The Evolution of Literature: From Enlightenment to Aestheticism, Schemi e mappe concettuali di Letteratura Inglese

Scarica The Evolution of Literature: From Enlightenment to Aestheticism e più Schemi e mappe concettuali in PDF di Letteratura Inglese solo su Docsity! The Enlightenment Fiction: D. Defoe – “Father of the English novel”, novelist and journalist. Robinson Crusoe - story of an englishman who was shepwrecked and ended up on a desert island for 28 years. He will meet the captive of a group of cannibals, and he will call him Friday. Robinson will teach him letters and christian notions… When he finally comes back, he discovers his plantations have been successful. “Molly Flanders” – a thief- will leave london, redemption. I. Watt, The Rise of the Novel (1957) – «The realism of the novels of Defoe, Richardson and Fielding is closely associated with the fact Moll Flanders is a thief, Pamela a hypocrite, and Tom Jones a fornicator. This use of realism, however. Has the great defect of obscuring what is probably the most original feature of the novel form. If the novel were realistic merely because it saw life from the seamy side, it would only be an inverted romance; but in fact, it surely attempts to portray all the varieties of the human experience, and not merely those suited to one particular literary perspective: the novel’s realism does not reside in the kind of life it presents, but in the way it presents it.» J. Swift – DISTOPIAN/ALLEGORICAL “novel”, IRISH author A Tale of a tub- criticize religion( catholicism and Presbyterianism, parody of pride Gulliver’s Travels -makes fun /attacks of mankind and the institutions, especially politics/ political system. It shows the absurdity of society with its hypocrisy and corruption. It has been interpreted as a travel novel, a satire of wester society, culture, religionor a tale for children. Highly allecorical, tiny people, giants, intelligent horses, degenerate humans… H. Fielding collaboration with Eliza Hayood- the COMIC: the sentimental comedy. Henry Fielding was one of the most prolific writers, but he and John Gay (1683-1732) parodised it, thus creating the ballad opera, made of dialogue, music and songs. Tragedy of Tragedies (1733) a satirical play, parody of popular tragic plays of the time. Tom Thumb a tiny man that becomes a great warrior and falls in love with a princess. Anti-Pamela (Eliza Haywood) was published in the same year (1740) as Fielding’s An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews. -parody of Pamela. They satired the innocence of Pamela, triumph of virtue Both works were meant to decontruct the moral world created by Samuel Richardson. Drama: O. Goldsmith – R.B. Sheridan → DRAMA – The second half of the 18th century is one of the most barren periods in the history of English drama. Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) and Richard Sheridan (1751-1816) criticize the sentimental comedy and revive the «art of laughing». The Romantic Period Poetry: S.T. Coleridge – He was a friend of Wordsworth, the two published the Lyrical Ballads (1798) that mainly contained works from Wordsworth but also Colerdige’s masterpiece: Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The second edition of the Lyrical Ballads included a Preface which became the Manifesto of English Romantic Poetry. Wordsworth (poet of nature and childhood, and imagination- spontaneous language, he sought poetry in nature) and Coleridge belong to the first generation of Romantic Poets. - aka Lake Poets. Coleridge – his works are based on the elements of the mysterious, the supernatural and exotic. Rime of the ancient mariner has the form of an old ballad; the protagonist is a mariner who stops a wedding guest and tells him a story. It is the story of a journey where he killed a albatros- gets punished by god with misfortune – he restores the balance by blessing water snakes, so creatures. DIDACTIC AIM Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or Modern prometheus. (1819) novel of purpose (dealing with a social or political issue) WARNING AGAINST DANGERS OF SCIENCE Mary was the sun of Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. She had a relationship with Percy Bhysse Shelley. In 1816 Mary began to write Frankenstein, which was published anonymously two years later. In this novel the scientist Frankenstein wants to create artificial life from the dismembered parts of human bodies, but the creature he ends up with turns out to be a monster and gets out of control. Frankenstein was dedicated to her father and Mary reflected many ideas held by her parents in the novel, including social justice and education. When Mary wrote Frankenstein she was interested in science and she was aware of the latest scientific theories and experiments: Dr. Frankenstein tries to create a human being through the use of electricity and chemistry without respecting the rules of nature as regards the creation of life. Frankenstein differs from the gothic tradition because it is not set in a dark medieval castle, and it doesn’t deal with supernatural events. Dr Frankenstein is a scientifically updated version of Dr. Faustus. He wants to overcome man’s limitation and acquire a God-like power over physical matter, taking life into his own hands. Technically an epistolary novel. ANTICIPATION OF MODERN SCIENCE FICTION The Victorian Age Fiction: Charlotte Brontë – EARLY VICTORIAN AGE -Jane Eyre- follows the development of a woman from childhood to adulthood. The novel contains a strong critique of the role of women in society. Jane falls in love with a mysterious man – series of events that lead to Happy ending. Charlotte and Emily Brontë: they wrote novels of Romantic love, also influenced by the Gothic tradition. They explored the world of passion and feelings. W.M. Thackeray – Vanity Fair – He described more the world of the upper classes, but was very critical of their lack of morals, of a society based on money and appearances. Thackeray’s first great novel was Vanity Fair, centered on the adventures of a young woman who makes her way through the world by any possible means. Thackeray borrowed the title of his novel from “Vanity Fair” in Bunyan’s Pilgrim Progress, with the intention of stressing the worldly, materialistic aspect of the society of his time. George Eliot – (pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans): she described in detail the rural life of the provinces and she expressed a deep psychological insight into her characters’ minds. Thomas Hardy – REPRESENTATIVE FIGURE OF LATE VICTORIAN AGE.His works are pervaded by a deep sense of pessimism .His characters follow their nature and are outsiders, often in conflicts with the values of a narrow-minded society. His masterpiece: TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES – the protagonist is Tess, a heroine whose tragic life seemed to be dominated by a DARK FATE. She is the victim of the men she meets, she is abandoned, raped by her lovers…and at the end she will be arrested and hanged. She won’t find happiness in love Opposite to the optimism of the early victorian age present in CHARLES DICKEN novels, for example AMBIVALENCE at the core of Victorian compromise O. Wilde – KEY FUGURE OF LATE Victorian Age. He explored the theme of the double in his most famous work: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1890). STORY of a rich young man who sacrifices his soul to maintain his youth and beauty.He lives a life of pleasures and while the picture of the potrait changes and gets old and ugly HE REMAINS THE SAME. At the end he stabs the potrait and kills himself. This work was considered the Manifesto of AESTHETICISM whose motto was Art for art’sake R.L. Stevenson – Scottish Author, his masterpiece is “The strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” (1886) a short novel that explored the theme of the double with the idea of the double nature of human beings. Doctor jekyll escapes from his moral self/identity into his other deprived identity of Mr Hyde who will be responsible for a series of crimes but he gets away with it thanks to the transformation into the other side. At the end he cannot escape anymore and kills himself. -Treasure Island Rudyard Kipling - Important figure of COLONIAL LITERATURE- He was an Indian Author.He played the role of the outsider.He explored th theme of the complex relationshup between English and the Indians in Colonial INDIA He coined the expression The White Man Burden,- duty of the white civilization to educate and improve the unfortunate people. -THE JUNGLE BOOKS- short stories for children, fables. It mixes the world of children and the setting of the jungle- a child raised by the wolfs -KIM Nobel prize for literature Poetry: Robert Browining – Like the Victorian novel, Victorian poetry can be divided in two main phases, an early and a late period. Two of the most important early poets are Alfred Lord Tennyson and Robert Browning, who were to be fundamental reference points for the poets of the second half of the century. They were complementary since their characteristics were different, though their basic attitude was similar: didactic and concerned with the age’s most pressing ethical problems. Tennyson was more concerned with the individual in society, and his poetry was harmonious and of classical inspiration, whereas Browning was concerned with the individual as an eccentric, and his verse was more abrupt and difficult to follow.