Saturday, 27 April 2024

The Norman invasion of England in 1066

The Norman invasion of England in 1066 

Introduction: 

The year 1066 CE had a great impact on the history of England, with it being the conquest of William the Conqueror, the Norman leader in the country. As a result of the Viking invasion, the English kingdoms came under foreign rule for the first time since the Anglo-Saxon invasion. This marked a major process of political, social, and cultural change that would affect England for years to come.

Reasons for the Invasion

William, the Dutek of Normandy, said that Edward the Confessor had promised this English throne to him as his cousin. With Edwrad´s death, the leaders of the noblemen in England acclaimed Harold, son of Godwinson, as their king. In such a way, William received an opportunity to lay siege to England with the army of the Normans. Apart from that, other societies’ levels of wealth and strategic locations favored William’s campaign to recapture the throne.

The Battle of Hastings

The Saxon king, Harold, with a larger army of 7,000 men, and William, with his Normans, fought over the battlefield for three days before the Saxon army was finally defeated in late October. The combat continued for hours on hours, with a severe loss of personnel on the enemy as well as on our side. Finally, the Normans prevailed thanks to trickery that they employed, for example, a tactic known as feigned retreats. It was not just William that fell head down but also Harold King at the battle end, which means resistance is no longer concerted.


The Norman Occupation

Therefore, the victory at Hastings did not mean that William ceased to be troubled by rebellion; moreover, reinforced by it, the Normans were able to capture the whole of England. Charles had his crowning in London on Christmas Day in 1066, so the Norman authority is fully established. Without any significant resistance, William soon started the construction of motte-and-bailey castles and gave away the estates to his most loyal barons to maintain control over affairs. He also asked for a Domesday Book, a book of land holdings for collecting taxes.

Administrative and legal changes

The Normans made fundamental changes in administration and the justice system among their English subjects. The government replaced Old English with Norman French and Latin in formal documents. A more straightforward form of government was made, with much more power being placed with the monarchy. A single legal system had to be applied to all the citizens of England as well. By making these changes, he seemed to solidify his power and control as a king.

Cultural Impact

The Norman rule, on the other hand, brought the country's cultural identity into question. As we assume Norman French and French influences, the cultural impact would be taking place in England. In the Norman architectural style, they were built all over the landscape: castles and Romanesque cathedrals. By the Norman barons and church officials in succession later, many of the already existing English nobles and clergy had lost their power, and the position of the church officials started being important. During the Norman Kings in the 1060s, the English culture evolved under Norman form.

Conclusion

The Norman Conquest, followed by the 1066 Battle of Hastings, included the growth of a new Norman nobility through the replacement of the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy. It was a turning point in the history of English society. It helped in strengthening the monarchy, introduced some cultural changes, and made England more European. The consequence of the Conquest by William, in turn, still has its echoes in the English language, culture, and institutions. It was a dramatic period in the British process of becoming England and Britain over the centuries that followed.

 

 


Tuesday, 12 April 2022

Henry Fielding Biography - Books & Life - Interesting Facts, Novels, Dramas

The Life of Henry Fielding, The Father of Novel

Table of Contents

  • Early Life and Childhood
  • Henry Fielding's Career
  • Henry Fielding The New Magistrate
  • Henry Fielding Major Works
  •  Henry Fielding's Famous Novels
  • Henry Fielding's Famous Plays
  • Henry Fielding's Personal Life and Legacy
  • Henry Fielding Love Affairs
  • Henry Fielding Sister Sarah
  • Death of Henry Fielding
  • Early Life and Childhood
On April 22, 1707, in Somerset, England, Col. Edmund Fielding, and his wife gave birth to Henry Fielding. His father served under John Churchill, John was the duke of Marlborough, a commander in the early 18th century. Soon after, his father remarried, and Henry was left alone at the age of 11. Soon after that, he went to attend Eton College. It was Henry's choice for studying the classics. George Lyttelton, a future politician, was introduced to him and they became friends. However, Henry started composing plays during this period. Over time, Henry enrolled at the University of Leiden in Holland in 1728 to pursue a degree in classical studies and law. Unfortunately, he gave up his studies due to a lack of money and return back home after just a few months.

Henry Fielding's Career

After returning to England, he started creating plays for the stage in the 1730s. The British Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole's administration was criticized by him in his plays.  The Theatrical Licensing Act of 1737 is said to have been established in revenge for his actions and the works he has written against the government. Having his creative freedom severely curtailed by the Act, Henry was unable to satirize official characters in his plays. In the end, he quit the stage and became a barrister, a lawyer.

However, Henry never stopped writing. In his writing career, a writer named Samuel Richardson published Virtue Rewarded or Pamela in 1740. It tells the tale of a servant girl who rejects her master's efforts to try to love her and ends up winning his heart because of her purity.  As a result, this work was a big success. However, the way Richardson presented women in his work was disliked by Henry. So, Henry wrote a work against Richardson above work and mocked the women's morality in his newly made work, 'Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews."

The interesting thing to note is that this work was not published under Henry's name and Henry never claimed credit for the piece, and it was published anonymously. Based on his writing style, it is widely recognized that he was responsible for the book's success. 

His novel 'Joseph Andrews,' is considered one of Henry’s great works. Fielding's debut as a professional author was marked by the publication of this work.

In the year 1743, he wrote another great work to honor Mr. Jonathan Wild. That is why he wrote ‘The History of the Life of Mr. Jonathan Wild the Great." In this work, Henry compared Robert Walpole and Jonathan Wild. 

History saw the great author become famous because of his hilarious humor. He became known as a humorist in the mid-1740s, and in 1749 he wrote 'Tom Jones.' Iconic tales of a low-class hero's travels are depicted in this picaresque book set in an unjust culture.

Henry Fielding The New Magistrate

Many people do not know that he was a magistrate. For many years in the late 1740s, he served as both a magistrate in Middlesex and a judge of the peace for Westminster, London.  In 1749, he and his younger half-brother John, both dedicated to the struggle against crime and formed the Bow Street Runners. They became the greatest magistrates in eighteenth-century London who made the Bow Street Runners, It is called the city's first professional police force.

Henry Fielding Major Works

Henry Fielding was influenced by William Shakespeare, Homer, Horace, Miguel de Cervantes, John Milton, and Jonathan Swift.

"Tom Jones," Henry Fielding's best-known work and the first English book to be described as a novel, is the subject of this article. The work, which spans 18 volumes, is well-structured despite its length. In his 1948 book 'Great Novelists and Their Novels,' W. Somerset Maugham listed it as one of the world's top 10 novels.

 Henry Fielding's Famous Novels

  • Shamela
  • Jonathan Wild
  • Amelia

Henry Fielding's Famous Plays

  • Rape upon Rape
  • The Modern Husband
  • Love in Several Masques
  • The Temple Beau
  • The Universal Gallant
  • Pasquin
  • The Covent Garden Tragedy
  • The Author's Farce

Henry Fielding's Personal Life and Legacy

Charlotte Craddock, Henry Fielding's first wife, wed him in 1734. He loved her so much that he based two of his heroines (Sophia and Amelia) on her. Only one of the couple's five children lived into maturity. In 1744, his wife died, and he was devastated. Charlotte's 23-year-old daughter was also tragically killed after a short period of time.

Henry Fielding Sister Sarah

Sarah Fielding, Fielding's sister, was also an accomplished author. In addition, The Governess (1749) by Sarah Fielding can make her to being the first English children's fiction.

Henry Fielding Love Affairs

He had an affair with his wife's maid, Mary Daniel, and she got pregnant with his kid due to their relationship. They were married and had five children as a result of their romance. Unfortunately, three of the youngsters died of their injuries at an early age.

Death of Henry Fielding

Henry Fielding had gout and asthma, a disease in the early 1750s, which worsened. The year 1752 was the year that he needed crutches or a wheelchair. To find a solution to his health problems, he traveled to Portugal in the summer of 1754. On the 8th of October, 1754, he passed away in Lisbon.

Click here for more articles Types of Novel - Origin of Novel

Sunday, 10 April 2022

How did Virginia Woolf die?

What caused Virginia Woolf's death?

Suicide, as many as two suicide attempts, was made on her part. Perhaps she had bipolar disorder, which had no effective treatment at the time of her illness. As a 59-year-old in 1941, Woolf drowned herself in Lewes' River Ouse.














How old was Virginia Woolf at the time of her death?

Fifty-nine yearsIn 1941, at the age of 59, Woolf committed suicide by jumping into the sea near her home in Sussex, England, after a lifetime of mental illness


Among the many tributes, she received from TIME, was that her work was complicated and poetic.

Is Virginia Woolf's body found?

Yes, her corpse was found on April 18th. Her husband, Leonard, was able to identify her accurately.

How many children did Virginia have?

Woolf battled the "hairy black monsters" of instability even as her career flourished.

Due to Leonard's belief that Virginia lacked both mental and physical strength, the couple could not have children.

Virginia Woolf's suicide note included what?

"In these horrible circumstances, I feel I can no longer carry on." This is not what she wrote: "I feel like I am going insane again." There is no way we can go through something worse than that again.

Woolf's Suicide Note

What went so wrong for Vita and Virginia, exactly?

There's a clear indication that the movie gets this wrong: Orlando, a work in which Woolf lavishly riffs on the life, character, and family background of Vita Sackville-West. It is implied throughout the film that Vita attempted but failed to free Virginia from her sad state.

Was Virginia Woolf a real person?

Adeline Virginia Woolf, better known as Virginia Woolf, she was born in 25 January 1882 in London and died 28 March 1941 in Rodmell, Sussex English writer whose books had a significant impact on the genre with their nonlinear approaches to narrative.

Name the beloved of Virginia Woolf?

In 1922, Virginia Woolf had the pleasure of meeting novelist Vita Sackville-West. Friends and colleagues until Woolf died in 1941, and they became lovers.

Please visit here for the Biography

Thursday, 17 February 2022

Introduction of Structuarlism l Aims of Structuralism l Key Features of Structuralism l Popular Structuarlists



Everything in this world has a structure. Whatever we look at has a specific structure. So, Strcutarlsim is related to structure. It is the most influential philosophical movement of the 20th Century. It provides a scientific explanation for how humans get meaning in not just works of literature but also in all other channels of information and social behavior.

Key highlights

  • Strcutarlsim definition
  • Aims of Structurelaim
  • Key Features of Structuralism
  • Saussure's Four Fundamental Principles
  • Concept of Structuralism
  • Popular Structuarlists

    Strcutarlsim definitions: 

    ''As a philosophical philosophy, structuralism is described as "anything that can explain the meaning and structure of words."

    ''Although Structuralism is founded on linguistics, it is necessary to know the language in order to comprehend the language.''

    ''To understand the structure of a particular situation, a structuralist relies on his focus on form.''

    Aims of Structurelaim:  

    • It aims to understand human behavior and culture by looking at it as a comprehensive series of interrelated elements. 
    • Structuralists believe that everything we do and everything we think is a result of the language system we utilize; they believe that language gives meaning to everything we do and everything we imagine. 
    • It has the study of symbols, signs, and communications, as well as how meaning is created and comprehended, are all interlinked in this study.

    Structuralism is predicated on the following fundamental principles: 

    • It says "structural principles" stress survival over change. 
    • Structures are the "real things" which live beneath the surface or appearance of meanings.
    • Structures are the "tangible things" that form a system.

    Saussure's Four Fundamental Principles:

    • We offer things meanings based on nothing other than our own taste.
    • A word's body or shape has no influence on its meaning. 
    • He claimed that the meaning of the words is a function of their environment. It is impossible to define a term in isolation from its background.
    • There have been no fundamental, or permanent meanings in words, according to Saussure's theory.  Regardless of the fact that they are all dogs, the term "dog" would not be able to convey a single notion or a definite meaning.
    • Saussure's fourth and last assumption is that language is the essence of our environment. Thinking is possible because language emerges.

    • Structuralism aims to understand the universe in terms of how ideas are created.
    • It believes that the universe is structured in a rational way. 
    • Structuralism rejects historicism and empirical realism.
    • Structuralism is founded in Saussure's work.
    • While language is a product of social interaction and changes through time, communication is an expression of one's thoughts and feelings.
    • Language, sign, and semiotics make up the three components of language.
    • When two or more linguistic signals are linked together, their meaning changes.
    • The smallest basic elements of communication are signs. Both the signifier and the signified are made up of two parts: signifier is the physical component, while signified is the mental one.
    • Structuralism is a way to find the framework or reasoning that underlies broad meanings.


    Structuralism is a philosophical school that argues everything we do as humans, including our emotions and thoughts, is a result of our language system, rather than anything inherent to our brains.

    • Lévi-Strauss
    • Althusser
    • Saussure
    • Third order
    • Assiter
    • Lacan and Piaget
    • Prague School

    Monday, 14 February 2022

    Postcolonial Literature l Post-colonial Literature Definition l Origin of Colonialism l Postcolonial Issues l Famous Postcolonial Authors

    Present Day Britain

    Introduction of Postcolonialism:

    In order to understand how the term "postcolonialism" has been utilized in literary criticism since the late 1980s, it's important to look at its development. Various commentators use the term in both the surnames and unhyphenated versions when discussing the same subjects of interest. 

    Origin of Colonialism:

    Colonization is a term that originated in the period of Roman dominations, and it refers to Romans who moved to other countries yet maintained their citizenship.

    Key highlights:
    • Introduction of Postcolonialism:
    • Origin of Colonialism
    • Who used the Postcolonial Period
    • Post-colonial Literature Definition
    • Postcolonial Issues
    • Imperialism and Colonialism
    • Role of Commonwealth in Colonial Rule
    • Famous Postcolonial Authors
    • Conclusion

    Who used the Postcolonial Period?

    The post-colonial period was first used by political analysts and businessmen, but authors and others started to use the term in a wide sociocultural framework in the late 1970s. Unhyphenated implies a preference for literary theory and the investigation of many narratives at a turning point of racism, gender, religion, and migration vs the improved version of the term.

    Gender, Religion

    Post-colonial Literature Definition:

    ''The kind of literature that is written in Colonial age is called Postcolonial Literature''

    People from formerly colonized nations write in postcolonial literature. It explains the role of literature in supporting and opposing cultural imperialism.

    Postcolonial Issues:

    In terms of a postmodern perspective, postcolonialism may be described as a study of the effects of colonization on both the community scale of ex-colonial societies and on a worldwide scale. 

    Sex, Racism, Religion

    Often, postcolonialism involves issues of sex, racism, religion, and geography, as well as response to European imperial narratives in the social sciences and humanities. 

    Imperialism and Colonialism:

    A distinction must be made: Imperialism refers to the creation of financial and political control, while colonialism refers to the physical control of some other state. The term's meaning includes both imperialism and colonialism, as well as the post-colonial age. In the west, postmodern critics are greatly concerned about the minority communities of African American people, British Asians, and African Caribbeans, as well as Aborigines in Canada and Australia. It is possible to apply postcolonialism in a wide variety of situations, recognizing epoch-defining configurations, historical transitions, and a socio-cultural space. 

    Role of Commonwealth in Colonial Rule:

    It is the kind of literature written in English by people from the Commonwealth.  The United Kingdom as a whole is known as the Commonwealth of Nations.  

    Commonwealth

    The Commonwealth is a group of 54 nations that were part of the British Empire at one time. Those nations that were ruled by the British, known as the Commonwealth, are the focus of Literature And culture. British, Irish, and American authors authoring in the Written English. 

    Famous Postcolonial Authors:

    Following are the famous writers of the Postcolonial age; 

    Edward Said:

    Edward Said's Orientalism (1978). Said believed that the knowledge developed by eastern academics and how it was used had a real effect on the colonial power. The creation of postcolonial studies, however, must be regarded as a long-term activity rather than a sequence of events, with the basic principles of this development emerging from a wide range of sources, some of which had nothing to do with colonialism at all, and others of which did. Many factors, along with the development of emerging independent nations, their impact on global politics, the evaluation of Western rationalism and its apparent participation with imperial expansion, and the debates over empiricism and culturalism in social science from the 1960s may be traced back. In order to write postcolonial literature, writers draw on a wide range of influences and references. 

    Famous works of Edward Said:

    • Orientalism (1978)
    • The question of Palestine (1979)
    • Covering Islam (1981)
    • Culture and Imperialism (1993)
    • Out of Place: A Memoir (1999)
    • The Edward Said reader (2000)
    • Parallels and Paradoxes (2002)
    • Culture and Resistance (2003)

    Toni Morrison:

    Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison, better known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye, was released in 1970. Song of Solomon, which she and her spouse co-wrote, won the National Book Critics Circle Award, placing her on the market.

    Famous works of Toni Morrison:

    • The Bluest Eye (1970)
    • Sula (1973)
    • Song of Solomon (1977)
    • Beloved (1987)
    • Playing in the Dark (1992)

     Arundhati Roy:

    "The God of Small Things" was awarded the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997 and has since gone on to become the best-selling book by an Indian writer who had not given set outside of India. In addition, she is an advocate for human rights and the preservation of the natural world. ”

    Famous works of Arundhati Roy:

    • The God of Small Things
    • My Seditious Heart
    • The end of imagination
    • Walking with the Comrades
    • The cost of living
    • Azadi

    Chinua Achebe:

    One of the most influential personalities in modern African literature is Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe. One of his most well-read and examined works is Thing Fall Apart.

    Chinua Achebe Famous works:

    • Things Fall Apart (1958) 
    • A Man of the People (1966) 
    • Arrow of God (1964) 
    • Hopes and Impediments (1988)
    • Anthills of the Savannah (1987)
    • No Longer at Ease (1960) 
    • Morning Yet on Creation Day (1975)
    • Home and Exile (2000)

    John Maxwell Coetzee:

    Author, essayist, linguist, and interpreter John Maxwell Coetzee received the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature. He is recognized by many as one of the best writers to have ever written in the English language.

    Famous works of John Maxwell Coetzee

    • Age of Iron (1990)
    • The Master of Petersburg (1994)
    • Disgrace (1999)
    • Life & Times of Michael K  (1983)
    • Foe (1986)
    • Boyhood (1997) 
    • Youth (2002).

    Tayeb Salih:

    Tayeb Salih used to have a long and successful career as a Sudanese author, intellectual journalist, and UNESCO employee. Season of Migration to the North is considered one of the most important novels in Arabic writing.

    Conclusion:

    Often, postcolonial literature focuses on problems such as the political and cultural independence of formerly oppressed nations, and also racial and colonial attitudes. 

    Many literary ideas have been produced by the problem. Literature is written by people from overseas who have rejected colonial rule was also included in this category. The concept "postcolonialism" has been used to characterize a number of different approaches to learning Western classics.

    Friday, 11 February 2022

    What is Neoclassical School of Thought l Neoclassical Period l Neoclassical Society l Origin of Neoclassical age

    What is Neoclassical?

    Neoclassical Art

    In Greek, Neos means "new" while in Latin, "Classicus" denotes "related to ancient Greek or Latin ideas of artistic expression." Neoclassicism was an anti-individualism and anti-violation of classical laws and legislation movement. Classicalists aimed to restore ancient standards in writing and other arts.
       

    • Fights for Power and Religion
    • Spirituality and Feelings
    • The Age of Pleasure
    • The Middle And lower classes Emerge
    • The Age's Spirit
    • The Market for Educational achievement
    • Literary Styles

    Background:

    The Pseudo-classical or Neo-classical era in English history from 1700 to 1798 may be split into two parts: Early in the century (1700-1740), Pope was the major poet and literary character, whereas later in the century (1740-1798) Dr. Johnson was its leading literary figure. During this time period, England had Queen Anne and three Georges who kept the throne of England.

    He calls it "our magnificent and important 18th century" since it witnessed the birth of the political essay and novel and the modern prose form. 

    Fights for Power and Religion

    The establishment of the Whig and Tory parties dates back to Charles I's reign. Although in the 18th century, the party atmosphere was prominent. Everybody was a Tory or a Whig. Each party desired literary support, and the writers gained reputation and significance. Eventually, they managed to break free of the wealthiest and most powerful's influence. "The authors made the most of the golden time of political pamphleteering." The Puritans hated the aristocracy, and the courtiers disliked the puritans.

    Spirituality and Feelings:

    Spirituality is the greatest example of this rebirth of feeling. Pope's religion was artificial, materialistic, and un-spiritual. The preachers no longer attempted to influence by explanation, but rather moved by feelings. They no longer cared about dignity and accuracy; they taught with deep love. The era's sentimentalism comes in many forms.

    Religious Prayers

    The Age of Pleasure:

    The neoclassical era is best described by ‘complacency' rather than ‘façade.' Comfort was valued in this era. The British felt politically invincible, leading to an attitude of intellectual and moral dominance. For the first time, magazines include ads for home design, fashion, and furniture. The Baroque era begins. It becomes critical to dress in expensive clothes, get your hair and makeup was done by the top stylists, etc. Many had servants as parents but now in this age, they had servants. 

    The Middle And lower classes Emerge:

    The rise of the middle class in politics, life, and society is another key aspect of the age. The country's wealth and happiness have increased.

    Wealthy Puritans

    The Age's Spirit:

    The first half of the 18th century saw a significant rise in social areas.   It was a period of compassion, moderation, and logical thinking, which focused to purify attitudes and introduce the principle of sweet rationality into existence. Even after the Whig oligarchy's fifty-year supremacy, the ideological power relationship was really enough to avoid violent party policies, whereas the established religion decided to pursue a peaceful middle ground.

    The Market for Educational achievement:

    These developments impacted literature greatly. Diaries, letters, and journals were prominent categories, frequently read alone in a private reading room.  But with a more complex society, major types like newspapers, novels, popular ballads, and theatre would also gain a broader audience. 

    Literary Styles

    An everlasting mark was established on the Age of Pope writings by the political and social shifts that indicate the superiority of reason and logic, rationality, and a total lack of interest. "The same temperament characterizes the writing of the era, which demonstrates a comparable harshness and lack of emotion, and a similar inclination toward shallowness in thinking and formality in language. No creative energy or emotion is expressed in this work; instead, it is an intellectual work with humor and fancifulness. It sacrifices simplicity and spontaneity in order to maintain a high standard for accuracy.

    Conclusion 

    In the Age of Enlightenment and the classical period, neoclassicism was formed out of a desire to return to the many forms and spirits of ancient antiquity.