1904: Nostromo to Jean Christophe

Chronology of World, British and American Literature

Joseph Conrad. British. 1904. Novel. Nostromo. Silver is the center of the novel; corrupts, destroys; reveals strengths, weaknesses of characters and ruling passions. “Incorruptible” Nostromo is corruptible.

Jack London. American. 1904. Novel. The Sea Wolf. Ruthless ship captain dominates and thwarts literary critic and poet who are in his power. Shipwreck. Deserted islands. Indomitable, angry, blind, paralyzed Wolf Larsen.

Romain Rolland. French. 1904/12. Ten Novels. Jean Christophe. Musician travels through France and Germany, observing and criticizing contemporary civilization.

1904: The Cherry Orchard to Mont-Saint-Michel....

Chronology of World, British and American Literature.

Anton Chekhov. Russian. 1904. Play. The Cherry Orchard. Landowning family about to lose estate and beloved cherry orchard. They fail to see life realistically.

Henry James. American/British. 1904. Novel. The Golden Bowl. Daughter marries prince. Friend marries father. Friend had had affair with prince.

William Henry Hudson. British. 1904. Romance. Green Mansions. Romance of South American tropics. Jungle girl becomes human, but killed by savages.

George Bernard Shaw. British. 1904. Play. John Bull’s Other Island. i.e., Ireland. Two men represent England and Ireland. In the end, roles reversed.

Henry Adams. American. 1904. Nonfiction. Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres. Western man was unified by faith in the 13^th century, a coherent world view.

1903: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm to The Way of All Flesh

Chronology of World, British and American Literature.

Kate Douglas Wiggin. American. 1903. Children’s Story. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. Goes to live with maiden aunts, one of whom is a trial.

Gerhart Hauptmann. German. 1903. Play. Rose Bernd. Has child outside of wedlock. Murders it. Everyone who has used her, deserts her.

Thomas Mann. German. 1903. Novel. Tonio Kroger. Artist wants to be normal; realizes he can’t be and that this conflict is the source of his art.

Joseph Conrad. British. 1903. Novel. Typhoon. Stolid sea captain rides out tempest, brings crew and cargo to safety.

Samuel Butler. British. 1903. Novel. The Way of All Flesh. Father is pious bully of a clergyman. Mother is docile, sanctimonious. Neither is a sympathetic character or lovable. Theme: relations between parents and children. Satirical criticism of middle-class English family life. Finally devotes his life to literature and wins self-respect and genuine success.

1903: The Ambassadors to Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft.

Chronology of World, British and American Literature

Henry James. American/British. 1903. Novel. The Ambassadors. Strether refuses to take Chad back to America from Paris because, “Live all you can: it’s a mistake not to.”

Jack London. American. 1903. Novel. The Call of the Wild. Dog adapts in Klondike to survive.

George Bernard Shaw. British. 1903. Play. Candida. Marriage. Man’s strength rests wholly on his wife.

Frank Norris. American. 1903. Novel. The Pit. Attempt to corner the Chicago wheat market in the “pit” of the stock exchange.

George Gissing. British. 1903. Novel. The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft. Diary divided into spring, summer, autumn, winter. Reflections on human condition.

1902: Peter Pan...to "Youth."

Chronology of World, British and American Literature.

JM Barrie. British. 1902. Fantasy. Peter Pan …Or, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.

Euclides da Cunha. Brazilian. 1902. Novel? Rebellion in the Badlands. Chief classic of Brazilian literature. “Bible” of Brazilian nationality. Defies classification: treatise and novel. Rebels against central government. Description of hinterland: drought-ridden, backward, poverty-stricken inhabitants.

Owen Wister. American. 1902. Novel. The Virginian. Cowboy life in Wyoming, prototype of the modern western. “When you call me that, smile!” First walkdown in American literature.

Henry James. American/British. 1902. Novel. The Wings of the Dove. Woman urges her lover to become interested in a dying female friend who falls in love with him. Her goal in encouraging this friendship with her dying friend was to inherit her money. She leaves him the money. He refuses to accept it and the relationship of the original lovers ends.

Joseph Conrad. British. 1902. Story. “Youth.” From mature memory, looks back on first dangerous voyage; on youthful emotion and illusion.

Respite.

This blog will resume on January 4, 2010. It consists of a chronology of World, British and American Literature, each work described in a sentence or two. RayS.

1902: Anna of the five Towns to The Lower Depths.

Chronology of World, British and American Literature.

Arnold Bennett. British. 1902. Novel. Anna of the Five Towns. Naturalistic account of ordinary woman’s life. Repressive effects of Wesleyan religion.

Joseph Conrad. British. 1902. Story. “Heart of Darkness.” The “heart of darkness’ is the jungle and the primitive subconscious heart of man.

Andre Gide. French. 1902. Tale. The Immoralist. Effects of rising above the conventions of good and evil.

Rudyard Kipling. British. 1902. Stories. Just So Stories. Why the Leopard has spots, etc.

Maksim Gorky. Russian. 1902. Play. The Lower Depths. Derelicts in sleazy flophouse. Whether to live without illusions on one’s own strength or to shield oneself from pain of life by accepting romanticized view of the world.