't really know what to focus on, but I am thinking of focusing on the "oppression" / over-protection that slowly drives the fives Lisbon girls to commiting suicide. (Or if I can, in some way, get in the fact about Surburbian lifestyle in this EE.. Well don't know about that though.)

However, I want to compare this book with another. That's the initial problem. I know the theme of oppression is extremely common, but I can't think of a book. I wanted to compare with Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola, but not essentially because the themes match, but because I like the book...
So now I'm trying to come up with a theme that can fit both books, and oppression/suppression could be a theme that could work, as Thérèse suppresses her own feelings. However, this is only in a fairly small part of the book, and the main theme is how she is ruined by her conscience after killing her husband..

So do you think it's a good idea to speak about suppression/oppression?

Or maybe I should just take "lack of love and its effect".. Maybe not as interesting, but I think it's a possible topic.

I would be thrilled if anybody could help me with this.
If you have any other thought about how to approach these two novels; narrator wise, theme wise or anything, Please let me know! I am very keen on hearing more themes, approaches etc etc etc!

[Tilia]

Firstly, I must say that choosing two books merely because you like them and then trying to find a topic that fits into both of them isn't really a good way to start. But if you want to do it about oppression/supression I think you could use [i]Thérèse Raquin[/i], she is pretty oppressed by her family and suppresses her own feeling, just like you said. I haven't read the other book you mentioned, so can't say anything about that, but do [b]not[/b] just pick two novels you like and try to link them together, choose books that you actually think have themes that can be compared.

Edited March 14, 2009 by Tilia

[Vvi]

I agree with what you said about Therese Raquin not being oppressed throughout the novel; I wrote my WL1 on it and had trouble generalizing her behaviour with the other character I was comparing her to. Therese is all over the place. Writing an EE on female oppression would be difficult, and it is quite an overdone topic.

I haven't read Virgin Suicides but I watched most of the movie. There are suicides in both books obviously; Therese and Laurent kill themselves at the end of the novel. You could compare the theme of suicide in both and the message that the authors convey with it, as well as the circumstances that drive the characters to suicide. Kind of a long title though.

Writing about the acts of suicide themselves and the acts leading up to them could also work; you could argue that in Therese's case suicide is inevitable because of the inner conflict and turmoil that has driven her from the start. Her relationship with Laurent is also tumultous, and her guilty conscience/overwrought nature make it impossible for her to ever forgive herself and live happily ever after. You mentioned the girls in the Virgin Suicides being overprotected; the same was true for Therese, growing up with the sick Camille. This question would also allow you to explore character traits that are common to all of the women that committed suicide; there are similarities between their personalities and weaknesses that are exarcebated by their circumstances.

Edited March 12, 2009 by Vvi