Friday, July 24, 2009

1828 - 1830: Elsie Dinsmore to Wild Ass's Skin

Chronology of World, British and American Literature


Martha Farquharson Finley. American. 1828/1909. Novels. Elsie Dinsmore (formula series). Pious little prig who remains a paragon of virtue although persecuted by everyone.


Goethe. German. 1829. Novel. Wilhelm Meister’s Travels or the Renunciants. Finally discovers true calling as a surgeon. Goethe develops ideas on a variety of subjects.


Balzac. French. 1829. Historical Novel. Les Chouans. French peasant insurgents, supporters of royalist cause in the Revolution.


Aleksandr Pushkin. Russian. 1830. Poetic Drama. Little Tragedies. Four plays, “essays of dramatic investigation”; characters in four varied situations. Covetous knight: effects of avarice. Feast during the plague: evil effects on human behavior of imminent death. Mozart, Salieri: depicts Salieri’s jealousy of Mozart’s artistic genius, legendary poisoning. Stone guest: retelling of the Don Juan legend.


Balzac. French. 1830. Novel. Wild Ass’s Skin. Magic skin grants wishes but it and the owner’s life grow smaller with each wish.

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