Common Issues in All Texts

ISSUE ONE:

MORALITY = Compassion + Justice:
compassion and justice arise from a strong sense of morality

King Oedipus:
Oedipus is governed by strict morals but unknowingly commits immoral acts. However, his set of morals lead him to pursue justice because of the compassion he holds for his people.

Persuasion:
Anne is the epitome of morality. Her set of morals leads her to be compassionate towards the unfortunate despite her status. She disregards her status because she believes only in being genuine to those who share the same set of morals. Eg. Mrs Smith

Great Expectations:
Pip 's moral disposition shifts from being naive and arrogant to compassionate and just because his morals have grown. He forgives Miss Havisham despite the way she has treated him showing his compassion and chastises her for the way she has treated Estella, showing his wisdom.

The Matrix:
The free humans possess the good morals and fight the machines and agents, who possess the 'uglier' set of morals. Humans believe in compassion and justice while the machines and agents directly oppose this. The humans vs. machine war represents the conflicting sides of Oedipus's character.

ISSUE TWO:

SOCIAL STATUS = Superiority + Conformity:
a sense of superiority and conformity result from one's social status

King Oedipus:
Oedipus's social position leads him to act arrogantly towards those who are only trying prevent his downfall. His social status also leads him to conform to his people's expectations and it is this conformity that leads to his arrogance and determination to achieve what his society expects of him. His arrogance leads him to shun those who are only concerned for his wellbeing and are not interested in stealing his crown.

Persuasion:
Sir Walter Elliot's social status leads him to act arrogantly towards those he considers "below" him. He possesses a strong sense of superiority towards those he considers "common" but constantly conforms to the snobbery of the upper-class society to further his status.

Great Expectations:
Pip strives for conformity and his desire for a high status leads him to shun those he believes will hinder his progress towards what he thinks is a "gentleman" because his newfound wealth has given him a sense of superiority, eg. Joe Gargery

The Matrix:
The Agents within the Matrix have a high status. They possess a strong sense of arrogance towards the human race even though they are dependent on humans to survive. They symbolise conformity through the way they dress, act and think in identical fashions.