To what extent and in which ways do texts reflect the era in which they were composed?

Answer with close reference to TWO of the texts you have studied.

“Cinderella”, a poem by Anne Sexton (1971), and “The Company of Wolves”, a short story by Angela Carter (1979) are texts which reflect the values of the compositional era to a great extent. The contemporary era values of the breakdown of binary opposites, the multiplicity of realities, and equality between both men and women. Both texts are flexible and hybrid in their genre, reflective of their modern context which values fluidity and flexibility; the breakdown of binary oppositions and the nature of reality to be fluid. Therefore, texts reflect the era in which they were composed to a great extent.

Our society values the breakdown of binary opposites, for example; the “glass ceiling” which traditionally and silently separated the “men’s world” from the “women’s world” in the corporate sector, is being abolished; there is no distinction between male and female, and this is evident in “Cinderella”, a poetic, postmodern retelling of the traditional tale. The grotesque imagery of the sisters “cut[ing] off her heel” challenges our preconceived notions of evil; whether, they are justified in their actions; the imagery creates a small sympathy for the sisters, who, striving to be who they are not, mutilate themselves, but to no avail. Thus blurring the boundary between accepted and unaccepted in the tale’s society, which them becomes a condemnation of societal acceptance for cosmetic surgery; breaking down the binary oppositions of nature and artifice. Additionally, in “The Company of Wolves” a postmodern retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood”, Carter employs an assertive ending in which Little Red takes control of her life, “between the paws of the tender wolf” and instead of being eaten, lives. Again, this reflects the contemporary era, which values agency and free thinking, and through this subversive ending shows that anyone can be wise in their actions, distorting any clear boundaries in incompetency. Therefore, both texts have been shown to reflect their compositional era; the contemporary, postmodern era.

Consequently, the notion of multiple realities is similar to the breakdown of binary oppositions in that it asserts that there is no one truth; truth is filtered through language which distorts its meaning, as shown by Carter. ”The wolf is carnivore incarnate”, but also “the tender wolf”, a subversion and contrast illuminating our own prejudices and also that of traditional folk tales in which wolves are uncompromisingly evil, also a symbol for predatory men. Our contemporary justice system echoes this; everyone is given a fair trial for they may have their version of the “truth” to tell; our society is underpinned by this, and therefore values it. Sexton also shows this idea, by highlighting the absurdity of “[it’s] rather a large package for a simple bird”, questioning our steadfast, dogmatic and unthinking appreciation for fairy tales, which, reflect the values of a bygone era; an era of sexual discrimination and marginalisation. This questioning and absurdism which sprouts, is valued in our contemporary world, in which poets and lyricists are gaining more prominence, bringing light to issues such as the blurred boundary between fact and fiction; multiple realities and truths. Sexton’s repetition of “that story” shows that she is aware, and is also making us aware of the ridiculous nature of rags to riches stories; that their story is arbitrarily “true”. However, this is undercut by the ironic tone, showing that she is just as much sceptical about the truths people tell; the blurring between multiple and different realities as distorted through their experience and prejudices. Hence, through the notion of multiple realities, both texts display and echo the values of our contemporary and postmodern era.