A-Team Summa 16 Flashcards
Titular white sperm whale is relentlessly tracked by Captain Ahab onboard the Pequod.
He is helped in his quest by Queequeeg, Starbuck, Stubb, Tashtego, Ishmael, and others,
who all die, except for Ishmael, in the end.
Moby-Dick – Melville
Set in Roaring 1920’s New York, Nick Carraway narrates the story of Jay Gatsby, a man
who obsesses over the beautiful but vapid Daisy Buchanan. Her husband, Tom, has an
affair with Myrtle Wilson who is accidentally killed by Daisy while driving Jay’s car.
Myrtle’s husband kills Jay believing him to be the murderer, and then commits suicide.
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
This picaresque novel features a middle-aged man from La Mancha who believes
chivalric books to be literal truth. Thus, he goes on quests as a knight-errant in search of
adventure with his horse Rocinante and his squire Sancho Panza. He calls his neighbor’s
farm girl Dulcinea his love. In the end, he dies after having his belief in chivalry broken
through a number of practical jokes
Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes
The Bennet family has a bunch of daughters; eventually, most of them fall in love with
someone and/or get married. Elizabeth, the second oldest, is the protagonist. She marries
Fitzwilliam Darcy, the owner of Pemberley estate, and a man apart from the genteel
norms of aristocratic British society.
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
Jane attends the Lowood School before working at Thornfield Hall as a governess. At
Thornfield, she falls in love with her employer, Edward Rochester, who (unfortunately
for Jane) is married to the crazy Bertha Mason. Eventually, Bertha burns Thornfield
down and commits suicide. Afterwards, Jane returns to Rochester, marries him, and has
his son.
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
Set on one day, June 16, 1904, it tells, through the use of steam-of-consciousness
technique, the story of Leopold and Molly Bloom, and Stephan Dedalus, as they wander
through life on the streets of Dublin.
Ulysses – James Joyce
Winston Smith works for the Party, which is led by Big Brother, pushing propaganda on
the Proles. Winston gets tired of his job at the Ministry of Truth, so he decides to rebel.
This ends badly for him and his lover, Julia, at the hands of O’Brien in Room 101.
1984 – George Orwell
Puritan woman, Hester Prynne, commits adultery with pastor, Arthur Dimmesdale, and
has baby by him named Pearl. Her husband, Roger Chillingworth, gets mad and deaths
occur.
Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne
Titular Russian chick loves Count Vronsky, but he doesn’t requite her love the way she
desires, so she jumps in front of a train to end her emotional anguish. The Levins also
figure prominently in the novel.
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
Lady Chatterley has an affair with Oliver Mellors the gamekeeper of
Wragby Hall after her husband, Clifford, is made impotent by an injury
in WWI.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover - D.H. Lawrence
The student Raskolnikov murders the pawnbroker Alyona Ivanova and her sister
Lizaveta. He later falls in love with the prostitute Sonya and is pursued by the detective
Porfiry. He eventually is sent to prison in Siberia.
Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Paroled convict Jean Valjean turns his life around, becomes a well-respected mayor and
adopts the orphaned daughter (Cosette) of a dying factory worker (Fantine), rescuing her
from the evil innkeeper Thenardier. Though Valjean has turned his life around, he is still
pursued by Inspector Javert for violating the terms of his parole years before.
Les Miserables – Victor Hugo
Henry Fleming is a young Union soldier at an unnamed Civil War battle (based on the
Battle of Chancellorsville). In the end, Henry is the hero of a dangerous charge on the
Confederates. Jim Conklin and Wilson are among the few named characters in the novel.
Red Badge of Courage – Stephen Crane
Candide , the nephew of Baron Thunder-ten-tronkh is in love with Cunegonde. Along
with his tutor Pangloss (based on the philosopher Leibniz), the three travel the world on a
series of misadventures that takes them from the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake to South
America, to El Dorado, and finally to Constantinople.
Candide – Voltaire
Adolph Hitler wants to annex the ethnically German region of Czechoslovakia,
Sudetenland. Czech president Edvard Benes opposed this.
Hitler and Benito Mussolini met with British PM Neville Chamberlain and
French PM Edouard Daladier in Munich to negotiate a resolution.
Resulting document, known as the Munich Pact (original version known as the
Godesberg Proposal), gave control of the Sudetenland (and the rest of
Czechoslovakia) to Hitler’s Germany.
Chamberlain proclaims “Peace for our time”, but many criticize his
appeasement of Hitler
Munich Conference – September 1938
Secret meeting (codenamed RIVIERA) between British PM Winston Churchill
and US President Franklin Roosevelt.
Took place aboard ships (HMS Prince of Wales and USS Augusta) anchored off
the coast of Newfoundland
Britain and the US discussed common vision for the post-WWII world (though
the US had yet to enter the conflict). Resulting document named the Atlantic
Charter after the fact by the British newspaper Daily Herald.
Some of the eight points included “no territorial gains”, “freedom from want and
fear”, “self-determination”, and “lowering of trade barriers”
Atlantic Conference – August 1941
Allied meeting (codenamed SYMBOL) at the Anfa Hotel in Casablanca,
Morocco.
Roosevelt, Churchill, and leader of the Free French Charles De Gaulle met to
discuss Allied strategy for the war in Europe. Soviet head Josef Stalin was
invited but was unable to attend due to the ongoing Siege of Stalingrad.
Allies agreed to demand unconditional surrender and planned Operation Husky,
the allied invasion of Sicily (to be followed by an invasion of the Italian
mainland).
Casablanca Conference – January 1943
Allied meeting (codenamed SEXTANT) attended by Roosevelt, Churchill, and
Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek to address the Allies’ strategy regarding Japan
and plans for a post-war Asia.
Stalin refused to attend because of China’s participation.
Resulting document (Cairo Declaration) called for stripping Japan of all lands
taken since 1914 and the eventual independence of Korea.
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Cairo Conference – November 1943
Allied meeting (codenamed EUREKA) attended by Roosevelt, Churchill, and
Stalin. The meeting took place two days after the end of the Cairo Conference.
Meeting planned final Allied strategy against Nazi Germany.
Operation Overlord (D-Day invasion of France) was planned.
The USSR agreed to enter the war against Japan upon the defeat of Germany
Turkey was encouraged to enter the war on the side of the Allies
The “Big Three” agreed in principle to formation of a post-war “United Nations”
Tehran Conference – November 1943
Took place at the Mount Washington Hotel in New Hampshire
Meeting of representatives of all 44 Allied nations to discuss the post-war
economic landscape. Of particular concern was currency exchange rates.
Established the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
John Maynard Keynes represented Britain.
Bretton Woods Conference – July 1944
Meeting held at a mansion in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC
Conference discussed the United Nations, specifically who would be invited to
join, and the formation of the UN Security Council
American delegation was led by Edward Stettinius
Discussions regarding the formation of the UN were continued at Yalta and
finalized at the San Francisco Conference (where the UN Charter was written).
Dumbarton Oaks Conference – August 1944
Allied Meeting (codenamed ARGONAUT) at the Livadia Palace in the Crimean
Black Sea resort town of Yalta.
Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin met to discuss the post-war reorganization of
Europe.
Of particular interest was the partitioning of Germany. Eventually the sides
agreed to a plan that would divide Germany into 4 occupied zones, with the city
of Berlin also divided into four zones.
The Nation of Poland would be reorganized under the directive of the USSR;
USSR would gain territory in Poland, which, in turn, would gain territory from
Germany.
Stalin agreed to declare war on Japan 90 days after peace with Germany.
Yalta Conference – February 1945
Allied meeting at the Cecilienhof Palace in Potsdam, just outside of Berlin.
US President Harry Truman, Churchill and Stalin met to discuss the
punishment of Nazi officials and the end of the war against Japan. During the
meeting, Churchill was replaced by newly elected PM Clement Atlee.
By Potsdam, Germany had been defeated, Roosevelt had died, and Stalin had
taken over most of Eastern Europe.
At Potsdam, the Allies agreed to war crimes tribunals (later held at Nuremberg),
and a demand for unconditional surrender from Japan.
At the conference, Truman also made a vague reference to a “powerful new
weapon” to Stalin (atomic bomb). The atomic bombs would be dropped on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki less than a month later.
Most see Potsdam as a precursor to the coming Cold War.
Potsdam Conference – July 1945
Young Hamlet avenges the death of old Hamlet by killing the murderer (who is also his
uncle), Claudius. He also kills directly or indirectly many others, including his girlfriend,
Ophelia, the courtesans Rosencranz and Guildenstern, the king’s advisor, Polonius,
Polonius’s son Laertes, and even his mother, Gertrude.
“Hamlet” – Shakespeare
A mighty thane (a Scottish lord) usurps the Scottish throne by killing the king at the
behest of his wife and the prophecies of 3 witches. A massive cover-up ensues, but the
new king dies in the end at the hands of Macduff.
“Macbeth” – Shakespeare
An old king asks for nice things from his 3 daughters, but Cordelia, the honest one,
refuses. Goneril and Regan oblige, but only to serve themselves; they use the king and
take over his power. Basically, everyone dies.
“King Lear” – Shakespeare
A Moor from Venice is tricked by Iago into believing his wife, Desdemona, has been
unfaithful to him with Michael Cassio. So, he smothers her to death. The truth is
revealed by Emilia, Shylock’s wife, but too late to prevent the murder; the moor commits
suicide in grief.
“Othello” – Shakespeare
The sorcerer Prospero is marooned for 12 years on a magical island his daughter
Miranda. The spirit Ariel and monster Caliban are also there. After a shipwreck caused
by the titular storm, Prospero takes back his rightful title as Duke of Milan from his
usurping brother (Antonio), Miranda marries Ferdinand (the King of Naples’s son), and
Prospero breaks his wizard’s staff
“The Tempest” – Shakespeare
Bassanio needs to borrow money to woo Portia. Antonio (the titular “Merchant of
Venice”) goes to Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. Shylock agrees to the loan but only if
he receives a “pound of flesh” from Antonio if the loan is not repaid. After a bizarre
courting ritual involving some caskets, Bassanio elopes with Portia, and Bassanio’s
friend Lorenzo runs off with Shylock’s daughter Jessica. In the meantime, Antonio’s
ships are lost at sea so he is unable to repay the loan. Shylock, angry about his daughter,
demands his pound of flesh. Portia, secretly dressed as a male lawyer successfully
defends Antonio in court.
“Merchant of Venice” – Shakespeare
Opposed by Hera through life, in his crib he strangled two serpents she sent after him
• Completed Twelve Labors as penance for murdering Megara, his first wife, and their
children
• For murdering Iphitus, he served under Queen Omphale, during which he dressed as a
woman
• Before ascending to Olympus to fight in the Gigantomachy, he gave Philoctetes his bow
and arrows
Heracles:
Landed the initial would in the Calydonian Boar hunt, thus Meleager gave her the pelt
• During the Hunt, killed Hylaeus and Rhaecus for attempting to rape her
• Melanion used the Golden Apples to beat her in a footrace, thus winning her hand in
marriage
• After having sex in a Temple of Zeus, she and Melanion were turned into lions
Atalanta:
His father’s third wife, Kaikeyi, utilized a boon to force his exile from Ayodhya
• Through the use of a golden deer, his wife Sita was kidnapped by Ravana and taken to
Lanka
• Bowing to the wishes of his people, he chose to exile Sita, despite her faithfulness
• He fought his two sons, Kusa and Lava, until Hanuman in the form of a horse revealed
the truth
Rama:
