Austen, Dickens, Whitman, Stevenson e Wilde: biografia e opere

AUSTEN, DICKENS, WHITMAN, STEVENSON E WILDE

Novels (Austen, Dickens, Whitman, Stevenson, Wilde).

Walter Scott (1771 – 1832). He wrote historical novels (realistic historical backgrounds), he opened up the movements of History. His works talked about revolutions and social transformations, his characters are forced to accept their time, which changes.
Gothic novel: it’s set in haunted castles, wild landscapes (sublime concept), connected with Medieval time. It deals with macabre and fantastic.

JANE AUSTEN: BIOGRAFIA E OPERE

Jane Austen (Steventon 1775 – Winchester 1817). She was educated by her father, who passed her the Augustan taste. In 1805 her father died, her brother had inherited all, so she, her mother and sister were forced to move to Southampton. She published Sense and Sensibility in 1811 and Pride and Prejudice in 1813. In 1817 she became ill and she died.
Even if love is the main theme of her novels, in them there’re no fits, no outbursts (slanci, impeti) of passion, no free expression of feelings, but restrained (contenute), measured emotions, which link her to the age of rationalism, rather than to the age of romanticism. In this sense Marianne is an exception, because she gives vent (sfoga) to her emotions.
Sense and Sensibility: A plot similar to her life. Main characters: Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, when their father died, they, their mother and young sister were forced to live in a cottage. Elinoir has become attracted to Mrs John Dashwood’s brother, Edward Ferras, but they remained distant. Marianne in the country fell in love with John Willoughby, a penniless man, who seems to reciprocate her feelings. But later she discovered that he has become engaged, the same for Edward, but the difference is that Elinor conceals her grief (nasconde il dolore), instead Marianne fell in despair. In the end Edward being free by his engagement and he married Elinor, Marianne accepted the proposal of Colonel Brandon. Themes: 1. social theme, women couldn’t inherit nothing 2. psychological theme, the happiness of these women depends on their ability to choose well their husbands, the problem of knowledge.

Lewis Carroll e Walt Whitman: vita, opere e stile

WALT WHITMAN: BIOGRAFIA E OPERE

In 19th century Americans try to produce an autonomous literally form, free from the English literature influence. So as a reaction, considering that in England the dominant literally form was the novel, in America we have a great poetic production. Dickens vs Whitman: the poet of London, industrialization cities vs poet of vastness and purity of the American landscapes.

Walt Whitman (NY 1819 – New Jersey 1892). He was a writer and editor for magazines. He produced Leaves of Grass, a collection which appearing in nine edition. He saw the wounded and dying soldiers of Civil War, this experience led him to publish Drum Taps (1865) and a Sequel, with the famous elegy to Abraham Lincoln (Oh Captain, my Captain).