Chapter 2: The Renaissance

William Shakespeare
Q 4: What makes “Hamlet” one of Shakespeare’s great masterpieces?
Romeo and Juliet – Context
Chapter 3: Enlightenment
Briefly state Jonathan Swift's and Daniel Defoe's life and works
Life and strange adventures of Robinson Crusoe
Gulliver's travels
Chapter 4: Romanticism
Robert Burns
My heart's in the highlands
A Red Red Rose
William Wordsworth-A worshipper of nature
The Daffodils
Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"
Chapter 5: Critical Realism
Charles Dickens (1812-70)
Oliver Twist
Thackeray’s work
Vanity Fair
Similarities between the two works 'David Copperfield' and 'Vanity Fair"
David Copperfield
Chapter 6: The 20th English Literature is the Literature of Decadence
Oscar Wilde
Chapter 7: American literature
Jack London’s writing career
O.Henry-The great American short story writer
The Last Leaf
Ernest Hemingway
The Old Man and the Sea
 Chapter 2: The Renaissance
The Renaissance is a period of time from the 14th to the 17th century in Europe, a time
of “coming out of the dark”. The Renaissance here means the rebirth of education,
science, art, literature, music and a better life for people in general. It was the revival of
Greek and Roman that emphasized the value of the classic of their own sake. In
literature, the Renaissance was led by humanists, scholars and poets. Among the
notable writers of the Renaissance in England were Edmud, Spenser, Sir Philip Sidney,
Shakespeare and Sir Francis Bacon.
The progressive ideology of the Renaissance was Humanism. Humanism is the term
most often used to describe the cultural and literary movement. Humanism is a
philosophy that all people should strive to be educated and learned in the classical art,
literature and science. It looks for realism and human emotion in art. Humanism
approves people’s pursue comfort, richest, and beauty.
Human life, the happiness of people, and the belief in man’s abilities became the main
subjects in fine arts and literature. The works of humanists proclaimed the equality of
people regardless of their social origin, race, and religion. Humanism did away with the
dark scholastic teaching of the Middle Ages. The development of a new social order
presented great possibilities for man’s creative power. That is why the humanist outlook
was remarked with bright optimism, with belief in man’s great abilities and his high
mission.

William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare, my favorite author, is renowned for his timeless works that
continue to captivate readers around the world. He was born in Stratford upon Avon in
central England. Despite the passage of centuries, Shakespeare's early life remains
shrouded in mystery, sparking intrigue among scholars and admirers alike. His limited
formal education did not hinder his profound understanding of human nature, as
evidenced by his ability to deeply resonate with readers through his characters and
their experiences. In about 20 years of writing with authors of different genres such as:
comedies, historical plays, tragedies, tragedies, Shakespeare to re near 40 scripts in that
are mostly masterpieces; 2 epics and 154 Sonnet poems. Shakespeare's works
summarize the whole of England: England earnestly loves life, England flourishes, but
also England is painful in the period of primitive accumulation of capital. His
outstanding tragedies in his third period of composition include Hamlet, Prince of
Denmark, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Othello, the Moor of Venice”, “King Lear”, “Macbeth”. The
tragedies reflect the deep, unsolvable contradictions of life, the falsehood, injustice and
tyranny existing in society. They show people who perish in the struggle against Evil,
are also based on real events. In the tragedies which are centered round the life of one
man Shakespeare touched on the moral problems of universal significance - honesty,
cruelty, kindness, love, vanity and others. That is why his tragedies are of great interest
to every new generation. His comedies, like "Twelfth Night" and "As You Like It," offer a
light-hearted contrast, highlighting the joys and pleasures of life. Shakespeare is
honored as the typical poet of England, the playwright ahead of his time. Shakespeare is
the most representative representative of Renaissance English literature, considered
the greatest writer of mankind. Through his richly developed characters and masterful
use of language, Shakespeare imparts timeless lessons on morality and the human
condition, ensuring his works resonate with audiences for generations to come.

Q 4: What makes “Hamlet” one of Shakespeare’s great

masterpieces?
The tragedy Hamlet is an outstanding play because unlike other "bloody tragedies"
written before. It is the most profound expression of his humanism and his criticism of
the epoch. The tragedy tells of the struggle between Hamlet, the bearer of the ideals of
the Renaissance, on the one hand, and the evil, false world of kings and courtiers, on the
other. Hamlet is not passive. His mind is at work all the time. Hamlet is trying to
understand the world, the nature of its good and dark sides. And he fights with words,
cries out bitter truths, exposes evil. The tragedy of Hamlet has always excited the minds
of people. It stirs people's conscience, makes them fight against Evil for the triumph of
justice and God. The tragedy Hamlet is an outstanding play, it is caused not so much by
the discord between Hamlet and the evil outer world, as by the discord within his own
soul. Seeing the evil he does not want to put up with it. He meditates upon the cause of
evil and the ways of fighting it. And being unable to find these ways, he suffers,
reproaches himself with being passive, irresolute, weak-willed. He hesitates and delays
his actions. But he is not weak-willed by nature. Indeed, Hamlet's world is one of
perpetual ambiguity. This tragedy is "a tragedy of thought" and Hamlet is the first
thinker that has ever appeared on the stage. The tragedy of Hamlet is caused not so
much by the discord between Hamlet and the evil outer world, as by the discord within
his own soul. There are many personages in world literature (Byron's Childe Harold,
Griboyedov's Chatsky, Lermontov's Pechorin among them) that have some traits of
Hamlet's character. They suffer, because they are more sharply aware than any of their
contemporaries of the social vices. They are discontented with reality but they do not
see any ways of changing. In conclusion, the tragedy of Hamlet which differ from other
tragedies of that time and in Shakespeare's time, is one of the greatest of Shakespeare's
masterpieces

Romeo and Juliet – Context

The Setting

It is generally believed that the play is based on a real Italian love story from the 3rd
Century. The ‘real families’ are the Capeletti and the Montecci families.

Shakespeare wrote his version in 1594 which was based on Arthur Brooke’s poem of
1562.

This period was ‘The Elizabethan Era’ which was also known as ‘The Renaissance’: a time
of significant change in the fields of religion, politics, science, language and the arts.

Religion
Romeo and Juliet was set during a time of religious and political turmoil. Europe was a
traditionally Catholic society with a strong belief in damnation for mortal sin. Suicide
and bigamy were both considered to be mortal sins.

Shakespeare was writing following ‘The Reformation’ and this was when England
became a Protestant nation, having broken away from the control of the Catholic
Church. In this Protestant society, life became more open and less oppressed.

Family

The father was the head of the household in this patriarchal society. Women had no
rights or authority in law: they could not own property or money but could influence
their husbands. Children were regarded as property and could be given in marriage to a
suitable partner. This was often a political or financial transaction to secure and retain
wealth. It was not unusual to be married very young. In high society, children were
often raised by a ‘wet nurse’ and did not have a strong bond with their parents.

Love and Relationships

Courtly love (like royalty) should be polite, ceremonious, restrained, intellectual,

courteous and those involved should be in love with the idea of being in love. There was
no contact, just an exchange of gifts, letters and poems. Divorce was impossible

GIÁ TRỊ

-Real value: Once love is big enough, it will erase all hatred, when prevented, it can't
extinguish the fire of the couple's intense love while in their youth - it's just the next
action. add to them the flames of love, burning passions and dreams of being together .

- Humanitarian values: expressing a noble heart, love surpasses all hatred and obstacles.
It is a great and noble love that does not care about the feud between the two families
with the goal of freedom and happiness. It is that love that has removed all barriers and
hatred for both sides, although it is late.

A theme is a main idea, or the moral or lesson of the story…themes in Romeo and Juliet
include the power of love, passion and violence, individuals versus society, and that you
can’t fight fateA symbol is something that stands for more than itself…symbols in Romeo
and Juliet include poison, roses, fire, stars, and masksA motif is an idea or subject that
occurs over and over …motifs in Romeo and Juliet include opposites such as light vs
dark, and youth vs age

Power of love: Obviously, love is important to the story: it’s why everything happens.
Romeo and Juliet’s love is so powerful it’s more important to them than their families,
their loyalties, or even their livesPassion and Violence: Of course the same violent
passion leads to violence, from Tybalt’s death to the lovers’ suicide. As strong as the love
in the play is, the families’ hate and anger is equally forceful

Individual against society:In the play, what the lovers want as individuals is in conflict
with what their families and society wants. Juliet doesn’t want to marry Paris, but her
dad is telling her she has to, and society would back him up. (“An you are mine, I’ll give
you to my friend”) Romeo can’t just change his name and never have to deal with his
family again. The Capulets, Montagues, and the townspeople don’t want to stop feuding
or seem dishonored just because two teenagers like each other. It takes a horrible
tragedy to get them to change.

Chapter 3: Enlightenment
The 17th century was one of the most stormy periods of English history. The growing
contradictions between the new class, the bourgeoisie, sie, and the old forces of
feudalism. England has proclaimed a republic. The 18th century saw Great Britain
rapidly growing into a capitalist country. The industrial revolution began new
machinery was invented that turned Britain into the first capitalist power in the world

In the epoch of Enlightenment the poetic forms of the Renaissance were replaced by
prose. The moralizing novel was born and became the leading genre of the period.
Ordinary people became the main characters of these novels. The Enlightenment epoch
in English literature may be divided into three periods

What are the peculiarities of Enlightenment in England?

1. Early Enlightenment (1688-1740)

This period saw the flourishing of journalism which played an important part in the
country's public life. Numerous journals and newspapers which came into being at the
beginning of the 18th century not only acquainted their readers with the situation at
home and abroad but also helped to shape people's views. Most popular were the
satirical moralizing journals. The essays paved the way for novel which was brought into
English the realistic novel literature by Daniel Defoe and Jonathan Swift.

2. Mature Enlightenment (1740-1750)

The social moralizing novel was born in this period. It was represented by the works of
such writers as Samuel Richardson (Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, Clarissa, or The
History of a Young Lady), Henry Fielding (The History of Torn Jones, a Foundling, and
other novels), and Tobias Smollett (The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker and other
novels).

3. Late Enlightenment (Sentimentalism) (1750-1780).

The writers of this period, like the Enlighteners of the first two periods, expressed the
democratic bourgeois tendencies of their time. They also tried to find a way out of the
difficulties of the existing order. However, while their predecessors believed in the
force of intellect, they considered feelings (or sentiments) most important. The
principal representatives of sentimentalism in the genre of the novel were Oliver
Goldsmith (The Vicar of Wakefield) and Lawrence Sterne (Tristram Shandy, The
Sentimental Journey) and in drama- Richard Sheridan (School for Scandal and other
plays).
Briefly state Jonathan Swift's and Daniel Defoe's life and
works
Jonathan Swift- The greatest satirist

- Life

Jonathan Swift was born in 1667, in Dublin in an English family, his father died seven
months before Jonathan's birth. Jonathan was brought by his prosperous Uncle Godwin
Swift who sent him to then to Trinity College in Dublin

There he studied theology and later became a clergyman. At 21 Swiftwent to live in

England and became the private secretary of a distant relative, Sir William Temple, a
writer and a well-known diplomat of the time

At Moor Park, Sir William's estate, Swift made friends with Hester Johnson, the
daughter of one of Temple's servants, fourteen years his junior. His letters to her,
written in 1710-1713. were later published in the form of a book under the title of Journal
to Stella.

During the two years at Moor Park Swift read and studied much and in 1692 he took his
Master of Arts Degree at Oxford University. Then he came back to Moor Park and lived
there till Sir William's death in 1698

In 1701 Swift went to the small town of Laracor (Ireland) as a clergyman.

In 1713 he was made Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. He became the ideological
leader of the Irish people. At the age of 78, he died and was buried in the Cathedral, the
Dean of which he had been most of his life.

- Works

Among Swift's early works was the allegory Tale in a Tab, a biting satire on religion.

One of the most outstanding pamphlets and the most biting of all his satires was A
Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People of Ireland from Being a
Burden to their Parents (1729).

The author wrote about the horrible poverty and starvation of the Irish people. This
pamphlet had a great influence on the readers. It attracted the wide public's attention
to the terrible position of the Irish people. It also inspired the Irishmen to struggle
against oppression for freedom and a better life. It was his novel Gulliver's Travels,
however, that brought him fame and immortality.

Daniel Defoe -the father of the English novel

Daniel Defoe (16601731) is rightly considered the father of the English and the European
novel, for it was due to him that the genre became once and forever established in
European literature.
1. Briefly state Defoe’s writing career:

Daniel Defoe who was born in 1660, London, was an English writer, trader, journalist.
His life was complicated and adventurous. He became a merchant and traveled in Spain,
Germany, France and Italy on business which give him rich imagination, material for his
future novels. He took an active part in the political life of Britain. During his career, in
1702 Defoe published a satirical pamphlet written in support of the protestants, or
dissenters, persecuted by the government and the Church. In order to disgraced Defoe,
the Government had him thrice pilloried. Before being pilloried he wrote his Hymn to
the Pillory which at once became known all over London. At the age of 59, Defoe
embarked on what was virtually a new career, producing in Robinson Crusoe the first of
a remarkable series of novels and other fictional writing. He died at the age of 71 having
written numerous works: Captain Singleton, Molt Flanders, Roxana.. Morover, many
people considered Defoe to be the first realist because of his new form of ideas which
he used in his diction writing. The major part of his style was make overly detailing
small descriptions in writing. And, his Molt Flanders is one true example of his realism.
Inconclusion, Daniel Defoe did a lot for English literature which make the rise of English
novel and made him known as ‘The father of English novel’

2. Defoe’s contribution to English literature

Daniel Defoe is rightly considered the father of the English and the European novel,
for it was due to him that the genre became once and for ever established in European
literature. Defoe wrote his novels in the form of memories, which made them look like
stories about real people. He addressed the wide public and tried to make himself
understood by the readers of all the layers of society. As a true Enlighteners, he sets
himself the task of improving people’s morals. The influence of his works on the literary
process as well as on the minds of the readers can hardly be overestimated. An English
critic once said that without him, we should all he different from what we are.

8. What are the differences between J. Swift's and Defoe's realism?

Swift's realism was different from Defoe's. Defoe presented extremely precise pictures
of bourgeois life. Swift used his favorite weapon laughter to mock bourgeois reality. He
criticized it and his criticism was hidden away in a whole lot of allegorical pictures. At
the same time, he gave very realistic descriptions and exact mathematical proportions
of the tiny Lilliputs and the giants from Brobdingnag.

Swift's language was more elaborate and literary than Defoe's. This does not mean that
he did not make use of the language of the common people. He resorted to it when his
criticism. became most severe.

Swift's art had a great effect on the further development of English and European
literature. The main features of his artistic method, such as hyperbole, grotesque,
generalization, and irony, were widely used by English novelists and many others.

Life and strange adventures of Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe, a novel by Daniel Defoe, was first published in London in 1719. It is
considered a well-known and enshrined novel in our culture.
The novel opens with a narration of Crusoe’youth in England but he escpae from home.
Then comes an account of his numberous sea voyages and adventures. In the course of
his unusual life, he becomes an enslaved person, a wealthy plantation owner, a
resourceful castaway, and a respectable gentleman. He spends 28 years surviving on an
uninhabited island after a shipwreck. Due to industrious, optimistic and inventiveness,
he help himself overcome the hardship and survive. He is a truly heroic character, a
man dominating nature. But his emotion life is poor, he is unable to admire the beauty
of nature, he never feels any love or sorrow for those whom be left in England.

Robinson Crusoe became an instant success after its publication. The charm of this
story mainly lies in its intense reality, in the succession of thoughts, feelings, and
incidents that every reader find true to life.

The popularity of the novel was because Robinson Crusoe was a typical figure of the
period Crusoe's adventurous and enterprising nature and his common sense were the
features most characteristic of the English bourgeoisie. He was the first character of a
bourgeois ever created in world literature. Through him, Defoe asserted the superiority
of the new class over the idle aristocracy

In this novel, both physical and mental labor is glorified. The detailed descriptions of the
steps are managed with great skill by the author not treated with exaggeration or
romantic coloring but narrated in a simple style. This adds to the realistic effects of the
story. Through the description, Robinson's willpower and ingenuity are greatly
eulogized.

The adventure was not only tremendously exciting for the reading public in Defoe's
time but it laid down a template that's been followed or adapted by an entire genre of
literature, films, and cartoons since then, usually more competently produced and
without the morally odious context. Therefore, it is worth trying Robinson Crusoe if you
want to know more than history.

Gulliver's travels
JONATHAN SWIFT Born and raised in Ireland, Swift lived large parts of his life in
England. Despite holding various political positions and rising through the ranks of the
Irish church, he used his writings to prod unrelentingly at the failings of politics,
religion, and Enlightenment thinking in general.

Gulliver's Travels recounts the improbable journey of Lemuel Gulliver, an affable,

optimistic, and gullible fellow whose experiences challenge his—and the reader's—
assumptions about human society. As he ricochets from one ridiculous adventure to the
next, Gulliver's faith in humanity and its constructs is utterly dismantled

Gulliver's Travels, a misanthropic satire of humanity, was written in 1726 by Jonathan

Swift. The original title of Swift's novel is Travels into Several Remote Nations of the
World. Gulliver's name probably is an allusion to King Lemuel of Proverbs 31. who was a
weak- minded prophet. At the same time, Gulliver represents the everyman with his
average intelligence and general good humor. The reader is able to identify with him
and join him in his travels. Even though Swift constantly alludes to events that were
happening while he was alive, the story rings true today, bringing light to our own
societal issues and to patterns of human nature. Throughout Gulliver's voyages, Swift
goes to great lengths to scrutinize, parody, and satire various aspects of human, and
often English, society. He does this in two ways, first by comparing humanity's ways
with those of cultures decidedly beneath it and second, by comparing humanity with
cultures that are far superior in intellect and political ideals.

Chapter 4: Romanticism

The characteristic features

Romanticism, a literary movement spanning roughly 30 years from the late 18th century
to the 1830s, emerged as a reaction to the French Revolution and its aftermath. The
idealistic promises of liberty, equality, and fraternity fell short of reality, leaving people
disillusioned. The revolution, while paving the way for capitalist development, also
caused discontent among the feudal class, who saw their power diminish.

This widespread discontent was reflected in the new literary trend known as
Romanticism, with writers grappling with the revolution's impact and its implications
for society. The movement's focus on individual freedom, the power of nature, and the
lives of ordinary people was a direct response to the changing social and political
landscape.

England experienced its own unique version of Romanticism, heavily influenced by the
Industrial Revolution.

English writers of the Romantic era faced the challenges of industrialization, the rise of
the working class, and the decline of the peasantry. Some writers, like Byron and
Shelley, embraced revolutionary ideas, supporting national liberation movements and
calling for social change. They championed the common people's desire for freedom
and opposed colonial oppression.

Others, like Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Southey, who formed the Lake School, turned
their attention to nature and the simpler aspects of life. They sought to escape the
complexities of industrial society, idealizing a more traditional, pastoral England. Their
works often celebrated nature's beauty and the lives of ordinary people in the
countryside. They were known for their lyrical poetry, which explored the human spirit
and the power of emotion. Their use of ballads, songs, legends, and tales, often rooted
in folklore, reflected their fascination with the past and traditional forms of storytelling.

Romanticism's impact on English literature was significant. It fostered a renewed

emphasis on individual expression, the beauty of nature, and the lives of ordinary
people, shaping the literary landscape for generations to come.

Robert Burns
Robert Burns was born in 1759, in a day-built cottage near the river Doon in Alloway,
Ayrshire ( Scotland) with the life of family was full of privations. When Robert was seven,
their father decided to give his children the best education he could afford and engaged
a teacher to educate them. Burns wrote his first verses when he was fifteen. In 1786, he
published his first book under the title of Poems Chiefly in the Scotland Dialect. The
years of Burn’s creative work belong to the period known in English literature as Pre-
Romanticism. Burn’s poetry has features nature, his singing of liberty, his rebellious
spirit have much in common with such revolutionary romanticism as Geogre Byron and
Percy Shelley. Some of his works are “ A Red, red rose”, “My heart in the Highland”. He
became the national poet of both Scotland and England at the close of the 18th century.
He was considered one of the greatest poets in English literature, his songs and poems
are known and loved far beyond the limits of his country.

Comment on the main themes in Burn’s poems.

Burns' poetry is divided into three major themes: Love, Regret and Man and nature. First
one is Love: In "A Red, Red Rose" and "Ae Fond Kiss," Robert Burns' poem "Ae Fond Kiss"
describes love as more meaningful than anything else. In "Red Rose," the speaker
compares her love to a red rose first, then a melody. The speaker and her lover
eventually part ways, but he promises her that he will come back soon. Secondly, Regret
is an important theme in "Ae Fond Kiss" is regret, as the narrator has loved her lover
from the bottom of her heart. Burns is regretting not because he made a mistake by
loving her, but because he would not be feeling the pain of separation if he had not
loved her. Finally, Man and nature: The narrator describes the depth of his love for the
woman he has just fallen in love with. His descriptions of natural elements in the poem
help readers in understanding the poetry's depth.

Burns’s first and last works were songs, reflecting his deep connection with oral ballad
and song. The world of custom and belief is most particularly described in “Halloween,”
an ethnographic poem with footnotes elucidating rural customs. Many forms of
prognostication are possible on this evening when this world and the other world or
worlds hold converse, a time when unusual things are deemed possible—especially
foretelling one’s future mate and status. Burns’s notes and prefatory material have often
been used as evidence of his distance from and perhaps disdain for such practices. Yet
the poem itself is peopled with a sympathetic cast of youths, chaperoned by an old
woman, joined together for fun and fellowship. The youthful players try several
prognosticatory rites in attempting to anticipate their future love relationships. In one
stanza Burns alludes to a particular practice—“pou their stalks o’ corn”—and explains in
his note that “they go to the barn-yard, and pull each, at three several times, a stalk of
Oats. If the third stalk wants the top-pickle, that is, the grain at the top of the stalk, the
party in question will come to the marriage-bed any thing but a Maid.” Burns concludes
the stanza by saying that one Nelly almost lost her top-pickle that very night. Some of
the activities in what is essentially a preliminary courtship ritual are frightening,
requiring collective daring. Burns describes the antics, anticipation, and anxieties of the
participants as they enjoy the communal event, which is concluded with food and drink:

His direct literary influences in the use of Scots in poetry were Allan Ramsay and Robert
Fergusson. The Edinburgh literati worked to sentimentalise Burns during his life and
after his death, dismissing his education by calling him a "heaven-taught ploughman".

Background affecting the Robert Burns’s writing

Burns’s affection for traditional culture is amply illustrated. In a well-known
autobiographical letter to Dr. John Moore (August 2, 1787) he pays tribute to its early
influence when he says, “In my infant and boyish days too, I owed much to an old Maid
of my Mother’s, remarkable for her ignorance, credulity and superstition.—She had, I
suppose, the largest collection in the county of tales and songs concerning devils,
ghosts, fairies, brownies, witches, warlocks, spunkies, kelpies, elf-candles, dead-lights,
wraiths, apparitions, cantraips, giants, inchanted towers, dragons and other trumpery.—
This cultivated the latent seeds of Poesy”

My heart's in the highlands

"My heart's in the highlands” is one of Burn's most beautiful lyrses. It is full of vivid
colorful descriptions and is a hymn to the beauty of Scotland's nature and its glorious
post. It is patriotic and fully reveals the poet's deep patriotic sentiments for his native
horne of Scotland in his powerful expresssons of yeaoliverrning for the Highlands. The
sentiments.

Semonstrated in this and Burn's other patriotic poems encouraged the Scots to rebel
against the English tyranny and struggle for Scotland's freedom and independence. The
author used the phrase "my heart", and "farewell" to emphasize his feelings when he had
to leave his beloved homeland. Not only that, but the author also uses natural images
"The hills of the highlands", "the mountains high covered with snow", "green valleys",
and the forests and wild-laanging woods" to show readers the simple and pristine
beauty of the author's hometown. At the same time, when reading this article, we feel
the message from the author that no matter where whatever we do, our homeland is
always the best place, so please cherish the moments and memories that are worth it
remember while you can..

A Red Red Rose

“A Red, Red Rose” is a poem composed by Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns. It was
first published in 1794 in a collection of traditional Scottish songs set to music. Burns’s
poem was inspired both by a simple Scots song he had heard in the country and by
published ballads from the period. The poem has the form of a ballad and is meant to be
sung aloud. It describes the speaker’s deep love for his or her beloved and promises that
this love will last longer than human life and even the planet itself, remaining fresh and
constant forever.

“A Red, Red Rose” Summary

The speaker describes his or her love—meaning either the person the speaker loves or
the speaker's feelings of love for that person—as being as beautiful, vivid, and fresh as a
flower that has just recently bloomed. This love is as sweet as a beautiful song played by
a skilled musician.

The beloved is so beautiful that the speaker loves her with a deep and strong passion—
so strong, in fact, that the speaker's love will last until the oceans have become dry.
Even after the seas have evaporated and the earth has decayed, the speaker will still
love the beloved. This love will endure until their own lives have ended and even until all
hu

The speaker concludes by saying goodbye to the beloved—who is, the speaker reminds
her, the only person the speaker loves. The speaker wishes her well during their
temporary separation. The speaker reaffirms his or her faithful love by promising to
return even if the journey covers a very long distance and takes a very long time

Language is the first element of literature, and A Red Red Rose is successful in its
concise and musical language. There are four stanzas and sixteen sentences in the
poem. The purity and beauty of the girl and the faithfulness of the poet are perfectly
reflected in the concise language of it. The first stanza, “O, my luve's like a red, red rose,
that's newly sprung in June; O, my luve's like the melodie, that's sweetly played in tune”
is the sincere praise of the poet for his lover’s appearance and temperament in a vivid,
delightful and soulful tone. The second and third stanzas, “as fair art thou, my bonnie
lass, so deep in luve am I; and I will luve thee still, my dear, till a' the seas gang dry. Till
a'the seas gang dry, my dear, and the rocks melt wi' the sun; I will luve thee still, my
dear, while the sands o' life shall run. ” are the essence of the whole poem. The language
here is strong and powerful, therefore its emotion is deep and high, especially in the
words "Till a'the seas gang dry" and "the rocks melt wi' the sun". The eternity,
faithfulness and firmness of love, have all melted into Burns’ lines, expressing his true
love for his lover. His language is simple but elegant, romantic and sincere. After the
passionate outburst of these two stanzas, the whole poem turns into a more deep tone.
“And fare thee still, my only luve! And fare thee weel awhile! And I will come again, my
luve, though it were ten thousand mile.” Despite the fact that they are going to leave
each other, the poet firmly believed that their departure was temporary and they will
meet again. This is not only an expectation but also a promise.

The poem is written in the form of ballads, i.e. each quatrain has four lines and its odd
rows are in iambic tetrameter, even ones are in iambic trimeter. The rhyme feet in the
first two stanzas are abcb, and the rhyme feet in the next two are abab. Such a rhyme
arrangement emphasizes the change of the poet’s feelings. If the first two sections are
the expression of love, then the last two are the pledge of faithful love. In the form of
interlaced rhyme, it’s better to express poet's determination to be faithful in love.

Besides the end rhyme and the whole rhyme scheme, alliteration and assonance also
play an important part in strengthening the rhythm of the poem. In addition, the
repetition of sounds and symmetry in structure and wording also produce an effect of
music.

The message of “A Red, Red Rose”

+ Love and Change

“A Red, Red Rose” begins by describing the speaker’s love for a beloved with images that
are beautiful but not necessarily long-lasting. The speaker then affirms, however, that
his or her love will outlast human life itself. Through the speaker’s paradoxical (but
passionate) claims, the poem argues that true love is both constantly renewing and
completely unchangeable.
The speaker begins by describing love in terms that are beautiful but that don’t
immediately suggest permanence. The first lines compare the speaker’s love to “a red,
red rose.” “Luve” could refer to the beloved, the person the speaker loves. It could also
refer to the speaker’s feelings for this person. Saying the beloved is like a rose “newly
sprung in June” emphasizes her beauty and youth. Meanwhile, saying that the speaker’s
love for her is like a new rose implies that this is a new relationship, with all the
freshness and excitement of a developing romance. Of course, a rose can only be “newly
sprung” for a short time; June ends after thirty days, and flowers fade quickly. If the
speaker’s love is just like a new rose, maybe it won’t last very long.

The speaker then says this love is like “a melody / That’s sweetly played in tune.” But
again, instruments can go out of tune, just as flowers can fade. The newness and
excitement of the speaker’s love initially make it seem somewhat unstable.

Then, however, the speaker goes on to emphasize how long this love will last. The
speaker uses three images to measure how long these feelings of love will last: the seas
going dry, the rocks melting, and the sands of life running out. These events could only
occur after eons of time, if ever. It seems now that the speaker’s love, far from lasting
only as long as a flower, will actually endure longer than human life. Although these
conflicting descriptions of the speaker’s love sound like a paradox, the speaker
continues to insist that true love really can embody these seemingly opposite qualities
of newness and permanence.

In the final stanza, the speaker bids farewell to the beloved, as if the speaker is planning
to leave on a journey. The beloved doesn’t need to worry, though, because the speaker
promises to return, even if the journey is “ten thousand mile[s]” long. This promise
implies that, just as long stretches of time could not exhaust the speaker’s love for the
beloved, a long stretch of distance cannot keep the speaker from her. And the length of
this journey now seems short—just “awhile”—compared to the near-infinite time the
speaker’s love will last. It seems, then, that love like the speaker’s is powerful enough to
make earthly obstacles (like physical distance) feel insignificant. That is, this love is
reliable and constant, but it also feels fresh and exciting enough to adapt to changed
circumstances. The moment of farewell in the final stanza highlights the speaker’s core
argument: love that lasts forever is also love that allows for change over time.

+ Beauty, Youth, and Aging

“A Red, Red Rose” initially suggests that the speaker’s love is generated by the beloved’s
youth and beauty—qualities that fade with time. The speaker then affirms, however, that
these temporary qualities actually give rise to feelings that persist eternally, through
aging and even through death. The poem seems to argue that beauty and youth are so
powerful that they can inspire feelings that last long after these qualities themselves are
gone.

The speaker begins with an image of the beloved that emphasizes her youth and beauty,
suggesting a love that is enthusiastic but likely to fade with time. The speaker tells the
reader that this love “like a red, red rose.” Roses are most beautiful when “newly
sprung”—but this is a beauty that, by definition, cannot last. Newness ends quickly, and
all flowers eventually fade—they cannot be “red, red” forever. If “my Luve” refers to the
beloved, then comparing her to a rose acknowledges that she is beautiful now but that
her beauty will fade over time. Or, if “my Luve” refers to the speaker’s feelings for her,
then it seems that the speaker’s feelings may also fade over time.

As the poem continues, however, the speaker suggests that the impermanent qualities
of youth and beauty give rise to a love that is permanent. The speaker’s love will remain
constant even through aging, decay, and death. In the second stanza, the speaker
affirms the beloved’s beauty—“So fair art thou”—and the speaker’s strong love for her
—“So deep in luve am I.” The parallel phrases starting with "So" suggest a causal
connection between the two ideas. It is because she is so beautiful, as beautiful as a
rose, that the speaker’s feelings for her are so strong. They are so strong, in fact, that
they will last longer than any rose. Somewhat counterintuitively, the poem claims that
the speaker’s love will actually outlast the rose-like beauty that initially inspired it.

To indicate how long he or she will love the beloved, the speaker uses three images: the
sea going dry, the rocks melting with the sun, and the sands of life running out. These
images represent great lengths of time (it would take an eternity for these events to
happen) and, crucially, also describe processes of decay. They show the natural world
losing its vitality and form, in much the same way as an individual flower would.
Through these images, the speaker is indirectly confronting the reality of aging and
death—not just in the natural world, but also in the lives of this couple. The speaker
implies that he or she will continue to love the beloved even as she ages and her beauty
decays. That is, her beautiful appearance may have first inspired their love, but their
love will endure even when her beauty is gone. It will last, in fact, until the sands of their
lives have run out and they draw close to death.

When the speaker promises to return after a long journey, knowing the beloved will
have aged in that time, the speaker reaffirms that his or her feelings will remain the
same even though the beloved may grow less beautiful. The speaker concludes by
bidding farewell to the beloved and promising to return to her, even if the journey is
“ten thousand mile[s]” long. The beloved will likely be older, less youthful, and perhaps
less beautiful by the time the speaker returns. Nevertheless, the speaker does promise
to return, indicating that although the beloved may change, the speaker’s feelings will
remain constant. Through the final promise, the poem indicates again that the love
youthful beauty inspires need not end when youth itself ends.

Conclusion

A Red Red Rose is a precious cultural heritage and spiritual wealth that Burns left to the
world. The language of poetry is simple but vivid. It is short but full of deep feelings,
emotions and affection. The poem moves millions of people with its smooth and
melodious tones, simple words but warm and sincere feelings, making this poem an
enduring classic after its publication. Whole poems are natural and beautiful in image,
structure, rhetoric and sentence-making. Fresh and simple folk song poetry style
doubles its sense of music.

Apart from its natural and sincere imagery, structure, rhetoric and sentence-making,
another factor that makes the poem so attractive is the sincere and passionate
emotions in it.
This poem is straightforward in language, sincere in feelings, and free from affectation.
The poet's feelings, like a clear lake, give the readers a precise glance. Such passionate
and fierce expression of love impressed every reader in their heart. In addition, this
poem has no utilitarian appeal for love. In today's society, it also has a function of
cleansing our soul. In the countryside Burns sings the beauty of love, simple and vivid.
Compared with the didactic heroic couplets and melancholy style of sentimentalists in
the literary trend of 18th century’s neoclassicism, Burns' poems are full of distinctive
national and local characteristics, giving readers a fresh impression. This poem is just
like a fresh flower in the dull flowerbed of 18th century’s poetry, simple, fragrant and
thought-provoking.

Comment:

"A red, red rose" is one of the best of Burn's love poems. It was written in 1780. It is
world- famous because it describes the poet's own emotions with such vividness and
simplicity that st appeals directly to the reader's heart. The idea in this poem is simple
enough, but it is expressed with very strong emotions, ineffective words, and a haunting
rhythm, which makes it melodious and immortal. Followed by the comparison "My love's
like a red, red rose' and 'My love's like the melody Comparative image a red, red rose red
rose. The spelling at the end of the sentence "June tune", "sun-run", "i-dry is very
impressive, making it easy for readers to remember and create melodies for the poem.

William Wordsworth-A worshipper of nature

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was born in the Lake District in Northwestern England.
The first influence upon William Wordsworth's life as a poet came not from his parents
but from Nature. In his poem, The Prelude, William Wordsworth left a full account of his
boyhood in the Cumberland hills. It is noteworthy that William Wordsworth, more than
any other English poet up to his day, regarded namire not sely as a source of spiritual
influence. on man but as a moral teacher who can teach us more than all sages can.
Nature was his religion

At Cambridge, another dominant interest came into his life. The world was seething
with democratic ideas. The boy over the sea uses Byron's words and propagates the
ideas of individual and national rights in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud was written in reflection after two years the time when
Wordsworth saw a land of daffodils by the lake of Ullswater upon his return from a visit
to his friend Clarkson in Eusemere. The poet described his heartfelt happiness as he
saw the beautiful daffodils and sang high praises of nature.

The Daffodils
What are the main features of "The Daffodils"?

The poem is based upon his second visit to the Wye Valley which he first visited in
August of 1793. The difference between the present landscape and the remembered
"picture of the mind" made the poet, as a worshipper of nature, meditate upon his
feelings for nature.
Wordsworth also explored the relationship between nature and immortality in the sul
bar to descriptive-meditative style mostly associated with ham. This explains why
Tintern Abbey is taken as the most striking poem on nature by Wordsworth.

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud as Dorothy Wordsworth noted in her Girasenere Journals

for April 15, 1802, was written in reflection after two years of the time when
Wordsworth saw a land of daffodils by the lake of Ullswater upon his return from a visit
to his friend Clarkson in Eusemere. The poet described his heartfelt happiness as be
saw the beautiful daffodils and sang high praises of nature.

Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"

Jane Austen, now widely considered one of the greatest writers in English history,
Austen saw only moderate success in her lifetime, publishing under the vague
pseudonym “A Woman.” Known for her witty examinations of social constructs (and for
never marrying), Austen wrote novels praised for bridging the gap between romance
and realism. ‘‘Pride and Prejudice,‘‘ published in 1813, emerged during a time of
significant social change in England, particularly for women.

The story Pride and Prejudice tells a story that centers around a series of
misunderstandings between Elizabeth und Darcy.

Elizabeth is a lively young middle-class woman whose satirical temperament meant

Darcy, born in a wealthy upper-class family, is an unconsciously sly arrogant young
man.

After a series of conflict’s events, reconciliation comes. Darcey renews his proposal to
Elizabeth, he realizes that it was his pride that made him arrogant and insensitive,
Elizabeth, in turn, accepts his offer with the knowledge that her prejudice caused her to
mistake his real character. When they join their hands together, they find happiness and
a better understanding of each other.

Austen`s primary message in ‘‘Pride and Prejudice‘‘ revolves around the critique of the
social class system, the significance of personal virtue over wealth, and the complexities
of human relationships.

The protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, embodies a modern woman who challenges the
confines of her society by valuing love and integrity over social status. Through
Elizabeth's character, Austen’s narrative advocates for self-respect and independence,
serving as an empowering message for women.

Historical background:

‘‘Pride and Prejudice,‘‘ published in 1813, emerged during a time of significant social
change in England, particularly for women.
Austen, who lived during the Regency era, grew up witnessing these societal
constraints, which deeply influenced her portrayal of women's independence, marriage,
and social status in ‘‘Pride and Prejudice.

This backdrop serves as a subtle layer in Austen's writing, as characters navigate not
only personal desires and social expectations but also the wider implications of class
and economy.

Literary Trends:

Austen's work must be understood in the context of the emerging literary romanticism
of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The rise of the novel as a literary form, facilitated by earlier works from authors like
Samuel Richardson and Henry Fielding, provided Austen with a framework to explore
personal and societal relationships.

Author's Message and Literary Talents:

Austen`s primary message in ‘‘Pride and Prejudice‘‘ revolves around the critique of the
social class system, the significance of personal virtue over wealth, and the complexities
of human relationships.

The protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, embodies a modern woman who challenges the
confines of her society by valuing love and integrity over social status.

Influence on Society, Culture, and Reader's Psychology:

‘‘Pride and Prejudice‘‘ has significantly influenced societal views, especially regarding
marriage and gender roles.

Readers are encouraged to reflect on their own values, focusing on the merits of an
egalitarian relationship based on mutual respect and understanding, rather than mere
economic security or societal expectations.

The educational values in Austen`s work present a subtle critique of the limited
opportunities available to women, prompting readers to reconsider the definition of
success.

Through Elizabeth's character, her narrative advocates for self-respect and

independence, serving as an empowering message for women.

Significance & Cultural Identity of the work:

“Pride and Prejudice” has achieved a significant place in English literature and popular
culture, often regarded as one of the foremost novels of the romantic priod. Its
characters, particularly Elizabeth and Darcy, have become archetypes representing the
tensions between pride and prejudice in human interactions.
The narrative's focus on personality over class underscores its lasting influence on
societal perspectives, particularly concerning love, equality, and the complexities of
human relationships.

Austen's work not only reflects the historical realities of her time but also serves as an
enduring commentary on the human condition, making ‘‘Pride and Prejudice‘‘ a timeless
classic that transcends generations.

--->In conclusion, Jane Austen's ‘‘Pride and Prejudice‘‘ is a rich tapestry that
interweaves historical context, literary trends, and complex character dynamics to
challenge societal norms and advocate for personal integrity. Its impact is felt beyond
literature, influencing social movements and reader perspectives, affirming its status as
a cultural landmark in the canon of English literature.

Endless Love:

More than two centuries old, Pride and Prejudice remains one of the most beloved and
commonly referenced narratives in literature. Originally titled First Impressions, it has
become the prototype of the modern romantic comedy—depicting misjudgments,
amusing misunderstandings, a nd eventual feelings of love and affection

Themes:

-Class: Closely tied to both wealth and reputation, social standing and affluence are not
necessarily advantages to one’s character and are a primary source of hardship and
dispute

-Reputation: First impressions are difficult to change and influence all future social
interaction. The consequences of one’s reputation have varying degrees of gravity,
reminding readers of the inevitability of its effects

-Love: Often secondary to the desire for better social connections, true love is
displayed as equal connection, outside of society’s influences, and able to conquer even
the most difficult of circumstances.

Chapter 5: Critical Realism

18. What are some historical and literary features of the period?

The 19th century was characterized by sharp contradictions. In many ways, it was an
age of progress but at the same time, it was an age of profound social unrest because
there was too much poverty, too much injustice, too much ugliness; and above all, fierce
exploitation of man by man.

The growth of scientific inventions mechanized industry and increased wealth, but this
progress only enriched the few at the expense of the many, these were the conditions
of life for the workers in the growing industries of England, which became the richest
country in the world towards the middle of the 19th century.
By the thirties of the 19th century English capitalism had entered a new stage of
development. England had become a classical capitalist country, a country of industrial
capitalism. Having won the victory over the aristocracy, the bourgeoisie betrayed the
interests of the working class. The reform bill of 1832 gave the vote neither to factory
workers nor to agricultural laborers. It was the merchants, the bankers, and the
manufacturers who profited from it.

THE NEW LITERARY TREND

The ideas of Chartism attracted the attention of many progressive-minded people of

the time. Many prominent writers became aware of the social injustices around them
and tried to picture them in their works. Thus this period of fierce struggle was
mirrored in literature by the appearance of a new trend, that of Critical Realism. The
greatest novelists of the age are Charles Dickens, Willia Makepeace Thackeray,
Charlotte Bronte, and Elizabeth Gaskell.

These writers used the novel as a means to protest against the evils in contemporary
social and economic life and to picture the world realistically.

Engels said that in his opinion Realism should depict typical characters in typical
circumstances.

The critical realists introduced new characters into literature: they described the new
social force in modern history the working class. They expressed deep sympathy for the
working people; they described the unbearable conditions of their life and work; they
voiced a passionate protest against exploitation and described their persistent struggle
for their rights.

The greatness of these novelists lies not only in their truthful description of
contemporary life but also in their profound humanism. Their sympathy lies with the
ordinary laboring people. They believed in the good qualities of the human heart.

Contribution of English Critical Realists

The contribution of the writers belonging to what Karl Marx called the present brilliant
school of English novelists to world literature is enormous. They created a broad
panorama of social life, exposed and attacked the vices of aristocratic and bourgeois
society, sided with the common people in their passionate protest against unbearable
exploitation, and expressed their hopes for a better future.

Charles Dickens (1812-70)

The prolific Victorian author wrote Oliver Twist, his second novel, under the pen name
"Boz" and serialized it in Bentley’s Miscellany, a magazine he edited. The book draws on
his own experiences; his father was once imprisoned for debts, leaving the family
impoverished.
Dickens wrote David Copperfield after giving up on writing an autobiography. Parts of
his own life story found their way into the novel, such as having to work in a factory.
Because of this connection, Dickens referred to David Copperfield as his favorite child.

Charles Dickens: A Pillar of English Literature in Education Today

His contribution to literature is considerable. He popularised the social novel and paved
the way for many other writers who tackled similar themes. He also contributed to the
growth of children's literature. He is considered one of the most influential authors in
the English language today, and his works are still widely read and studied around the
world.

Charles Dickens, born on February 7, 1812, is widely regarded as one of the greatest
writers in the English language. His works are widely read, studied and enjoyed all over
the world, and his impact on English literature continues to be felt in education today.

As a novelist, Dickens is renowned for his vivid and memorable characters, his sharp
social commentary and his ability to convey complex emotions and ideas through his
writing. From the early days of his career, Dickens established himself as a powerful
voice for the marginalized and oppressed, using his fiction to shed light on the
injustices and inequalities of 19th-century society.

In the classroom, Dickens’ works continue to be an important part of English literature

curriculum. Students today are exposed to his memorable characters, such as Ebenezer
Scrooge, Pip and Oliver Twist, and are encouraged to think critically about the social
and political themes that run throughout his writing. In addition, Dickens’ writing style,
with its rich imagery and complex narrative structure, is an excellent example of the
power of language, and helps students to develop a deeper appreciation of the art of
storytelling.

One of the reasons why Dickens’ work continues to be so widely read and studied is
because of its timeless relevance. The issues he explored in his novels, such as poverty,
inequality, and social justice, are just as relevant today as they were in the 19th century,
and this makes his writing a powerful tool for students to engage with and reflect on
the world around them.

Another reason why Dickens remains so popular in education today is because of the
many adaptations and reinterpretations of his works that have been produced over the
years. From stage productions to film and television adaptations, students are able to
engage with his characters and stories in new and exciting ways, which can help to
bring his writing to life in a way that is meaningful and relevant to them.

In conclusion, Charles Dickens’ contribution to English literature is immense, and his

impact on education continues to be felt today. His memorable characters, sharp social
commentary and vivid writing style make his works a must-read for anyone looking to
deepen their understanding of the English language and the world around them.
Whether you are a student, teacher or simply a lover of great literature, Dickens’ works
are sure to leave a lasting impression, and continue to be an important part of English
literature curriculum for generations to come.
What is Dickens’s contribution to the world literature?

Among Charles Dickens’s many works are the novels The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist,
A Christmas Carol, Bleak House, and Great Expectations which has significant
contribution to the world literature. But perhaps his greatest influence was in making
novels a wildly popular form of entertainment. Dickens’ novels were the first publishing
“blockbusters,” and in many ways, he can be credited for the dizzying proliferation of
novels being published today. Dickens is remembered as one of the most important and
influential writers of the 19th century. Among his accomplishments, he has been lauded
for providing a stark portrait of the Victorian-era underclass, helping to bring about
social change. Through his novels and other works, a world of poverty and unimaginable
struggles is revealed . Furthermore, He also revealed all that was irrational and
monstrous and through his wit and humour people began to see their own time and
environment in a new light. Therefore, His method of writing inspired many other to
write realistically, and great works of critical realism appeared after him. Some social
improvements in England were attributed to the influence of Dickens’s works.

Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist is the story of a young orphan boy in early Victorian England, when the
poor were treated like criminals. Oliver’s innocent nature and innate goodness win in
the end-but not before he gets caught in the clutches of a London crime boss and a
secret adversary who knows his true identity.

1 -- Collect other researchers’ viewpoints and studies about the literary works.

If someone were to ask me if they should read this book or not , I would say it depends
on what kind of books you enjoy. If one were to like a book of historical fiction or old
realistic fiction, I would say definitely. Oliver Twist would be a great read for someone
looking to learn about a child role in the mid-1800's. If someone liked fantasy or science
fiction, I would say definitely not. I like more of the fantasy types of books, so I didn't
really enjoy this read. It was very interesting and funny at times, but at times it could be
very boring and confusing. I would probably not ever read this again, it just wasn't my
kind of book.

(Maddie Russell) “Oliver Twist” serves as a mirror that shows the social condition of
England of the early 19th century. In writing the novel Dickens‟s aim was not only to
amuse the public but also to lightup the dark places that is well to do readers did not
know exists or had not troubled to know. The life in London as revealed in this book
opens the eyes of thousands born and bread in the same city. Dickens did not want that
the one half of mankind should like in happy ignorance of how the other half dies. (Peter
Jackson)

2 -- Analyze the related historical background affecting the author’s writing art and
ideas

Oliver Twist, in full Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy’s Progress, novel by Charles
Dickens, published serially under the pseudonym “Boz” from 1837 to 1839 in Bentley’s
Miscellany and in a three-volume book in 1838. The novel was the first of the author’s
works to realistically depict the impoverished London underworld and to illustrate his
belief that poverty leads to crime.

3-- Analyze the related literary trends and background affecting the author’s writing art
and ideas.

The story of Oliver Twist is really based on child labor and a lot of child's childhood back
in the 1830's. Another large part of the story was about child criminals. Oliver was
homeless a lot of the time, and many people thought it was needed to keep an eye on
him because he could do anything illegal at any second. The really big theme of the
novel was to never give up. Even though there might be trials and tribulations, one must
go on with their life. Oliver went through a series of hard events, but he put 3 up with it
and in the end, he was happy. Many bad things had turned into a really good outcome

4 -- Identify the author’s message (intentions), his literary talents and give comments.

There is much humor and irony in the book of Oliver Twist, so the tone is satirical. The
definition of satirical includes these two things and a couple more that are described
throughout the book. Charles Dickens really doesn't describe setting or the
environment very well endless it is relevant to that part of the story. The book really
describes how characters feel and how they act. Along with the imagery comes word
choice. The author doesn't use very high-level words for that time. Sometimes he uses
confusing sentences, but the word choice was very simple. His creativity with his words
isn't that high either. He doesn't really use figurative language too much. The sentences
varied in length also. Sometimes they would just be fragments, but other times they
would run on for most of the paragraph.

5-- Identify the author’s styles of writing together with his/ her strong and weak
points.

Dickens was “of all the great Victorian writers probably most antagonist to the Victorian
Age itself.” Along with giving poetic shape to the better characteristics of English life, he
also attacked the abuses in the society “especially in the workhouse (poor and beggar’s
dwelling), educational system, pawn-broken (shroff) shops, slums, delay in law offices,
all the London Haunts of crime and pain. Dickens was the advocate of the downtrodden
and the oppressed. He aroused the conscience of the public and he became the heart
and conscience of England. “He is the master of our sunniest smiles and our most
unselfish tears”, Lord Carlisle remarked. His age was an age of transition. The Industrial
Revolution was rapid gaining power and England was changing from a country that was
mainly agricultural to a country that was mainly industrial. Dickens criticizes the
society in almost exclusively moral way. His criticism reminds us of the grave folds
common more or less to all mankind. He was truly a Victorian and yet he is for all ages.

6-- Identify the influences of the literary works on the other aspects of society, culture
and reader’s viewpoints and psychology (the educational values).

Through the story of Oliver, Dickens has exposed the corrupt class system prevalent in
the 17th Century England. His zeal for social reform lag him to satirize the social
institutions. The novel is an attack on the inhuman conditions of subsistence in the
work houses, the idiocy of law and the unsatisfactory medical facilities. Dickens has also
shown what it was meant to be a charity child. The indifference of the government and
the people towards the welfare of children, specially orphans is epitomized in Oliver’s
sufferings. The workhouse world is full of a bitter and pitiful comedy. The novelist
attacks the demons of cruelty and callousness (kathortha). The workhouses were meant
for helping the poor but in fact Oliver and other boys had to suffer slow starvation. 4
The unprotected, neglected, starved and beaten children were led to enter the world of
crime. Fagin is the leader of a gang of young pickpockets who also deals in stolen goods.
The young victims are The Dodger, Charle Bides, Tom Chitlin and later Noah Claypole
worked for him. All these boys are engaged in pick pocketing. Young boys of streets
were trained by giving them tobacco and wine, and was making them think that the life
of a criminal was something romantic. In the novel crime is shown to be ugly as well as
miserable. Dickens has lighted up the dark places that his well-to-do readers did no
exists or had not troubled to know. Social parasite like Fagin is the breeder of the
criminals he makes young thieves work for him and if they are caught, they suffer
imprisonment and even death while he gets off scot-free. The description of the
criminal activities of Fagin and his band is a realistic picture of the underworld of
London of those days.

Setting

The major action of Oliver Twist moves back and forth between two worlds: The filthy
slums of London and the clean, comfortable house of Brownlow and the Maylies. The
first world is real and frightening. While the other is idealized, almost dreamlike, in its
safety and beauty. The world of London is a world of crime.

Things happen there at night, in dark alleys and in abandoned, dark buildings. You can
find examples of this (in the book) in Chapter XV, when Oliver is kidnapped and then
again in Chapter XXVI, when Fagin meets Monks. Such darkness suggests that evil
dominates this world. Dickens often uses weather conditions to aid in setting a scene.

In Oliver Twist, bad things happen in bad weather. In contrast to Fagin’s London, the
sunlit days and fragrant flowers of the Maylies cottage or the handsome library at
Brownlow’s teem with goodness and health.

Style

Dickens uses lots of symbolism in this book. One use is the allusion to obesity, which is
an inverse way, symbolizes hunger by calling attention to its absence. It is interesting
to observe the large number of characters who are corpulent. Those who may be
considered prosperous enough to be reasonably well fed pose a symbolic contrast to
poverty and undernourishment.

For example, the parish board is made up of “eight or ten fat gentlemen”; the workhouse
master is a “fat, healthy man”; Bumble is a “portly person”; Giles is fat and Brittles “by no
means of a slim figure”; Mr. Losberne is “a fat gentleman”; and one of the Bow-street
runners is “a portly man”. Other uses are how evil people are described as dangerous
animals or as typical stage villains. The weather is usually cold and rainy when bad
things happen.

Audience and Diction

Most of the language may seem stilted and artificial because there are long, winding
sentences full of colons, semicolons, and parentheses. Dicken’s language can also be
very sentimental. For example; the love scenes between Rose and Henry or the
description of Oliver at the beginning of Chapter XXX.

Though Dickens was trying to describe the world realistically, the language doesn’t
always show how people in the slums talked. Not even Sikes uses four-letter words.
Explicit sexual scenes are left out too. Dickens wanted Oliver Twist to appeal to as wide
an audience as possible, and he didn’t want to offend his readers.

On the other hand, Dickens uses some street slang, especially the slang of thieves,
which adds a distinct flavor to the story. For example; look at the way the Artful Dodger
talks and the way Oliver Twist talks. Oliver isn’t hard to understand.

William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)

W. M. Thackeray was born in a prosperous middle-class family.his ambition was to

become an artist, so he left the University without graduating and went toGermany,
Italy, and France to study art.

When his family went bankrupt, he had to drop his studies to earn a living. he decided
to try his hand as a journalist. His humorous articles, essays, reviews, and short stories
found a ready market.

Thackeray's first notable work was The Book of Snobs 1 (1846-1847)which deals with the
upper classes and their followers in the middle classes, whose vices the author criticizes
with the sharp pen of satire

Thackeray’s work
Thackeray was the greatest representative of Critical Realism in English literature of
the19th century. In his novels, Thackeray gives a vivid description of the upper classes
of society,their mode of life, manners, and tastes. He shows their pride and tyranny,
their hypocrisy, and snobbishness, and their selfishness and general wickedness.
Thackeray's works lack gentle humor. His criticism is strong, his satire is sharp and
bitter.
Thackeray's contribution to world literature is enormous. Thackeray's attitude towards
the ruling classes of the country coincided with that of the broad democratic circles of
Englandwho struggled for the parliamentary reform of 1832, was in favor of the People's
Charter of1833, and actively supported the Chartist movement.
Thackeray developed the realistic traditions of his predecessors, the enlighteners,
JonathanSwift and Henry Fielding in particular, and became one of the most prominent
realists and satirists of his age. The world to him is Vanity Fair where men and women,
to use his own words, "are greedy, pompous, mean, perfectly satisfied and at ease about
their superior virtue”.
Thackeray loathed snobbishness, and in his works, he used satire to expose the
pretensions of the snobs and social climbers whom he depicts in his novels.
Thackeray's first notable work was The Book of Snobs 1 (1846-1847) which deals with the
upper classes and their followers in the middle classes, whose vices the author criticizes
with the sharp pen of satire. The book may be regarded as a prelude to the author's
masterpiece Vanity Fair, which can be called the peak of Critical Realism. In 1848 it came
out as a complete book.

Vanity Fair
Thackeray - excellent satire of English society in the early 19th century, an only child,
was born in Calculta, India. A critical and popular success, Vanity Fair was his first work
Thackeray published under his real name. Before writing his masterpiece, he burned
through a sizable inheritance, studied law in London and art in Paris, and became a
successful journalist under pen name such as Fitz-Boodle and The Fat Contributor.

_Content:

A novel that chronicles the lives of two women who could not be more different. Becky
Sharp, an orphan whose only resources are her vast ambition, her native wit and her
lost morals. She is charming, sexy schemer marries Rawdon but ensures other men for
their wealth. Driven by a desire to transcend her dismal origins, she will use every tool
she has—cunning, beauty, and heartlessness—to claw her way up the social ladder.
Those who know her find her charming, but they also often suffer the collateral damage
of her schemes. Her schoolmate Amelia Sedley, a typical naive Victorian heroine, the
pampered daughter of a wealthy family. She is a passive young woman waiting to be
taken care of, devoted to her husband (George) despite his dishonesty.

_The novel without a hero:

Because it contains no heroic character that the reader can identify with or look up to
as a positive role model. Thackeray wanted his readers to be aware of that from the
start so that they wouldn’t embark on a disappointed quest for a redemptive figure.
Becky Sharp the closest thing to a heroine, is too corrupted by the desire for wealth and
aristocratic connections to qualify as a true hero, though we might admire her grit and
tenacity in pursuing her goals. Yet even she lets her foolish, grasping greed get in the
way of even her own best interests. Thackeray uses his “puppets’ (as his narrator refers
to the characters) to show that the world of vanity fair is hollow and without deeper
purpose, a sort of “house built on sand”, subject to the vagaries of fortune. It is a world
in which everything is up for sale, and almost everyone is grasping for money and
status. In such an environment, heroism is not possible, and the characters’s only true
goal is survival. Thackeray hoped in this work- and his novels tend to have a strong
satirical edge - to move a way from the cloying sentimentality of the Victorian novel to
depict the unethical realities of life more hashy.

What are the main features of “Vanity Fair”?

Vanity Fair is a social novel that shows not only the bourgeois aristocratic society as a
whole but the very laws which govern it. Describing the events which took place
at the beginning of the 19th century, the author presents a broad satirical picture of
contemporaryEngland.
The social background of the novel which influences all the characters in their thoughts
and actions, is high society at large.
The interest of the novel centers on the characters rather than on the plot. The author
shows various people, and their thoughts and actions, in different situations.
There is no definite hero in the book. In Thackeray's opinion, there can be no hero in a
society where the cult of money rules the world.
Vanity Fair is one of the greatest examples of 19th-century Critical Realism. It is a social
novel that shows not only the bourgeois aristocratic society as a whole but the very
laws which govern it. describing the events which took place at the beginning of the
19th century.
The novels of Dickens and Thackeray give us a remarkably realistic picture of all classes
of English society up to the middle of the 19th century
Comment on W. M. Thackeray's "Vanity Fair"
Vanity Fair, a satirical novel of manners, was published (1847-48) in serial form without
sufficient time for revisions by Thackeray. A novel about the lives of two women who
couldn't be more different: Becky Sharp, an orphan whose only resources are her vast
ambitions, native wit, and loose morals, and her schoolmate Amelia Sedley, a typical
naiveVictorian heroine, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy family.The book is so
saturated with Vanity Fair's vanity, social climbers' duplicity, and humannature's flaws
that it's impossible to separate idea from plot or plot from characters. If thebook
appears to ramble, it never detracts from its focus on the foibles of human nature inits
struggle to reach the highest ranks of Vanity Fair.Vanity Fair is a classic example of
Critical Realism in the 19th century. It's a novel with a lot of depth. The action is
propelled by a series of plots and subplots; the setting is detailed and varied; and the
characters are real people, perplexing combinations of good and bad,who have been
remembered and discussed from Thackeray's time to ours. Above all,Thackeray's
novel exposes capitalism's cruel laws, which have ruled the capitalist world until now.
Similarities between the two works 'David Copperfield' and
'Vanity Fair"
1. Purpose of the work

-Dickens criticizes the unjust society that always values material values. Emotions and
relationships between people have been forgotten.

-Speaks for the working class that is treated unfairly and always suffers disadvantages.

-Thackeray criticizes the cruelty, inhumanity, depravity, cowardice, and indifference of

the British aristocracy that is being destroyed spiritually.

-Represents the masses who want to destroy the corruption of a class that tries to cling
to its dominant position.

2. Characteristics of humor :

Dickens:

-Using bad characters to highlight heroic characters.

-Using metaphors to create laughter.

-Even in dark circumstances, there is still joy.

Thackeray: -The characters who play the clown always consider themselves noble in a
ridiculous society.

-Vanity society is just a chaotic market where everything is a commodity.

Differences

1. The analytical perspective of the work

- From the perspective of the poor, Dickens deeply understands and sympathizes with
the miserable life, thereby sketching a picture praising the poor.

- Subjective color, only through the main character's story.

- Coming from an aristocratic background, Thackeray clearly understands the upper

class life and its consequences. However, he separates himself from the aristocracy to
analyze.

- Has a general view of all aspects of society through the characters.

2. Writing style :

Dickens: - Somewhat exaggerated in writing. The main character is sometimes too

idealistic and perfect.
- More optimistic about life, good people will be happy and bad people must be
punished.

- Has a lighter satire, stemming from not having a general view of the upper class.

Thackeray: - Portrays characters more realistically. He does not impose but describes
people in the most natural way.

-Has a pessimistic view of society, full of evils and each character must suffer the
consequences.

-Criticizes and condemns more strongly and decisively the rotten society he witnesses
around him.

David Copperfield
-Content:

Ten-year-old David Copperfield, orphaned and alone, is forced to work in a London

warehouse. Needing to find a better life for himself, he sets out on a path filled with
adventure, drama, heartbreak, and rollicking comedy. Along the way, David is both
helped and hindered by some of the most memorable characters in all of English
literature

-Realistic values:

Realistic values shine through the novel "David Copperfield" as it portrays British
society realistically. The author, Charles Dickens, focuses on the plight of poor workers
who face oppression and exploitation from the upper class. The protagonist, David,
endures a difficult childhood filled with deception, lies, and torture at the hands of
those around him. Characters like Murdstone, Creakle, and Uriah Heep exemplify the
unjust society where honest people suffer. However, amidst the darkness, characters
like Miss Betsey, Agnes, and Dr. Strong represent true humanity, offering support and
kindness to David.

In addition to realism, Dickens uses humor to bring authenticity to the story. Through
the use of animal comparisons for characters, he highlights the inhumanity prevalent in
society. For example, the strict father Murdstone is portrayed as pulling David's position
from love to abandonment, treating him like an animal. The humor in the novel also
comes through characters like Micawber, who continues to face setbacks with
optimism, and the harmonious family dynamics that add lightness to the story. Dickens'
ability to find humor in every situation adds depth and truth to his work.
 Chapter 6: The 20th English Literature is the
Literature of Decadence
In the 70s of the 19th century, most writers believed that science and science alone
would finally sweep away all human misery and bring civilization to all. Men of science
were greatly admired.

Many of these scientists believed in positivism, and spread their demagogic ideas
among the people. But during the last decades of the 19th-century doubts began to
arise as to the faultless nature of European civilization.

Scientific progress was increasing the wealth of the upper classes only. People began to
see that some human beings were born to riches for which they had not worked, while
the majority were born to poverty from which there was no escape. Disillusionment led
to pessimism and found its expression in very pessimistic literature, the literature of the
Decadence.

What are some historical and literary features of the period?

In the seventies of the 19th century most writers on social problems believed that
science and science alone would finally sweep away all human misery and bring
civilization to all. Men of science were greatly admired. They were invited to speak in
public halls and express their opinions on all kinds of subjects. Many of these scientists
believed in positivism, and spread their demagogic ideas among the people.

But during the last decades of the 19th century doubts began. to arise as to the faultless
nature of European civilization. People had awakened to the fact that scientific progress
was increasing the wealth of the upper classes only. They began to see that some
human beings were born to riches for which they had not worked, while the majority
were born to poverty

Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin on October 16, 1854. His father was a famous Irish
surgeon. His mother was well known in Dublin as a graceful writer of verse and prose.

At school, and later at Oxford, Oscar displayed a considerable gift for art and the
humanities. The young man received several classical prizes and graduated with first-
class honors. After graduating from the University, Wilde turned his attention to
writing, traveling. and lecturing.

Wilde belongs to those bourgeois writers whose literary activity, contradictory in its
nature, mirrors the crisis in bourgeois ideology.

Wilde was regarded all the leader of the English aesthetic movement, but many of his
works do not follow his decadent theory of 'art for art's sake', they sometimes even
contradict it. The best of them are closer to Romanticism and Realism than to decadent
literature.
Oscar Wilde's writing career

Oscar Wilde's works reflect the emotional protest of an artist against social conditions
in England at the end of the 19th century. Wilde understood that art cannot flourish
under capitalism, and he came to the false conclusion that art is isolated from life, that
art is the only thing that exists and is worth living for.

The most popular of them are The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888), The Picture of
Dorian Gray (1891) and his comedies Lady Windermere's Fan (1892), A Woman of No
Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).
The wit and brilliance of these plays helped to keep them on the stage, and they are still
occasionally revived.

Wilde also wrote poems, essays, reviews, political tracts, letters, and occasional pieces
on every subject he considered worthy of attention history, drama, painting, etc. Some
of these pieces were serious, some satirical; the variety of themes reflected a
personality that could never remain inactive. At home and abroad Wilde attracted the
attention of his audiences through the brilliance of his conversation, the scope of his
knowledge, and the sheer force of his personality.

At the height of his popularity and success tragedy struck. He was accused of
immorality and sentenced to two years imprisonment. When released from prison in
1897 he lived mainly on the Continent and later in Paris. In 1898 he published his
powerful poem, Ballad of Reading Gaol.

28. What is O. Wide's main writing style?

Oscar Wilde's works reflect the emotional protest of an artist against social conditions
in English at the end of the 19 century

Of all the evils of society he desired bourgeois morality most of all. His opinion on the
subject is expressed in the theory of immoral aestheticism

Wilde glorifies natural beauty, but at the same time, he admires artificial color. In his
works, he compares blood to ruby, the blue sky to sapphire, and man's beauty to that of
silver, gold, ivory, and precious stones.

Chapter 7: American literature

Jack London’s writing career

Jack London's real name is John Griffith London. Jack London showed an aptitude for
literature very early. In 1896, Jack London gave birth to many life-changing works,
especially "The Call of the Wild’.

In 1907, Jack London published the novel "Iron Heel". He became one of the great
American realist writers of the nineteenth century. Through his work, he condemned
capitalist society, praised workers, and reflected the fierce struggle between the
proletariat and capital, man and nature.
"The Assassination Office" was the last work of Jack London's literary career (at the age
of 40). He is considered a humanitarian writer, he often refers to the philosophies that,
between the nobility and the lowly, make human personality manifest in very sharp
conflicts. He is an American writer loved by the masses of workers at home and abroad,
greatly influencing later progressive writers.

O.Henry-The great American short story writer

O Henry was an American short story author whose real name was
William Sydney Porter. Henry’s rich canon of work reflected his wide-
range of experiences and is distinctive for its witticism, clever
wordplay, and unexpected twist endings.

Like many other writers, O. Henry’s early career aspirations were

unfocused and he wandered across different activities and professions
before he finally found his calling as a short story writer.

O. Henry was always a lover of classic literature, and while pursuing

his many ventures, O. Henry had begun writing as a hobby. O. Henry’s
prolific writing period began in 1902 in New York City, where he
wrote 381 short stories. He wrote one story a week for The New York
World Sunday Magazine for over a year. Henry had an obvious
affection for New York City and its diversity of people and places, a
reverence that rises up through many of his stories.

O. Henry’s trademark is his witty, plot-twisting endings, and his warm

characterization of the awkward and difficult situations and the
creative ways people find to resolve them. His most famous short
story, The Gift of the Magi, epitomizes his style. It’s bout a young
married couple, short on money, who wish to buy each other
Christmas gifts. That problem — their lack of funds — finds a famously
endearing and ironic resolution. The Cop and the Anthem is about A
New York City hobo with a creative solution for dealing with the cold
city streets during winter. All of O. Henry’s stories are highly
entertaining, whether read for pleasure or studied in classrooms
around the world.

Unfortunately, O. Henry’s personal tragedy was heavy drinking. By

1908, his health had deteriorated and his writing dropped off
accordingly. He died in 1910 of cirrhosis of the liver, complications of
diabetes, and an enlarged heart. The funeral was held in New York
City, but he was buried in North Carolina, the state where he was
born. He was a gifted short story writer and left us a rich legacy of
great stories to enjoy.
The Last Leaf
The Last Leaf” is a story of Johnsy, a poor young woman who is critically ill due to
pneumonia. She believes that when the ivy vine on the wall outside her window would
lose all its leaves, she would die too. However, her neighbor, Behrman, an artist, tricks
her by painting a leaf on the wall.

-What is the main idea of the last leaf?

the the story is based on the theme that life is precious faith and should never be lost
we come across many hindrance in life they should be overcome by fighting back in
high spirit very often we find people having negative attitude towards life day lose
interest in life and cause surrounding people they are even .

-Is the last leaf a true story?

The story first appeared on October 15, 1905, in the New York World. The story is set in
Greenwich Village during a pneumonia epidemic. It tells the story of an old artist who
saves the life of a young neighbouring artist, dying of pneumonia, by giving her the will
to live.

-What is the ending of the last leaf?

O' Henry is famous for surprise endings or "twists" in his stories. In The Last Leaf,
Johnsy seems to be dying of pneumonia when the story begins, but it is Mr Behrman
who dies in the end, while Johnsy survives.

-Why did the last leaf not fall?

The last ivy leaf had fallen during the night when it was raining and Johnsy was sleeping.
Just then, Behrman painted a leaf in green colour. It looked like a real leaf. It did not fall
because it was painted on the wall.

-The Last Leaf Summary

This article provides information on the last leaf summary. The Last Leaf is a short story
by O. Henry. It was published in 1907 in his collection The Trimmed Lamp and Other
Stories. “The Last Leaf” is a story of Johnsy, a poor young woman who is critically ill due
to pneumonia. She believes that when the ivy vine on the wall outside her window
would lose all its leaves, she would die too. However, her neighbor, Behrman, an artist,
tricks her by painting a leaf on the wall. Johnsy recovers. However, Behrman caught
pneumonia while painting the leaf. As a result, he dies.

The Last Leaf Summary

The Last Leaf is a short story by O. Henry. It was published in 1907 in his collection The
Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories. “The Last Leaf” is a story of Johnsy, a poor young
woman who is critically ill due to pneumonia. She believes that when the ivy vine on the
wall outside her window would lose all its leaves, she would die too. However, her
neighbor, Behrman, an artist, tricks her by painting a leaf on the wall. Johnsy recovers.
However, Behrman caught pneumonia while painting the leaf. As a result, he dies.

The Themes in the Last Leaf

According to the last leaf summary moral lesson, there are some important themes
which are mentioned.

Hope and Hopelessness

The main theme of the story is hope. The author aims to highlight how important it is
for a person to have willpower and hope. Johnsy is provided with new hope when she
sees that the leaf that is supposed to decide her fate is not falling. This shows that even
a small act can light the lamp of hope in a person’s heart.

Sacrifice

Another main theme of the story is sacrifice. Behrman sacrifices his own life in order to
give some hope to Johnsy. He is aware that Johnsy thinks when the last leaf falls, she
will die. Hence, he sacrifices his own life to paint the last masterpiece of his life. The ivy
leaf on the tree was painted by him so that Johnsy could live her life and have hope.

-What Is The Moral Lesson Of The Story The Last Leaf? The moral of the story the last
leaf by o Henry is that even if we have to face bad things, we should always help our
loved ones. The Last Leaf is a story with a lot of values. It is true that a real friend is one
who helps you in need. In the story, Sue and Johnsy were good friends and artists.

What is the theme and message of the story The Last Leaf? The theme in the story “The
Last Leaf” is one of friendship, pessimism and optimism and the power of hope. “The
Last Leaf” was written by William Sydney Porter and published under his alias, O. Henry.
The main theme in this story is selflessness and sacrifi

What lesson do you learn from the story? A theme is the message, or lesson, that the
reader learns by reading the story. Sometimes a story has a particular kind of message,
known as a moral. A moral is a type of message that teaches a reader a life lesson, such
as what is right or wrong, how to make decisions, or how to treat other people.

What are the major themes in the last leaf? The Last Leaf Themes

Hope and Health. Confined to her bed in the Greenwich Village apartment she shares
with Sue, Johnsy (who is suffering from pneumonia) becomes preoccupied with a leaf on
a vine outside her window.

Gender and Sexuality.

The “Starving Artist” and the “Masterpiece”

Friendship and Sacrifice.

Life lessons that we get in the Last Leaf

Love and friendship:

Love and friendship happens to be one of the major themes of the short story ‘The Last
Leaf’. Johnsy and Sue are friends in every sense of the word, and Sue dearly loves
Johnsy. She tries to support Johnsy spiritually as well as morally when Johnsy was ill.
Extracts from the story: “Why, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for
getting well real soon were – let’s see exactly what he said – he said the chances were
ten to one! Why, that’s almost as good a chance as we have in New York when we ride
on the street cars or walk past a new building.

” “Dear, dear!” said Sue, leaning her worn face down to the pillow, “think of me, if you
won’t think of yourself. What would I do?” (when Johnsy was talking about her death?)

Hope:

Hope is yet another one of the major themes in this story. The entire story basically
revolves around hope.

After all it was hope that had augmented Johnsy’s disease (?) and in the end, hope was
what kept her alive. Extracts from the story: “because I want to see the last one fall. I’m
tired of waiting. I’m tired of thinking. I want to turn loose my hold on everything, and go
sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves.” I’ve been a bad girl, Sudie,”
said Johnsy. “Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how wicked I
was.

It is a sin to want to die.”

Pessimism:

Johnsy was a big pessimist (she was a bitch c: I honestly wanted her to die) and she
couldn’t think of anything but dying. Extracts from the story: When the last one falls I
must go, too. I’ve known that for three days. Didn’t the doctor tell you?” “It is the last
one,” said Johnsy. “I thought it would surely fall during the night. I heard the wind. It will
fall to-day, and I shall die at the same time.”

Optimism:

Where Johnsy had become a hardcore pessimist, Sue hadn’t lost the last shred of hope
and she had a rather optimistic approach. She was constantly trying to support Johnsy,
who always talked about dying still Sue didn’t stop supporting her and succeeded (at the
end) although at the cost of Mr. Behrman’s life.

Extracts from the story:

Why, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for getting well real soon were
– let’s see exactly what he said – he said the chances were ten to one! Why, that’s
almost as good a chance as we have in New York when we ride on the street cars or
walk past a new building. Try to take some broth now, and let Sudie go back to her
drawing, so she can sell the editor man with it, and buy port wine for her sick child, and
pork chops for her greedy self.” “Couldn’t you draw in the other room?” asked Johnsy,
coldly. “I’d rather be here by you,” said Sue.
Death:

O Henry was an asshole and a sadass pathetic cunt. He leaves hints of death and decay
everywhere, literally everywhere. The ivy vine was dying. Johnsy was dying. The ivy vine
was dying for it was the season of autumn; the tree had shed about 95 leaves in just 3
days. Johnsy was dying of pneumonia and fortunately she survived although fortune
didn’t shine upon Mr Behrman as he died of the same disease a few days later depicting
a serene instance of self sacrifice. “Six,” said Johnsy, in almost a whisper. “They’re falling
faster now. Three days ago there were almost a hundred. It made my head ache to
count them. But now it’s easy. There goes another one. There are only five left now.”
“Five what, dear? Tell your Sudie.”

“Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls I must go, too. I’ve known that for three
days. Didn’t the doctor tell you?”

Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway is considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.
Best known for his novels and short stories, he was also an author of excellent
newspaper and war correspondent.

Success came to Ernest after the publication of the novel "And the Sun Rises" (1926).
Hemingway was famous as a promising young writer. In Florida, he worked hard to
complete the novel Goodbye Weapons which was a huge success.

In 1928, the writer's father committed suicide. Since the early 1930s, Hemingway's work
has been in decline.

Eunice Hemingway is considered one of the founders of modern American prose. Many
contemporary American authors cite him as the founder of Minimalism. He has been
awarded both the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature.

The Old Man and the Sea

The meaning of the title The Old Man and the Sea:

The old man and the sea evoke fierce antagonism. "Old man" is a symbol of old age and
loneliness of small people, while "sea" is a symbol of ferocity, boundless vastness of the
ocean. By the power of faith, wisdom, creativity, passion and extraordinary
perseverance, the victory belongs to the "Old Man".

Naming the work The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway wanted to highlight the
strength and aspiration of man to win.

- Swordfish symbolism meaning: The swordfish has extraordinary strength and is very
wise. Compared to the old man, it proved to be superior, difficult to subdue. The
swordfish is described as very large and very beautiful. it is proud, indomitable in the
middle of the ocean, is the dream of subjugation of seafarers. The image of the
swordfish has a deep symbolic meaning. It is a symbol of It is also a symbol of people's
dreams, aspirations to fight and conquer. That large and beautiful swordfish is a symbol
of thorns and challenges in life. Just like the ocean, nature is both gentle, fierce, and
scary. It is also a symbol of people's dreams and aspirations to fight and conquer. That
large and beautiful swordfish is a symbol of thorns and challenges in life. Like the ocean,
life is never flat. If you want to be a winner, if you want to survive, you have to fight. The
bigger the challenge, the more meaningful the victory.

- Symbols of the peak of art in the work:

The image of the old man fishing:

He is a very skilled fisherman. In the old man always had noble aspirations. He always
wanted to hunt for the biggest and most beautiful fish once in his life. The old man was
a man who had a strong belief in himself. Never did he yield to the ocean. There is
always an extraordinary will and energy in him. The old man Xantiago is a beautiful
symbol of HUMANITY: aspiration, belief and relentless fighting to win. Through the
image The old man fishing, the author appreciates the power of man: in the fight (the
old man and the swordfish are both brave, clever, noble, but the final victory still
belongs to man). It shows belief in energy, pride in people: “Humans can be destroyed
but cannot be defeated.” That point is the profound expression of the principle
"Iceberg" in the work The Old Man and the Sea. The tip of the iceberg, the author
recounts the story of the old man Xantiago fishing for three days and two nights. In the
vast landscape of the sky and sea, the old man was alone, while talking to the clouds...
while chasing a big fish, when facing a school of sharks that were rushing to tear his
swordfish, in order to end up in the end. pulled to the shore the fish was only boneless.
The sinking part of the iceberg, the author expresses the old man's desire to find the
biggest and most beautiful fish in his life.

- Hemingway's descriptive and narrative art still more or less "bewildered" us, especially
the interweaving of monologues, inner monologues with narration. Through the
excerpt, the image of a fisherman and a giant swordfish has left us with many deep
impressions. Labor is truly a song of perseverance and courage. Labor brings people so
much joy between nature and the vast sea. It is the cost of labor that makes us more
aware of the meaning of happiness that comes from creative hands and courage.

Theorists often refer to the “iceberg”—the hidden meaning of Hemingway’s work.

"The Old Man and the Sea of Fish" brought the honor of the Pulitzer Prize (1953) to the
author, it is a metaphor praising the will, patience, strength and courage of people in
labor. move and explore nature. It has aroused in each of us many good thoughts about
people and labor, about people and nature.

- Lesson:

For each person, the journey of life and development will have to go through countless
difficulties… and to achieve ambition…. Humans have only one way, that is to work and
have to overcome their own finite living capital.
– And even in adversity, “Man can be destroyed but never defeated” is the saying that
the old man Santiago has encouraged himself many times throughout the story.

– The image of the old man taught me that this life will only really end when we stop
dreaming, stop having hope… but that won't happen.

– An indispensable lesson through this story is that the "iceberg principle" is very
famous. For each person, manifestation is only a very small tip of the iceberg, while
what is great and great will be like the bottom of the iceberg, must be worked hard
through many hardships to come out. .

– And another beautiful image for me throughout the story is the boy Manolin, a man
who, although very young, behaves like a grown man. It seems to be the embodiment of
good people who are still cynical in society, but their hearts are always full of love and
ready to help.