In "The Scarlet Pimpernel," Baroness Orczy uses the literary technique of contrast to draw a clear distinction between France and England. This technique involves highlighting the differences between two characters, settings, or situations to emphasize their unique qualities.
For instance, Orczy characterizes France as a place of violence, chaos, and fear during the Reign of Terror, a period marked by the widespread use of the guillotine for public executions. England, on the other hand, is depicted as a haven of safety, order, and rule of law, far removed from the bloody turmoil of the French Revolution. This stark contrast is most evident in the character of Sir Percy Blakeney, the eponymous Scarlet Pimpernel, who leads a double life as a foppish English nobleman and a daring hero rescuing French aristocrats from the guillotine.
By employing contrast, Orczy emphasizes the political and societal differences between the two nations. This serves her purpose of underscoring the perils of radical revolution and the virtues of a more stable, orderly society, as represented by England. Furthermore, it creates a dramatic backdrop against which the heroism and ingenuity of the Scarlet Pimpernel can shine.
The generated response is correct when it identifies contrast as a key literary technique Baroness Orczy uses in The Scarlet Pimpernel to draw a distinction between France and England. Let’s look at another possible response to this question that you can use to enhance your answer.
Within the contrasts Orczy creates, she employs vivid descriptive language to emphasize the extreme differences between France and England and between the two alter egos of the protagonist. Read closely through your text, and pull out several quotations in which the author emphasizes the distinctions through her language. Look, for instance, for the descriptions of the guillotine and the Reign of Terror in France, and then explore the descriptions of the orderly England. The author chooses her words carefully as she sets up her contrasts.
You can do something similar with the language the author uses to describe the dashing, gallant Scarlet Pimpernel and the rather dull and foppish Sir Percy Blakeney.
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