Master of Arts major in English

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    Love in the time of cholera and Tuesdays with Morrie: Comparison and destruction
    (2014-03) Dalingay, Milanie C.
    Literature has evolved and is still evolving since humans can tell stories. And throughout time, people compare bards and authors to know who the better storyteller is. People also tend to compare works to know the quality of these works. Comparative Analysis aims to compare different works to find their similarities and differences. The researchers could use the "touchstone method" popularized by Matthew Arnold in the analysis by comparing quotes, situations, and other element they choose. They must first decide on what aspect they would like to focus to make the analysis easier because they could difficulties on how to write the analysis because of the number similarities and differences among the works. They also use the touchstone method to the quality of the works being compared. Deconstruction Approach aims to bring out the meanings other the obvious ones presented in a work. The researchers look for binary oppositions, then "flips" those oppositions to bring out underlying meanings within the work. Deconstruction Approach challenges logo-centrism that is why many critics do not like this particular approach because it removes the intended meaning of the work. Love in the Time of Cholera written by the Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom are both included in the New York Bestseller list. Both authors are journalists turned authors and are known in their genres of expertise. Love in the Time of Cholera belongs to the magic realism genre while Tuesdays with Morrie belong to creative nonfiction genre. The aim of this study is to deepen people's awareness that different themes and topics could be depicted in different styles in different genres. It could also help them to be aware the universality of themes along aging, dying, and relationships in different genres of literature. It would also help them to be more critical on the literary pieces they are reading. They should be critical on the books they read because even though a book is in the best selling list, it does not mean that book is a masterpiece. The objective of this study is (1) to bring out different views or themes along aging, dying, and relationships, from these selected books, (2) to show the universality of these themes in the different genres, and (3) encourage researchers to use comparative analysis with deconstruction approach in their studies. This is a thesis entitled "Love in the Time of Cholera and Tuesdays with Morrie: Comparison and Deconstruction." The subjects of the study (Love in the Time of Cholera and Tuesdays with Morrie) are two of the most popular and bestselling books in their respective genres. The research problems were the identification of the similarities and differences of books in their themes along aging, dying, and relationships (i.e., platonic, romantic, marital and familial relationships) and in the presentation of their literary elements (i.e., tone, diction and style, and characterization). Another research problem was the identification of the deconstructed meanings along aging, dying, and relationships (i.e., platonic, romantic, marital and familial relationships). This study utilized different theories and approaches of literary criticism, psychology, and sociology. Through the use comparative analysis and deconstruction approach, this paper presented a different view on aging, death and dying, and relationships. The following are the findings based on the analysis of the two books: 1. The themes found in the two books along aging, death and dying, and relationships (i.e., platonic, romantic, marital and familial relationships): a. The themes that are present in both books along aging are: (a) the elderly population is rejected by the younger generation and (b) aging has its advantages. The themes that are present in only one book are the following: (a) fear of aging is common among people and is an effect of fear of dying, (b) aging is decay, (c) learning is a lifelong process, (d) it is an issue to women, (e) it is growth, (f) society is a source of the negative image or views on aging, and (g) age is a competitive issue. b. The themes that are present in both books along death and dying are: (a) death is inevitable because it is a part of life, (b) it is a learning experience for other people, (c) learning how to die well teaches people how to live, (d) death is an equalizer and (e) it ends life, not relationships. The themes that are present in only one book are the following: (a) fear of dying or death is common among people, (b) death is a solution to problems, (c) death ends relationships, (d) Fermina Daza's grieving process exhibits Kiibler-Ross' stages of grieving, (e) acceptance of death prepares someone on their own death, and (f) Morrie Schwartz's character exhibits KUbler-Ross' stages of acceptance of death. c. Themes along relationships found in the two books. c.1. The themes along platonic relationships that are present in only one book are the following: (a) Leona Cassiani and Florentino Ariza's relationship is an example of people choosing friendships over lust, and (b) relationships are important in a person's life. c.2. The themes along romantic relationships that are present in only one book are the following: (a) Relationships go through same stages but still are different from each other, (b) being in a romantic relationship of changes a person, (c) Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza's relationship exhibits the "star-crossed lovers" archetype, (d) romance is for everyone, and (e) America Vicuña and Fiorentino Ariza's relationship exhibits a May-December affair c.3. The themes along marital relationships that are present in both books are: (a) marriage is a partnership, and (b) a person's complete personality is a mystery even to his/her spouse. The themes that are present in only one book are the following: (a) marriage is a cycle, (b) Infidelity was seen in the character of Dr. Juvenal Urbino, (c) stability of marriage is the most important thing, (d) respect between husband and wife is a factor in a good marriage, and (e) marriage is also a relationship with the in-laws. c.4. The themes along familial relationships that are present in both books are: (a) close family relationships affect a person's future, (b)the influence of mentors outweighs the influence of birthparents in the emotional growth of a person, and (c) filial piety is part of the cycle of life. The themes that are present in only one book are the following: (a) estranged relationships with family members affect a person's future. 2. The similarities and differences of the two books presented along Tone, Diction and Style, and Characterization are the following: a. The tone of Love in the Time of Cholera was presented implicitly through the realistic situations that were written in irony and satires while in Tuesdays with Morrie, its pragmatic tone was presented explicitly. b. For diction and style, the similarities would be (a) both authors used flashback, symbols, and imagery. The differences would be (a) Love in the Time of Cholera has complex vocabulary while Tuesdays with Morrie has simple vocabulary, (b) the timeline of Love in the Time of Cholera is not chronological because he author used storytelling style using flashback of a flashback. Tuesdays with Morrie's timeline is chronological because it was written as a memoir, and (c) Love in the Time of Cholera has few dialogues while Tuesdays with Morrie has many dialogues. c. For characterization, the characters in both books were round and dynamic. But Love in the Time of Cholera nontraditional characters because they were antiheroes while the characters Tuesdays with Morrie were traditional characters. 3. The Deconstructed meanings of aging, death and dying, and relationships (i.e., platonic, romantic, marital and familial relationships) reflected in the two books: a. For aging, (a) learning is a lifelong process, (b) old age is an advantage, and (c) age is something to be embraced and accepted. b. For death and dying, (a) death ends life, but not relationships, (b) it is a part of life, and (c) it is a learning experience for the living. c. The deconstructed meanings of relationships are the following: c.1. For platonic relationship, men and women can be just friends. c.2 For romantic relationship, the deconstructed meanings are the following: (a) romantic relationships go through same stages but they are still different from each other, and (b)they are for everyone. c.3 For marital relationship, the deconstructed meanings are the following: (a) stability of marriage relies on love, communication, forgiveness, sacrifice, and respect, and (b) marriage is partnership. c.4 For familial relationship the deconstructed meaning is: parenting means providing not only the basic needs of the children but also their emotional and psychological needs. Parenting could also be done by their caregivers or guardians, and is not exclusive to their biological parents. In light of the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. Similar themes are present in these two books. There are also contradicting themes along aging, dying and relationships between the two books and within the books as well, particularly in Love in the Time of Cholera. 2. The tone, diction and style, and characterization in both books were presented in ways that make the authors distinct from each other. 3. Deconstructed meanings were drawn from the contradicting and similar themes from the books. In relation with the findings and conclusion of this paper, the following are recommended: 1. Comparative studies that focus on similarities and differences along the themes of aging, death and dying, and relationships are recommended. 2. Researches on the comparison of books along other literary elements (other than the tone, diction and style, and characterization) are encouraged. 3. Papers that look for other deconstructed meanings are also recommended. 4. Other recommendations: a. Comparative researches on different genres, e.g., play vs. poetry, or science fiction vs. historical fiction, are recommended. b. Deconstruction approach paired with Comparative analysis on books written by a Filipino author with another book written by an author of different nationality, e.g., The Wedding Dance by Amador T. Daguio vs. The Last Rite by Lee Yu-Hwa, are recommended. c. Deconstruction approach paired with Psychoanalysis approach is recommended in comparing characters of literary pieces. d. Studies on other themes that are present in these particular books using different approaches other than Deconstruction Approach and Comparative Analysis are encouraged.