The document provides an overview of British literature from the 16th to 20th centuries, covering major authors and works in fiction, poetry, and drama. It discusses Thomas More and his book Utopia, John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, and George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, among other influential British literary works.

1. British Literature Part 3 Chapter 5

2. Fiction The 16 th Century Thomas More and Utopia (p. 189) Written during the outbreak of the Reformation More was against King Henry VIII’s decision to leave the Catholic Church Beheaded by the King Utopia means “any visionary system of political or social perfection” Promotes a communal society (alternative to Feudalism) Exposes the poverty of the laboring classes

3. Fiction The 17 th Century John Bunyan and a Pilgrim’s Progress (p. 189) Pilgrimage - “a religious quest” John Bunyan wrote about this pilgrimage while in prison Pilgrim’s Progress has been translated into more languages than any other book other than the Bible . Wrote of the importance of “saving one’s soul”

4. Fiction The 18 th Century Daniel Defoe and Robinson Crusoe (p. 190) Adventure novel The story of a man deserted on an island Tries to create his own society on the island Think of British Imperialism Jonathon Swift and Gulliver’s Travels (p. 190) Lemuel Gulliver travels to four fictional islands Gulliver tries to understand the different societies Eventually rejects human society Criticizes both British and European Governments

5. Fiction 19 th Century – “The Golden Age of the Novel” (p. 191) Charles Dickens – a “realist” who wrote about the working class Great Expectations is said to be a book about Dickens’s life Pip goes from being a laborer to a gentleman (working class to upper class) A story of growing up and dealing with the social norms (rules) of the times Female writers, Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters Jane Austen- Pride and Prejudice - A story of “love, reputation, and class” Mrs. Bennet is desperate to see all of her middle-class daughters married to rich husbands. The story follows the sisters Elizabeth and Jane. Emily and Charlotte Bronte Also wrote love stories Notice that these writers focus mainly on the “middle to upper-class”

6. Fiction 20 th Century (pp. 194-195) Joseph Rudyard Kipling was the first British novelist to win the Nobel Peace Prize Wrote about colonial life in India (The British Empire) Believed that British (“white people”) were superior to other cultures The Jungle Book is the story of Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves in the Indian Jungle James Joyce was an Irish writer known for his command of the English language Dubliners shows the lives of Irish people in the city of Dublin (the capital of Ireland). Describes with political and religious issues in Ireland Joyce and Virginia Woolf are known as “stream-of-consciousness” writers

7. Poetry (p. 197) 7 th Century Beowulf – a reflection of tribal society Written in “Old English” 14 th Century Geoffrey Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales Founder of English literature (the Tales are in “Middle English”) Most literature was written in French or Latin during this time Insight into life of people during Middle Ages Characters are on a pilgrimage (a religious journey) See characters such as the Knight (soldier), the Merchant, and even the Cook

8. Poetry 17 th Century (p. 197) John Milton and Paradise Lost The story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden Mostly known for his style Neo-classical- a return to the Greek style of literature 18 th Century (p. 199) William Wordsworth and Daffodils (video) Whenever he is sad, the flowers make him happy We can see Wordsworth’s respect and love for nature He celebrated the “common man” with simple language 19 th Century (p. 200) Alfred Tennyson and In Memoriam Tennyson (and also Robert Browning) is known for the emotion he expresses in his works In Memoriam covers a period of 3 years and the death of loved ones (friends and relatives) The poem jumps from grief to joy (shows his style)

9. Poetry 20 th Century (p. 201) William Butler Yeats and The Second Coming A famous Irish writer, Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1923 Leader of the Irish literary renaissance The Second Coming describes the end of the world “ Everything as we know it” will be changed Ireland gaining independence, World War I, etc. Thomas Stearns Elliot and The Waste Land Elliot won the Nobel Prize in 1948 (He is one of the most influential writers on the 20 th century) The Waste Land describes Europe after World War I

10. Drama William Shakespeare (p. 202) Now we will see the birth of “Modern English” Shakespeare was one of the greatest writers who ever lived Wrote 37 plays Also known for his poetry In his plays one can discover “the spirit of the time” Many of the words we use today originate from Shakespeare's works

11. Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet Takes place in Italy There are two rival families, the Montague and the Capulets Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet They fall in love at a party They plan a secret wedding Romeo kills Tybalt (a Capulet) in a fight Juliet drinks a potion to appear dead Romeo does not know of this and believes she is dead He kills himself Juliet awakes and sees Romeo She kills herself with the dagger When the two families find the two lovers, they end their disputes (rivalry)

12. Drama Oscar Wilde and The Importance of Being Earnest (p. 204) Advocates “art for art’s sake” This means he was not trying to question society during this time, he simply enjoyed writing plays He is known for his witty, clever and sharp language In The Importance of Being Earnest is about two men (Jack and Algernon) who lead double lives and fall in love with multiple women George Bernard Shaw and Pygmalion (p. 205) Won the Nobel Prize in 1925 Was a social reformer (contrast to Oscar Wilde) In Pygmalion a phonetics teacher tries to make a “lady” out of a simple flower girl Although the girl is lower-class, she is received in upper-class society The play questions social class and human behavior