Doomed Lovers

Re-cap

Each of the works encompass the idea of doomed lovers in different manners.

The End of the Affair can be connected to Romeo and Juliet and Broken April through theme, and Hamlet through tension.

One Day can be connected to Hamlet and The End of the Affair through cosmic irony and Hamlet through clothing as a symbol.

Lastly, Crazy Heart can be connected to Broken April in terms of hiding identities.

Recommendation:

I strongly suggest that any one who enjoys a thrilling love story reads David Nicholls' One Day.

It is a very intriguing text that keeps you wanting to read more.

Works Cited

Cooper, Scott, dir. Crazy Heart. Writ. Scott Cooper and Thomas Cobb. 2009. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

Greene, Graham. The End of the Affair. London: Vintage Books, 2001.

Levine, Norman. “The Girl Next Door.” 59-64. Print.

Nicholls, David. One Day. United States: Vintage Books, 2009.

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Cyrus Hoy. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 1992. 1-101.

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Literature and Language. Illinois: McDougal, Littell and

Company, 1992. 722-842

Plot Synopsis

July 15th, 1988

July 15th, 2001

Characters:

The End of One Day

Each struggles with their own issues throughout the twenty years...

Dexter and Emma experience a one-night stand together after graduating from college. They both fall for each-other emotionally, but neither acts on it, agreeing to go their separate ways.

Dexter...

Emma...

Dexter and Emma finally decide to commit to one another and start a relationship.

They both compliment each other's personalities and become successful. (Emma becomes a successful writer and Dexter opens a Cafe)

struggles with her self-confidence throughout her life, never feeling good enough.

She also dreams of being a writer some day, but works her way through the fast-food business and teaching first.

wants it all as a young, successful man in the early nineties, but struggles to maintain his famous status.

He also experiences fatherhood when him and Sylvie are expecting a child and are forced into a shotgun wedding.

A tragedy strikes and causes Dexter to experience a downward spiral with Emma no longer in the picture.

It finishes off with Dexter reflecting on the memories he has with Emma and the first night that they met.

Creative Extension

Analysis

Summary

Cosmic Irony

Cosmic irony is seen when Emma passes away at such a young age (39), by being hit by a bus while riding her bike.

David Nicholls' novel is a romantic comedy that follows the lives of Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley over the course of twenty years on the same specific day of each year, July 15th.

This is also seen in Hamlet, when Ophelia passes away, and in The End of the Affair, when Sarah passes away from illness.

Rating:

Clothing as a symbol

Yin and Yang

Emma and Ian's relationship is also doomed and is portrayed through the jealousy of Ian towards Emma and Dexter's friendship. His jealousy leads to the deterioration of their relationship and h is found lurking in her apartment with dark, grubby clothing on.

Four concepts:

1. Yin and Yang are opposites. (For example, opposite seasons)

2. They are interdependent - can't exist without each other.

3. Work best with mutual consumption.

- If one outweighs the other, they no longer work in harmony and issues arise.

4. Inter-transformation (One can change into the other - ex. Winter turns into spring)

The dark clothing symbol can be seen in Hamlet, when Hamlet is mourning the loss of his father, and in Broken April when Gjorg wears the armband.

Doomed Lovers

Forshadowing

The tattoo that Dexter gets while on vacation is a Yin Yang...

“’It means the perfect union of opposites.’” (Nicholls 85)

Foreshadowing that Emma and Dexter, who are essentially opposites to one another, will eventually become a "union".

One Day - David Nicholls

Dexter Mayhew - Male protagonist of the story. He is a laid back, easy-going male who fits to the Jester archetype (always wants to have fun and live in the moment).

Emma Morley - Female protagonist of the story. She is a more level-headed woman who desires a career in writing and a relationship.

Sylvie Cole - Dexter's wife for a period of time. She is an uptight woman who doesn't even enjoy smiling.

Jasmine Mayhew - Dexter's daughter.

Ian Whitehead - Emma's boyfriend for quite some time. He is an aspiring comedian.

The End of the Affair

-Graham Greene

Plot Synopsis

Book three:

Book five:

Book one:

• Bendrix moves in with Henry and a large debate occurs between Bendrix and Sarah's mother.

• The story ends in a forgiving/happier tone, as opposed to the hatred/jealousy in the beginning with Henry.

• This part of the novel is riddled with entries from Sarah's diary, most of which mention or are completely about Bendrix and her love affair with him.

• Leitmotif and the symbol of a "desert"(Greene 74) is used.

• She speaks in her diary of how close she came to breaking up with Henry for Bendrix. (93)

• Characters of Bendrix, Henry, and Sarah are introduced.
• Bendrix runs into Henry while out for a walk.
• Henry invited Bendrix back to talk about his suspicions of Sarah.
• Bendrix convinces Henry to hire a private investigator to track Sarah and her actions.

Book two:

Book four:

• Bendrix gets reports from Mr. Parkis about where Sarah spends all of her time and figures that those visits are more than likely meant to be kept a secret.

• The character of Smythe, who is a priest, is discovered. It is also implied that Smythe is another of Sarah's lovers.

• Bendrix sends Mr. Parkis on his way and assumes the rest of the responsibility for determining Sarah's actions.

• Bendrix was reading her diary all along and he finally figures out how much she loved him.
• Sarah has become terribly ill.
• At the end of book four, Sarah passes away from her illness.

Maurice Bendrix - The main protagonist who consumes most of the story with his jealousy, anger, and love towards Sarah Miles.

Sarah Miles - The woman whom Bendrix has an affair with throughout the course of the novel. She is a laid-back, confident woman who acts as a foil to Bendrix.

Henry Miles - Sarah's husband who is also Bendrix's friend.

Mr. Parkis - The private investigator who was hired to track Sarah's activities and whereabouts.

Analysis

Theme

Smythe - the priest that tries to convert Sarah into a believer of God.

A central theme or idea: every individual wants some sort of human love or companionship, no matter how corrupt.

“The entry I was left with was an entry only one week old. ‘I want Maurice. I want ordinary corrupt human love.’” (Greene 101)

This idea can be seen in "The Girl Next Door" (with Lynn) or Romeo and Juliet, or Broken April.

Tension

Rating:

Tension is explored between two central themes of love and commitment vs. hatred, jealousy, and adultery.

This almost exact same tension between themes can be seen in Hamlet as well. For example, Hamlet says he loves Ophelia but there is a sense of hatred for her as well. Furthermore, Gertrude is believed to be committed to her husband, but soon marries Claudius, suggesting that there could have been an affair.

Connection to Broken April

Like Bendrix, Gjorg searches for connection and implied love through a married woman (Diana is married to Bessian, Sarah married to Henry).

Furthermore, a love affair in the 1940's, as well as, a love affair while under the Kanun suffers serious consequences, unalike to our Canadian culture today.

The End of the Affair

"Passion is a positive obsession. Obsession is a negative passion." - Paul Carvel

How does each encompass the idea of doomed lovers?

The End of the Affair

Crazy Heart

One Day

Due to Bendrix's overarching jealousy towards Sarah's lovers and her husband, he creates and pursues the love affair with Sarah, even though she is married, which ultimately causes chaos in the relationship. Due to jealousy, hatred, and adultery, they are considered doomed lovers.

The largest factor in Bad and Jean's deteriorating relationship is their age difference. Another factor being that they both want different things out of life and Bad proves to be an unworthy father figure to Buddy, ultimately deeming them to be doomed lovers.

Emma and Dexter are foils to one another and are complete opposites. Their love is doomed because of the long period in which they decided to "stay friends", causing different wants and goals in life.

Though their conflicting personalities compliment one another, it is not enough to save their relationship from the worst situation.

Dramatic Foil

Connection to Broken April

Bad and Jean are dramatic foils of one another, alike to Emma and Dexter, Bendrix and Sarah, and Hamlet and Ophelia.

Rating:

Diana and Gjorg are doomed lovers due to the fact that they have no chance of being together. Furthermore, Gjorg lacks a true identity in terms of his relation to Diana, likewise to Bad, who doesn't want to reveal his true identity to Jean.

Analysis

Actually 3.5/5)

Summary

Bad Blake is a faded out country singer who is living a dysfunctional lifestyle of an alcoholic. He continues to get small gigs and goes on a tour when he meets Jean, who interviews him on his career. Things flourish between the two lovebirds and get serious as he spends time with her son Buddy. Issues arise and they are deemed to be doomed lovers.

Plot Synopsis

Crazy Heart

Bad Blake (Otis Blake) - old, faded out country music singer/songwriter. Also a chain-smoker and an alcoholic due to his dysfunctional career.

Jean Craddock - A young journalist, also a mother, who interviews Bad for her job.

Buddy - Jean's son.

Tommy Sweet - Bad's old partner who is very successful now compared to Bad.