British Culture - User contributions [en]

Laurence Sterne

2013-12-19T18:38:39Z

Joey:

1713-1768. Novelist and humorist

Laurence Sterne was born on 24 December 1713 in Clonmel, Ireland. At that time his father was stationed there due to his post as an army ensign. Sterne had many siblings and was the second of altogether seven children of Roger and Agnes Sterne.
Laurence Sterne studied at Jesus College, University of Cambridge. He later became a clergyman and inherited positions as vicar and priest. Only later in his life, at the age of 46, he began to write (Compare Pfister 12). Before he wrote novels, he engaged in political journalism by writing articles for the Pro-Walpole ''York Gazeteer'', which was published by his uncle Jacques Sterne who supported the Whigs. He is said to have done this in return for his uncles’ favours and patronage regarding his church career. Jacques Sterne himself was a reverend and “a successful ecclesiastical lawyer” (Ross 6) and eased Laurence Sterne’s entrance into the Church of England. The anonymous writing for the ''York Gazeteer'' came to an end because his identity was revealed and his writing criticised. As a consequence he retreated from politics, which dissatisfied his uncle (compare Ross 7). It is assumed that he engaged in political writing again during the Jacobite rebellion (1745-6) (Keymer xiii).
Sterne was married to Elizabeth Sterne and together they had one surviving daughter, Lydia. The happiness of the marriage did not last until the end of Sterne’s life and he is said to have had many affairs with other women. Before his death he fell in love with Elizabeth Draper, with whom he exchanged various letters. Their correspondence was published under the title ''Journal to Eliza'' (Compare Ross 17).
Laurence Sterne is mostly known for the novel ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman'' (short title: ''Tristram Shandy''), which was published in series over the course of eight years (1759-67). It altogether encompasses nine volumes. The novel is known and appreciated for its combination “of a laudable morality with whimsical bawdy” (Ross 12). But it was also this bawdiness which shocked many of his contemporaries, especially when they discovered that the author was a clergyman.
Only three weeks before his death ''A sentimental Journey through France and Italy'' (short title: ''A Sentimental Journey'') was published. In this work, Sterne included impressions from his own travels to the South of Europe. After his death, this work became even more famous than Tristram Shandy (Compare Ross 18).
Sterne’s works are said to have many autobiographic features. By some of his contemporaries he was even regarded as being ''Tristram'', who is the protagonist of ''Tristram Shandy'' (Compare Ross 12). There were also parallels with another character of his fiction, Mr. Yorick, a clergyman as well. Furthermore, in his fiction there were many references to real people in Sterne’s life.
Laurence Sterne was famous in Britain, but even more admired in other parts of Europe, like Germany. Goethe is said to have thought highly of him and “celebrated him as a ‘free soul’” (Pfister 3).
Since his youth, Sterne suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, which was the reason for his early death on 18 March 1768 with only 55 years.

Sources:
Keymer, Tom (Ed.): The Cambridge Companion to Laurence Sterne. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009 (Chronology).

Pfister, Manfred: Laurence Sterne. Devon: Northcote House, 2001.

Ross, Ian Campbell: Laurence Sterne’s life, milieu, and literary career. In: Keymer, Tom (Ed.): Cambridge Companion to Laurence Sterne. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. p. 5-20.

Laurence Sterne

2013-12-09T21:04:08Z

Joey:

1713-1768. Novelist and humorist

He is the author of the novel "Tristram Shandy".

Bloomsbury Group

2012-01-17T21:54:32Z

Joey:

Group of friends who met regularly at 46 Gordon Square, Bloomsbury, London, the home of [[Vanessa Bell]] and [[Virginia Woolf]]. Members of the group were [[John Maynard Keynes]], [[E.M. Forster]] and [[Roger Fry]].

The Bloomsbury Group emerged between 1905 and 1906. During that time a mixed group of writers, artists and critics started to meet regularly at 46 Gordon Square in Bloomsbury, a part of London. The house was the home of the sisters Virginia and Vanessa Stephen, who were still unmarried and moved there after their father had died. The Bloomsbury Group can be considered an informal association, which was connected by friendship and mutual interests in art, politics, literature and philosophy. Moreover they are said to have discussed more indecent topics at that time, like sex, open marriage and homosexuality. The exact number of members remains obscure, some consider the group to be existing of only nine people, which Leon Edels calls “originals”. For him, these originals were: Maynard Keynes, Leonard Woolf, Virginia Woolf, Lytton Strachey, Clive Bell, Desmond MacCarthy, Roger Fry, Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. He does not deny that there were other more silent members but he questions the real membership of other artists and writers, for example that of E.M Forster.
There is furthermore no real answer or consensus to the question, what Bloomsbury and the group really was. The group itself kept denying the fact that they indeed were one and there are many questions that are still open, like: Was the group Victorian or modern? Conventional or groundbreaking? But they definitely stood out for changes in society and revolted “against the artistic, social and sexual restrictions of Victorian society” (Drabble, 113).
Some facts nevertheless can be considered as true: The group did not only discuss specific topics, but general moral and political matters. Furthermore, the group was influenced by the attitudes of G. E. Moore, who in his Principia Ethica wrote of “‘pleasures of human intercourse and the enjoyment of beautiful objects’” (Drabble, 112). On the other hand the Bloomsbury group can be regarded as of importance for the emergence of the avantgarde in art and literature in Britain. They objected war and stood up for peace.
The association was criticized for being combined of only elitist and privileged members, who were “preoccupied with neurotic personal relations” (Edel, 11). Others are less critical towards them and argue that the group not only criticized the prevailing conditions in society and politics but they also made an effort to improve them.
The most prosperous time for the Bloomsbury group seems to have been in the 1920s, but a revival was recorded in the late 1960s.

Sources:

Czarnecki, Kristin: ''Comparative Modernism: The Bloomsbury Group and the Harlem Renaissance.'' in: Potts, Gina/ Lisa Shahriari (ed.): ''Virginia Woolf's Bloomsbury, Volume 1. Aesthetic Theory and Literary Practice''. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.

Drabble, Margaret (ed.), ''Oxford Companion to English Literature'', Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985.

Edel, Leon: ''Bloomsbury. A house of Lions.'' London: The Hogarth Press, 1979.

Bloomsbury Group

2012-01-15T14:34:20Z

Joey:

Group of friends who met regularly at 46 Gordon Square, Bloomsbury, London, the home of [[Vanessa Bell]] and [[Virginia Woolf]]. Members of the group were [[John Maynard Keynes]], [[E.M. Forster]] and [[Roger Fry]].

Source:

Margaret Drabble (ed.), ''Oxford Companion to English Literature'', Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985.

The 1920s were the most prosperous time for the Bloomsbury Group. Politically they were left-liberally oriented.

E.M. Forster

2011-12-07T22:23:27Z

Joey:

1879-1970. Novelist, essayist and radioist.

Wrote ''[[Howards End]]'' (1910).

Edward Morgan Forster was born in London on January 1 in 1879. His father died early so he was brought up by a single mother. He had no siblings and he was surrounded by mostly female relatives. He inherited a large amount of money from his great-aunt Marianne Thornton, which made it possible for him to attend a good school and get a proper education. Forster attended King’s College in Cambridge. He was member of an upper-class society, towards which he wasn’t uncritical.

Forster was not only a novelist, but also an essayist and journalist. As a novelist, he produced five novels, a sixth, called “Maurice” was published posthumously. Forster had already started working on “Maurice” as early as 1913, but in this period it hadn’t been publishable due to the fact that it dealt with homosexuality. Forster’s biggest success is regarded to be “Howards End”, which was published in 1910.

Unfortunately, after this achievement Forster had a hard time writing more pieces of fiction and devoted himself to commentaries on social problems, political issues, books, art and war instead. Furthermore, during his lifetime Forster can be regarded as being politically active. He for example opposed and fought censorship, which was imposed on speakers on the B.B.C. by the government. He also protested against the Nazi regime. All in all, it can be said that Forster put himself out for humanistic and moral values.

E.M. Forster lived a long life and died in 1970 at the age of ninety-one.

bibliography:

McDowell, Frederick P.W.. ''E.M. Forster. Revised edition.'' Twayne's English Authors Series. Ed. Kinley E.Roby. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1982.

Page, Norman. ''E.M.Forster. Macmillan Modern Novelists''. Basingstoke: Macmillan Education LTD, 1987.

E.M. Forster

2011-12-07T22:22:36Z

Joey:

1879-1970. Novelist, essayist and radioist.

Wrote ''[[Howards End]]'' (1910).

Edward Morgan Forster was born in London on January 1 in 1879. His father died early so he was brought up by a single mother. He had no siblings and he was surrounded by mostly female relatives. He inherited a large amount of money from his great-aunt Marianne Thornton, which made it possible for him to attend a good school and get a proper education. Forster attended King’s College in Cambridge. He was member of an upper-class society, towards which he wasn’t uncritical.
Forster was not only a novelist, but also an essayist and journalist. As a novelist, he produced five novels, a sixth, called “Maurice” was published posthumously. Forster had already started working on “Maurice” as early as 1913, but in this period it hadn’t been publishable due to the fact that it dealt with homosexuality. Forster’s biggest success is regarded to be “Howards End”, which was published in 1910. Unfortunately, after this achievement Forster had a hard time writing more pieces of fiction and devoted himself to commentaries on social problems, political issues, books, art and war instead. Furthermore, during his lifetime Forster can be regarded as being politically active. He for example opposed and fought censorship, which was imposed on speakers on the B.B.C. by the government. He also protested against the Nazi regime. All in all, it can be said that Forster put himself out for humanistic and moral values.
E.M. Forster lived a long life and died in 1970 at the age of ninety-one.

bibliography:

McDowell, Frederick P.W.. ''E.M. Forster. Revised edition.'' Twayne's English Authors Series. Ed. Kinley E.Roby. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1982.

Page, Norman. ''E.M.Forster. Macmillan Modern Novelists''. Basingstoke: Macmillan Education LTD, 1987.

E.M. Forster

2011-12-07T22:21:24Z

Joey:

1879-1970. Novelist, essayist and radioist.

Wrote ''[[Howards End]]'' (1910).

Edward Morgan Forster was born in London on January 1 in 1879. His father died early so he was brought up by a single mother. He had no siblings and he was surrounded by mostly female relatives. He inherited a large amount of money from his great-aunt Marianne Thornton, which made it possible for him to attend a good school and get a proper education. Forster attended King’s College in Cambridge. He was member of an upper-class society, towards which he wasn’t uncritical.
Forster was not only a novelist, but also an essayist and journalist. As a novelist, he produced five novels, a sixth, called “Maurice” was published posthumously. Forster had already started working on “Maurice” as early as 1913, but in this period it hadn’t been publishable due to the fact that it dealt with homosexuality. Forster’s biggest success is regarded to be “Howards End”, which was published in 1910. Unfortunately, after this achievement Forster had a hard time writing more pieces of fiction and devoted himself to commentaries on social problems, political issues, books, art and war instead. Furthermore, during his lifetime Forster can be regarded as being politically active. He for example opposed and fought censorship, which was imposed on speakers on the B.B.C. by the government. He also protested against the Nazi regime. All in all, it can be said that Forster put himself out for humanistic and moral values.
E.M. Forster lived a long life and died in 1970 at the age of ninety-one.

bibliography:

McDowell, Frederick P.W.. E.M. Forster. Revised edition. Twayne's English Authors Series. Ed. Kinley E.Roby. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1982.

Page, Norman. E.M.Forster. Macmillan Modern Novelists. Basingstoke: Macmillan Education LTD, 1987.

E.M. Forster

2011-12-07T22:20:14Z

Joey:

1879-1970. Novelist, essayist and radioist.

Wrote ''[[Howards End]]'' (1910).

Edward Morgan Forster was born in London on January 1 in 1879. His father died early so he was brought up by a single mother. He had no siblings and he was surrounded by mostly female relatives. He inherited a large amount of money from his great-aunt Marianne Thornton, which made it possible for him to attend a good school and get a proper education. Forster attended King’s College in Cambridge. He was member of an upper-class society, towards which he wasn’t uncritical.
Forster was not only a novelist, but also an essayist and journalist. As a novelist, he produced five novels, a sixth, called “Maurice” was published posthumously. Forster had already started working on “Maurice” as early as 1913, but in this period it hadn’t been publishable due to the fact that it dealt with homosexuality. Forster’s biggest success is regarded to be “Howards End”, which was published in 1910. Unfortunately, after this achievement Forster had a hard time writing more pieces of fiction and devoted himself to commentaries on social problems, political issues, books, art and war instead. Furthermore, during his lifetime Forster can be regarded as being politically active. He for example opposed and fought censorship, which was imposed on speakers on the B.B.C. by the government. He also protested against the Nazi regime. All in all, it can be said that Forster put himself out for humanistic and moral values.
E.M. Forster lived a long life and died in 1970 at the age of ninety-one.

bibliography:
McDowell, Frederick P.W.. E.M. Forster. Revised edition. Twayne's English Authors Series. Ed. Kinley E.Roby. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1982.

Page, Norman. E.M.Forster. Macmillan Modern Novelists. Basingstoke: Macmillan Education LTD, 1987.

E.M. Forster

2011-12-07T22:19:16Z

Joey:

1879-1970. Novelist, essayist and radioist.

Wrote ''[[Howards End]]'' (1910).

Edward Morgan Forster was born in London on January 1 in 1879. His father died early so he was brought up by a single mother. He had no siblings and he was surrounded by mostly female relatives. He inherited a large amount of money from his great-aunt Marianne Thornton, which made it possible for him to attend a good school and get a proper education. Forster attended King’s College in Cambridge. He was member of an upper-class society, towards which he wasn’t uncritical.
Forster was not only a novelist, but also an essayist and journalist. As a novelist, he produced five novels, a sixth, called “Maurice” was published posthumously. Forster had already started working on “Maurice” as early as 1913, but in this period it hadn’t been publishable due to the fact that it dealt with homosexuality. Forster’s biggest success is regarded to be “Howards End”, which was published in 1910. Unfortunately, after this achievement Forster had a hard time writing more pieces of fiction and devoted himself to commentaries on social problems, political issues, books, art and war instead. Furthermore, during his lifetime Forster can be regarded as being politically active. He for example opposed and fought censorship, which was imposed on speakers on the B.B.C. by the government. He also protested against the Nazi regime. All in all, it can be said that Forster put himself out for humanistic and moral values.
E.M. Forster lived a long life and died in 1970 at the age of ninety-one.

bibliography:
McDowell, Frederick P.W.. E.M. Forster. Revised edition. Twayne's English Authors Series. Ed. Kinley E.Roby. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1982.
Page, Norman. E.M.Forster. Macmillan Modern Novelists. Basingstoke: Macmillan Education LTD, 1987.

E.M. Forster

2011-12-04T20:42:30Z

Joey:

1879-1970. Novelist, essayist and radioist.

Wrote ''[[Howards End]]'' (1910).

He published 5 novels altogether. His first novel was "Where angels fear to tread."