Continental European Writers Human nature in writing Continental
- Slides: 26
Continental European Writers Human nature in writing
Continental European Writers � Plays, short stories, and poems evoke feelings of wonder, terror, sorrow, and humor � Writers concern themselves with: ◦ ◦ ◦ Human Attitudes and Behavior Courage, Hope, and Fear Human Nature Illusion and Reality the Nature of Love State of Mind
What is Continental Europe?
Continental European Writers � Friedrich Von Schiller – Germany � Hans Christian Andersen – Denmark � Fyodor Dostoyevsky – Russia � Leo Tolstoy – Russia � Henrik Ibsen – Norway � Selma Lagerlof – Sweden � Anton Chekhov – Russia � Colette – France � Rainer Maria Rilke – Czech Republic � Franz Kafka – Czechoslovakia � Jean-Paul Sartre – France � Albert Camus - Algeria
Leo Tolstoy (1828 -1910) wrote about the principles and details of human behavior, and his stories “reflect the passion and the philosophical and psychological examination that he brought to his own life” (p. 126). He was born into Russian nobility, attended university for three years, and returned home to attempt to improve the living conditions of the family’s servants. He joined the army and started writing autobiographical stories. His stories about war first started to bring him fame.
Tolstoy To Tolstoy, the good life was the simple life – one that involved the love of his neighbors and nature. � Viewed fiction as a way to examine nature. � Wrote two most famous titles – Anna Karenina and War and Peace – in 1860 s � Anna Karenina caused him to confront the meaning of his own life, inducing a severe psychological crisis � In early 1880 s he emerged a new man with a personal, radical religious view of life, transforming both his private life and the content and style of his writing. His examinations of life were compared “against a rigid moral and ethical code that demanded love of others, adherence to truth, and rejection of violence, exploitation, and materialism (p. 127). �
Tolstoy � How Much Land Does a Man Need? (1886) ◦ Stories based on European folktales and Russian medieval legends ◦ Clear delineation of character and behavior in folk literature most effective way to artistically convey new moral and ethical emphasis in his writing ◦ Short story – short piece of prose fiction, having few characters and concentrating on a single theme �When reading short stories, attempt to identify theme
How Much Land Does a Man Need? � Key Literary Terms ◦ Characterization – Development of characters throughout story; this will be limited in a short story because of the length ◦ Foreshadowing – Clues that reveal later events ◦ Irony - discrepancy between what is said and what is meant, what is said and what is done, what is expected or intended and what happens, what is meant or said and what others understand (http: //academic. brooklyn. cuny. edu/english/melani/lit_t erm. html) ◦ Parable - Story or short narrative designed to reveal allegorically some religious principle, moral lesson, psychological reality, or general truth (http: //web. cn. edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_P. html)
How Much Land Does a Man Need? � Begins with a parable – sisters argue which life is better – city or peasant ◦ Is upward mobility important in life? � Pahom eavesdropping – If he had enough land, he “wouldn’t fear the devil himself” ◦ Devil also listening ◦ Plans to trick the peasant – Temptation � Elements of characterization
How Much Land Does a Man Need? � Pahom always paying fines ◦ Fines caused anxiety, unpleasantness at home ◦ Solution = buy land from the woman rather than allowing innkeeper to do so & increase fines ◦ Commune offered to buy to share it, but the devil interfered in the purchase ◦ Pahom bought 40 acres (more than he had) � Pahom finds others are causing problems on his land he complains to district court (irony) ◦ Others become jealous, angry, spiteful – this leads to quarrels & frustration
How Much Land Does a Man Need? � Pahom acquires even more land ◦ Still not enough b/c he must share it with a commune ◦ Wants freehold land � Seeks out Bashkirs, gives them gifts, & they accept Pahom � Chief allows him to have as much land as he could claim in a day (temptation) � Pahom couldn’t sleep & has dream (foreshadowing)
How Much Land Does a Man Need? � Pahom becomes greedy – temptation gets the best of him ◦ Tries to claim too much land, and he begins to realize he may not make it back � In the end, how much land does a man really need? ◦ Only enough in which to “rest” � How does this short story present issues of the human condition?
Anton Chekov � Considered by many to be greatest short story writer � Like Tolstoy, focused on ordinary person’s feelings � Wrote with unobtrusive, impersonal style – kept a distance
Anton Chekhov � Born in southern Russia (1860 -1904) ◦ His father abandoned him, so he relied on himself ◦ Graduated high school, then went to medical school where he wrote humorous stories to support himself ◦ Used personal knowledge of shopkeepers, peasants ◦ Realistic slices of people’s lives because he lived the same type of life
Anton Chekhov � Principal Characters ◦ Feel lonely, deprived, confused, or trapped by the absurdity of life ◦ Wrestles with frustrated hopes, fragile self-esteem, and deep need to make connections in a world where others – equally isolated – are preoccupied with their own interests ◦ Human condition – humorous, sad, ironic
The Kiss � Literary Devices ◦ Narrative Perspective – How the narrator/author regulates information; could have multiple perspectives; filters thoughts and feelings of characters ◦ Leitmotif – Often repeated word, phrase, image, or theme ◦ Contrast ◦ Tone – Perspective or attitude; helps identify author’s feelings
The Kiss � Literary Devices (cont. ) ◦ Irony – Implied meaning differs from actual meaning ◦ Satire – Practice of making fun of human weakness or character flaw; idea is to derive reaction of contempt from a reader ◦ Realism – Attention to detail, effort to replicate true nature of reality; rests on strength of characters rather than plot or turn of phrase (Romanticism) �Coincides with Victorianism �Features journalistic style – objectivity, fidelity to facts �Does not necessarily follow definite arc of events – just like life
The Kiss � Realism ◦ Doesn’t follow definite arc ◦ Vivid description of events, setting � Starts in the middle of things ◦ Soldiers arrived at village, intending to spend night ◦ general confusion, disorder of story (realism) ◦ Narrative Perspective evident immediately – omniscience (“His Excellency, General von Rabbek, whose house is close by, requests the honour of the officers’ company at tea …”) ◦ Major Characters �Lieutenant Lobytko, General von Rabbek, Staff Captain Riabovich, Lieutenant Merzliakov, the women (which one kissed Riabovich)
The Kiss � Leitmotif ◦ Choosing a path – Easier road or more difficult road ◦ Dreams ◦ The kiss itself that Riabovich keeps thinking about – distraction from everyday life as a soldier – searching for/miss love � Contrast of love and war – power, devastation of artillery/guns/war vs. soft touch of a kiss
The Kiss � Satire ◦ Other soldiers making fun (or at least he feels they are making fun) of Riabovich and the kiss ◦ Chekhov poking fun of insignificance of love/the kiss (also idea of tone) � Irony ◦ A seemingly minor event has a major impact on the life and psyche of Riabovich
Fyodor Dostoyevsky � Known for his examination of the human soul through the technique of psychological realism, a narrative perspective that has had a profound influence on writers throughout the world ◦ Portrays tragic economic & social conditions of common people, as well as moral responsibility of human beings to respond to others’ needs ◦ Relates stories through thoughts, feelings of characters
Dostoyevsky � Born in Moscow – son of an army doctor, who was murdered by the family’s serfs � Resigned army commission to write full-time � Arrested for participating in discussion group that criticized the government ◦ Imprisoned in St. Petersburg, and after 8 months, was sentenced to death ◦ As he was about to be shot, his death sentence was commuted, and he was sent to prison in Siberia ◦ Released four years later ◦ Lived most of his life in poverty
Dostoyevsky � Due to his own living conditions, Dostoyevsky was aware of the plight of common people in Russian society – just like Tolstoy, Chekhov � Visit to London opened his eyes to disturbing conditions that industrialization created in society ◦ Wealthy few had no interest in great masses of poor, who endured hardship and suffering
Dostoyevsky � “The Heavenly Christmas Tree” evolved from observations of visit to London ◦ Reflects his compassion for poor & interest in portraying tragic conditions of their lives through psychological realism ◦ Tells story through thoughts and feelings of a child � Psychological Realism ◦ Achieving realism by emphasizing the psychological aspects of character. Psychological realism focuses on a character’s thoughts and feelings by depicting his/her though processes. Story is set in character’s observing and experiencing mind, instead of external world.
The Heavenly Christmas Tree � Written in first person perspective – What does this inform readers about narrative perspective? � What are elements of realism are present? ◦ Boy woke up in cold, damp cellar ◦ Cloud of white steam from his breath ◦ Sitting on a box in the corner � Narrator cannot believe poor conditions ◦ Dostoyevsky wanted to illustrate awful life of the working/lower classes
The Heavenly Christmas Tree � The young boy looks in another window and sees a brightly decorated Christmas tree ◦ Illustrates how the wealthy live, providing a contrast to poor conditions of lower/working class & poverty � Runs ◦ ◦ away, starts to ache Hears a voice – What has happened? Everything is bright, shiny Christ’s Christmas tree Mothers stood on one side weeping – Why? � What does the story reveal about society? � What makes the story “psychological realism”?
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