Victorian Literature (1832–1900): Authors, Genres, and Social Impact
The Victorian Age (1832–1900): Literature and Context
The Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century caused great changes in Britain. When Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, many social problems existed. While the working classes remained very poor, the middle and upper classes grew rich and comfortable.
Many writers used their work to expose the problems hidden behind the facade of a successful society.
Victorian Prose: The Novel in the 19th Century
Victorian novels mainly developed
Read MoreDon Quixote: Structure, Themes, and Modern Novel Creation
Argument and Structure of Don Quixote
The novel is divided into two main parts:
Part One: The First and Second Sallies
An old man, crazed by reading chivalric romances, decides to set out with his horse for the first sally. He arrives at an inn he mistakes for a castle, where he is mockingly dubbed a knight. He then returns home, acquires a squire, Sancho Panza, and begins the second sally. After several events, Quixote’s neighbors, concerned about his state, manage to trick him into returning home.
Read MoreMary Wollstonecraft: Life, Legacy, and A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Mary Wollstonecraft: Pioneer of Feminist Philosophy
Mary Wollstonecraft is recognized as one of the first feminist philosophers in history.
She is most famous for writing the book titled A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. She was also associated with figures representing the Enlightenment, a period that emphasized the power of human reason and science over religion. (The text notes her connection to Voltaire, a French writer, historian, philosopher, and lawyer, and a main representative of the
Read MoreMedieval and Renaissance Spanish Literature: Key Works and Themes
The Reconquista and the End of the Middle Ages
The Reconquista, a process that gradually unfolded between several Christian and Muslim kingdoms, characterizes this period in the Iberian Peninsula.
- It concluded in 1492, when the Catholic Monarchs took Granada, the last territory occupied by Muslims.
- That same year, the Jews were permanently expelled from the mainland.
Popular Literature (11th and 12th Centuries)
During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, literature was limited, transmitted orally, and
Read MoreLinguistic History of English: PIE Roots, Periods, and Major Influences
The History of the English Language
Linguistic Background: Proto-Indo-European (PIE)
All the languages discussed are genetically related since they are all descendants of one parent language, Proto-Indo-European (PIE). Major branches include:
- Germanic
- Italic
- Celtic
The lineage leading to English is: Germanic → West Germanic → Anglo-Frisian Group → English.
The reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language was a synthetic language with a rich inflectional morphology.
The majority of roots of Proto-Indo-
Read MoreSymbolism in Persepolis and the Critique of the American Dream
Analyzing Symbolism and Meaning in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis
Question: Authors often use symbols to convey meaning and produce an effect on the reader. Analyze these in Persepolis.
In literary works, authors use certain symbols to convey meaning and to produce an effect on the readers. In the graphic novel Persepolis, the symbols that the author uses are based on the Islamic Revolution. These symbols allow for different forms of perception, given that the expectations and way of life for Iranian
Read More