1914: "The Sisters" to "The Death of the Hired Man."

Chronology of World, British and American Literature

James Joyce. Irish. 1914. Story. “The Sisters.” Boy confronted with death the first time; learns the truth about the dead priest and the Catholic religion.

James Joyce. Irish. 1914. Story. “Clay.” Ineffectual spinster tricked into putting fingers into wet clay, symbol of her own and the Irish character.

Vachel Lindsay. American. 1914. Poetry. “The Congo: A Study of the Negro Race.” Black ragtime rhythms. High spirits. Hope of religion.

James Joyce. Irish. 1914. Story. “The Dead.” Thinks of aunts who will soon be dead, his own spiritual death, and his wife’s dead lover.

Robert Frost. American. 1914. Poetry. “The Death of the Hired Man.” Argument between farmer and his wife over whether to keep defeated old hired hand. He dies.

1913: Childhood to Remembrance of Things Past

Chronology of World, British and American Literature

Maksim Gorky. Russian. 1913/14. Autobiography. Childhood. Memorable portrait of Gorky’s grandmother.

Marcel Proust. French. 1913/27. Novels. Remembrance of Things Past. Seven parts. In search of “lost time.” “Involuntary memories” = true meaning of past experience. Stimulated by object or circumstances; could not appreciate at the time of the experience. Conscious recollection colored by the person he has become. Unconscious association = simultaneous existence in present and past. Bourgeois and royalty, apparently different, are actually connected. Anticipated pleasure always exceeds actual pleasure. Art and dreams express associations that make essential reality perceptible—never life.

Swann’s Way. Introduces most themes. Recalls childhood house. Idealized love for Gilberte. Swann’s love for Odette many years before. Within a Budding Grove. Love for Gilberte ends. Falls in love with frolicsome girls. Albertine. Guermantes Way. Narrator ascends to summit of society. Saint-Loup’s passion for Rachel. Death of beloved grandmother. Cities of the Plain. Baron’s homosexuality. Changing nature of socially fashionable opinions. Discovers Albertine’s lesbian tastes. Baron launches Morel at Verdurins’ soirees. The Captive. Tries to keep complete watch of Albertine’s activities. She dies. The Sweet Cheat Gone. Oblivion gradually cures pain. Gilberte social climbs. Marries Saint-Loup, Morel’s lover. Past Recaptured. WWI accelerates changes in society. Finds most of former acquaintances almost unrecognizable. Turns “privileged moments” of memory into literary work of art.

1913: Pollyanna to Virginiq

Chronology of World, British and American Literature

Eleanor H. Porter. American. 1913. Novel. Pollyanna. Always looks on the bright side in her numerous trials.

George Bernard Shaw. British. 1913. Play. Pygmalion. Phonetics teacher transforms guttersnipe into an elegant woman.

Compton Mackenzie. British. 1913. Novel. Sinister Street. Novel of growing up. Childhood and youth of illegitimate children of wealthy parents.

D.H. Lawrence. British. 1913. Novel. Sons and Lovers. Autobiographical. Because of bond with mother, can’t give love to other women.

Ellen Glasgow. American; 1913. Novel Virginia. Southern woman between 1884 and 1912. Unhappy marriage; can’t adapt to new environment. Loses respect of her husband and daughters, but retains the love of her son. Analysis of social change facing women in the early 20^th century.

1913: The Custom of the Country to O Pioneers

Chronology of World, British and American Literature

Edith Wharton. American. 1913. Novel. The Custom of the Country. Ruthless social climber.

Vachel Lindsay. American. 1913. Poetry. “General William Booth Enters into Heaven.” Rhythmic drumbeats of Salvation Army band.

Alain-fournier. French. 1913. Novel. Le Grand Meaulnes. Actuality and dream world intermingle; old house in middle of the woods. Girl and her brother.

George Bernard Shaw. British. 1913. Play. Heartbreak House. Indicts apathy, confusion, and lack of purpose as causes of the world’s problems. Characters are symbolic.

Willa Cather. American. 1913. Novel. O Pioneers. Strong woman with weak family builds prosperous farm. Deep devotion to the land.

1912: Campos de Castilla to Trent's Last Case.

Chronology of World, British and American Literature

Antonio Machado. Spanish. 1912. Poetry. Campos de Castilla. Poet’s soul in response to the geography of the Castillan landscape around him.

Theodore Dreiser. American. 1912. Novel. The Financier. First of a trilogy. Ups and downs of a typical industrial and financial magnate of the late 19^th century.

Arthur Schnitzler. German. 1912. Play. Professor Bernhardi. To prevent young girl from learning of her impending death, Jewish doctor prevents a priest from administering Extreme Unction.

Joseph Conrad. British. 1912. Story. “The Secret Sharer.” Captain takes on board and hides a murderer who is his physical and psychological double.

Paul Claudel. French. 1912. Verse Drama. The Tidings Brought to Mary. Spiritual devotion vs. human life and love. Sympathetic kiss leads to leprosy and life of recluse. Recluse’s fiancé marries her sister. Their baby dies. Asks recluse to hold and kiss the baby who is brought to life, but with the eyes of the recluse. Her sister returns and kills the recluse.

E.C. Bentley. British. 1912. Novel. Trent’s Last Case. Classic detective novel. Trent is an English painter, poetry lover and amateur detective. Uncovers three different plausible solutions to a murder.

1911: Ethan Frome to Zuleika Dobson.

Chronology of World, British and American Literature

Edith Wharton. American. 1911. Novel. Ethan Frome. Typical New England village. Ethan vs. hypochondriac wife. He loves her cousin. They try suicide. Fail. They become invalids and the roles are reversed.

Leo Tolstoy. Russian. 1911. Novel. Hadzhi Murad. Cossack uprising. Leader deserts, then returns to his people, knowing they will kill him.

Theodore Dreiser. American. 191. Novel. Jennie Gerhardt. A patient Griselda. Much misused. Patient acceptance.

Hugh Walpole. British. 1911. Novel. Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill. English boys’ boarding school: inbred, tense lives of the teachers.

H. G. Wells. British. 1911. Novel. The New Machiavelli. Handbook of English political life on the eve of WWI.

Joseph Conrad. British. 1911. Novel. Under Western Eyes. Nineteenth-century Russian police state and extremist revolutionaries. Betrays fellow student who has assassinated an official. Falls in love with his sister. Confesses truth to the revolutionaries and is brutally beaten, left for dead. Returns to Russia. “Western eyes” are those of the English man who reads and comments on his diary.

Max Beerbohm. British. 1911. Novel. Zuleika Dobson. Fantastic, satirical novel. Oxford undergrads drown themselves for love of a beautiful young woman.

1910: Clayhanger to Notebooks of Malte Laurides Brigge

Chronology of World, British and American Literature

Arnold Bennett. British. 1910. Novel. Clayhanger. Conflict between son and dominating, puritanical father. Descriptions of Five Towns life.

E.M. Forster. British. 1910. Novel. Howards End. Country house: brings together three important elements in English society: money, culture and the lower classes.

H.G. Wells. British. 1910. Novel. The History of Mr. Polly. Timid, middle-aged tradesman burns house, declared dead, gains freedom.

Rainer Maria Rilke. German. 1910. Novel. The Notebooks of Malte Laurides Brigge. Collection of diary entries of a Danish poet in Paris. Suffering, squalor. Symbolic repetition of the story of the prodigal son.