[寫作指導] 比較文學 Comparative Literature｜文學課 IB Literature｜Cheat Sheet 精準筆記｜Antigone 安蒂岡妮｜Never Let Me Go 別讓我走｜學生作品 Writing Clinic

Short Videos (that will help you understand Antigone and Never Let Me Go):

• Antigone:

• Open University: Antigone

• The National Theater, Antigone and Iseme arguing: Antigone isn't wasting her life on men! Jodie Whittaker is Antigone at the National Theatre

• Never Let Me Go:

• The final scene of the movie, “Never Let Me Go”: Never Let Me Go - Final Scene

• Kazuo Ishiguro Never Let Me Go: Art & Education

Compare and Contrast:

• How does the theme of “ethics” play a role in Antigone and Never Let Me Go? Elaborate the similarities and the differences.

• Antigone: 

• It is unethical that Antigone cannot bury her brother’s corpse because she has the right to make the decision to bury it. If the government, which is Creon and his kingdom in the story, intervenes a reasonable personal choice, then the government is over controlling individuals. Therefore, the government's intervention over a burial is unethical.

• NLMG: 

• It is unethical to make clones because people are using clones as property and organ resources. Even clones have their own personalities, emotions, and life. Therefore, seeing them as a resource is unethical because they are actually human beings.  

• Similarities:

• Over-controlling government

• Violation of human rights

• The eventual death 

• Differences:

• First differecne:

• Antigone: Against the future, take action to fight against Creon. 

• NLMG: Kathy, Ruth, Tommy, accept the future, accept to be a organ donor

• Second difference:

• Antigone: Ancient Greece, follow God’s rule and tradition

• NLMG: Modern UK, government, society’s law, common sense

• Third difference:

• Antigone: Two choices, either live or die

• NLMG: Three choices, either live as a care-giver, sick as a doner, or die as a donor who completes 

• Please compare the protagonist(s) of Antigone and Never Let Me Go. What makes them alike and what sets them apart? Please give me three examples.

• Antigone’s protagonist: Antigone

• NLMG’s protagonist: Kathy

• Similarity: 

• First example: female 

• Second example: deprived of autonomy

• Third example: both sentimental 

• Difference:

• First example: 

• Antigone is rebellious, but Kathy is submissive. 

• Antigone rises up to protest against the King to protect the family’s honor, but Kathy follows the rules of being a clone and organ donor and never fiercely opposes the idea. 

• Second example: 

• Antigone looks for the support of others, but Kathy tends to deal with the problem by herself.

• Antigone 

• Third example: 

• Antigone understands what’s going on and Kathy always knows the partial truth because she was not taught 

much about human’s life.

• What makes Antigone and Never Let Me Go universal? Elaborate on the most significant common themes.

• First common theme: The conflict between majority and minority

• Antigone: 

• Antigone (minority) vs. Creon (majority)

• Antigone has little support and Creon has a lot of support. Antigone tries to fight with Creon by herself and breaks the rule. Creon is the ruler who is well received by the people and holds the power to make the rule in the kingdom.

• NLMG:

• Kathy (minority) vs. The British public who needs organs (majority)

• Kathy has little support and the British public who needs organs has the say. Kathy is made to be a clone who is deprived of education and human rights. The British public who need organs can take the life from clones according to the law of the British kingdom.  

• Second common theme: How love makes someone strong and suffer at the same time

• Antigone:

• Strong: Antigone stands for her dead brother and becomes strong willed to bury him.

• Suffer: Creon feels sad over the death of his wife and son, the beloved family. 

• NLMG:

• Strong: Tommy loves Kathy. He picks up how to draw even if he has no talent in art because he heard the rumor that people who are good at art and love someone can extend years to live. He wants the year with Kathy. 

• Suffer: Kathy loves Tommy and Ruth, but Ruth took Tommy. She doesn’t want to break the relationship with Ruth and Tommy.  Kathy suffers from confusion and indecisiveness. 

• Third common theme: What defines humanity? What makes us human?

• Antigone:

• Humanity: Love, family, emotions, autonomy, decides own life

• NLMG:

• Humanity: Emotions, love, human rights, autonomy, decides own life