LECTURE 17
E
NGLISH
L
ITERATURE AT THE END OF THE
19
TH AND THE BEGINNING OF THE
20
TH CENTURY
4.
Literary activity of Thomas Hardy. Depression and fatality in his works. His work «Tess of the
D’Urbervilles».
5.
Philosophy and creative work of Oscar Wilde (“Picture of Dorian Grey”).
6.
Social-philosophical fantasy of Herbert George Wells. Creation of ideological innovations in his
early works – “Time Machine”, “Invisible Man”, “the War of the Worlds”.
AESTHETIC
- adj. 1 of or sensitive to beauty. 2 artistic, tasteful. —n. (in pl.) philosophy of beauty, esp. in art. • aesthetically
adv. aestheticism n.
CULT
– 1 religious system, sect, etc., esp. ritualistic. 2 a devotion to a person or thing (cult of aestheticism). b fashion. c
(attrib.) fashionable (cult film). [Latin: related to *cultivate]
E
NGLISH
L
ITERATURE AT THE END OF THE
19
TH AND THE BEGINNING OF THE
20
TH CENTURY
General background.
By 1880, England had become the first modern industrial empire. Its large manufacturing centers
produced goods that went by rail and then by steamship to consumers all over the world. British
investments and energy were expanding and served for the defense of the Empire.
On the other hand, the second half of the 19
th
century in England gave rise to a rapid growth of social
contradictions. Those contradictions found their reflection in literature, too. It was reflected in literature by
the appearance of different trends. A great number of writers continued the realistic traditions of their
predecessors. It was represented by such writers as George Meredith, Samuel Butler, and Thomas Hardy.
The novelists gave a truthful picture of the contemporary society.
The writers of another trend, by way of protest against severe reality, tried to lead the reader away
from life into the world of dreams and fantasy. They idealized the patriarchal way of life and criticized the
existing society chiefly for its anti-aesthetics. Russian literary critics called them decadents.
(
English and
American literary critics call them the writers belonging to the Aesthetic trend).
Though the decadent
writers saw the vices of the surrounding world, and in some of their works we find a truthful and critical
description of contemporary life; on the whole their inner world lacks depth. They were firm in their
opinion that it was impossible to better the world. They conveyed the idea that everyone must strive for his
own private happiness, avoid suffering and enjoy life at all costs. The decadent writers created their own
cult
of beauty and proclaimed the theory of "pure art"; their motto was "art for art's sake". (Oscar Wilde,
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