Literature - books themes Flashcards
1) Medieval English society and culture. Characteristic features and genres of Anglo-Saxon and medieval literature. The Age of Chaucer.
Beowulf (8th century)
Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales (1387-1400)
Everyman (Late 15th century)
Beowulf (8th century)
Themes: Heroism, Good vs. Evil, Fate
Reason for Writing: To preserve and celebrate the heroic traditions of the Anglo-Saxons.
Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales (1387-1400)
Themes: Social satire, Human nature, Morality
Reason for Writing: To provide a diverse and entertaining portrait of English society in the Middle Ages.
Everyman (Late 15th century)
Themes: Salvation, Death, Morality
Reason for Writing: To teach moral lessons and emphasize the importance of leading a virtuous life.
2) The Period of the English Renaissance. Shakespeare and his contemporaries. English Renaissance poetry.
Shakespeare: The Taming of The Shrew (1590-1592)
Shakespeare: Richard III (1592)
Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1595-96)
Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet (1597)
Shakespeare: Macbeth (1606)
Shakespeare: The Taming of The Shrew (1590-1592)
Themes: Gender roles, Marriage, Social expectations
Reason for Writing: To entertain and explore societal norms, particularly the dynamics of marriage and relationships.
Shakespeare: Richard III (1592)
Themes: Ambition, Power, Deception
Reason for Writing: To depict the rise and fall of Richard III and explore the consequences of unchecked ambition.
Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1595-96)
Themes: Love, Magic, Imagination
Reason for Writing: To entertain and explore the complexities of romantic relationships through a fantastical and humorous lens.
Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet (1597)
Themes: Love, Fate, Conflict
Reason for Writing: To explore the destructive consequences of feuding families and the power of youthful passion.
Shakespeare: Macbeth (1606)
Themes: Ambition, Guilt, Supernatural
Reason for Writing: To delve into the psychological effects of unchecked ambition and the consequences of immoral actions.
3) English life and culture in the 17th and 18th century. Roots of the novel.
Daniel Defoe: Robinson Crusoe (1719)
Jonathan Swift: A Modest Proposal
Daniel Defoe: Robinson Crusoe (1719)
Themes: Survival, Colonialism, Individualism
Reason for Writing: To entertain and explore themes of survival, self-reliance, and the impact of colonialism.
Jonathan Swift: A Modest Proposal
Themes: Satire on British policy, Poverty, Social injustice
Reason for Writing: To satirize and criticize British policy towards Ireland and propose a sarcastic solution to the issue of overpopulation and poverty.
4) The historical, social and cultural background of Romanticism. Aesthetics and poetics of Romanticism. Main representatives of British Romanticism.
William Blake: Songs of Innocence and of Experience - selected poems: “Holy Thursday”, “The Tyger”, “The Lamb” “The chimney sweeper” (1789-1794)
Samuel Taylor Coleridge: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798)
William Blake: Songs of Innocence and of Experience - selected poems: “Holy Thursday”, “The Tyger”, “The Lamb” “The chimney sweeper” (1789-1794)
Themes: Innocence vs. Experience, Nature, Religion
Reason for Writing: To explore the contrasts between innocence and experience, and to critique social and religious institutions.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798)
Themes: Nature, Supernatural, Guilt and Redemption
Reason for Writing: To explore themes of guilt, redemption, and the supernatural in the context of a seafaring adventure.
5) The economic, political and social conditions of the Victorian period (1837-1901) and their impact on Victorian literature (poetry and prose and drama).
Christina Rossetti: Goblin Market (1862)
Charles Dickens: The Signalman (1866)
Oscar Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)
Christina Rossetti: Goblin Market (1862)
Themes: Temptation, Sisterhood, Redemption
Reason for Writing: To provide a cautionary tale about the dangers of temptation and the power of sisterly love.
Charles Dickens: The Signalman (1866)
Themes: Isolation, Supernatural, Technology
Reason for Writing: To explore the psychological impact of isolation and the consequences of modern technology.
Oscar Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)
Themes: Social satire, Identity, Marriage
Reason for Writing: To satirize the social conventions and hypocrisies of the Victorian upper class.
6) The colonial and postcolonial periods in British history. Multiculturalism in British literature: representatives, topics, the greatest literary achievements.
Salman Rushdie: Midnight’s Children (1981)
Joseph Conrad: Heart of Darkness (1899)
Salman Rushdie: Midnight’s Children (1981)
Themes: Identity, Politics, History
Reason for Writing: To explore the complex history and identity of India through the lens of magical realism.
Joseph Conrad: Heart of Darkness (1899)
Themes: Imperialism, Racism, Human Nature
Reason for Writing: To critique European imperialism in Africa and explore the darkness within human nature.
7) The changing role of women in Great Britain from the 19th century to the present day. Female and/or feminist writings in contemporary British literature.
Virginia Woolf: A Room of One’s Own (1929)
Doris Lessing: To Room Nineteen (1963)
Angela Carter: The Bloody Chamber - selected short stories: “The Bloody Chamber,” “The Werewolf,” (1979)
Virginia Woolf: A Room of One’s Own (1929)
Themes: Gender inequality, Women’s independence, Creative freedom
Reason for Writing: To explore the relationship between gender and creative expression, advocating for women’s financial and intellectual independence.
Doris Lessing: To Room Nineteen (1963)
Themes: Alienation, Conformity, Personal freedom
Reason for Writing: To explore the emotional and psychological complexities of a woman’s struggle with societal expectations and personal desires.
Angela Carter: The Bloody Chamber - selected short stories: “The Bloody Chamber,” “The Werewolf,” (1979)
Themes: Sexuality, Power dynamics, Feminist reimagining of fairy tales
Reason for Writing: To subvert traditional fairy tales, explore female sexuality, and challenge societal norms.
8) The cultural development of Great Britain between 1900 and 1930, the most important events and their impact on literature. Modernism in fiction, the Great War poetry, Irish writing.
John Millington Synge: Riders to the sea (1904)
James Joyce: Dubliners - selected short stories: “The Sisters,” “An encounter,” “A painful case,” “A mother,” “Grace” (1914)
T. S. Eliot: The Hollow Men (1925)
John Millington Synge: Riders to the sea (1904)
Themes: Tragedy, Fate, Rural life
Reason for Writing: To depict the harsh realities of life in the Aran Islands and explore themes of loss and fate.
James Joyce: Dubliners - selected short stories: “The Sisters,” “An encounter,” “A painful case,” “A mother,” “Grace” (1914)
Themes: Paralysis, Epiphany, Dublin life
Reason for Writing: To provide a realistic portrayal of life in Dublin and explore the complexities of human experience through modernist narrative techniques.
T. S. Eliot: The Hollow Men (1925)
Themes: Desolation, Spiritual emptiness, The aftermath of war
Reason for Writing: To express the disillusionment and despair of the post-World War I era and critique the moral and spiritual decay of society.
9) British society between 1940-2000 and its reflection in the development of modern British novel and poetry. Themes: tradition and experiment, postmodern poetry/fiction.
George Orwell: 1984 (1949)
Burgess Anthony: A Clockwork Orange (1962)
Carol Ann Duffy: The World’s Wife - selected poems: “Little Red-Cap,” “Pygmalion’s Bride,” “Mrs Midas” (1999)
George Orwell: 1984 (1949)
Themes: Totalitarianism, Surveillance, Individuality
Reason for Writing: To warn against the dangers of totalitarianism and explore the impact of oppressive governments on individual freedom.
Burgess Anthony: A Clockwork Orange (1962)
Themes: Free will, Violence, Social conditioning
Reason for Writing: To explore the ethical implications of conditioning, free will, and the nature of evil in society.
Carol Ann Duffy: The World’s Wife - selected poems: “Little Red-Cap,” “Pygmalion’s Bride,” “Mrs Midas” (1999)
Themes: Feminism, Mythology, Female perspective
Reason for Writing: To give voice to the overlooked or silenced women in history and mythology, offering a feminist reinterpretation of well-known stories.
10) British culture in the first half of the 20th century. 20th century drama from Shaw to contemporary dramatic achievements. Theatre as a form and function of cultural expression in Britain.
George Bernard Shaw: Pygmalion (1912)
Samuel Beckett: Waiting for Godot (1953)
George Bernard Shaw: Pygmalion (1912)
Themes: Social class, Identity, Language
Reason for Writing: To critique and satirize issues of class distinctions and the impact of language on social identity.
Samuel Beckett: Waiting for Godot (1953)
Themes: Existentialism, Absurdity, Waiting for time to pass, suffering
Waiting for Godot is about the meaning of life and the absurdity of existence.
11) Cultural changes that led to the development of children’s literature in Britain. The changes children’s literature in English has gone through from its early stages to the present day. The factors which have contributed to the changes.
Lewis Carroll: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865)
Kenneth Grahame: The Reluctant Dragon (1898)
Lewis Carroll: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865)
Themes: Nonsense, Fantasy, Identity, self-discovery, transition from childhood to adolescence and adulthood
Reason for Writing: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland represents the child’s struggle to survive in the confusing world of adults. To understand our adult world, Alice has to overcome the open-mindedness that is characteristic for children. Apparently, adults need rules to live by. exploration of the transition from the innocence of youth into the strange and confusing world of adolescence, which in turn leads towards adulthood.Alice’s process of self-discovery as a symbol for the power of imagination, curiosity, and creativity, not just in childhood but as one passes through adolescence into adulthood.
Kenneth Grahame: The Reluctant Dragon (1898)
Themes: Friendship, Fantasy, Judgement
Reason for Writing: To create a charming and moralistic story for children, emphasizing the importance of „not judging the book by it’s cover“, understanding and friendship.
12) The period of Puritanism and its reflection in American literature.
Pilgrims: The Mayflower Compact (1620)
John Winthrop: A Model of Christian Charity (1630)
Pilgrims: The Mayflower Compact (1620)
Themes: Social contract, Self-governance, Religious freedom
Reason for Writing: To establish a legal and political framework for self-governance among the Pilgrims in the New World.
John Winthrop: A Model of Christian Charity (1630)
Themes: Charity, Community, Religious duty
Reason for Writing: To guide the Puritan colonists in Massachusetts Bay, emphasizing the importance of charity and community.
13) The Age of Reason in American history, culture, and literature. American Independence reflected in literature.
Thomas Paine: Common Sense (1776)
Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography (1771-1790)
Thomas Paine: Common Sense (1776)
Themes: Independence, Republicanism, Anti-monarchy
Reason for Writing: To advocate for American independence from British rule and inspire public support for the revolutionary cause. The help from France.
Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography (1771-1790)
Themes: Self-improvement, Virtue, Guide for living
Reason for Writing: To provide guidance on achieving personal success, documenting his own life experiences for moral instruction.
14) Cultural and economic development that led to American Romanticism in poetry and fiction. New England Transcendentalism: representatives, important issues.
Edgar Allan Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart (1843)
Herman Melville: Bartleby, the Scrivener (1853)
Walt Whitman: Leaves of Grass - “A Song of Myself” (1855)
Emily Dickinson: Poems by Emily Dickinson (Mid-19th century)
Edgar Allan Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart (1843)
Themes: Guilt, Madness, The macabre
Reason for Writing: To explore the psychological effects of guilt and the descent into madness.
Herman Melville: Bartleby, the Scrivener (1853)
Themes: Alienation, Passive resistance, Corporate culture
Reason for Writing: To satirize the dehumanizing effects of the modern workplace and explore themes of alienation and passive resistance.
Walt Whitman: Leaves of Grass - “A Song of Myself” (1855)
Themes: Individualism, Democracy, Nature
Reason for Writing: To express the celebration of the individual and the democratic spirit in America, capturing the essence of the nation.
Emily Dickinson: Poems by Emily Dickinson (Mid-19th century)
Themes: Death, Nature, Love
Reason for Writing: To explore the complexities of human emotions, particularly themes of death, nature, and love, in a unique and innovative poetic style.
15) The history of slavery, segregation, and civil rights in America. African American fiction: representatives, themes.
Frederick Douglass: The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself (1845)
Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman (1851)
Frederick Douglass: The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself (1845)
Themes: Slavery, Freedom, Education
Reason for Writing: To expose the harsh realities of slavery, advocate for abolition, and demonstrate the power of education in achieving freedom.
Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman (1851)
Themes: Women’s rights, Abolition, Equality
Reason for Speaking: To advocate for women’s rights, particularly the rights of African American women, and to address issues of gender and racial inequality. The speech was delivered at the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio, in 1851, and it sought to challenge prevailing notions about women’s capabilities and worth.
