The aim of this paper is it to find out what happens when the world of academia meets the world of industry, therefore when Robyn Penrose as a lecturer of English Literature meets Victor Wilcox, who is a Managing Director in a factory. This clash of values causes quite a lot of personal and public conflicts, problems and obstacles for Robyn and Victor. But they try to get on with each other as well as they can. And although these two people are so different, they find each other in the end.
In my paper I will also pay special attention to the use of irony according to the theme of the “Romantic Quest”, because I think that this is quite an interessting topic to write about. The reader learns a lot about the relationship between Robyn and Victor and about David Lodge’s special techniques of writing.
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Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Characterization of Robyn Penrose
- Characterization of Victor Wilcox
- Clash of Robyn and Victor – the collision of two different worlds
- The ironic treatment of the "Romantic Quest"
- A contribution to literary theory
- The irony between Robyn and Victor
- Summary / Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This essay examines the clash between academia and industry in David Lodge's "Nice Work," specifically focusing on the relationship between Robyn Penrose, a lecturer in English Literature, and Victor Wilcox, a Managing Director in a factory. The essay explores how their differing values create conflict and how they ultimately find common ground despite their differences. The use of irony in relation to the theme of the "Romantic Quest" is also analyzed.
- The clash between academia and industry.
- The characterization of Robyn Penrose and Victor Wilcox.
- The exploration of the "Romantic Quest" theme and its ironic treatment.
- The use of irony as a literary technique.
- The development of the relationship between Robyn and Victor.
Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1. Introduction: Introduces the essay's aim to analyze the conflict between Robyn Penrose and Victor Wilcox, highlighting their contrasting worlds and the ironic treatment of the "Romantic Quest" theme.
Chapter 2. Characterization of Robyn Penrose: Details Robyn's background, personality, and beliefs. Her feminist perspective, academic career, and complex personal life are explored.
Chapter 3. Characterization of Victor Wilcox: (This chapter summary would be included if the text provided information on Victor.)
Chapter 4. Clash of Robyn and Victor – the collision of two different worlds: This chapter would examine the conflicts and challenges arising from the interaction between Robyn and Victor, stemming from their differing backgrounds and perspectives.
Chapter 5. The ironic treatment of the "Romantic Quest": This section would delve into the use of irony in portraying the relationship between Robyn and Victor, analyzing how their expectations and experiences relate to traditional notions of romance.
Keywords
David Lodge, Nice Work, Academia, Industry, Robyn Penrose, Victor Wilcox, Romantic Quest, Irony, Feminism, Clash of Cultures, Literary Technique.
- Quote paper
- Stefanie Warnke (Author), 2005, A clash of two different worlds in David Lodge's "Nice Work", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/121698
