Jack Maggs - Jack Maggs & Tobia Oates comparison
Peter Carey's Jack Maggs is a story of intense drama and curiosity for the reader. It is essentially the story of Jack Maggs and Tobias Oates. These two characters have a storyline that is interwoven with many connections between each other. Jack Maggs is a convict from New South Wales, who is returning to London, and risking his life in doing so if caught by the authorities. At the stage that we meet him in Peter Carey's novel he is at a crucial period in his life. Through the progression of Jack Maggs the reader learns of Maggs' past and of his reasons for coming back to London. Through thrilling story telling by Peter Carey, Jack Maggs is revealed at the start of the novel as being a character of intrigue with mysterious elements of his life in which only he knows about.Tobias Oates on the other hand is revealed at the start of the novel as being a character that is happy enough to attempt to play the stereotypical role of the 'English Gentleman'. He is unlike Jack Maggs in the fact the he is revealed to be happily surrounded by a family which loves him; and in which he loves back. It is displayed however that although Tobias Oates is attempting to paly the role of the rich and famous Englishman on the outside, he i
Jack Maggs and Tobias Oates both have dark secrets in which they are unwillingly to let anyone else know about. This is one reason why Jack was so unwillingly to let himself be subject to mesmerism until there was something in it for him. Tobias Oates hides his secret affair with Lizzie from everyone, due to his great need to be loved by his wife. Jack also has his secret that he is actually a criminal. These two characters are both ashamed of their past and some of the things they have done. Jack finds out about Tobias' secret after he tells of an oath, were if you find out about another mans secret, you must tell them a secret of yours, "If you had a very bad secret of your own, it would take you out of danger" (2001, p255). s struggling to play the 'bread giver' at home with very little funds being acquired through his profession of writing. He has a strange "...obsession with the criminal mind," (2001, p47) in which he aims to obtain every fragment of thought and history of the criminals he bases his novels on. At the beginning of Jack Maggs Tobias Oates appears to be the happy and joyful character who is leading a successful life. While, Jack Maggs appears to be a character that is forever on the run and is a ruthless criminal who is unafraid to instantly murder someone for what he believes in. Through the course of three weeks both characters undergo a terrific shift in their lifestyles, with Tobias Oates losing everything that he valued in life, he does manage to become totally comfortable financially twenty years on when he releases his novel, The Death of Jack Maggs. Jack Maggs never manages to make Henry Phipps appreciate him and his generosity, but he does manage to find love with Mercy Larkin and by the end of his life he is happy and comfortable, being the head of a respecta
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Approximate Word count = 1221
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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