Changing Places David Lodge 1.

. How much reality may be observed at the level of this epistolary section of the novel? Reality is fictionalized; minute description; it's an epistolary section--> a character writes a letter and this induces reality, verisimilitude 2. Note the cultural clash obvious in the letters and draw an outline of each. Philip Swallow, the British professor, uses a more formal vocabulary even if he is writing to his wife. Morris Zapp, the American, is more informal; he is ironic and makes some jokes on what he has experienced. The first letter describes the situation of an English teacher in the States, particularly the difference between an English student and an Americans knowledge of authors and books 3. Identify the characteristics of the 2 educational systems which help support Lodges commentary on the way literature is/should be taught. The American system is political in nature and the British system it is too lax, inflexible and the students are scared, bored, and they look like retarded. 4. Develop on the academic as the source of the comic. The academic world has always been a source of comedy through the awkwardness, tediousness, boring artificiality associated with teacher and academics in general. 5. Analyse the symbolism of names with the characters above. Miss Archer is an intertextual reference to "The portrait of a lady" Swallow- can be easily fooled Zapp-rapidity Desiree- eroticism Hillary- meaning hilarious Smith- is just a common name 6. Comment on the retreat of the authorial presence. No authorial voice, characters express themselves by use of intimate letters. 7. Extract the parodic and self-parodic instances in the text. The whole thing is parodic; the writing is parodic; he is mocking of himself (he is a University professor) 8. Consider literature as an act of communication and analyse the roles played by the addressers and addressees. The letters themselves are presented as literary excerpts, as an act of communication. Communication is also between writer and reader. 9. Discuss the main tropes in the text and their cultural implications. -Metonymy and metaphor: you can hear the guy's beard growing; the Chairman; that my house is not about to slide into the sea 10. Find the autobiographical component of the excerpt above. Lodge is a University Professor, and he reveals himself through his character Philip Swallow. -The fact that he is also a university teacher and that he empathises with both fictional teachers. The problems they are confronted with come from his own experience.