Great Books PREFINALS

Enlightenment and Neoclassical literature

literature that focuses on reason, logic, social critique, and moral order

Enlightenment

encouraged people to think carefully, question authority, and explore the world through science and logic

satire and wit

Writers used this to examine society and human behavior during the Enlightenment age.

Age of Reason

also known as enlightenment

Neoclassicism

revived ancient Greek and Roman literary forms, valuing clarity, order, and balance.

Neoclassicism

Influenced by enlightenment, this literature emphasized on structured writing, moral lessons, and universal truths, often using satire to critique society.

satire

used to critique society. employs humor, irony, and exaggeration to reveal flaws in society or human behavior.

Reason

this promotes critical thinking and logical understanind.

Reason

Used by writers to challegen traiditons, question authrority, and encourage reform

Voltaire

French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher. Writer of Candide.

Candide

literature piece that critiques Blind optimism, organized religion, and societal injustices through sharp reasoning and wit. Written by Voltaire.

Jonathan Swift

Irish Satirist and Author of A modest proposal. Uses irony.

A Modest Proposal

uses irony. Suggests that poor people sell their children. Uses shocking exaggeration, exposes societal neglect and government indifference.

Develop Critical Thinking

Encouraged analyzing ideas, questioning assumptions, and forming well reasoned judgements.

Understand Social Critique

Shows how writers use satire and reason to explore ethics and civic responsibility.

Promote Structure and Clarity

demonstrate balance, order, and disciplined expression.

1660-1800 CE

The time period of the Enlightenment and Neoclassical literature

Romanticism

emphasized emotion, nature, imagination, the sublime, and individualism.

Romanticism

celebrated personal feelings, creativity, and unique experiences.

Romanticism

explored the beauty and power of nature, the awe-inspiring experiences (the sublime), and the freedom to think and feel as individuals, often breaking away from strict rules and traditional forms

Emotion

Intense feelings and personal experience to understand human life.

William Wordsworth

English poet, wrote I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

Celebrates how a simple scene of daffodils can inspire joy, peace, and reflection

Nature

serves as a source of inspiration, beauty, and spiritual insight.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

nglish poet, wrote Ode to the West Wind

Ode to the West Wind

personifies the wind as a force of change and highlighting nature's power and its influence on human thought

Imagination

English novelist and the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley, wrote Frankenstein

Frankenstein

explores ambition, ethics, and the consequences of challenging natural laws through imaginative storytelling

The Sublime

conveys overwhelming beauty, awe, or terror, often connected to nature or intense emotion.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

English poet, wrote The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Evokes fear, guilt, and wonder through the vast sea, supernatural events, and the mariner's isolation.

Individualism

personal freedom, self-expression, and moral reflection.

Lord Byron

An English poet, wrote Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.

Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

a hero who values his own personal experiences over societal expectations.

Understand the Power of Emotion

feelings, intuition, and imagination as central to understanding human experience

Appreciate Nature's Influence

explores how nature inspires creativity, reflection, and spiritual insight.

Recognize Personal Expression

individuality, originality, and freedom from societal constraints.

1780-1850 CE

Year that romanticism took place

Realism and Naturalism

Depicts life accurately and objectively. Focuses on everyday experiences, human behavior, and social conditions.

Realism

ordinary people and everyday life. Focuses on moral choices, social interactions, and ethical dilemmas, emphasizing society's influence on individuals.

Naturalism

built upon Realism. emphasized determinism. Shows how environment, heredity, and social conditions shape human behavior.

Naturalist/Naturalism

works that depict life as harsh and inevitable, illustrating forces beyond individual control.

Social Critique

examines society by exposing inequalities, corruption, and social injustices. Encourage readers to reflect on ethical dilemmas and the human condition.

Émile Zola

French novelist and leader of the Naturalist movement. Author of Germinal.

Germinal

Portrays the harsh lives of 19th-century coal miners in France. Reveals poverty, exploitation, and class struggles, criticizing social and economic systems that oppress workers.

Detailed Characterization

resents characters with complex personalities, motivations, and moral struggles. Emphasize psychological realism, showing how environment, society, and heredity shape human behavior.

Mark Twain

American novelist, wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Explores Huck's moral struggles, choices, and growth in response to society and his environment.

Depict Everyday Life

portray ordinary people, daily experiences, and realistic social settings.

Examine Influences on Behavior

Show how external forces, such as environment, family, and society, shape characters' actions and decisions.

Explore Social Challenges

highlight economic hardship, social inequality, and ethical conflicts in daily life.

Gulliver's Travels

a satirical novel by Jonathan Swift. Critiques human nature, society, and politics

Lemuel Gulliver

The man who voyages to fantastical lands

Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, and Houyhnhnm Land

The lands Lumuel Gulliver traveled to

exaggeration

The novel uses this to highlight human folly

symbolism

The novel uses this to represent pride and reason

irony

Uses this to expose the absurdity of societal customs.

Lemuel Gulliver

Ship's surgeon and protagonist. Becomes a giant in Lilliput.

The Lilliputians

Tiny people. Six inches tall. Proud, petty, and politically divided

Emperor of Lillipu

Ruler. Tests Gulliver. represents authority and politics

Flimnap

Treasurer and court official. Involved in rivalries and plots.

The Blefuscudians

People of Lilliput's rival island. opposing political views and conflicts

Lilliput and Blefuscu,

Gulliver's Travels Part I is set on

royal palaces, Lilliputian cities, and the surrounding countryside.

Where the Story takes place

Pride and Vanity

obsession with rules, appearances, and small disputes.

Pride and Vanity

highlights their arrogance and petty behavior

Politics and Power

Conflicts between Lilliput and Blefuscu. Court rivalries. create unnecessary tension.

Perspective and Relativity

Gulliver's giant size contrasts with the tiny Lilliputians. Shows viewpoint affects understanding.

Character vs. Character

Gulliver navigates the Lilliputians' strict rules, court politics, and demands. Gulliver is fighting against Liliputians.

Character vs. Self

Gulliver struggles to adapt to Lilliputian customs while REFLECTING on human pride and folly.

Character vs. Society

Gulliverfaces a rigid, petty society that focuses on trivial disputes and absurd rules.

first-person perspective

Gulliver's Travels Part I is told from.

Respect, humility, and wise judgment

important lessons learned through Gulliver's experiences in Lilliput.

perspective, reason, and understanding others

The values shown in Gulliver's travels

pride, petty disputes, and blind ambition

causes unnecessary conflict and frustration

Gulliver's Travels

timeless satire that combines adventure, humor, and moral lessons, offering insights into human pride, politics, and folly.

Mark Twain

Auther of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Where Huckleberry Finn (Huck) first appears

Huckleberry "Huck" Finn

Protagonist and narrator. adventurous, independent, and struggles with moral dilemmas

Jim

runaway slave owned by Miss Watson; compassionate, loyal, and values freedom and friendship

Miss Watson

owned Finn

Tom Sawyer

Huck's friend; imaginative, adventurous, and clever; helps plan Jim's escape.

Pap Finn

Huck's abusive, alcoholic father; selfish, and racist; Sparks Huck's escape

The Duke and the King

Conmen; deceitful, greedy, and chaotic

Mississippi River

Where The Adventures of Huckleberry Finnis set along

19th-century America

WHEN The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is set on

River, Towns along the shore, and cabins and farms

Key locations in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

river

where travel and freedom unfold

towns along the shore

eveal society's rules

abins and farms

where personal struggles and conflicts take place.

dynamic and unpredictable

The setting feels

adventure, danger, and the search for independence

The setting reflects

Freedom and Independence

Huck and Jim pursue freedom while questioning society's rules

Morality and Conscience

Huck struggles with doing what is right versus following societal expectations.

Friendship and Loyalty

Huck and Jim support each other through danger and uncertainty.

Character vs. Character

Huck struggles to escape his father's abuse and control

Character vs. Self

Huck struggles internally with whether helping Jim is morally right.

Character vs. Society

Huck faces external conflict with societal expectations, laws, and racial prejudice.

first-person narration

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn uses this as narration. focuses on Huck's thoughts, feelings, and perspective, giving readers direct insight into his morality, decisions, and experiences.

freedom, friendship, and doing what is right

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn teaches that ____, ____, and _____ are more important than society's rules.