British Literature

Fiction The 16th Century

Thomas More and Utopia

Written during the outbreak of the Reformation More was against King Henry VIII’s decision to leave the

Catholic Church Beheaded by the King

Utopia means “any visionary system of political or social perfection”

Promotes a communal society (alternative to Feudalism) Exposes the poverty of the laboring classes

Reformation Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife-

Catherine of Aragon- for failing to produce a male heir.

Catholic church in Rome rarely granted divorce.

Henry VIII used the fall of the church’s popularity, rise of nationalism, theological/political disputes, and common law to break away from Rome.

“Church of England”

Feudalism 17th Century Country run based upon: Political,

Social, Military Aristocrats/Nobles in control Land traded in exchange for

protection. Characterized by: Lords, Vassals,

and Fiefs

Lords, Fiefs & Vassals Lords granted land (fief) to their

vassals Vassals- Someone who commits to

the monarchy through military support or providing protection in exchange for territory.

Fiction The 17th Century

John Bunyan and a Pilgrim’s Progress

Pilgrimage- “a religious quest”

John Bunyan wrote about this pilgrimage while in prison

Pilgrim’s Progress has been translated into more languages than any other book other than the Bible.

Wrote of the importance of “saving one’s soul”

Fiction

The 18th Century Daniel Defoe and Robinson Crusoe

Adventure novel The story of a man deserted on an island Tries to create his own society on the island Think of British Imperialism

Jonathon Swift and Gulliver’s Travels Lemuel Gulliver travels to four fictional islands Gulliver tries to understand the different societies Eventually rejects human society Criticizes both British and European Governments

British Imperialism 16th/17th Century Colonies Trading Posts British Empire gains global power- covering

most territory since the Romans.

Fiction 19th Century – “The Golden Age of the Novel”

Charles Dickens – a “realist” who wrote about the working class Great Expectations is said to be a book about Dickens’s life

Pip goes from being a laborer to a gentleman (working class to upper class)

A story of growing up and dealing with the social norms (rules) of the times

Female writers, Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters Jane Austen-

Pride and Prejudice- A story of “love, reputation, and class” Mrs. Bennet is desperate to see all of her middle-class daughters

married to rich husbands. The story follows the sisters Elizabeth and Jane.

Emily and Charlotte Bronte Also wrote love stories Notice that these writers focus mainly on the “middle to upper-

class”

Fiction 20th Century

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was the first British novelist to win the Nobel Peace Prize Wrote about colonial life in India (The British Empire)

Believed that British (“white people”) were superior to other cultures

The Jungle Book is the story of Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves in the Indian Jungle

James Joyce was an Irish writer known for his command of the English language Dubliners shows the lives of Irish people in the city of

Dublin (the capital of Ireland). Describes with political and religious issues in Ireland Joyce and Virginia Woolf are known as “stream-of-

consciousness” writers

Poetry 7th Century

Beowulf – a reflection of tribal society Written in “Old English”

14th Century Geoffrey Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales

Founder of English literature (the Tales are in “Middle English”) Most literature was written in French or Latin during this time

Insight into life of people during Middle Ages Characters are on a pilgrimage (a religious journey) See characters such as the Knight (soldier), the Merchant,

and even the Cook

Poetry 17th Century

John Milton and Paradise Lost The story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden Mostly known for his style

Neo-classical- a return to the Greek style of literature

18th Century William Wordsworth and Daffodils (video)

Whenever he is sad, the flowers make him happy We can see Wordsworth’s respect and love for nature

He celebrated the “common man” with simple language

19th Century Alfred Tennyson and In Memoriam

Tennyson (and also Robert Browning) is known for the emotion he expresses in his works

In Memoriam covers a period of 3 years and the death of loved ones (friends and relatives) The poem jumps from grief to joy (shows his style)

Poetry

20th Century William Butler Yeats and The Second Coming

A famous Irish writer, Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1923 Leader of the Irish literary renaissance

The Second Coming describes the end of the world “Everything as we know it” will be changed

Ireland gaining independence, World War I, etc.

Thomas Stearns Elliot and The Waste Land Elliot won the Nobel Prize in 1948 (He is one of the most

influential writers on the 20th century) The Waste Land describes Europe after World War I

Drama William Shakespeare

Now we will see the birth of “Modern English”

Shakespeare was one of the greatest writers who ever lived Wrote 37 plays Also known for his poetry

In his plays one can discover “the spirit of the time”

Many of the words we use today originate from Shakespeare's works

Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet

Takes place in Italy There are two rival families, the Montague and the

Capulets Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet They fall in love at a party They plan a secret wedding

Romeo kills Tybalt (a Capulet) in a fight Juliet drinks a potion to appear dead Romeo does not know of this and believes she is dead He kills himself Juliet awakes and sees Romeo She kills herself with the dagger

When the two families find the two lovers, they end their disputes (rivalry)

Drama Oscar Wilde and The Importance of Being Earnest

Advocates “art for art’s sake” This means he was not trying to question society during

this time, he simply enjoyed writing plays He is known for his witty, clever and sharp language In The Importance of Being Earnest is about two men (Jack

and Algernon) who lead double lives and fall in love with multiple women

George Bernard Shaw and Pygmalion Won the Nobel Prize in 1925

Was a social reformer (contrast to Oscar Wilde) In Pygmalion a phonetics teacher tries to make a “lady”

out of a simple flower girl Although the girl is lower-class, she is received in upper-class

society The play questions social class and human behavior