Discover the transformative power of Richard Ellmann's biography in shaping James Joyce as a literary hero. Explore the meticulous research methods that reimagined Joyce for generations. Delve into the cultural influences of the time and how they impacted Joyce's legacy. Uncover the lasting effects of Ellmann's work on modern literary criticism, revealing how one author's life story can illuminate an entire literary movement.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Ellman's Charming Research Tactics
Richard Ellman secured exclusive access to valuable James Joyce materials through charm and strategic gifting.
Such personal interactions were crucial for compiling his comprehensive biography.
insights INSIGHT
Ellman's Psychological Portrait of Joyce
Ellman blended historical facts and psychological insight to portray Joyce's life and creative evolution.
This method revealed the emotional struggles that fueled Joyce's landmark stories.
insights INSIGHT
Joyce’s Political Nuance Underplayed
Ellman downplayed Joyce's political engagements though they deeply influenced his writings.
Joyce's socialist artist view and nationalist sentiments added complexity to his literary work.
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Middlemarch, written by George Eliot, is a novel that delves into the complexities of provincial life in 19th-century England. The story revolves around the intersecting lives of its characters, particularly Dorothea Brooke and Dr. Tertius Lydgate, as they navigate marriage, vocation, and social class. Eliot critiques the conventional romance narratives of her time by portraying marriage as a complex and often problematic institution. The novel also explores themes of idealism, self-interest, hypocrisy, and the constraints on women's lives. Set in the fictional town of Middlemarch between 1829 and 1832, the novel incorporates historical events such as the Great Reform Act of 1832 and early developments in medicine. Eliot's realistic portrayal of ordinary human life, with its quiet tragedies and small triumphs, has made 'Middlemarch' a masterpiece of English literature.
The western canon
The Books and School of the Ages
Harold Bloom
In 'The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages', Harold Bloom defends the concept of the Western literary canon by discussing 26 writers whom he considers central to it. Bloom argues against what he terms the 'school of resentment', which includes feminist, Marxist, and post-structuralist literary criticisms that he believes threaten the aesthetic values of literature. He emphasizes the importance of originality and the 'anxiety of influence' in literary works, with a particular focus on the impact of Shakespeare on subsequent literature. The book is divided into sections that trace the development of the Western canon through different ages, from the Theocratic Age to the Chaotic Age of the 20th century[1][3][5].
How Richard Ellmann made James Joyce a hero to generations of readers and scholars
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