1884: With Fire and Sword to Against the Grain.

Chronology of World, British and American Literature.

Henryk Sienkiewicz. Polish. 1884. Novel. With Fire and Sword. Trilogy. History of Poland from 1648 to end of 17^th century. War between Poland and the Ukraine. Poland vs. Sweden. Poland vs. Turkey. Best seller in Poland.

Helen Hunt Jackson. American. 1884. Romance. Ramona. Of mixed Scottish and Indian blood, Ramona marries an American Indian. Harassed by whites, he dies tragically. Novel helped change American attitudes toward native Americans.

Henry Adams. American. 1884. Novel. Esther. Esther, free-thinking painter, falls for clergyman. Alienated by his orthodox views, she breaks engagement.

Mark Twain. American. 1884. Novel. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Picaresque. Adventures on a raft on the Mississippi River. Life of the river. Social commentary. Portrays vividly the moral blindness of the respectable slave-holding society’s decaying social order.

Karl Huysmans. French. 1884. Novel. Against the Grain. The quest of the decadent hero for the rare and perverse in sensation. Seeks release from the ennui of existence.

1883: The Story of an African Farm to Thus Spake Zarathustra

Chronology of World, British and American Literature

Olive Schreiner. South Africa. 1883. Novel. The Story of an African Farm. Boer farm in South Africa in late 19^th century. Three childhood playmates. One grows into a beauty who destroys the life of the others as well as her own.

Mark Twain. American. 1883. Autobiography. Life on the Mississippi. Apprenticeship as a river pilot. Return to the River in 1882 with conditions changed. Heroic steamboat era.

Robert Louis Stevenson. British. 1883. Novel. Treasure Island. Crew prevents a mutiny, finds a treasure with the help of Ben Gunn, a marooned sailor.

Carlo Lorenzini Collodi. Italian. 1883. Story. “Pinocchio.” Escapades serve to teach the puppet-come-to-life and his readers right from wrong.

Friedrich Nietzsche. German. 1883/92. Philosophy. Thus Spake Zarathustra. Persian philosopher used as a mouthpiece for the author. Doctrine of Ubermensch. Each should achieve individual goals which will add up to a universal goal/achievement.

1881 - 1882: A Modern Instance to Vice-Versa.

Chronology of World, British and American Literature.

William Dean Howells. American. 1881. Novel. A Modern Instance. Social realism. Ethics and character in the context of marriage. Desertion and divorce.

Jorge Echegaray. Spanish. 1881. Play. El Gran Galeoto (Gossip). Suspected couple are innocent, but can’t withstand the gossip. Woman’s husband dies in a duel over her honor.

Frank R. Stockton. American. 1882. Story. “The Lady or the Tiger.” Youth falls for king’s daughter. Condemned. Must open one of two doors. Behind one is a tiger. Behind the other is a lovely lady [not the Princess] to be given him in marriage. The Princess knows which is which. She signals. Which door does he open? We’ll never know.

Walt Whitman. American. 1882. Poetry. Specimen Days and Collect. Poet’s youth, Civil War experiences and some reminiscences in old age.

F Anstey. 1882. Novel. Vice-Versa, or A Lesson to Fathers. Transformation of father into son and son into father.

1881: Washington Square to Tales of Hoffmann.

Chronology of World, British and American Literature.

Henry James. American/British. 1881. Novel. Washington Square. setting is the Washington Square of James’s youth, a fashionable residential district. Daughter is dominated by her father and suitor. After her father’s death, she rejects the suitor, choosing to live unmarried on Washington Square. Theme: Young, dependent person trying to escape the tyranny of older, more knowledgeable adult.

Mark Twain. American. 1881. Novel. The Prince and the Pauper. Edward VI and a pauper change places days after the death of Henry VIII. Edward wanders in rags. The Pauper suffers the horrors of princedom.

Giovanni Verga. Italian. 1881. Novel. I, Malavoglia. Decline and fall of a Sicilian fisher family. Rebellious son. Provincial town.

Anatole France. French. 1881. Novel. The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard. Kind old archeologist kidnaps orphaned daughter of a former lover from a school which abuses her.

Jacques Offenbach. German. 1881. Opera. Tales of Hoffmann. Poet Hoffmann recalls love affairs and other adventures over wine in a Nuremberg tavern.

1880 - 1881: "Tar Baby" to The Portrait of a Lady.

Chronology of World, British and American Literature.

Joel Chandler Harris. American. 1880. Story. “Tar Baby.” Rabbit is so incensed by Tar Baby’s unresponsiveness that he hits it until he is completely stuck.

Henry Adams. American. 1880. Novel. Democracy. Social and political satire based on the corruption of the second Grant administration.

Joel Chandler Harris. American. 1880. Tales. Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings. Stories based on traditional fables of the black race. In dialect. Animals with human qualities.

Henry James. American/British. 1881. Novel. The Portrait of a Lady. American woman inherits English fortune; marries impoverished dilettante. Finds out she was set up by his mistress for the sake of her money.

1879 - 1880. The Brothers Karamazov to Nana.

Chronology of World, British and American Literature

Dostoevsky. Russian. 1879/80. Novel. The Brothers Karamazov. Who killed Fyodor Karamazov?

Tolstoy. Russian. 1879/81. Nonfiction A Confession. Account of a spiritual crisis; discontent with his life in civilized society . Living close to nature essential.

Lew Wallace. American. 1880. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Aristocratic Jew; false Roman friend, Messala. Galley slave; chariot race; converted to Christianity.

George W. Cable. American. 1880. Novel. The Grandissimes: A Story of Creole Life. New Orleans in the period of the Louisiana Purchase. Race, family feuds; struggle between the new order and the old.

Emile Zola. French. 1880. Novel. Nana. Product of a squalid environment becomes a prostitute; leads dissipated existence.

1878 - 1879: "Marshes of Glynn" to Green Henry.

Chronology of World, British and American Literature

Sidney Lanier. American. 1878. Poem. “The Marshes of Glynn.” Reconciles the techniques of music and poetry. Sea marshes of Glynn County, Georgia.

Henry James. American/British. 1878. Novel. The Europeans. Visit of European artist and Baroness sister to New England relatives. Comic treatment.

Henrik Ibsen. Norwegian. 1879. Play. A Doll’s House. Nora sheltered, petted by her father, then by her husband. Seeks to go out on her own to become a full human being.

George Meredith. British. 1879. Novel. The Egoist. Sir Willoughby has it all except humility and a sense of humor. His visiting lover wants out. Romantic mixups.

Gottfried Keller. German. 1879/80. Novel. Green Henry. Bildungsroman. Hasn’t talent to be a painter. Neglects his mother. She dies and he feels guilt (Version 1). Version 2: Mother dies. Henry adjusts himself to a life of civic service as a government official.