Riassunti Letteratura Inglese Quinto Anno Liceo Linguistico, Sintesi del corso di Inglese

Scarica Riassunti Letteratura Inglese Quinto Anno Liceo Linguistico e più Sintesi del corso in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! THE TURN OF THE CENTURY Edward VIII succede Queen Victoria + Foreign policy: made alliances (France) * Domestic policy: violent protests because of the gap between wages and cost of life—> Reforms: old age pension, National insurance (sickness and unemployment), meal and treatments for children. The Suffragettes: * 1897 Millicent Fawcett founded the National Union of Women's Suffrage e 1903 Emmeline Pankhurst founded Women's Social and Political Union —> militant means * Controversial acts —> Government introduced Cats and Mouse Act —> fist martyr Emily Davinson * Public opinion against them so they supported men during the war and obtained the right to vote in 1918 (over 30 property owners) and 1928 (same terms of men). The Irish question: * Irish was under the rule of Great Britain but the government had promised Home Rule. * Home Rule Bill passed in the H.of Commons 1912 and H.of Lords 1914 but never came into force because of the war * Rebels and nationalist party Sinn Fein staged the Easter Rising 1916 in Dublin and the British reaction was bloody * 1918 Sinn Fein obtained the majority, 1922 The Irish Free State * 1949 Republic recognized and creation of Northern Ireland. WORLD WAR ONE Causes: rivalries between countries (GB vs Germany, France vs Germany, Austria vs Russia, Triple Alliance vs Triple Entente), assassination of Franz Ferdinand. War started, domino effect: Austria on Serbia, Germany on FR and Russia, GB on Germany, Italy on Austria. 1917 USA entered against Germany, 1918 Armistice (11/11) and 1919 Peace Treaty in Versailles. League of Nation without USA WAR POETS: volunteers, wanted to defend democracy and its values. - RUPERT BROOKE 1887-1915 LIFE: Part of the Georgian Poets against Victorian Age, created the Neopagans (countryside), protege of the secretary of Winston Churchill sent to the Naval Division experienced war in a privileged position. Died because of a mosquito bite. PRODUCTION: 5 poems, idealized war and didn't experience the terrible aspects, reflected the exalted mood of the period. EXTRACTS: The soldier “ SIGFRIED SASSOON 1886-1967 LIFE: happy to join war, wounded twice and became a pacifist, criticized politicians and was judged by a Martial Court but acquitted because was shell-shocked. Converted to catholicism. PRODUCTION: both war and religious poetry. He was explicit, horrific details, philosophy of “no truth unfitting” but with perfect control of meter and rhyme. EXTRACTS: Suicide in the Trenches = WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS 1865-1939 LIFE: Dublin but he was protestant, art school and then literary career, influenced by Lady Gregory (Abbey Theatre) and Maud Gonne (Irish Republican Brotherhood) a patriot that rejected him A4times and married JohnMCBride. Appointed to the Irish Senate and received the Nobel Prize in Literature. PRODUCTION: * Celtic revival: collected Irish folklore to promote an Irish Renaissance * Social criticism: patriot but couldn't stand violence and bigotry of Nationalist movement. * Spiritualism: wrote the Second Coming Themes of Art and Literature and Death (every time there's a change), concept of HISTORY that occurs in cycle and when an era’s struggle for birth coincides with another’s era struggle for death it provokes a turn of the gyre. Style: use of opposites, antithesis, oxymora, paradox. EXTRACTS: Easter, 1916 (24th April)h “" JOSEPH CONRAD 1857-1924 LIFE: Poland>France>England. 20years as a sailor, visited Congo, not very successful, debts. PRODUCTION: fictional narrator, more pov, difficulty of judging men's action. HEART OF DARKNESS: * Kurtz and Marlow, journey into the self, Belgian Congo. * Colloquial language for natives, more precise for colonizers. 2 narrators: anonymous + Marlow. Darkness vs Whiteness, double effect of colonization, psychological depth. Language of the senses, setting is limited. Moral story, anti colonial novel, allegory of colonization, parable of the Western history of dominion. EXTRACTS: Building a railway = EDWARD FORSTER 1879-1970 IFE: English, travelled, observed tourist, homosexual, novelist, autobiographies, essays, against censorship. PRODUCTION: stood between tradition and Modernism, rejected Victorian moralism and wrote about contemporary issues, some innovations but didn’ experimented. A PASSAGE TO INDIA: * From essay of Whitman and “To” represents and intellectual change. * Ms Adela Quested, Mrs Moore, Doc. Aziz —> discover real India and real self. * Settings important: The mosque, the caves and the temple —> religious meaning. * Double effect of colonialism, complexity of the encounter of cultures, possibile if exists a balance and real dialogue, critic to the White Man's Burden. EXTRACTS: An intercultural encounter BETWEEN THE WARS 1) GRAT BRITAIN: - Crisis, unemployment, debts —> Miners went on a strike and 1926 General Strike. Government declared strikes illegals and Trade Union Congress was ruined. MRS DALLOWAY: 1day and 1place, Clarissa defined by her marital status, attraction towards death and Septimus Smith a shell-shocked veteran. Setting represents modernity, cars as status symbol. Time is subjective, clocks/Big Ben. EXTRACTS: Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers ORLANDO: most modernist work, Orlando lives 300y from Elizabeth to 1928, time and place broken. Queen Elizabeth in love with him. Jump to James —> met Sasha, heartbroken. House With symbols: 365m2, 52 stairs. He's a writer: the Oak Tree. Met Archduchess Harriet. Jump to Charles Il, Spanish dancer, —> become a woman. Victorian age = clouds. In the end in love with Shel, both male and female traits. THEMES: facts vs imagination, gender, conforming to the society, role of poetry. EXTRACTS: Voice from Inside = WYSTAN AUDEN 1907-1973 IFE: York, modernist poet, Germany, Spanish civili war, USA became US citizen. Supported socialism and then Christian conversion. Professor. 2 PHASES: * English period: political committed, voice to common people. * American period: create a better world through religion. TRAITS: group of progressive poets (Oxford), dissatisfaction after war, left-wing, Marxist, against Fascism and Nazism. Colloquial, simple style. Technical virtuosity, more inspirations, imitate other styles. “The Divided Generation” = some of them wrote about social issues, other didn’t want to. EXTRACTS: Funeral Blues, Refugee Blues “ GEORGE ORWELL 1903-1950 LIFE: “Eric Arthur Blair”, born in India, father was a police officer, studied in Eton college, worked in the Police in India, lived among the poor in London and Paris , fought in the Civil War. Died because of tuberculosis. He was socialist then wrote against URSS, hated by the fellows. ANIMAL FARMS: allegorical novel, animals rebelled against the farmer staging the Revolution dreamed by Old Major but Napoleon starts to exploit the others, in the end is like a human. Themes: criticism of dictatorships, the masses and the language, dystopia, pessimism. Characters: Old Major (Marx/Lenin), Farmer (czar Nicholas), Napoleon (Stalin), Snowball (Trockji), Boxer (worker), Puppies (police). 1984: Winston Smith, represents everyman, lives in London in Airstrip 1, capital of Oceania. Big Brother is the head of the Inner Party and controls everything. Winston works in the Minister of Truth and rebels keeping a diary and joining the Brotherhood together with Julia. They're arrested, tortured and brainwashed by O’Brien. They betray each other a become perfect citizens. Themes: criticism of dictatorship, the use of language (Newspeak, doublethink), warning to his contemporary, private property, technology, difficulty to preserve individuality, value of truth. EXTRACTS: Voice from Inside, The object of power is power, Privacy and Social Media. TOWARDS A GLOBAL AGE 1949-2000 «INDIA: independence in 1947 and divided into India (Hindu) and Pakistan (Muslim). British government drew up new borders dividing the communities and this led to a mass migration. After the killing of Gandhi, they established a non-religious government. * EGYPT:1956 President Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, created by France and Egypt had some shares that later sold to GB. British Prime Minister Eden wanted to restore their power but that was prevented by the USA. Eden was substituted by Macmillan, GB was no more the dominant power in the world. PALESTINE: The British mandate terminated and that led to the Partition. In 1948 the Independent State of Israel was born, a spot of tensions. GREAT BRITAIN: was a founder member of the Council of Europe but withdrew from the Treaty of Rome, so it wasn't part of the European Economic Community. Two applications (63-67) were vetoed by the French President, demonstrating the loss of its prestige. In 1973 GB joined the EEC but wasn't fully convince. It didn't adopt the Euro, wasn't part of the Schengen Agreement and in 2016 they decided to leave the EU. THE CHANGING FACE OF GREAT BRITAIN Lots of people of the Commonwealth could live in GB and many immigrants from West Indies and Asia arrived. It led to a multicultural society but also a decrease in employment so some racial tensions emerged. Both Conservatives and Labour Parties provided welfare for all, signing acts against sexist and racial discriminations. Acts: Abortion Act, National Health Service (contraceptions), Sexual Offense, Divorce, Matrimonial Property, Equal Pay, Sexual Discrimination and Race Relations. The Fifties: young people turned away to adult models, The Teddy Boys. The Sixties: The mods (fashion, jazz, blues) vs The rockers (leather jacket, rock). Lather came The Hippies, long hair, advocated peace and used drugs. The Seventies: young people against the war, challenged governments’ policies with sit-ins. Other groups: the Skinheads, the Punks. Recession and decline, “The Winter of Discontent”. 1979 Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Tatcher appointed, “The iron Lady”, privatized national industries, cut down on state benefits and tackled trade Unions. GB won over Argentina for the control of the Falkand islands in 1982. She resigned in 1990 because people protested against her Poll Tax, substituted by the conservative Major. Tony Blair changed the Labour Party from its socialist position to a left-centered one. He was appointed Prime Minister in 1997 and carried out a programme of devolution. Queen Elizabeth II daughter of George VI elected in 1953. Married Prince Philip and they had 4 children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, Edward. She travelled a lot in the Commonwealth. Celebrated the 25y of reign in the Silver Jubilee of 1977. Difficult period: Charles married Diana, who died in a car crash. THE TROUBLES 16th century: colony since the Tudors sent Scottish people to Northern Ireland. 17-18th century: land owned by protestants, catholic discriminated, laws, segregation. First attempt of independence 19th century: 1800 act of Union (UK). 1840s Great Famine, migration. Catholic wanted Home Rule but Protestant opposed, they would been equal, damage to economy. 20th century: Home Rule Bill 1912-14. Easter Rising in 1916. 1922 Irish Free State. 1960 non-violent catholic protests in Ulster —> N.Ireland Civil Rights Association 67 and 1969 March from Belfast to Londonderry, they were attacked, Britain sent troops. British troops too close to protestants, Bloody Sunday in 1972, 13 unarmed protesters. IRA Irish Republican Army exploded bombs in Belfast —> Britain imposed imprisonment Without a trial —> prisoners claimed special status and went on hunger strike 1981, Bobby Sands died. M.Tatcher didn* intervene Escalation of violence: IRA bombed the conservative party during a conference. Cities of Derry and Belfast were divided —>Peace Line in Belfast to divide the communities Some agreements were made, right of self-determination in Ulster and Sinn Fein announced cease-fire. 1998 Good Friday Agreement: power-sharing N.Ireland. Tensions still nowadays: nationalist party lots of votes, journalist killed by IRA, Brexit. - SEAMUS HEANEY 1939-2013 LIFE: bom in Derry, catholic family (minority). Studied in Belfast and taught at Harvard. Translated Beowulf. 1955 Nobel Prize in Literature. TRAITS: e Theme of identity: felt bonded to his native land, childhood and family. Attached to the rural word, everyday activities described with a concrete language. Sense of loss and nostalgia for a past that's disappearing. Sound effects and musicality from the Irish language. ® The Troubles: not political committed. Spoke-man of the community, his task was to offer a viewpoint of the historical events/ social-political problems in his motherland. Analyzed the reasons and psychological consequences. Vitote elegies. EXTRACT: Digging (love for land and rural world, sense of nostalgia, connection past present future, comparison spade and pen, memories to find a sense) IRISH-CATHOLIC IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA XIX CENTURY Second wave of Irish immigration: 1840s because of the Great Famine/Potato Blight. Irish population decimated and 4.5 millions arrived in America between 1820 and 1930. * They had a rural lifestyles and weren”t prepare for the industrialized centers. They were poor, shared crowded tiny houses, no running water —> disease and blamed for it. e Early XX: leading power and prosperity but also spread of poverty, slums, low wages.. * ELLIS ISLAND: opened 1892, immigration station for 60y, Hudson Riviver New York/New Jersey. Migrants coming from south/eastern Europe because of war, oppression, famine, greater opportunities. They collected their info, medical and legal inspections, decided if they were fit to entry. * 1921 Immigrant Quota Act and 1925 National Origins Act —> limited number and nationality, end of mass migration. RESTRICTION OF IMMIGRATION * 1917: literacy test over 16y to demonstrate reading comprehension, increased taxes, excluded people from the “Asiatic Barred Zone” * 1921 Immigration Act: 3% of total number of immigrants already living there for any nation. * 1924 Immigration Act: visas only for 2% of the total number of people of each nation. Asians completely excluded. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA COLD WAR 1947-1991 Political tensions between Westem capitalistic countries and communist countries. Polarization. Policy of “containment” to fight communism —> Senator McCarthy sent suspects to prison. * The Korean War (1950-1953): divided in South (US) and North (SU). North troops invaded the South, US and U intervened, China entered. Ended with Eisenhower, status quo. * The Vietnam War (1965-1973): divided in South (US) and North (SU,China). Started by Johnson, too many soldiers engaged. Nixon increased bomb attacks. Public opinion divided, protests, draft dodgers. 1973 peace treaty, America no more involved. 1976 South surrounded. 1976 Socialist Republic of Vietnam. PRESIDENTS: - Truman: worked on NATO. United Nation founded. - Eisenhower: planned the D-day. Period of cold war. - J.F.Kennedy: only 43, democrat. “New Frontier” program —> helped minorities, economical benefits, education, healthcare, civil rights. Promised to send a man on the moon by end of the decade (1969). Created a peaceful atmosphere after the Berlin Wall, solved the Cuba Missile Crisis 1962. Wanted war in Vietnam. Assassinated 1963. = Johnson: democrat, continued his reforms. 1964 Civil Rights Act, equality black and white.