In this journal, you are asked to write a historical critique of your chosen novel. As Steven Lynn notes in Literature: Reading and Writing with Critical Strategies, "Historical critics begin from the commonsensical notion that there is certainly something 'outside the text' and that these...historical facts help us to make sense of literature. By reconstructing the past, understanding the historical context of a work, we're able to see more clearly through the lens of the author's time" (21).
Historical critics assume that social, political, and cultural contexts affect the creation of works of literature and that the meaning of literature changes over time as these same contexts change.
Strategies for historical criticism:
- Research the author's time (the political history, economic history, cultural climate, social environment, etc.).
- Research the time in which the story takes place (this may be different from the author's time).
- Examine the text for references, attitudes, and relationships that may be better understood through research.
- Relate that information to the work.
- How was the work influenced by the time period?
- How does the work make statements about events or conditions of the time?
Looking for an example of historical criticism? Check out this example from the Critical Cartoons website. Strive to use textual evidence in your response, both from the text you are reading and from any research you do. Remember to write two paragraphs; each paragraph should be at least eight sentences long.
Jules Verne lived from 1828 to 1905. He was a French novelist and poet. "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" was first published in 1886. The end of the 1700s brought a huge inflation to France, which left many in poverty in the 1800s and the lower class increased in size. Naopleon died in 1821. Many marriages were arranged and usually happened between people of the same class. Most of the upper class came from royalty or nobility. The upper class were the ones who controlled material production and cultural style. They lived a very lavish life and deemed manners as very important. The middle class came from old commercial and industrial capitalists, including bankers, entrepreneurs, doctors, dentists, engineers, architects, and accountants. The middle class gained more power in the 1800s. The lower class was the working class of France. They often had little or no education. The working class was split into the upper, middle, and lower classes. In May 15th, 1886, Portugal and France agreed to regulate the borders of their borders of their colonies in Guinea.
ReplyDeleteThis book begins in the spring of 1863, basically the same time the book was actually written. The time period in which this novel was written is evident in the way the author writes. It is not the way most present writers would write. Though, the text is recent enough that it isn't too confusing to understand. This work is probably heavily influenced by the new scientific discoveries being made while the author was alive. Back then, the world wasn't as advanced and new theories proceeded others all the time. Nowadays, new discovers are still made, just not as often. Harry and Hardwigg are most likely modeled after France's upper class. They have the money and manners to fit the description. It would also make the emphasis on hospitality make more sense. Manners were a big deal for the French upper class in the 1800s. The whole journey is centered around making a point about how scientists were wrong about the center of the Earth. The book defies everything we know about under the Earth's surface.
I agree with you about how Harry and Hardwigg are from the upper class. Also there is a lot of things happening in France at that time period. However you never mentioned how the events of that time period affect the women? Why did Verne's chose not to include a main female character. Then as for the science in the book. The theory's do change back then because of discoveries. The theory that the book I believe it is based on is Hollow Earth. The theory states that there is space in the earth. Do you agree that the theory is the same theory that is used in the book? Do you also believe that Verne's book is affect by the way he grew up.
DeleteI think the events affected women through the culture. Like early America, women were seen more at home and not in the workforce. Verne may not have even imagined a female being an adventurer. Another reason that he may have chosen all male main characters was because he could identify with them more. If you're asking if I think that there is space, as in no gravity and a galaxy inside of Earth, then no. However, the Earth is made up from space. Earth was just a pile of junk floating around and got pulled into the sun's orbit. Earth happened to land in the perfect spot to produce life. Of course I think the book is affected by the way he grew up, everyone is. All humans are affected by their pasts. It is what shapes us.
DeleteThe author of “Lord of the Flies,” William Golding lived from 1911-1993. This means he was alive during World War II. His novel was published in 1954, just a little after the war’s end which means he was probably drafting it during the war or directly after. William fought in WWII and said that he wrote the book because throughout the war he saw the dark side of many people and also what the results to those sides were. He stated “During the war I was terrified at what people were capable of doing.” Throughout the book we see the young children give in to their dark sides which means the outcome probably won’t be very nice for them. Also, in the novel there is a fictional atomic war occurring outside of the island. Golding could be trying to represent that people reveal their inner selves because of war and also that we all have an evil side.
ReplyDeleteWhile doing some research it came to my attention that the whole story of “Lord of the Flies” represents World War II in its own way. For starters, Jack is similar to Adolf Hitler, they yearn for power, Jack likes to kill pigs, and they are both all around cruel. Ralph on the other hand is more like our U.S. president, Franklin D Roosevelt. They both are dedicated to their followers and want what’s best for them and are trustworthy. Simon however is almost like the Jews. He is mistaken for the beast during the night, is quiet, and nice to everyone, much like the Jews were during the war. When looking at the book with these characters, almost all of World War II plays out. Both of the leaders have conflicts with each other and Jack treats the children much like Hitler would treat people. Before finding out that many people had this war theory, I wouldn’t have made the correlation between the historical event and this fictional story. After finding out about it however, it makes much sense to me that the story is almost a reenactment of WWII.
So if you think that he was not in support of the violence that occurred during the war why would he make a book that has violence in it. Why wouldn't he make a book that didn't have violence in it to prove that the world doesn't need violence in it. I like how you compared the characters to people in WWII. It helps show how the history had an affect on the book.
DeleteA person could go about making his point about violence either way honestly. I believe he had a lot of violence in his book just to prove how bad it is and how it affects people rather than just showing world peace because that would be boring.
DeleteThe book Shane takes place in the summer of 1889, in the wilderness of Wyoming. The Starrett family, bob's family, are a bunch of homesteaders. they started a tiny farm where they could live and be happy. like what happens a lot in this time, a bigger ranch is trying to buy them out. this happened a lot in that time because people wanted to get rich and have a good life.
ReplyDeleteSome people don't understand how hard it was to be a homesteader. they where all alone on the range, no one or towns for miles around. if you got sick you where on your own. the summers where hot and the winters unforgiving. starting from scratch is hard right now. imagine how hard it was back then.
I researched the Jack Scheafer, the author, and I found that he actually did not live in 1889, nor did he live in the 'Wild West' during his lifetime. I found that very interesting. What do you think about that?
Deleteno not the anther, I researched when the book took place
DeleteMargaret Mitchell the author of Gone With the Wind, wrote this book in 1936. This was a little over 70 years after the Civil war had ended. The novel took place throughout the harsh time period of the Civil war which began in 1861 and ended in 1865. Mitchell also lived in Atlanta and this is one of the towns that the book takes place in. She based all the feelings in her book that the main character Scarlett had, to her very own. The feelings such as the warm air, or the slight breeze could have possibly been her very own feelings that she felt while living in her town Atlanta. She was said to have liked riding and often in this book people go riding because that was pretty much all they had for transportation unless they wanted to walk. The time periods seemed to have been somewhat the same because of the way they acted and the types of technology and updates they had then.
ReplyDeleteAll of the small things that have happened to Mitchell or the way she felt about things influenced this book. Just as the setting of where she lived took place in this novel also. The events in this book such as balls and girly things that happened could have came from an event that took place in her life which was when the nineteenth amendment was ratified. Her mother made her dress up nicely and wear a banner across her chest while she blew kisses to the gentlemen in the crowd. In this novel the main character Scarlett was known for being a cute girly girly who loved to go to the balls and dance. She was also very well known for easily attracting any one man she wanted.
Conrad Richter was born in 1890 and died in 1968. His book "The Light in the Forest" was first published in 1953. I think that the date is somewhat odd because of the world war that happened a few years prior. I feel as though many of the books that were published shortly after WW2 would be about WW2. If that is true then I also find it odd that this book would become so popular with in the sea of WW2 books. Perhaps Richter was drawing parallels to WW2 and the time of the Indians or maybe Richter just wanted to give America something to think about other than war.
ReplyDelete"The Light in the Forest" takes place in 1764.I think that the story so far has been historically accurate but I don't know much about the that era. The relationships built between the characters are definitely relies on the time setting. Relations between Indians and English today would be almost no different then their relationships with people of their own kind. In the past, however, the relationships between English and Indians was very tedious. Sometimes they got along and sometimes they murdered each other. This is a very big part of "The Light in the Forest" and can be seen in many aspects.
In 1765, the era of when the book was written, a lot of racism was happening in this time. While I'm writing this, racism doesn't sound like the word to fit properly because it suggests a conflict between two different race of people, the interactions in this time between the whites and the natives were two different worlds crashing together.
DeleteThe character relationships not only between natives and whites are fit to the time-line but how Half Arrow comes to escort True Son as far as he can go is. Half Arrow is whitty and cocky and has a certain amount of foolish, happy-go-lucky pride that a lot of Native Americans had in that time frame.
Conrad Richter was inspired to the Light in the Forest while traveling with his father throughout farm settlements and was enchanted by the pioneer life-style. "A Country of Strangers" is another book written by Richter with the same "Tarzan" type of theme: Battling the contrast of a "civilized" man, with the "white child raised by Indians."
I think although that the world war was going on in this time, Mr. Richter did a fantastic job painting the picture the readers needed to see to understand history and connect with the lives lived during this time.
I agree, racism was a large issue after the second world war. I feel that another reason Richter wrote the book at the time was to show that history is repeating itself. Do you think that there is another reason for " The Light in the Forest" become popular despite the fact that Richter is a fantastic writer?
DeleteI think that a lot of people like the idea of white people against Indians. I mean, there's dozen of movies about it. It's something that children play, one's a cowboy, one's an Indian so I'm sure it took off because people liked the idea of the plot.
DeleteWhich side do you relate more to, the English or the Indians?
John Steinbeck lived from 1902-1968 which means that he lived through the Great Depression which has has influence on his other books like “Mice of Men”. However, “The Pearl” did not take place during the time of the Great Depression. “The Pearl” took place right after the Great Depression in 1940. Even though it did not take place during the Great Depression it still seemed to have influences from the depression. It also took place near the beginning of World War II. The Pearl seems to have more things in common with the Great Depression than WWII because of the characters’ setting and background home life. It could be thought that Kino’s family might be poor because of the Great Depression, or it may even show why they have so much humbleness in the beginning of the book. In the economical parts to 1940 it is a little strange why Kino and his family lived without proper work.
ReplyDeleteDuring 1940-1942 America was going through the pre-steps of going through war. This meaning that production jobs were opening fast throughout America for the production for war materials. It is a wonder why Kino did not have a job during this time because even his wife had a fair chance at getting a job during this age. But, this may be because of the social environment at the time. The people of the more rich environment seemed no not like Kino’s people, Mexicans, like the doctor. Not only did the doctor turn Kino away because of a money problem but he also turned him away because of his race. Other than this the doctor also had a Mexican servant who wasn’t even paid.
I saw a connection between these two novels too. Do you think John Steinbeck meant to connect his books that way, or it just happened? Your pre-war view was interesting as well.
DeleteThe author of, Light in August is William Faulkner. He was born in 1897 and died in 1962. He grew up in the old times and he had to deal with the great depression. The book setting is in a small town. It’s a very poor community and people are always working. People in the book don’t get paid much and the women wear dresses or nice clothes everyday and the men are in the oil mills and working hard in the fields.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I think it was written in the old days is because when Lena was trying to find Joe she had to hitchhike and caught a ride from a man on a moule. There was no cars and people walked almost everywhere back then. She had no money and was pregnant. Because she was pregnant she was treated like an outcast most of the time. I feel like the author wrote in the old slang style and setting because that's how he grew up and the setting was the same when he was growing up. It was just easier for him to have the same setting as when he was a child.
Do you think the author was writing on a true story he heard? Do you think the author might have gone through this? Do you think the depression is what caused the violence in this book? How do you feel about the prostitution? Do you think Lena is depressed because she isn't accepted, being a single parent?
DeleteI feel like he took his time period and made up a story to fit his time period. I feel like he lived in the time period where blacks were treated fair and where girls without husband and were pregnant were treated differently. No the violence was caused because of the people in the story. Like Joe started ti do bad things because of what happened in his past. I feel like she doesn't really care what other people think but she just wants to find Joe and feel loved
DeleteStephen Crane lived from 1871 to 1900. This era while it was not in Civil War, the culture was probably still similar. The Red Badge of Courage is a book written about Civil War and a man in the era. The reason Stephen Crane could still write about Civil War and how people acted during this time, because people still acted the same way. By acting the same way I mean with how their ideals and actions had not changed from the years before during the Civil War. Another era that came around in Stephen Crane's life was the Gilded Age. The Gilded age was a time period where many technological advances and brought about the Industrial Revolution. Crane seems to follow the pattern of Civil War era more than the Gilded Age due to the fact he doesn't talk about women entering the work force or rights in anyway.
ReplyDeleteIn 1871 to 1900 American was still taking the steps down form the Civil War. By this I mean that they was still some trust issues between the north and the southern states. Most of the time was spent trying to figure out how to keep us as a country to not fall into another War with ourselves. Henry is from the North and fights for the Union army. I think personally that Henry wishes to go into the war so badly is because he has a strong sense of patriotism. I think that Stephen had a strong sense of patriotism due to the fact that not many people had such a strong sense of patriotism. Some people during this time bought someone to replace them in the draft. People such as John D. Rockefeller.
What makes you think that Henry has a strong sense of patriotism if he runs away from battles? He abandons his unit. I am thinking that he is on the hero's journey path, do you?
DeleteI think Henry has a strong sense of patriotism because of his desire to fight in the war. I can see the hero's journey starting to show through his life as the book continues to progress. Do you think that he could be patriotic just for enlisting?
DeleteThe Red Badge of Courage, written by Stephen Crane, was published in 1895. The Civil War had been over for 30 years now. Crane had experience with war, but after the book was published. During this time, many Civil War books were being published. Crane saw a different way of writing. Many of the other books were written about many soldiers and war tactics. Crane wrote about the war through one soldier. He made the story so real which makes it a classic.
ReplyDeleteCrane lived from 1871 to 1900, a time of building America. Big businesses were emerging, train tracks being laid, and many important acts were passed. Our government was not very stable. They were trying to get the southern states to join the Union again. I think that Crane did a good job with writing this book. He knew how to write this story through the eyes of a weak soldier. A soldier who runs from battles but could end up being a war hero. If this book goes the way I think it will, Crane had wrote this as a motivational book for the people. We are all weak at times but we have to face our fears and good things will happen.
While I was reading your second paragraph I noticed the "weak soldier" comment. Do you think that Crane was trying to use Henry to show how he himself felt about not being able to fight the war
DeleteThat is a very good point. I don't know if he himself was scared because he ended up fighting in a few wars. He could've been weak while writing this book and then gained the courage.
DeleteStill going off this I could see Crane just trying to show an underdog story that many people like to read. I feel that Crane may have continuously throughout the book
DeleteThe author of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, was born in 1832 and passed away in 1888. She lived during the time of the Civil War. This is important because Little Women takes place during the Civil War. We know that because Mr. March is at war during the story. When reading the story it is obvious that the story is from this time frame. The way the characters speak is a big give away. They are very polite and proper. A bunch of teenage girls who speak as if they are old women. They also are very concerned with being seen as proper and classy. When they went to a party Jo said her gloves were dirty so she wouldn't wear them and Meg thought that was an insane idea, because women were supposed to wear gloves during fancy parties.
ReplyDeleteAnother way the story shows what time this was written in is how people react to Jo. She usually isn't called Jo because it's not a proper name. She also gets scolded a lot because of her preference in acting more masculine than feminine. She also wanted to fight with her father in the Civil War, but she knew that she wouldn't be allowed.
Catch-22 was written by Joseph Heller and was published in 1961. He started writing it shortly after the war, so it was still fresh in his mind. Joseph was a bombardier in the war just like the book character Yossarian. So the story has to be pretty trustworthy on details. I believe that since Joseph was a part of the war, and the book is a story about a man who had the same role, it is pretty accurate. I think the influence of his life on the book was pretty significant, and I believe the reader can get a sense of how Mr. Heller felt about the war.
ReplyDeleteThe book is pretty scrambled, and I think that this is because of how recently he had just gotten out of combat, and how soon it was published after. I believe the work is insane and jumbled and mess because of how insane war really was. The author had just experienced the insanity himself, and turned it into a story immediately after. I think this is why the book was written how it was, because he lived the book basically. It is kind of a biography with additional facts and characters to make it interesting and insane.
I never thought about it being somewhat of a biography. Do you think that if Heller wrote this later on in life, it would be as confusing?
DeleteI feel like he may have not been as passionate about the insanity of the war as he was when he wrote it. I believe that it still would have been to the same effect though.
DeleteThe author's time is basically the same as the book's time. Joseph Heller began writing the book in 1953 and actually fought in World War 2. This makes it extremely easy to compare the time periods. The novel was obviously influenced by the time period because it's set during World War 2 and it's about soldiers in the war. The book is confusing and I feel the author did this on purpose to show that it was a confusing time for everyone. He also shows that the war could make some soldiers insane because he may have known someone who did. In the early 1950's the country was still realizing how horrible the war was, and I think this is what inspired Heller to write the novel. I feel that Heller hated the war.
ReplyDeleteI also think that some of the characteristics of the characters show the time period. They say things freely without worrying about offending anybody. They use many derogatory terms and don't really get in trouble with them. The time is also shown by the limited roles that women play. There are hardly any women in the book and some are referred to as very mean names. The people in the book say the conditions were terrible which is probably very accurate. They reference some actors that were alive at the time like Henry Fonda.
I never realized that the novel does portray the time period very well. Do you believe that Joseph Heller wrote the book because he was in the war or that is was because nobody could really explain it?
DeleteI feel like it was a combination of both. He witnessed everything and didn't see anybody writing it the way he saw it.
DeleteFor the book Animal Farm written by George Orwell it is general incorrect with history, if you're looking through the historical critical lens. The thing that is most incorrect about this story is that the animals on this farm talk. Not only do they talk but they use an intelligent dialect. They use a vocabulary with the words like comrades, and creator of all animals.
ReplyDeleteNot only is their dialect good, but their actions are human like as well. Historically animals don't battle humans for the rights to a farm. They also don't convince the other animals on the farm to turn against their own farm animals. Other views shown through the historical lens is that there isn't a woman who has a powerful spot on this farm. All the women are working class.
I definitely agree that animals don't talk in real life, but I think they talk in the book to represent a certain group of people in history. All the animals are representing a group of people during the Russian revolution.
DeleteIf you look up the Russian revolution and compare world leaders to those in the book, do you see how they are similar? Why do you think the book was written this way?
Yes, now I see how there are a lot of similar things between leaders of the Russian Revolution and also the Animal Farm. I think it was written this way because, one they couldn't actually say names and call people out because they would get punished.
DeleteRobert Louis Stevenson was born on November 13, 1850, and died on December 3, 1894. He was born in the United Kingdom. Stevenson’s first novel was An Inland Voyage in 1878. From 1800-1900, the population grew approximately 500 people per century. In the 1850s when he was born, people would live on the streets if they didn’t have enough money to afford a house for their family. For those who were “poor,” they were able to sweep roads to pick up the cigarette buds for money. Women would also beg for money on the streets. The work was influenced due to the income, and if the whole family worked that meant that they were poor and needed the money.
ReplyDeleteThe book itself takes place in 1751. In the setting, it is very like the late 1600s and the early 1700’s in the Scottish area. The Glorious Revolution was still recently new when he was born and grew up. Kidnap’s environment was influenced by the history around the author. There were many different things going on at the time, still trying to figure out the country at the time. The time that Stevenson was born, the county was more wealth than when the book took place.
With all of the new information, doesn't the book make much more sense? I believe that in order to have this book be an easy read, you have to really know a lot about history. What statements do you think this book gives about that time period?
DeleteI agree, it has made it a lot more understandable. I think the book says that the history never leaves. For example the setting is 100 years almost before it was written.
DeleteThe book Light in August was written in 1932 by William Faulkner. This is at the beginning of the Great Depression, which makes more sense about the book. The book also takes place in the 1920's. Most of the people in the book don't have a lot of money, which ties into that time period in real history. This makes sense why prostitution is seen throughout the book, it is due to the fact that people needed money, and that was the only way to get it. This book also ties into why Lena didn't have any money. At that time, women didn't work, so when Joe left her, she didn't have a way to get any money. The book was probably written this way, due to the real life scenarios that were happening as Faulkner wrote the book.
ReplyDeleteAnother key factor that plays into the book, is racism. Joe Christmas is part black, and uses it to his advantage when he can, and avoids telling people when it saves him also. Racism was also big at the time that this book was wrote, so it is very easy to tie the discrimination to real life. Joe Christmas's dad was beat to death by his mothers dad for getting his mother pregnant, and was probably partially due to him being black. When Joe was put in a foster home, he was separated from the rest, due to him being partially black. This is also a possible cause of why Joe was beat by his foster parents. When Joe would rape the black girl, he got away with it due to the fact that no one would care if she tried to speak up about it. Racism plays a big role in the book, as it did in the time period the book was wrote.
Do you think if Lena had money would she have went looking for Joe? Do you think that you could right a book like this in days like today? Could you make it similar. Do you like how it's written in the 1920's? Do you think since he lived through the great depression he kinda knew how they felt about having no money? How do you feel about racism? Does it make you mad? Maybe you don;t care about it. I feel like the father was beaten because he was black not because he got the mom pregnant.
DeleteIf Lena had good money, and didn't need a source of money, I don't think she would go look for Joe. I think a book could be wrote like this today, to teach kids about the horrible racism that happened. I like how the book ties together with the actual time frame. I think the book ties to the depression, and I didn't like the racism, I would be very upset being accused, and not having a voice.
DeleteSo, Jack London had a pretty interesting life, and a rough one at that. When he was growing up his step-father was a businessman, and a bad one at that. After a certain bad deal, London, at the ripe age of ten, was put to work. He ended up work ten to eighteen hour shifts, and had a very rough childhood, which led him to have socialist beliefs later in life. He eventually entered a writing contest and won, which stirred in him his talent and drive as an author. He went back to school and tried to finish his education, but only got through one year of college before he had to go support his parents. He then went to the Yukon to mine for gold, which inspired the books he wrote about the north, like White Fang. How London was raised is very visible in how he wrote White Fang.
ReplyDeleteIn White Fang there are lots of things we can tie back to London and the time where he wrote this book. One big example is that it takes place in the north, which happened to be a tough place that London had spent some time in. London went there and faced the hardships of being a gold miner, only to find fool’s gold. This might explain why he shows the area where White Fang is as so harsh and cruel, because that is how he experienced it when he was there. Another thing is that he was never very wealthy as a teen, and he shows that in all the famines going on in White Fang. When London was alive, he was poor, and lived near poor people. Which might have inspired him to write about famines in his writings. Another concept shown is how London often had to work to support himself, which White Fang also had to do in many parts of the book.
Was it common for kids at age ten to work during that era? It's common now for kids like 15-16 to start working but they didn't have the same laws as we do. Do you think that London is trying to tell others what he has learned from the Yukon, that it's so bad and harsh or is he trying to show how nature works up there? I think that London uses White Fang to show his story in the Yukon and that he faced many hard challenges.
DeleteIt was fairly common for kids to work at that age back then, but not terribly so. I think he is just trying to show how nature works up there, and that it is so bad and harsh, up there.
Delete"The Call of the Wild" was published in 1903. It was written as if were in the 1890's in Canada. There was a gold rush then and there was a high demand for sled dogs. That must be why Jack London decided to write about a sled dog's life. He wanted show that it was hard for them too. Most people probably didn't think about the dogs. With out the dogs it would have been harder for the people.
ReplyDeleteBecause the strong dogs were in such high demand that is why the gardener sold Buck. He was probably worth a lot. The people who bought him didn't care about Buck. They only cared about how much money he could help them make.
I had never thought about the impact that the sled dogs had on the gold rush, and how much harder it would be for the people without them, that's an interesting point. It does show how desperate the people must have been for dogs of any kind because I don't think Buck was probably very strong when they sold him, since he had lived the life of a king before that. What do you think?
DeleteHow strong Buck was depended on weather or not he went hunting or if he was lazy and watched all of the animals run by.
DeleteWhile reading Pride and Prejudice this week, I looked through the lens of historical criticism. It was not a hard task, for the story takes place in the early 1800s. The author, Jane Austen, came out with the book in the 1800s as well, so it was more modern-day to her. Pride and Prejudice was fully influenced by that time period. The writing captured almost every bit of historical details in it. For example, the Bennet parents wanted their daughters to marry into money, for the rest of the family would fall wealthy too. This was common in that era, as financial survival was the focus of peoples' lives. The novel also takes place in England, where it was also extremely usual for marriage to be the link to a whole family's riches.
ReplyDeleteNot only was marriage something I saw through a historical lens, but the language and social classes were as well. The way that the characters spoke to each other was a little different from the way we speak today. Not entirely where I couldn't comprehend it, but just enough for me to notice it. There was a difference in the way that individuals of particular social classes spoke to each other also. The rich people weren't always kind when speaking of or to the lower-class. But, the low/middle-class people always spoke excitedly about the wealthy. The respected them and were often pushy about knowing them. This did not surprise me, but I found it interesting.
Reading this book, I agreed that it was easier to this considering or book took place in the 1800s. Do you think it would've been harder to interpret if it wouldn't have been in the 1800s. What types of things do you notice that would prove that the novel was fully influenced by the time period.? Pride and prejudice is a written in a beautiful work of art and having it in that time period helps a lot. Do you think the such articulate details of history made the book more interesting or not? How much do you think money had on this time period? I think it had a huge effect on the time period. What have you learned so far from reading and trying to look through the lens of historical criticism?
DeleteReading this book, I agreed that it was easier to this considering or book took place in the 1800s. Do you think it would've been harder to interpret if it wouldn't have been in the 1800s. What types of things do you notice that would prove that the novel was fully influenced by the time period.? Pride and prejudice is a written in a beautiful work of art and having it in that time period helps a lot. Do you think the such articulate details of history made the book more interesting or not? How much do you think money had on this time period? I think it had a huge effect on the time period. What have you learned so far from reading and trying to look through the lens of historical criticism?
DeleteI think it would have been harder to interpret if it took place in an earlier time period, due to my lack of knowledge about the 1700s. However, I feel as if it'd be easier to understand if it was later than the 1800s because it would be more modern-day, therefore easier to picture. I'd say that the views on women alone proves the story is influenced by the era. The details relating to that and the communication are things I find interesting throughout the story, without them it would be pretty dull. The views on money are also very fascinating, being that I believe it had a large effect on everyone back then.
DeleteOverall, I've learned tons about the lives of British citizens in the 1800s and how they see the world.
The two parties that were present in Kidnapped and in the 17th century in which it was written are the whigs and the jacobites. There two groups consisted of people that didn’t necessarily work together because they had different beliefs. The whigs believing in limiting the power of the king and American independence while the jacobites were outlaws that maintained true to the traditions and privileges of the throne. The jacobites actually claimed themselves as Anti-whigs. Now knowing that David and Alan are from different parties and it is a big deal that they are working together, it opens up the idea of how much they have in each other. It showed why their attitudes were a little shaky towards each other. For example, in the beginning when they first met, Alan had persecuted David for being a Whig but it all turned around when he saw what kind of a man David really was. Normally, two people from different parties wouldn’t collaborate and fight for each other’s lives especially in this time of despair.
ReplyDeleteThis novel was really influenced by the Appin Murder of 1752. This helps understand why the random murder in the middle of the book was such a big deal. David was traveling with a Jacobite and the Jacobite Stewarts of Appin were the people being blamed for the crime due to earlier evictions that were suffered on the Campbell’s orders. Alan was the prime suspect and he was on the run. If Alan was caught, David would thrown under the bus along with him and killed. So while traveling, staying hidden was the most important yet hardest factor they encountered.
With the research I have gathered I have found that I was correct in my Feminist lens. Women did not have rights in the United Kingdom until the late 19th century and the book was written in the 18th century. This means that men looked at them as an object or a possession that they could claim theirs. Not something worth value of writing about or to give any credit to. Also, because the women had no rights and were always at home with the kids, do what a women was made for, the men were able to look upon them as their comfort source just as David had done when he was deserted on the island.
I did not know that there were differant parties. That is really cool that they didn't know they were in separate parties. Does it now make sence to you why there was murder in the middle of the book? It defintley makes me more understanding.
DeleteYes, knowing that the basis of the book is set off the of Appin murder makes everything much more clear as to why it happen and why it was such a big deal. Did you find that the all of the names used in the book is somehow linked to his life in one way or the other?
DeleteBram Stoker was born on November 8th, 1847. He lived a good life. Was a civil servant at Castle Dulan and later became friends Henry Irving. He then got into acting and theater as well as a bit of writing. He traveled the world and started writing books, most being horror novels. Later on, he visited the English town of Whitby in 1890, were it is said to the start of the inspiration of Dracula.
ReplyDeleteDracula setting takes place at about 1880-1890. During Bram's life, he faced many illnesses. This may be the reason illnesses are a big deal in the book. Lucy was deemed "ill" and Jonathan had a serious head illness after he got away from Dracula. Also, Bram traveled a lot in his life, so this may be a reason a lot of the characters travel about the country. He and Irving were great friends, as well as Jonathan and Dr, Seward.
Good thinking with the part about him traveling and how that relates to how the characters in the book traveled around the country
DeleteThe author of The Scarlet Letter is Nathaniel Hawthorne. He was alive from 1804-1864. He was an American novelist, dark romantic, and short story writer. He lived in Salem. The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850. The book takes place around 1642-1649 at Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an english settlement on the eastern coast of north america in the 17th century. It was located in what is now modern-day Central New England, around Salem and Boston.
ReplyDeleteIn the 17th century, the Massachusetts Bay Colony mostly consisted of puritans. In the book that is all the people that live there; puritans. The book is set during “a period when the forms of authority were felt to possess the sacredness of divine institutions.” One reason why Hawthorne chose to place the book in the 1640’s was because of Hester Craford. Hester is a real woman who was sentenced to fonicating, or commiting adultery, with John Wedge. Hester Prynne from the book did this same exact thing, and Craford had a child, as did Prynne. There are many relations through the book and the real life during the 17th century.
Do you think the way he grew up influenced his writing in the novel?
DeleteI think that it could have played a part the writing of his novel. I don't really know much about his childhood but it could be something to look into.
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ReplyDeleteJules Verne is the author of "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea." The French novelist lived from 1828 to 1905 and is often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction." The novel was published in 1870 which is the same time the story takes place. France was in the middle of a serious economic recession. It was brought on due to agricultural and industrial producers failing to keep up with the growing world competition. France entered the industrial revolution in a more gradual way and lagged behind other countries for many years. Industrialization lead to the French working class being formed. Social class in France during the 19th century determined how people lived, worked, traveled.
ReplyDeleteThe novel was largely influenced by the time period. Having been written in the nineteenth century, the science fiction seems more usual today than when it was first written. At the beginning of the novel, most thought the Nautilus to be an animal. This was due there were not submarines which could act in the ways the Nautilus could. Professor Aronnax was mesmerized by electricity being able to power the ship. He was also amazed by the ship being able to have glass which can withstand the pressure of being hundreds of feet below sea level. We now know these astonishments to be more than science fiction.
This era of industrialization was truly in inventive one. I feel Jules Verne could have been one of the successful entrepreneurs of the period if he would have taken his ideas for these inventions down that route. It is better suited for the world of literature that he wrote about them creating novels to be enjoyed for generations and blazing the way for future science fiction novels. who is your favorite science fiction author?
DeleteI don't read many science fiction novels but I do like Jules Verne. To me he is an amazing author who seems to deeply research his novel topics. I like how he has founded his novel more on science rather than fiction.
DeleteThe book "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" written by Mark Twain came out in 1876 which was not a very wealthy time for the people of america. You can see this everywhere as you read the book. This ruff time period affects the life of the protagonist, Tom Sawyer. looking at h=this novel through the historical lens I see a lot of ways that the time period affected the characters.
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting looking through the historical lens for example the schools system was not very strong in the time period that the book was written about. This caused a lack of education for the children of the time period. I saw this very prominently as Tom the protagonist would run away and skip school and go play with his friends. Other examples include how after Tom tricked his friends into whitewashing the fence for him and giving him their "stashes" Tom considered himself a wealthy young man because he had marbles, rubber bands, and other things that we would find useless today.
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ReplyDeleteThe author of "Lord Of The Flies" is William Golding. He lived from 1911 to 1993. So, in the first few years of his life WWI was going on. Then, in his late 20's WWII started and lasted until he was 34. William lived in England all of his life. William received an early education and at the age of 12 made his first attempt to publish a novel, which was unsuccessful. After collage in 1934 William graduated collage. Shortly after this his first book was published.
ReplyDeleteBack in this time period there were a lot more racist people and people where judged more on their social groups. So it is understand able to see how this book is so unfair based on the social groups that occurred. I think that since he was in such a high social group he didn't fully understand how he was mistreating Piggy in the book. By having people ignore his ideas that could save them. I think it is also odd how there are no women in this book, because his mother helped fight for the right for women to vote. She has very strong beliefs that women should be able to do anything men can. After looking back on the time period I understand how this book was written the way it was. However, it doesn't make sense that his mother was fighting for girls to be treated like guys, when he clearly didn't want any women in the book.
Gabie, I actually never thought about how mistreating Piggy could be because of all the racism back then. I think that's a good connection you have made. I also didn't know all of that about William's mother. Maybe she did that because her husband and son, William didn't treat her right. Do you think that maybe he was trying to make a point to her by having there be no women in his book because women are "too weak"?
DeleteMaybe he thought women were week, but that doesn't explain why he thought women were week. His mom was helping fight for women's freedom and that doesn't seem very week to me. That seems like a women who cared and tried very hard to fight for what she thought was right. However, I do see you side in that maybe she wasn't around enough or she always had stuff to do other than spend time with him and maybe that's why he didn't have a hard time with excluding women from the book.
DeleteThe author of my book, Shane, is named Jack Schaefer. As this story is told in Wyoming in 1889, Schaefer was actually born in 1907. He didn't live in the 'Wild West' during his lifetime either. However, he did have knowledge in the fields of writing and English. I found this quite peculiar because I would think that to write a great Western novel, you would have to experience what you are writing about.
ReplyDeleteIn Shane, I personally picture a Western film with cowboys, ranchers, and Indians. Of all the Western films and pictures I have seen, this book relates to all of them almost exactly. But that is beside the point. In this book, history is very accurate. Many people live on ranches and farms while others live in the towns running banks, saloons, and other stores and businesses. During this time period of the late 1700's to the very early 1900's, all sorts of people were going 'out West' to find a better life. They settled, farmed, ranched, and other occupations. This life was very hard and brutal. Also, the way the dialogue in Shane backs up the fact that history is very accurate. They characters say words like 'flapjacks' and 'cowpuncher' that have a very distinct time era. All in all, there is a lot of history in the book, Shane.
I really like how the book is very accurate of the times it was in
DeleteKurt Vonnegut, author of Slaughterhouse Five, was born in 1922 and passed away in 2007. He was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Vonnegut had lived in the time of World War II, the time period was based off of. Kurt Vonnegut served in the military during World War II. He also lived in the time 7/11 occurred in the United States. He lived through many rough patches in the U.S. political history, economic history, and social environment. Kurt Vonnegut also had personal struggles in life. His mother passed away after committing suicide and soon followed his experience of being held a prisoner of war in Dresden.
ReplyDeleteThe work in this novel was influenced by the time period of World War II because the novel was based on Kurt Vonnegut’s war story. The work goes into detail about what the war was like. The conditions were not very good during this time. Men were dying, many were getting diseases, and even those not in the military were having to fight to stay alive. For example, several men die or are extremely ill in the train chapters of the novel. Another example includes the women who had to flee to Dresden due to a bombing in their city. The work itself is a masterpiece, a war veterans story speaking of events and situation the author was put in but told through a character that was not himself.
“Journey to the Center of the Earth” was published on November 25, 1864. The author of the book is Jules Verne. He was born on February 8, 1828 and died on March 24, 1905. He was born in Nantes, France. France during this time had a really high poverty rate. Napoleon came to power in 1804. During his rule he went to war and died May 5, 1821. Just a couple of years before Jules was born. Then in 1830 there was the French Revolution and then the Greek also win their independence. A lot is happening during the time Jules was alive.
ReplyDeleteThis affected the book in many ways. The book was affected by what was happening during Jules life. Since the poverty rate was so high Jules may have decided that he wanted his characters to be of the high social class. Then around this time it was common for there to be stay at home wives, servants, and cooks. So that affected the book as well. In the book you read about how Hardwigg has a cook and a servant. That was normal around this time so you see it in the book. Then there is the scientific part of history. What Harry says in the book about it getting hotter as you go farther underground was one of the theories that were thought to be correct back then. So all the theories you read about were what were believed in back then. Then there is the book that disproves those theories. So in all the book was heavily influenced by the time period it was written in.
What was the culture like during Verne's lifetime? Do think that the author had any personal experiences that made him come up with this story's plot? The high class at that time were looked up to and others were quite envious. I agree that it's highly possible for why Verne made the main characters wealthy. How did women's role in that era affect the book? You weren't very clear about your reasoning. How far did you look into the scientific part of that time period? Are there any other theories you've noticed? Do you know for sure that the theories in the book were actually real? Could some of them have been made up? I too think that the "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" was heavily influenced by the time period it was written in.
DeleteThe culture went through a lot of changes during Verne's life. There were many revolts that happened. There were many changes in leaders, fashion, and religions. I do believe that Verne's life experience affected the book. In France at that time period education wasn't all that important. So I believe that is a reason why he made the main characters so intelligent. As for the women's role in the book. The women in real life were oppressed. They weren't allowed to talk outside, were counted as property, and were stay at home wives. That cause there to be revolts. But since the women were treated like this I believe that that affect the women's role in the book. As for the science of the book. It follows a actual theory that was thought to be real until the late 1800's. The theory is call a Hollow Earth. Hollow Earth is a theory that say that instead of the Earth being completely solid, it has a substantial amount of open space inside the Earth. So the theory that Hardwigg believes and Verne's wrote about was a actual theory back when he was alive.
DeleteErnest Hemingway, author of A Farewell to Arms was born in the year 1899 till the year of 1961. His book A Farewell to Arms was based on WWI. He had an economical and understanding writing style during the 20th-century fiction that the writing of his life later influenced generations.
ReplyDeleteReading on his history says that he worked as a newspaper writer and was a volunteer in the ambulance unit during WWI and wounded somewhat like his character in his book, Lt. Henry. Making a slight connection as Lt. Henry could be his life with the names changed.
How did he influence later generations with his work? Also, what stood about about his writing style as opposed to other authors?
DeleteJack London, the author of “The Call of the Wild”, was born in 1876 and died in 1916. The book was first published in 1903. In 1893-1896, at the time that London wrote the novel, America was in a serious economic depression. At this time, 1896 to be exact, there was a large finding of gold in the Klondike region of the Yukon in Canada. Although the gold was technically found in 1896, no one in America heard about it until the next year. The Klondike gold rush was very similar to the California Gold Rush in that everyone wanted to travel to this region to try and strike gold, all hoping they would get rich. While 100,000 people let for Canada to find gold, only 30,000 ever made it. Most of these people either died along the way, or decided that it was too hard, and turned around and went home.
ReplyDeleteThis historical event is very relevant in “The Call of the Wild”. The whole book is written telling the story of the Klondike Gold Rush through a dog’s point of view. First the word of gold reaches the US, then they set off for Canada, then they are running all over Canada, delivering news and taking men where they need to go. In this novel you get an understanding for how difficult it must have been for the people trying to find gold. It mentions a temperature of -50 degrees at one point in the book. It also makes a point of how little they had to eat, both the dogs and the humans. The only thing the people had for shelter were tents, but the dogs didn’t get anything. You get to know the real struggle people went through in this time period by looking at this book through the historical criticism lens.
Everyone wanted to get rich off of the gold and they were willing to do what ever it took. If someone found gold in Antarctica today do you think the same amount of people would try to go and make it back alive?
Delete"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," by Jules Verne was published in 1870;and the novel is set during the same time period.This story was ahead of its time, an early science fiction. Captain Nemo's submarine, The Nautilus, Was descibed scientifically accurate to how submarines,which where primitive vessels at the time,would come to grow into the technologically advanced machines we have today.
ReplyDeleteIt also makes perfect sense to me that would be able to go on adventures and discover such impossible things because this book was written in that time period. We didn't have all of the technology that we do today and hadn't explored nearly as much of the ocean. Many of its depths s till remain unexplored which makes this classic novel relate able to modern day readers. Its amazing how much this author was able to invent in his story and how closely is correlated with real future discoveries and advancements.
It's amazing how Jules Verne invented so many marvels in this novel. He includes a hefty amount of information on the inventions and explains the science behind them. He makes every invention seem as if it is completely possible. Although I don't read many science-fiction novels, why don't you think they write like this anymore?
DeleteI do think that there are still authors that write in this way, but everything in our world has changed so much. Since this novel was written technology has advanced in son many ways. Although it seems to continue on a trend of communication and convenience. There aren't as many fantastic journeys anymore. perhaps the authors are trying to hard to make it relate to current ideals of what the future holds. we all seem to think the future either holds a zombie apocalypse or flying cars these days.
Delete"Treasure Island" was written by Robert Stevenson. At the time the book came out, he was living in the United Kingdom. The year the book was published was 1883. These parts of the author's life do have some impact on the story itself. The story of treasure island is set in the coast of England. This may be because of the of the authors background, wanting to write a book that takes place similar to the area he lives in. The time it takes place does have some impact as well. The language used in the book is a little different from what I'm used to seeing. If it was written later, or in a different are, then the language of the whole book could be completely different, and the way the author describes certain characters and events would not be the same.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the author's background does play a small role in the making of the book, it doesn't affect the story much. "Treasure Island" is set around 1750. That is many years before the author's own time. Many of the different words in the book are to fit the book's time, rather than the author's time. The setting may be similar to the author's, but that does not have much effect on this either. It is set in England for only a short time, before Jim is sailing the sea, and completely changing the setting for the rest of the book. The time period the book was written in does not affect the book very much, because I think that Stevenson was trying to match the time period of 1745. I feel that he did a great job with seperating the story from his own time.
Alexandre Dumas didn’t venture far from the place that he knew when writing “The Count of Monte Cristo”. With him being born in France and living there all of his life, a reader could pick up on the France had a large impact on this book. The language that is spoken throughout the story not only matches the place, France, but it also matches the time that the story took place and Dumas’ lifetime. Both the book and Dumas’ life took place during the early and mid 1800s. The time at which this book was written is important because we as readers know the the information and events that took place are completely accurate because the author was alive during this time. Dumas was able to take real life events and turn them into one of the greatest stories ever written.
ReplyDeleteDumas’ life also reflects that of the main characters, Dantes, as well. Dumas was also held in prison during his lifetime. This event in his life definitely made a huge influence in this story and the fact that he experienced it himself explains why he described it so well. Another factor that influenced this book that Dumas went through was his promotion to general in the French military. Napoleon has been mentioned quite a bit so far throughout this story and the fact that Dumas himself was a general possibly influenced the amount that Napoleon was in this story. “The Count of Monte Cristo” obviously was affected by real life events. The way that it was written so well can be explained by the fact that Dumas, the author, lived during the time period the book was written and went through many life events that took place in the story as well.
I agree that the author's time in prison most likely helped him to write about Dantes' time in prison. How do you think that the idea came to him? Would you ever write a novel based partially on your own experiences? Or would you make it all up?
DeleteI think that Dumas used this real life experience in a great way. He really described Dantes' time in prison well and kept it interesting to me while I read. I think Dumas chose to write about Dantes being in a jail cell because of Dumas' time in one, yes. I feel like Dumas decided in prison to write a book about what he was going through while incorporating other real life events in at the same time.
DeleteErnest Hemmingway, the author of A Farewell to Arms, made the novel so detailed and so real because he was a Red Cross ambulance driver and spent time in the American Army in Milan, where he met a nurse. This is where his inspiration for Henry and Catherine come in. He was part of the "Lost Generation", a term coined to describe artists who felt "lost" after being traumatized by World War 1, which might explain his need to write this novel. And parts of his novel that his own experiences in the war didn't cover were researched in detail while he worked for the Kansas City Star.
ReplyDeleteThe novel is well-renowned for its accurate, detailed depiction of war. So accurate, in fact, that it's even part of some military academy curriculums. Even though it is much a product of it's time, it's still applicable and important today.
I definitely noticed the similar details between himself and the story life as from his own. I felt as if he did change the names possibly in the story because of the respect for the other people in the original "story" which most others due to hide and maybe not draw attention to the real people.
DeleteGeorge Orwell, also known as Eric Arthur Blair, wrote the book Animal Farm in 1945. The book strongly references many things happening between 1925 and 1945 in Europe. The book's characters, places, things, and events are based on actual things that occurred during this time period.
ReplyDeleteThe book is set in the town of Willingdon(Europe), where there are 3 main farms; Manor Farm(Russia), Pinchfield(Germany), and Foxwood(England). The owners of the three farms are meant to represent the leaders of the three countries before the revolution. As for the animals, Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin, the leader of the U.S.S.R. after the Russian revolution. Snowball represents Leo Trotsky, which in history, was one of the original leaders of the revolution, until Stalin rose to power and expelled him in 1929. The book follows this pattern and snowball is banished from the Animal Farm. Every character in the book is representing someone in power, a social class, or the people as a whole. This book is about the Russian Revolution and communism in Soviet Russia. Literally every event, object, and idea in the book had some correlation with the Russian Revolution.
I like the way the author made the events that happened in Soviet Russia happen in a farm run by animals. I think that the story is a lot easier to follow. Do you agree? Why do you think that Orwell chose to make all these characters and events happen with animals?
DeleteI think it is indeed easier to follow. I think Orwell did this because he wanted to make the idea of communism easier to study in schools. He took his time in making sure everything in his book actually happened in real life. Every little detail represented something in Europe.
DeleteJack London did not have a very good life and this started at a young age. His father was not even there for him and he had a stepfather who was a bad businessman. He started working at a very young working ten to eighteen hour shifts. He ended up quitting school because of poverty. He got interested in writing because of books and eventually a librarian helped push him to read even more. The librarian found books that inspired his small mind. He went to college but quit to seek for gold in the Yukon. London’s life is clearly visible in his writing.
ReplyDeleteLondon’s hardships are shown throughout his books. He shows how cruel the North is and that comes from the hardships that he faced trying to find gold in the Yukon. I think that is why the weather can be so harsh or just the living conditions. The animals face food shortages and London faced money shortages. I think that he was trying to show that this place was such a hard place to live in and the cruelties of the world around him. London picked himself up many times and didn’t give up just like White Fang dos. White Fang is in trouble but gets through it, so London kinda portrays himself as the dog. The historical aspect, like the life of the author greatly affects the writing and that is shown in London’s books. He writes about the North many times so you see how much that event in his life stuck with him.
What specific examples of hardships can you show that have an impact on the novel? I support the idea that London's troubled youth played a role in the story but I can not find any textual evidence. If London had a joyful childhood, do you think there would have been any differences in the book? Would the book even have been written?
DeleteThe harshness that London faced while in the Yukon is shown throughout the book. First the dogs were killed and eaten and then a guy. There are many famines that come up throughout the book too. I think he put part of himself in this book. If London did have a joyful childhood this book would most definitely be written differently or it could possibly not be here if he didn't have the childhood that he did.
DeleteThe author of the novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne, was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804. He was a successful short story writer and actually wrote The Scarlet Letter as a short story until his publisher advised him to make it a novel. The novel was set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, Massachusetts during the years 1642 to 1649. The story is about a woman, Hester Prynne who has a child through adultery and struggles to create a new life for her and her child.
ReplyDeleteThe main part of the story revolves around a movement known as the Puritan. It began when King Henry VIII declared England’s independence from the church of Rome and he appointed himself head of the new Church of England. The people of the Church of England wanted simpler truths and less structured forms of worship because they wanted to purify the Church of England so they got the name Puritans. The Puritans believed that Hester should have been punished for her adultery and that she should be left alone and ashamed for what she had done. Eventually she shows that they take things too harshly and she embraces what she had done whether or not she had the church’s approval.
Were there any real life situations that caused Hawthorne to write about the book, besides the puritans? I found one and think you should look into it. It is about a woman named Hester Craford. She is in a situation similar to Hester Prynne's.
DeleteThat's interesting. I will definitely look into that.
DeleteJack London lived an adventurous life. He was born in 1876 and raised in the Oakland slums. This lead to a poverty filled youth. At 17 years old, Jack left home on a boat and wanted to explore the world. However, his voyage was cut short and he was brought back home. He was on the verge of leaving again but stayed home for his family. He slowly started writing and eventually became successful. He died in 1916 in California.
ReplyDeleteSimilarities are easy to spot between Jack London and White Fang. They both lived a harsh youth. White Fang was self dependent just as Jack was for most of his life. London was curious and eager to explore the world. White Fang was just the same when he was a pup. Jack London's rough living conditions could be related to the struggles of surviving in nature. Neither of them would be considered dominant in their time, they were both simply trying to survive. Whether it was is the woods or in the slums.
Why do you think White Fang is so similar to London? Do you think he was trying to share how his life went, but had to explain through another creature's eyes? I do. Why do you think he decided to have the story take place up in the north, instead of the timbers of the continental United States or something of that sort?
DeleteIn my second paragraph I explain my reasoning for their similarities. I do not think London necessarily had to tell the story from another creature's eyes but it certainly worked out all right. As far as the location, maybe a place far away added some mystery to the book? Not too sure on that one.
DeleteKurt Vonnegut was an American Author born in November 11, 1922 and he passed away on April 11, 2007. His most famous novel was Slaughterhouse Five, but he also wrote thirteen other novels, three short story collections, five plays, and five works of nonfiction. His career spanned over 50 years after attending Cornell University. During the time in which the book was written was the Vietnam War and the ongoing Cold War period. This may have affected his choice in writing a book like this, as it is seen as an anti war book.
ReplyDeleteThis book is set in the time period of World War Two, specifically in Dresden, Germany. This novel is Vonnegut kind of telling his own story but also making it fiction. It follows along the lines of his life during the war but also includes time travel. This work is set in the 1940s but is related to the time in which is was written, 1969. Vonnegut is trying to show the cruelty of war and how we should stop our involvement in the Vietnam War like we should have with WW2.
I also believe the war affected his writing due to the fact he was involved in the war. It gives the novel an aspect that one who wrote a war story that wasn't involved in the war would have.
DeleteIn the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, there are many things that point to the events of this time and what the author himself knew. The book takes place in the 1800s and so did the life of the author, Alexandre Dumas. This can be seen through language used in his text because of how things are written in some dialogue. This novel uses words that aren’t as common anymore such as the word wainscot. This word means wooden panels that can be used to line a room, but a more commonly used word now would be siding or trim. You also see the French side of Dumas in the language used in writing this novel. For example, the word château meaning castle is used. Also words like mademoiselle or monsieur are used in the text more than once. From these words, the reader can see where the author either came from or had a large background in. This helps the reader to know that the book is more accurate for that time period.
ReplyDeleteWhen digging deeper into the author’s life, someone will find that he spent a portion of his life in prison as well. When reading The Count of Monte Cristo, the life in prison and the prison itself is clearly detailed by someone who has seen the inside of the slammer themselves in that time period. There are moments where the reader is almost looking through the eyes of the main character, Dantes, while he is in prison. THe author did a wonderful job of twisting his life into part of the story. This section of his life seemed to greatly influence how he chose to portray the prison time to the reader. Another small influence in this novel would be Napoleon. He is mentioned many times so far in the book and from what has been mentioned so far, it seems that he will continue to be mentioned more. This is just another example of how well the author took the time period that he knew and lived in and turned it into one of the greatest novels written.
The language that the author Dumas used greatly added detail to the novel. I like how Dumas used language of that time but not so much that it is hard for modern day readers to understand. The combination of this language, and the fact that he actually experienced some of the events that took place in the book, has so far brought together an absolutely great story. Do you think that writing this book was a way for Dumas to tell others his life story (like being in a jail cell) or a chance for him just to express what life was like at that time?
DeleteI feel that Dumas wrote this novel as a way to express what life was like at that time for specifically him. By adding his own personal experiences into the story, he automatically puts part of his life into the reader's mind, whether they know it or not.
DeleteUsing historical criticism was not actually hard at all with this book. Because of Pride and Prejudice taking place in the 1800s I believe everything I was looking for was right in front of me. The author, I believe was able to relate to the time period because that was when she published her masterpiece. The novel was most definitely influenced due to it taking place in the 1800s in my opinion. The writing was somewhat difficult to understand but was very articulate and specific about specific historical events which made it very interesting. For example, because money was what the 1800s was revolved around, love lives were depended and chosen upon because of money which is what happened to the Bennent family in the book. It was just the Bennet family that was focused on money, it was a common thing in the 1800s to be swallowed up in wealth, even if you didn't have any. I also do think that the setting affected the history and time period. Because it took place in England, it was the stereotypical place where money was charm and power.
ReplyDeleteMarriage was not only affected by the time era, social class I think was highly affected as well. Like how I said earlier it was hard to interpret the language in the book because of the time period, but seeing how specific characters interacted with each other showed how much wealth was pooled into their heads. Though it was difficult language, it made it easy to see how much time affects your every day life. The way the characters interacted with each other depended on their financial status. The wealthy people obviously did not see equality with people who did not have as much as them. But because the lower classes were grateful for anything they had, they always, not matter how they were treated, always respected the upper class. I found it very interesting how different time periods can have such a big effect on ways characters interact with each other. In my opinion, I think it proves a lot.
Do you think money is still a huge deal in England? Or was that just all in the past? I feel like in a way it's still a big deal, but not even close to how it was back in the 1800s.
DeleteWhy do you think that the lower classes were so respectful towards the upper class? Do you think if they tried to treat them poorly they'd be punished because the upper class had so much power? How do you suppose this relates to modern-day situations?
I think money affects people everywhere and I wouldn't specify England now because I don't know that much about England, but I'm sure money can be an issue in England, as well as anywhere. I think money is taken for granted these days and I think just like the 1800s, many people still revolve their life around money. I think lower class was respectful because they were always grateful and they didn't have too many things to take for granted and many things to show off and be snoody about. I think lower classes would be categorized even lower if they disrespected the upper classes because everything in my opinion is about power, like money. I think today even, people in different classes can tend to treat people who are below them in a belittling way, even if they don't even notice what they're doing.
DeleteIn 1765, the era of when the book was written, a lot of racism was happening in this time. While I'm writing this, racism doesn't sound like the word to fit properly because it suggests a conflict between two different race of people, the interactions in this time between the whites and the natives were two different worlds crashing together.
ReplyDeleteThe character relationships not only between natives and whites are fit to the time-line but how Half Arrow comes to escort True Son as far as he can go is. Half Arrow is whitty and cocky and has a certain amount of foolish, happy-go-lucky pride that a lot of Native Americans had in that time frame.
Conrad Richter was inspired to the Light in the Forest while traveling with his father throughout farm settlements and was enchanted by the pioneer life-style. "A Country of Strangers" is another book written by Richter with the same "Tarzan" type of theme: Battling the contrast of a "civilized" man, with the "white child raised by Indians."
I think although that the world war was going on in this time, Mr. Richter did a fantastic job painting the picture the readers needed to see to understand history and connect with the lives lived during this time.
If whites and indians got along in the beginning, how do you think the world would be different? What kind of book would Ritcher be writing then?
DeleteIn “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck, it does not seem clear to me the time period importance rather than the overall message. No time period has ever been stated. But, for some odd reason, I can begin to infer that this book took place in the early 1900s. I can infer this by not only by the technology, but the medical technology as well. Simple DIY remedies that every one seem to know as a common household items do not exist. This would be very fitting to Steinbeck’s era, as he lived from 1902 until his death in 1968. In previous books such as “Of Mice and Men” Steinbeck uses this technique related to the “American Dream”, and also a “hero's journey”. I can see this throughout the novels as the seem to have glimpses of each other in one another.
ReplyDeleteKino’s work tells me a lot about his character, and about the time period. Kino and his family live in La Paz, Mexico. This small village is mainly for fishing. La Paz is set On the Coast Of The Baja Peninsula. This story seems to lack setting in my opinion. We are left to imagine for ourselves what La Paz look like in detail. Kino is a fisherman, and not very successful what it seems. He is very poor, and so this helps me to infer that having a “comfortable life” is hard to come by in La Paz.
As I read through the book, the more fake it seems to be. I mean from the beginning I new it was a fake, but as I get further and further into the book the more fake it seems. Running across issues that would never happen or things that are impossible is common in this book.
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