Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Latin

Post-War British Literature: A Look at The Movement and Beyond

The Cultural Landscape of Post-War Britain

The cultural landscape of the post-war period reflects a sense of fragmentation and absurdity, echoing the punk and anarchist movements and exemplified by the Theatre of the Absurd. This existential futility is underscored by the trauma of events like the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Consumerism created an illusion of prosperity, masking widespread disillusionment. This disappointment found its voice in the writings of the Angry Young Men.

The Angry Young Men

These writers, often from working-class backgrounds, found themselves alienated from both the middle and working classes. Key figures included John Osborne, John Braine, and... Continue reading "Post-War British Literature: A Look at The Movement and Beyond" »

Camilo José Cela's *The Family of Pascual Duarte*: A Deep Dive

The Genesis of a Literary Masterpiece

The Family of Pascual Duarte was the first novel by Camilo José Cela, one of the most important writers of the postwar period, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. This work, along with *The Hive*, is among the best of his literary production.

A Confession from the Condemned

The work is presented as the confession of a condemned man. The offender is Pascual Duarte, a peasant who has committed several murders, including that of his own mother. He confesses his sins in an autobiography to publicly explain his conduct. He tries to justify, not only to explain, why he committed these crimes.

Pascual Duarte begins his story by explaining the... Continue reading "Camilo José Cela's The Family of Pascual Duarte: A Deep Dive" »

Understanding Active and Passive Voice

This section illustrates the transformation between active and passive voice across various verb tenses, using clear examples.

Bécquer's Late Romantic Works

Poetry

Rimas

Bécquer's most famous work, Rimas, is a collection of 79 short poems characterized by their intimate tone, simple vocabulary, and assonant rhyme. These poems explore themes of love, inspiration, disillusionment, and loneliness. They are grouped into four series that trace the arc of a love story:

1. The Mystery of Poetry (1-11)
2. Hopeful and Joyous Love (12-29)
3. Love's Disillusionment (30-51)
4. Loneliness and Emptiness (52-79)

Bécquer's style avoids the loudness and effects of earlier Romantic poetry, favoring a soft rhythm and evocative language.

Characteristics

• Influence of popular poetry: Short, direct verses with assonance and repetition.
• Influence of Symbolism: Exploration of interior experiences and the ineffable

Work and Career Vocabulary

• apply for a place (v) – solicitar una plaza
• appoint (v) – nombrar
• become an apprentice (v) – convertirse en aprendiz
• commission someone to do something (v) – encargar a alguien que haga algo
• full-time job (n) – trabajo a tiempo completo
• graduate from (v) – graduarse de
• homeless shelter (n) – refugio para personas sin hogar
• internship (n) – prácticas
• low paid (adj) – mal pagado
• mentor an intern (v) – guiar a un becario
• part-time job (n) – trabajo a tiempo parcial
• permanent position (n) – puesto fijo
• placement (n) – práctica laboral
• supervise someone (v) – supervisar a alguien
• take on (a job) (phr v) – aceptar (un trabajo)
• temporary job (n) – trabajo temporal
• turn down (a job) (phr v) – rechazar (

Neoclassicism: Reason and Didacticism in 18th Century Spain

Neoclassicism was a prominent artistic movement of the eighteenth century, deeply influenced by the Enlightenment. In this era, reason predominated over the senses, and literature adopted a strong didactic purpose, with the critical essay gaining significant prominence. The prevailing style was simple, valuing good taste and clarity.

Lyric Poetry in Neoclassicism

Neoclassical lyric poetry was characterized by being neither original nor overtly emotional. Instead, it valued didactic and utilitarian poetry. Juan Meléndez Valdés stands out as the poet who best summarized the neoclassical Anacreon, also addressing social issues in his works.

Prose: Modern Language and Social Critique

The... Continue reading "Spanish Literary Movements: Neoclassicism and Romanticism" »

The title of this book is a play on words. *Dead* means mort, and *Lock* means resclusa. What does “deadlock” mean? A complete failure to reach an agreement or solve an argument.

Key Events and Characters in Deadlock

Here are the key questions and answers:

1. Who was Boom Boom?

   Boom Boom was an injured hockey player working for the Eudora Grain Company; he was found dead.

2. How did he die?

   A ship was tied up at the wharf, and Boom Boom went under as she pulled away. His body was badly chewed up (p. 2).

3. Who tells the story, and what relation does she have with Boom Boom?

   Vic tells the story; she’s Boom Boom’s cousin and friend.

4. What’s Vic’s job?

   She is a detective.

5. Why did Vic want to find out more about Boom Boom’s death?

   Because she didn’t

Part IV: A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms

1. Arrival and First Encounters

After being abandoned by pirates, Gulliver encounters a race of hideous, deformed, and savage humanoid creatures called Yahoos, towards whom he feels a strong aversion. Soon after, he meets the Houyhnhnms, a race of intelligent horses who rule over the Yahoos.

2. The Nature of Houyhnhnms

Gulliver learns that "Houyhnhnm" translates to both "horse" and "perfection of nature" in their language. He explains human society to the Master Horse, who is unfamiliar with concepts like deception, power, greed, lust, or envy.

3. Human Nature and War

The Master Horse inquires about the causes of war among humans. Gulliver explains three main reasons: ambition for conquest, government... Continue reading "Gulliver's Travels Among the Houyhnhnms" »

T.S. Eliot's Concept of Literary Tradition

This concept forms a crucial point of union between Eliot, Pound, Arnold, and the New Critics. While 'traditional' often implies outdated, for Eliot, it held a unique meaning. Eliot's perspective on history sometimes appears contradictory. He sometimes viewed the poet's role as simply expressing their epoch, and at other times, as actively disagreeing with their contemporary period. Eliot leaned towards the former, believing a poet should passively represent their era's ideas without disagreement. This is why he praised Elizabethan poets for their wonderful capacity to 'poetize' their period.

Great universal classic art, in his view, lacks a critical historical capacity; it doesn't question events but... Continue reading "T.S. Eliot's Poetics: Tradition, Language, and the Poet's Role" »