FILE 20210812 122550 British Literature-Updated

British Literature Page |1
Table of Contents
Introduction
On Literature
Chapter 1: Literary Elements & Literary Devices
Revision for Chapter 1
Chapter 2: A Short History of British Literature
Chapter 3: Analyses & Interpretation of Some Typical Works
Work 1: Beowulf (Epic)
Work 2: A Vindication of the Rights of Women (Mary Wollstonecraft)
Work 3: From A Room of One’s Own (Virginia Woofl)
Work 4: A Modest proposal (Jonathan Swift)
Work 5: Be Ye Men of Valor (Winston Churchill)
Work 6: A Cup of Tea (Katherine Mansfield)
Work 7: A Shocking Accident (Graham Green)
References
On Literature
Why to teach Literature?
It cannot be denied that literature plays a crucial part in the school curriculum and the
teaching & learning of literature at universities globally have been viewed as a required/core
subject in which students are exposed to the wider ranges of literary texts. Literature itself has
become a measurable/assessable tool to evaluate the results of the success of students in most
of the exams and also of evaluating the moral values of people in general. Theoretically, Long
and Carter (1991) posit that literature is important in the three key aspects: the cultural mode,
the language mode and the personal growth mode.
In terms of cultural mode, students are taught to absorb the accumulated wisdom, the
best that has been thought of and felt within a culture. In this sense, the literary texts express
the most significant ideas and sentiments of human beings. Thanks to these, students can
understand more clearly about the values and ideologies which may be different from those of
their present era in term of space and time. From that, students understand deeply why people
in a particular age had to behave like that such as the viewpoints of male towards female, what
male had to behave in order to be considered to be right and vice versa. In general, through the
cultural mode, literature recorded most of the humanistic values for latter generations so that
students in particular and people in general, when looking at them, will honor the values
which are good and long live with the time and also delete the so-called bad and outdated
values and simultaneously improve them to be better.
Secondly, Literature itself is a good ground for students to develop their linguistic
knowledge. This is absolutely/truly right especially for ESL and/or FSL students. Through the
language mode, students can pick up a lot of new words and grammars which are very useful
for their learning a foreign language. These language features can help them successfully
perform such varieties of skills as speaking skills, reading skills, listening skills and writing
skills. Of course, due to the special characteristics of literary language, some aspects can be
said to be very difficult for students to apply them in their every day uses because some of
them contain a lot of dead languages, metaphor, symbolic languages. But above all, the
language used in literary texts is not simply a ground for students to pick up these terms by
heart in order to reproduce in their every day use. More importantly, through language mode,
students are invited to explore the beauty of the literary language, of analyzing implied
messages encoded in each word or phrase or sentences such as why the authors use this
adjective rather that adjective. By examining carefully each detail coded in the text, students
can understand more about the creative ability of the author who wanted to convey or
emphasize something; hence it can increase the students’ critical thinking. In this aspect, the
language mode helps students so much in their academic and occupational purposes.
Literature Students are often said to have an ability of writing critically and delivering their
public speaking skills more successfully than those who rarely or never read the literary texts.
The final and also the most important reason for applying literature in the pedagogical
setting is that it can develop a personal growth mode. In this sense, the teachers of English
literature who believe that literature is a place for students to engage actively in the class room
activity, to voice their opinions about what they like and dislike about the works, the
characters and so on they are reading will follow this mode. In their view, the literary works
themselves are not simply the works themselves but also the place for students to comment on
and/or respond to what they read. It is the very place in this sense, the pleasure of reading
literature from students will blossom. In other words, this mode posit that the way of teaching
literature for learners are not limited itself to help the learners understand the text, the
background of the work, the historical periods in which this work was born and the theory of
literary criticisms, in brief, information-based and serve best for students to pass the exam but
rather than to build the long-lasting pleasure and enjoyment for students who want and still
want to go on reading the literary works independently/outside the school campus and more
importantly to the rest of their lives. What students can carry with them beyond the class room
an enjoyment and the love for literature is what the mode wants to aim to.
On the surface, the three modes are not mutually exclusive but inclusive and modified
for each other. Most of the three are often present in the mind of the curriculum designer but
in practice, maybe just one of the three is present in the literature class. The reasons of not
having been able to include the three modes at the same time in the pedagogical practice
originates from many factors such as exam orientations, curriculum design in which some of
the selected texts are too difficult and above the levels of students’ understanding; hence the
three modes are not applied simultaneously and maybe stems from teachers’ preference. These
problems will be addressed in the next part. As a conclusion for the chapter one, the paper
tries its best to suggest some solutions to these problems.
Some Factors Leading to the Boredom in Learning Literature among Vietnamese

Learners and the Solutions for them
A glimpse at the situation of learning literature among the Vietnamese learners can
reveal that most of them are tired of learning it. The first issue I’d like to mention is the way of
learning the mother tongue literature. In fact, the keenness on learning the mother tongue
literature is a sad sign. Actually, the fact of learning the Vietnamese Literature among the
Vietnamese Learners does not originate from their great interest in it, in finding out and
exploring more in the Vietnamese literary texts but just because of the requirement from the
Vietnamese Ministry of Education and from the purposes of the examination. Elsewhere, the
Vietnamese newspapers used to mention the boredom of the Vietnamese Learners in the
literature subjects. The boredom of students in the literary texts can be seen in the interviews
with the Vietnamese Students about their attitude toward literature and through the results of
literature exams. Worst, when coming to learn literature as a foreign language. Due to the fact
that, in order to understand fully the foreign language literature, the Vietnamese Learners must
have a sound knowledge of the language competence and the literary competence. But, in
reality, both of these factors are often lacked in the Learners themselves. As a language
competence, it requires the learners to have a wide range of lexis, syntax, pragmatics,
semantics and many skills relating to language before they can have enough ability to read and
understand deeply in the originated texts. But, in reality, the Vietnamese Learners often lack
it. As a literary competence, it requires the Learners to have abilities to appreciate and deeply
understand the hidden messages encoded in the texts by the authors. The readers who are said
to be endowed with this competence can read between the lines. In order to have this
competence, it requires the Learners to read a lot of the literary works both in their mother
tongue and in their foreign language. The previous knowledge the Learners gained in their
first language in the Literature can help them overcome the obstacles in their second language
literature. But, in reality, most of the Learners do not store themselves with these
competences. The result of that is most of the learners, whenever coping with the literature in
the second language, fail to learn it.
So where is the reason that makes the Learners tired of Learning Literature (herein, the
Second Language Literature). As said in I, there are three reasons of teaching Literature in
ESL and FSL class room. The first mode relates to Culture which focuses on delivering the
accumulated wisdom, the beauty, the validity, the viewpoint and the like of the former
generation to the latter generation. The result of that is teacher who is in favor of this mode
tries to equip their students with this knowledge. Students in this class are required to rote
learning, learning by heart the concrete information such as the nature of the influences and
relationships between the author, texts and contexts which make up that literary culture, the
theory of criticism and so on. All the activities occur in this class is based on teacher’s lecture
because here it focuses on the precision, so teacher who is said to have sound knowledge must
bequeath this knowledge to the Learners. There is no place for mistakes. In other words,
teacher is a center of the classroom activity. Students are passive and do whatever is said by
the teacher in order that, at last, they can do well for their final examination in literature. No
individual voice from the students is allowed. If closely examining the way of learning
Literature in the Vietnamese Context, we can easily find out this mode. The first mode is no
necessarily bad in itself because the knowledge about literature is very important for the
learners to understand deeply about the literary works but if too much focus on it will stiffen
the creativity of the Learners.
In my view, eventually, the literary texts are the medium between the text itself, the
author and the readers and the readers are the decisive factors to the success of the literary
works. The more the work is interpreted by the readers, the more the work will be left the deep
impression in the audiences. In other words, the readers-here-the students must be invited to
interpret as much as possible in their view and of course, the interpretation among the
different readers will be different. Through reader responses, much of unsaid and unexplained
messages will be revealed. In brief, as presented, the factors make the learners tired of
learning Literature in most of high schools and university in the Vietnamese context is that the
one-way delivery of literature from the Teachers themselves with too much based-information
served best for exam orientation but not activity-based and therefore produce no fruit for
cultivating the interest and passion for literature among the Learners.
In order to make the Literature more interesting for the learners to learn, these
following factors must be addressed: first, the teachers themselves still maintain the cultural
mode in which they give their students the exact knowledge about literature but the more
orientation should be paid to the language mode-here-the language –based approach must be
seen as the core activity of the class room activity in which students are the center of the class
room activity. In this sense, students are invited to explore the literary texts independently and
in group/ pair discussion after being given the instruction and explanation of the teacher in the
Cultural mode. The most important is that the personal growth mode must be fully exploited.
That is to say, in every literary text, students must be invited to give a response to what they
have just learned by remarking about the characters in the story, about the stories themselves
and so on. It is only in this sense that literature will have a stand in the pedagogical setting in
which teacher not only teaches literature but also teach the language as well. Also by this way,
the long lasting pleasure among the learners can be kept and nurtured for their long-term
effect.
Chapter 1: Literary Elements & Phases of History of English Literature

An Outline
This section will focus on
▪ Plot ▪ Analyses of Conflicts
▪ Sequence of Plot ▪ Symbols
▪ Plot Summary ▪ Foreshadowing
▪ Characters ▪ Flashback
▪ Revelation of Character in the story ▪ Tone
▪ Conflict ▪ Iron
Questions for Review in this session
01. What is the plot? How is the plot 08. What is foreshadowing? Give some
sequenced? examples to illustrate your
02. What should be considered when presentation?
we summarize the plot? 09. What is flashback? Give some
03. What is the character? examples to illustrate your
04. How is the character classified in presentation?
the story? 10. What is tone? How does the author
05. How is character revealed in the convey tone through the story?
story? 11. What is Irony? Classify the irony in
06. What is conflict? How is the the story
conflict analyzed in the story?
07. What is symbol? Give some
examples to illustrate your
presentation?
Literary Elements
Introduction
When analyzing and interpreting any of the literary works, it is necessary for the
readers to master some literary elements. Without any knowledge of literary elements, it is
hard for the readers to understand the contents and the authors’ intentions conveyed through
the works. In general, the parts of a story that you examine within a story can fall into these
following categories: Plot, setting, point of view, imagery, symbolism, tone, irony, speech,
structure, and foreshadowing. Each element provides clues to your discovery & interpretation
of the meaning of the story. These literary elements are briefly explained below.
__________: Plot is a series of events and thoughts arranged to reveal their dramatic and
emotional significance. Plot is not just a sequence of chronological events. Rather, plot implies
that there is a meaningful relationship among the events.
__________: Plot is characterized by a conflict: This is a struggle between two or more

opposing forces. The conflict may be internal (person vs. self) or external (person vs. nature;
person vs. society, or person vs. fate). A story may have more than one conflict.
Classifications of Conflicts
An _________ conflict is a character’s disagreement or struggle with external force
while an _______ conflict is a character’s struggle within his or her mind. For example, a
woman feels both proud and jealous of her friend who has just won an award (_______); a
father gets lost in a mountains and is struggling to survive in the wilderness (_______); a
woman is successful in business despite the fact that her previous business failed (_______); a
boy is torn between playing basketball with friends and spending time with visiting
grandparents (_______), so on and so forth.
By understanding deeply about the conflicts that the characters encounter in the story,
the readers can have the chance to understand the contents of the story more fully.
_______________
To summarize a plot, you need to determine what you believe are the key events of
happenings in the story and to identify conflicts. Ask questions such as these: What is
happening? What is the main conflict? Is the conflict resolved? (brought to a conclusion)?
In a plot summary, there are primarily four important features:
1. ___________________: Try to summary the plot in a few sentences, or only in one or two
sentences.
2. ___________________: Use the facts as they are presented in the story.

3. ________________________________________: Your goal is to tell what is happening in
the story, to identify what you perceive to be the main conflict
• Select what you think is the most important detail.
• Decide what you are you are going to include in your summary and what you are going
to leave out.
• Present details in the order in which they occur in the story or in another logical order.
• Focus on the facts and do as little interpretation as possible.
4. ________________________________________: Retell the story using your own words.
Of course, some of the original words of the story must remain, such as the name s of people
and places. But you can replace many words from the original text. Use one of these strategies
, or another strategy that you find productive, to find your own words
• After reading the story, put it aside and retell the story from the memory.
• After reading, take notes on the story. Then put the story aside and retell the story from
the notes.
_______________
Setting refers to the place, time, social environment, and the physical environment of a
story. When reading about the American Literature, it is necessary for the readers to
understand about each phase of the history of the American Literature as well as well as the
historical, social, and cultural forces that shape worldview, perception of the author when
writing his/her literary work. This is also a clue that helps readers to understand more about
the setting of the story.
______: The setting may include details that indicate the geographical location of the
story, such as the country or city in which the story takes place, or they may reveal whether
the story takes place in a large city or in a small village. The details may show whether the
story takes indoors or outdoors or both.
____: The length of time during which the action occurs is a feature of the setting, this
may span several years or months or only an hour (e.g. the work: The story of an Hour written
by Kate Chopin). Details of the settings may reveal the time of the day, not only through
actual clock time but also through descriptions of light, darkness and shallows. Details of
British Literature P a g e | 10
the setting may reveal time of year, through references to the seasons. The period of history, in
which the action occurs, may also be revealed.
_____________: Not all the story include reference to the social environment, but
when they do, such references may include details about the manner, customs, rules and moral
codes of a society. Details may also reveal socioeconomic status or class level.
____________: Details of the setting reveal the physical environment in which the
story takes place. Such concrete details may include references to or descriptions of objects,
clothing, nature, buildings, rooms, weather, sounds, smells, and so on. These physical details
often indicate the emotional state of the characters or the relationship between characters.
Examining the setting of the story: Working with the whole class, discuss answer the
questions: Where does the story take place? When? How long does it take the actions to take
place? Which details reveal the society’s manners, customs, rules, moral codes, and/or the
socioeconomic levels of the characters? Which concrete details reveal a character’s emotional
state and/or the relationship between the characters?
______________: Characters are people in the story, or animals or objects that have human
traits in stories. The term “character” refers to people’s outward appearance and
behavior and also to their inner emotional, intellectual and moral qualities.
Writers of fiction rarely, if ever directly tell readers what a character is like. Instead,
writers suggest that a character is like, relying on indirect methods of characterization.
These indirect methods, summarized below, require readers to interpret clues to identify
character traits and thus understand motivation for or causes of behavior. By piecing together
these clues, readers can form a picture of the whole characters.
_______________ Characters: Most stories have at least one Central Character
(also called main or major character, hero/heroine, or _________), the person around whom
the story revolves. Many stories also have at least one minor character, who is not the focus of
the story but who stills plays an important role. Sometimes characters provide contrast with
one another.
Analyzing Characters: Working in a small group or with the whole class, discuss
answers to the questions: Who is the central character? What is the significant about how the
central character is described? Who are the minor characters? What is significant about how
they react to the central characters? What are the central character’s inner thoughts and
feelings? What choices does the central character have? What changes does the central
character undergo? How do those choices and changes help you understand the story?
___________: Point of view is a literary term that refers to the perspective from which a story
is told. The author creates a _________ to tell the story. It is through the narrator’s perspective
(through the narrator’s eyes) that the readers learn what is happening in the story.
The Narrator Who is a Character in the Story: The narrator may be one of the
characters in the story. If so, the story is told from a first-person perspective, and the
character-narrator may use the pronoun “I”. if the story looks back on the narrator’s
childhood, there may be a double (a dual) point of view. The perspective of the childhood
and the perspective of the adult narrator.
The Narrator who is not a Character in the Story: The narrator may not be one of the
characters or may not participate in the events of the story. If so, the story is told primarily
from a third-person perspective.
Such a narrator may know almost everything about one character or every character,
including inner thoughts. Or the narrator may know everything about one or more of the
characters except inner thought. The narrator may comment on the actions and thoughts,
or the narrator may just describe them objectively.
The Narrator Who is Unreliable: It is necessary not to be fooled into thinking that the
narrator is the author. But it is important to remember that the narrator is a device and point
of view is a technique that an author uses to influences the way the readers perceives what is
happening in the story in which the narrator and author are of opposite gender.
Furthermore, the narrator does not necessarily hold or reflect the author’s viewpoint.
What the narrator says may reveal what is true, but the narrator may not be reliable. Even if
the narrator knows almost everything about every character, the narrator is still limited in
some ways (since all human beings are limited in some ways). It is only by piecing together
several or all of the elements of the fiction that you can move towards an understanding of the
author’s view.
_________: Imagery refers to the collection of images in a work of fiction: The men’s pictures
created by the authors’ words. These words often carry suggested meanings in addition to their
literary (primary or factual) meaning; writer uses concrete images to go beyond physical
description in order to express feelings and states of mind. Most images are created through
words that appear to readers’ sense of sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. For example, a
pink flower may appear to readers’ sense of sight or smell and bring forth _______
associations with __________ or a _________ memory.
_________: A symbol is something that represents something else. Often in a literary work, a
symbol is an image of event or a physical object (a thing, person, or place) that is used to
represent something invisible or abstract such as an idea, a value, or an emotion. Authors use
symbol to suggest meaning. One symbol might suggest more than one meaning.
The ______ can be a major source of symbols. Trees and grain growing near the river,
for example, may suggest _________. Areas without any growth may suggest ___________.
A fancy house may suggest ________; tiny village may suggest _________. The sound of
dance may suggest ________; the sound of beating drums may suggest _______. Light may
suggest ________; darkness may suggest ___________. The possibility is numerous.
Although there are numerous possibilities, not all objects or events of stories are
symbols. Some objects or events are just what they are described or defined to be and have no
or third meaning.
How to identify the symbols in the story
Literal Meaning: To determine whether an object is a symbol of something else,
begin with the literal (factual, dictionary) meaning of the object.
Universal Meaning: After you have determined the literal meaning, ask if the object
has some universal symbolism. For example, rain after a long period of drought can symbolize
rebirth or renewal or regeneration in many parts of the work.
Cultural Meaning: If you do not recognize universal symbolism, ask if the object has
some cultural symbolism. For example, a certain style of dress may represent a particular
social class in a particular culture.
Contextual Meaning: If you do not discover culture symbolism, ask yourself if the
object has some unique meaning within a context of the story itself. For example, flashing
light may represent a character’s sudden understanding of something.
______: Tone is a literary term that refers to the author’s attitude or stance towards the action,
characters, narrators, subjects and even the readers of the story. Tone is conveyed through
the ________ the author uses. Writers of fiction choose every word carefully to create effect
or to convey something.
Attitude towards actions or events: To understand tone is to understand the author’s
attitude toward the action or events; whether a story is humorous or tragic or frightening. The
author may want you to laugh or cry, to feel happy or sad, and to experience anger or
fear.
Attitude towards characters or narrator: To understand tone is to understand the
author’s attitude towards the characters or the narrator; the author may or may not like or trust
them. For example, the author may be sympathetic toward, or admiring of hostile toward,
critical of, or sentimental about or more of the characters of the narrator.
Attitude towards subject matter: To understand tone is to understand the author’s
attitude towards the subject matter of the story; how an author feels about an idea or a concept.
For example, the author may be sarcastic about, indifferent to, bitter about, curious by, thrilled
by, crucial of, outraged about, shocked by, frightened about, scornful of, sentimental about, or
sad about a subject such as love, death, marriage, family, government, social class, money,
religion or war.
_______: Irony refers to the unexpected incongruity between appearance and truth or between
expectation and reality. Irony is apparent when an author uses language to create a deliberate
contrast between appearance (what seems to be true) and truth (what is true), or between
expectation (what was expected or hoped for) and reality (what actually happens). Often
readers know or understand something that a character does not.
____________: Irony emerges from situations, for example when what happens differs
from what the characters or readers hope for or expects (for example, when a character
expects that a certain action will result in victory when in fact that action results in defeat.)
____________: Irony emerges from thoughts, for example, when a character thinks or
believes something that is actually different from the truth (for example, when A believes that
B is a good person, but the truth is that B is evil; so that A’s trust in B results in disaster.)
____________: Irony emerges from spoken words, for example, when a character says
something that, either intentionally or unintentionally, means the opposite of what it seems to
say (for example, when A says to B, “I understand you now” and B interprets that to
mean, “I believe you, I trust you” and acts accordingly but A really means,: I understand
now that you are deceitful and I don’t trust you any more now.”
______________: Character’s speech can indicate the intellectual ability, clarity of thought,
educational level, social class, national origin, personality, and/or emotional state of the
speaker. Therefore, an author may put sophisticated words or none grammatical expressions or
slang in a character’s speech to reveal something about the character’s background.
______________: Dialogue refers to the conversation between or among characters. Dialogue

can indicate the relationship between characters, revealing whether they are in conflict or in
agreement. Thus, a character’s words can convey ideas or information important to the story’s
plot, character’s development, or tone. However, what character says is not necessarily true.
Sometimes characters can say things that they don’t mean. For example, they may want to
conceal the truth or mislead someone.
Monologue: Monologue is a speech by one character. This brief or extended speech can
reveal the character’s feelings, often previously hidden from the other characters, and
communicate information to other characters and/or to the readers.
Dialect: Dialect shows the region from which the speaker comes. The dialect may differ from
standard literary English in its pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.
Indirect Speech: Sometimes authors do not present conversation directly but rather through
indirect speech. That is, the conversation is not presented within quotation marks but is
revealed through narration or through a character’s thoughts.
_____________: Foreshadowing is a technique used by the authors as a hint or suggests what

is going to happen. For example, authors may hint at the beginning of the story what will
happen in the middle; what will happen in the end. The hints may be in descriptions of the
events, or the characters; or they might lie on thoughts, dreams, conversation, and so on.
Foreshadowing often adds suspense to a story, creating in readers the feeling of fear or
excitement. You may not recognize foreshadowing until you finish a story and read it again.
____________: Switching in time by going to the past to provide background to characters or

events. The author may move back and forth between past and present to project into the
future. The author may start at the end rather than at the beginning. The story may not have an
identifiable beginning, middle and end. The conflict may not end.
Literary Styles
This Section will focus on
▪ Simile ▪ Hyperbole
▪ Metaphor ▪ Antithesis
▪ Metonymy ▪ Oxymoron
▪ Synecdoche ▪ Paradox
▪ Personification ▪ Onomatopoeia
▪ Irony ▪ Alliteration
▪ Euphemism ▪ Repetition
▪ Litotes ▪ Exercises
Similes & Metaphors

A _________ is an explicit or direct comparison in which something is compared to
something else by using the function words such as like or as
Examples
01. My hands are as cold as ice = 07. (As) treacherous as a snake: Phản phé
____________________________ như rắn
02. Tom eats like a horse = 08. (As) busy as a bee: Đầu tắt mặt tối
__________________________________ 09. (As) industrious as an ant: Siêng năng
__________________________________ như kiến/ rất siêng năng
__________________________________ 10. (As) blind as a bat: Mù như rơi/ Quáng
03. As white as snow: Trắng như tuyết gà
04. As black as coal: Đen như than 11. (As) faithful as a dog: Rất trung thành
05. The child is like a flower: Đứa bé rất 12. To drink like a fish: Uống như hũ hèm.
đẹp/ Đẹp như một đóa hoa
06. He works like a horse/ ox: Làm như
trâu
A ___________is an implicit or indirect comparison in which no function word is

used. Something is described by stating another thing with which it can be compared.
Examples
01. She has a heart of stone = 05. Walls have ears: Bức tường có tai/ Cẩn
___________________________ trọng có người nghe lén (Literal Meaning:
02. I’ll make him eat his word = walls having ears/ Metaphoric Meaning:
________________________________ overheard)
03. He was a lion in the fight = 06. Time is money: Money: Medium of
__________________________________ exchange/Very precious.
________________________________ 07. Noun metaphors: A flash of hope/ The
04. His words stabbed at her heart = Like a dictates of conscience/ The call of the sea/
knife, his words are so sharp that they can All the world is a stage/ The foot of the
cause great pain or much unhappiness for hill/ The face of the clock/ The mouth of
her. In other words, his words did not the river.
actually stab, but their effect is implicitly 08. Adjective Metaphor: the smiling sun/
compared to the stabbing of the knife. angry sea/ stony silence.
09. Verb Metaphor: His eyes flashed angrily/ fortune smiled at/ on his family.
Distinguish Simile from Metaphor

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Examples
01. He is very stupid (Normal): Nó rất ngu 04. He fought like a lion (______)
02. He is as tupid as a donkey (______): 05. He was a lion in a fight (______)
Nó ngu như bò 06. Walls have ears (______)
03. What an ass he is! (______): Hắn là đồ 07. John is a snake in a grass (______)
con bò 08. Time is money (______)
Riddles and Periphrases

Riddles and Periphrases are primitive metaphors that can be found popularly in the old
English literature. That is, instead of explicitly stating what the thing/object is meant, the
authors (i.e. The prose writers & the poets) normally state its meaning through its
indirect/implied way for an emphatic purposes. This way of saying is called Riddles and
Periphrases. For instance, in Vietnamese Literature, “For the God’s judgment ” implies
“justice”; “to bite the hand that feeds one” implies “caddish, & unfaithful; “shed more and
more tears” implies “dropping tears”; “flowers smile & voices utters beautiful words”
implies “beautiful girls”, and so on. Likewise, in British Literature in Anglo-Saxon Age, there
are many examples of Riddles and Periphrases; World Candles implying the “Sun” is a typical
example.
Metonymy
Metonymy is the ____________of the name of thing for that of another thing to which
it is related.
Examples
01. From the cradle to the grave: Từ cái nôi 05. The new proposal might affect the
cho đến nấm mồ: Cái nôi= Lúc sơ sinh = cloth = the clergy in some way.
Babyhood; nấm mồ = The grave = Death 06. Backstairs did influence = Intrigues,
Loyalty to the throne = Trung thành với secret plans to do something bad, secret
ngôi báu arrangement.
02. Have you ever read Shakespeare?: Anh 07. Can you protect your children from
có bao giờ đọc Shakespeare chưa? cradle to the grave? = From childhood to
Shakespeare = Tác phẩm của Shakespeare death.
chứ không phải chính Shakespeare.
03. He succeeded to the crown = The royal
office.
04. She is a fighter against the Red Tape =
Bureaucracy, office routine
Synecdoche
Synecdoche is a special kind of ________ in which a _______ or ______ of a person, object,
etc. is meant to refer to the whole person, object.
Examples
01. Râu hùm hàm én: Chỉ nói “râu” và 06. They organized a fleet of sails = Ship.
“hàm” để chỉ người đàn ông vũ dũng; “Gót 07. He is a man of seventy winters = Years
sen”: Để chỉ người đàn bà đẹp; “Mắt of age.
phượng mày ngài”: Chỉ dung nhan kiều 08. He managed to earn his bread =
diễm. Trong tiếng An ta co.: Necessities.
02. “Rosy heels”: “Got seen” 09. This is a village of only more than one
03. “All hands on deck”: Tất cả thủy thủ hundred souls = People
trên tàu 10. They live in the same roof : = House
04. “A Fleet of fifty sails”: Một đoàn gồm He has many mouths to feed: = Family
50 tàu members)
05. “A force of a thousand rifles”: Một lực 11. The capitalist world : = Countries
lượng gồm 1000 tay súng
12. All the best brains in Europe cannot solve the problems
Personification
Personification is a special kind of metaphor in which some ________ characteristic is

attributed to an inanimate object or an abstract notion, i.e. a lifeless thing or quality is stated as
if it were living.
Examples
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Additional Examples
01. A nature seemed swollen to its fullest: 04. The moon is shy tonight.
Toàn thể thiên nhiên như căng phồng ra hết 05. The thirsty ground.
sức 06. Little faint wind is playing chase.
02. The house had lost a little its
melancholy air: Căn nhà đã mất một chút
buồn tẻ của nó
03. Luck is smiling on you
Irony
Irony is the expression of one’s meaning by saying the direct opposite of one’s thoughts in
order to be ________, _______ and _________.
Examples
01. It must be delightful to find oneself in a 03. What a lovely day it was! Everything I
foreign country without a penny in one’s had went wrong
pocket: Thật là hết sức hay ho khi ở trong 04. He is so intelligent that no examiner
một xứ xa lạ mà trong túi không có một xu has agreed to pass him so far
02. How clever of you!: Khôn quá ha
05. He is lucky to have such an ugly and 06. She is extremely unlucky to be born in
awkward wife a prosperous family in a developed
European country.
Litotes = ______________
Litotes is the use of ____________ gentler, milder or weaker statements to express
something in a controlled way.
Examples
01. I don’t think I would agree with you = I 05. There was no lack of money: = A lot of
disagree with you money.
02. I am afraid no passenger is allowed to 06. I’m a citizen of no mean city: = A very
smoke here = You are not allowed to famous city.
smoke here. 07. Bác Dương thôi đã thôi rồi: = Die
03. I don’t think she is beautiful: = I think
she is ugly
04. It is not easy: = Difficult
Euphemism
Euphemism is the use of _________, _________, _________words or phrases in place
of more accurate or direct ones.
Examples
01. Pass away: die: Khuất núi, băng hà 03. Mortician = Undertaker: Funeral
Queer: homosexual: Đồng tính luyến ái director: Người làm dịch vụ tang lễ/ Giám
nam đốc nhà tang lễ
02. Pregnant mother: Mother to be 04. Garbage man: Sanitation worker: Công
You are telling me a fairy tale: A lie nhân vệ sinh
Hyperbole
Hyperbole which is also called overstatement is the use of ____________ statement that is
made for special effect and is not meant to be taken literally.
Examples
01. I have invited millions of people to my 05. I am dead tired.
party. 06. I’m bored to death
02. She sheds floods of tears whenever she 07. Con rận bằng con ba ba. Đêm nằm nó
is upset. gáy cả nhà thất kinh
03. Don’t live in such a sea of doubt/never
in a million years will he admit defeat.
04. I haven’t seen you for ages.
Antithesis
Antithesis is a rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a
sentence to achieve a ___________effect.
Example
“Setting foot on the moon may be a small step for a man but a giant step for mankind”:
The use of contrasting ideas, “__________” and “__________”, in the sentence above
emphasizes the significance ________________________________________.
Some famous antithetical statements have become part of our everyday speech and are
frequently used in arguments and discussions.
Below is the list of Some Antithetical Statements
01. Give every man thy ear, but few thy 05. Patience is bitter, but it has a sweet
voice: Lắng nghe tất cả mọi người, nhưng fruit: Kiên nhẫn thì cay đắng/ nhưng nó có
hãy lựa ít người mà nói trái ngọt
02. Man proposes, God disposes: Mưu sự 06. Money is the root of all evils: poverty
tại nhân thành sự tại thiên. is the fruit of all goodness: Tiền là nguồn
03. Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real gốc của tội lỗi/ nghèo là hoa trái của sự
thing: Tình yêu là thứ lý tưởng, hôn nhân chúc phúc
là điều thực sự. 07. You are easy on the eyes, but hard on
04. Speech is silver, but silence is gold: the heart: Ngoài mặt (bạn) dễ/ trong lòng
Lời nói là bạc, im lặng là vàng (bạn) khó.
08. Give me liberty or give me death: Tự “love” and “hate” are combined in the
do/ hay chết. above lines. It emphasizes that we love
09. Many are called but few are chosen: good because it is always good and we hate
nhiều người được gọi/ ít người được chọn. bad because it is always bad. It is a matter
10. “Good we must love, and must hate ill, of choice to love or hate things which are
For ill is ill, and good good still; neither good nor bad.
But there are things indifferent, Which we 11. John Milton in “Paradise Lost” says:
may neither hate, nor love, But one, and “Better to reign in Hell, than serve in
then another prove, As we shall find our Heav’n.”: The contrasting ideas of “reign”/
fancy bent.” (John Donne’ poem- The “serve” and “Hell”/ “Heav’n” are placed in
Community): Two contrasting words a sentence to achieve an antithetical effect.
Oxymoron
Oxymoron, plural oxymora, is a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are
joined to create an _________. The common oxymoron phrase is a combination of an
adjective proceeded by a noun with contrasting meanings e.g. “cruel kindness- tàn ác nhân từ”
or “living death- Tình trạng sống dở chết dở)”. However, the contrasting words/phrases are
not always glued together (gắn kết với nhau). The contrasting ideas may be spaced out (tách
xa nhau) in a sentence e.g. “In order to lead, you must walk behind: Để lãnh đạo/ bạn phải là
người thừa hành trước tiên”
Common Examples of Oxymoron
01. Open secret: Điều bí mật ai cũng biết ice, I flee above the wind, yet can I not
02. Tragic comedy: Bi hài kịch arise;” (Sir Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’s
03. Seriously funny: Hài hước nghiêm túc 134th sonnet): The contradicting ideas of
04. Awfully pretty: Đẹp tuyệt trần “war…peace”, “burn ….freeze”, and “flee
05. Foolish wisdom: Khôn ngoan ngu ngốc above…not rise” produce a dramatic effect
06. Original copies: Các bản sao nguyên in the above-mentioned lines.
gốc 09. “The bookful blockhead ignorantly
07. Liquid gas: Khí lỏng read, With loads of learned lumber in his
08. “I find no peace, and all my war is head, With his own tongue still edifies his
done I fear and hope, I burn and freeze like ears, And always list’ning to himself
appears.” (Alexander Pope): The above behind.

lines from his “Essays of Criticism” 11. One word more, good lady.”
provide fine evidence of his witticism. The (Shakespeare): In the above lines taken
oxymora “bookful blockhead” and from “Hamlet”, he draws two contradictory
“ignorantly read” describe a person who ideas “be cruel…be kind”. The
reads a lot but does not understand what he contradiction is understood in the context
reads and does not employ his reading to of the play. Hamlet wants to kill Claudius,
improve his character. the murderer of his father, who has married
10. “I will bestow him, and will answer his mother. Hamlet does not want his
well The death I gave him. So, again, good mother to be the beloved of his father’s
night. I must be cruel, only to be kind: murderer. Therefore, he is of the view that
Thus bad begins and worse remains this murder will purge.
Paradox
The term Paradox is from the Greek word “paradoxon” that means contrary to
expectations, existing belief or perceived opinion. It is a statement that appears to be self-
contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or
statement contrary to accepted __________ ideas. A paradox is often used to make a reader
think over an idea in innovative way.
Examples
01. Your enemy’s friend is your enemy seems to not make any sense. However, on
I am nobody closer examination, it gets clear that Orwell
02. “What a pity that youth must be points out a political truth. The government
wasted on the young.” – George Bernard in the novel claims that everyone is equal
Shaw but it has never treated everyone
03. Wise fool equally. It is the concept of equality
04. Truth is honey which is bitter: stated in this paradox that is opposite to
05. “I can resist anything but temptation the common belief of equality.
“All animals are equal, but some are 06. In the famous play of
more equal than others”. (George Shakespeare, Hamlet,
Orwell’s Animal Farm): This statement the protagonist Hamlet says, “I must be
cruel to be kind.”: This announcement act of Hamlet will be a tragedy for his
does not seem to make sense. How can an mother who is married to Claudius. Hamlet
individual treat others kindly even when he does not want his mother to be the beloved
is cruel? However, Hamlet is talking about of his father’s murderer any longer, and so
his mother, and how he intends to kill he thinks that the murder will be good for
Claudius to avenge his father’s death. This his mother.
Alliteration
Alliteration is derived from Latin’s “Latira”. It means “________________”. It is a
stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur
close together in a series.
Example
01. But a better butter makes a batter sentence. An important point to remember
better. here is that alliteration does not depend
02. A big bully beats a baby boy: Both on letters but on sounds. So the
sentences are alliterative because the same phrase not knotty is alliterative,
first letter of words (B) occurs close but cigarette chase is not.
together and produces alliteration in the
Repetition
Repetition is a literary device that repeats the _________ words or phrases a few
times to make an idea clearer. There are several types of repetitions commonly used in
both prose and poetry. As a rhetorical device, it could be a word, a phrase or a full sentence
or a poetical line repeated to emphasize its significance in the entire text. Repetition is not
distinguished solely as a figure of speech but more as a rhetorical device.
Examples of Repetition
I’m nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody too? Then there’s a pair of us-don’t tell!
They’d banish us you know: These lines have been taken from “I’m nobody! Who are You?”
by Emily Dickinson. Observe how she has used “nobody” to emphasize her point in her poem
to create an association with the person she is talking about.
I AM NOBODY, WHO ARE YOU? Till a'the seas gang dry.
I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you Nobody, too? Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dear,
Then there's a pair of us -- don't tell! And the rocks melt wi' the sun:
They'd advertise -- you know! I will luve thee still, my Dear,
How dreary to be Somebody! While the sands o'life shall run.
How public like a frog
To tell one's name the livelong day And fare thee weel my only Luve!
To an admiring bog! And fare thee weel a while!
(Emily Dickinson) And I will come again, my Luve,
MÌNH LÀ MỘT KẺ VÔ DANH (Thầy Tho' it were ten thousand mile!
Lê Tuấn Đạt dịch) ĐÓA HƯỜNG ĐỎ THẮM (Thầy: Lê
Mình là một Kẻ Vô Danh Tuấn Đạt dịch)
Anh là ai thế? Hay anh giống mình? Người tôi yêu như một đóa hoa hường
Vậy hai ta hãy lặng thinh Vừa hé nhụy dưới bầu trời tháng Sáu
Kẻo người bàn tán bực mình lắm đây Người yêu tôi như khúc nhạc du dương
Làm Một Ai Đó, ngán thay Vừa thoát lên dưới phím đàn ai dạo
Giống như con ếch dương oai một vùng
Suốt ngày xưng bá xưng hùng Em đẹp lắm, hỡi người anh yêu dấu
Đầm lầy ngưỡng phục vô cùng, lặng nghe! Anh yêu em, anh yêu đến vô cùng
A Red, Red Rose (Robert Burns) Mối tình nồng nguyện mãi mãi thủy chung
O my luve's like a red, red rose. Cho đến lúc trùng dương khô cạn nước
That's newly sprung in June;
O my luve's like a melodie Em ơi em, dù trùng dương cạn nước
That's sweetly play'd in tune. Dù đá kia tan chảy dưới mặt trời
Vẫn yêu em, yêu mãi mãi mà thôi
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, Mặc dòng cát cuộc đời trôi hun hút
So deep in luve am I;
And I will love thee still, my Dear, Tạm biệt nhé, hỡi người yêu duy nhất
Mình chia tay trong giây phút mà thôi Anh sẽ lại về với người anh yêu mến.
Và nhớ rằng dù ngàn dặm xa xôi
authored by T. S. Eliot, a famous modern
“Because I do not hope to turn again poet of the 20th century. The repetition of a
Because I do not hope Because I do not full phrase shows us mastery the poet has
acquired in using words and phrases to
hope to turn…”: These three lines have make his point clear and emphasize that he
been taken from “Ash-Wednesday” has no hope of coming back.
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is defined as a word, which _________ the natural sounds of a thing. It
creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more expressive
and interesting. For instance, saying, “The gushing stream flows in the forest” is a more
meaningful description than just saying, “The stream flows in the forest.” The reader is drawn
to hear the sound of a “gushing stream” which makes the expression more effective.
In addition to the sound they represent, many onomatopoeic words have developed
meanings of their own For example, “whisper” not only represents the sound of people talking
quietly, but also describes the action of people talking quietly.
Examples
01. The buzzing bee flew away. Compare: 03. The books fell on the table with a loud
The bee flew away: Not impressive thump.
02. The sack fell into the river with a 04. He looked at the roaring sky.
splash. 05. The rustling leaves kept me awake.
The End of the Theory!

Revision for Chapter 1

I. Match the words in the left column with their definitions in the right column
01. rhythm A. repeating the same starting sounds of words.

02. repetition B. when one idea or sentence is stretched over two or more lines.
03. rhyme C. a regular pattern of stresses, like a beat.
04. enjambment D. when a poet repeats a word or words to emphasize
E. when two words share the same final sound
05. metaphor A. exaggeration for effect

06. alliteration B. comparison of two or more things using “like” or “as”
07. simile C. when one idea or sentence is stretched over two or more lines.
08. hyperbole D. repeating the same starting sounds of words.
E. comparison of two or more things not using “like” or “as
09. personification A. when a words pronunciation imitates its sound

10. onomatopoeia B. when the outcome of a situation is the exact opposite of what
11. imagery was expected
12. irony C. giving human traits or characteristics to an object or idea
D. writing that uses the five senses to create “pictures”
E. exaggeration for effect
II. Circle the best answer

01. When you, my Dear, are away, away, / How wearily goes the day.
A year drags after morning, and night / Starts another year
A. metaphor B. onomatopoeia C. irony D. simile E. hyperbole
02. Chicago is a city that is as fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action.
A. enjambment B. metaphor C. simile D. onomatopoeia E. repetition
03. Gracefully she sat down sideways, / With a simper smile
A. rhyme B. simile C. metaphor D. personification E. alliteration
04. Drip—hiss—drip—hiss— fall the raindrops.
A. metaphor B. hyperbole C. personification D. onomatopoeia E. simile

05. The fountain tossed its water, / Up and up, like silver marbles.
A. simile B. hyperbole C. rhyme D. metaphor E. idiom
06. Falstaff sweats to death, as he walks along; / Weren’t not for laughing, I should pity him.
A. rhyme B. personification C. simile D. metaphor E. hyperbole
07. Lives of great men remind us / We can make our lives sublime;
And, departing, leave behind us / Footprints on the sands of time.
A. simile B. metaphor C. onomatopoeia D. personification E. hyperbole
08. His sorrow goes / Like mountain snows / In waters sweet and clear.
A. simile B. hyperbole C. metaphor D. onomatopoeia E. repetition
09. The tear-drop trickled to his chin: / There was a meaning in her grin
A. hyperbole B. rhyme C. repetition D. simile E. metaphor
10. All night long with rush and lull / The rain kept drumming on the roof:
A. simile B. hyperbole C. repetition D. personification E. rhyme
11. The child with / her infinite energy / would run / her parents to / the ground
A. metaphor B. simile C. hyperbole D. personification E. repetition
12. My love is like a red, red rose.
A. repetition B. personification C. onomatopoeia D. metaphor E. rhyme
13. When the stooping sky / Leans down upon the hills
A. hyperbole B. personification C. metaphor D. simile E. repetition
14. There’s a patch of old snow in a corner.
A. simile B. metaphor C. imagery D. irony E. repetition
15. “Hen they found him dead,
His hand was cold as lead.”
A. metaphor B. personification C. simile D. hyperbole E. none of these
16. “Our eyes are a shadowy sea. In the starry darkness of night.”
A. metaphor B. personification C. simile D. hyperbole E. none of these
17. These walls have ears. This sentence is an example of a/an:
A. cliche B. personnification C. metaphor D. hyperbole
18. His room was a junk pile. This sentence is an example of a/an:
A. simile B. personification C. metaphor D. alliteration
19. The baby's skin was like a rose petal. This sentence is an example of a/an:
A. simile B. personnification C. metaphor D. oxymoron
20. The leaves danced in the wind. This sentence is an example of a/an:
A. simile B. metaphor C. personification D. hyperbole
21. I’m so hungry that I could eat a horse. This sentence is an example of a/an:
A. simile B. Hyperbole C. oxymoron D. personification
22. She played beautifully on the baby grand. This sentence is an example of a/an:
A. alliteration B. hyperbole C. personification D. oxymoron
23. He was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. This sentence is an example of
a/an:
A. metaphor B. oxymoron C. hyperbole D. cliché
24. “Rain races, ripping and restless in it’s rage.” This sentence is an example of a/an:
A. alliteration B. hyperbole C. personification D. oxymoron
25. The daffodils nodded their yellow heads at the walkers. This sentence is an example of
a/an:
A. alliteration B. personnification C. hyperbole D. Oxymoron
26. Your answers are perfectly wrong. This sentence is an example of a/an:
A. alliteration B. hyperbole C. personification D. Oxymoron
27. He had an ace up his sleeve. This sentence is an example of a/an:
A. alliteration B. hyperbole C. cliché D. oxymoron
28. When the gates were opened, the mob surged forward like a burst dam. This sentence is
an example of a/an:
A. simile B. metaphor C. personification D. Hyperbole
29. It’s a really dull day when we don’t go to the mall. This sentence is an example of a/an:
A. alliteration B. personnification C. Hyperbole D. oxymoron
30. Turn off your television sets. Turn them off now! Turn them off right now! Turn them off
and leave them off. Turn them off right in the middle of this sentence I'm speaking to you
now. (Peter Finch as television anchorman Howard Beale in Network, 1976)
A. antithesis B. litotes C. anaphora D. understatement
31. Substituting the word “euthanasia” for “mercy killing" or "killing the terminally ill"
A. hyperbole B. euphemism C. assonance D. oxymoron
32. I had so much homework last night that I needed a pickup truck to carry all my books
home!
A. synecdoche B. onomatopoeia C. Pun D. hyperbole
33. But the prisoner would not answer, he only lay with wide, dark, bright, eyes, like a bound
animal. (D. H. Lawrence, England, My England)
A. oxymoron B. euphemism C. anaphora D. personification
34. You have a lot of work to do, so I'll lend you a hand.
A. assonance B. apostrophe C. irony D. synecdoche
35. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age
of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of
Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we
had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we
were all going direct the other way." (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities)
A. antithesis B. litotes C. simile D. understatement
36. The chug-a, chug-a, chug-a of the train echoed down the hill, while a cloud of smoke rose
up to the blue western sky.
A. simile B. metonymy C. anaphora D. onomatopoeia
37. Pitching pennies with the Pittsburgh Pirates in a pitter-patter of rain outside the Pitti Palace.
(James Thurber, Lanterns and Lances, 1961)
A. chiasmus B. alliteration C. pun D. oxymoron
38. The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart. (Benjamin
Franklin)
A. hyperbole B. chiasmus C. litotes D. anaphora
III. Interpret the meaning the following sentences and state what kind of figures of speech
used in each of them.
1. When he gets going, Jack is a 4. When you take that course, plan to
streak of lightning. study thirty hours a day.
2. I found the fifty-two pounds of 5. The wind howled angrily around
books you left me to carry. Your the house all night.
kindness really moves me. 6. When the White House called, the
3. The man is a demon for work ambassador came at once.
7. My dormitory is like a cave. 23. Right at this minute, I could drink a

8. Come to my dorm and see what a barrel of water without stopping.
cave I live. 24. It is amazing what a great mind he
9. Dick was fairly pleased when he is!.
won a brand-new car in the contest. 25. Alice came in gently; like May
10. If you are not happy with the breeze.
service, go and talk to the City Hall. 26. Susie is a picture of loveliness in
11. Man does not live by bread alone. her new dress.
12. We are now living under the same 27. A thousand thanks are for your
roof. kindness.
13. Albert was as sharp as a tack this 28. I walked past the big sad mouth
morning. He answered all the which I didn’t know what to say
questions as soon as they were then.
asked. 29. We are tired to death of such
14. The river ate the bank away. movie.
15. Keep overeating like that and pretty 30. Give every man thine ears, bid a
soon you will weigh a thousand few thy voice.
pounds. 31. There was a storm in parliament
16. After she heard the good news, she last night.
grinned like a mule eating briars. 32. I am afraid he has misrepresented
17. The captain was in charge of one the fact.
hundred horses. 33. He worked and worked until he
18. Joe cried a little when he lost the breathed his last.
thousand dollars. 34. We will just have to go separate
19. You can depend on Gina; she is a ways.
rock when troubles come. 35. He could not bridle his anger.
20. Life is a dream. 36. He attacked every weak point in my
21. He is so hardheaded that he won’t argument.
listen to any one. 37. I am the captain of my soul.
22. Research says that these methods 38. Her father is a captain of industry.
are the best.
39. The police has cemented close ties 40. The boss gave her a hot look.
with the hospital staff
The End of Chapter 1!

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Chapter 2: A Short History of British Literature

This section will focus on
8 main phases of the history of English Literature
01. Old English 06. Romanticism

02. Middle English 07. The Victorian Age
03. The Elizabethan/ Renaissance Age 08. The Twentieth Century
04. Puritan Literature 09. Questions for each phase for Recall
05. The Enlightenment Age or the 10. Multiple choices to elicit memorization
Restoration Age
Introduction
English literature from the beginning to the 20th century can be divided into 8 main
periods.
Old English (449- 1066 or from 5th to 11th)
History
In the fifth century, Germanic warriors The language of the Anglo-Saxons,
began storming into Britain’s shores. These now termed Old English, began as a blend
invaders-mostly Angles, Saxons, and Jutes- of Germanic dialects. Although modern
came across the North sea, initiating the English contains many words with Old
era of conquest. These tribes are known English Origins, Old English itself has
collectively as the Anglo-Saxons. They largely disappeared. What remains,
laid influence on the British life, culture however, is poetry and prose emblazoned
and language and the name of the nation with heroic themes of the courage,
(England came from the Anglo-Saxons generosity, strength, and loyalty of
word for “land of the Angles”) warriors and kings.
Before the Anglo-Saxons
Long before the arrival of the THE ROMANS: In A.D. 43, Roman
Anglo-Saxon invaders, Britain was settled legions began an invasion that would lead
by its earliest known peoples, the Celts to the conquest of lowland Britain. Many
Britons were forced Northward to what is The tribal lord protected the
now called Scotland and Westward to what noblemen and led them on expedition of
is now Wales. Others were forced into plunder, conquest and revenge.
slavery. The qualities that valued most
The Contributions of the Romans: were: Courage, strength, generosity, and
01. Build walls to protect strongholds and loyalty.
roads to unify the province. Conversion to Christianity
02. Bring Christianity to the Celts By the end of the seventh century,
03. Roman soldiers were eventually by the Angle-Saxon kingdom of southeastern
Germanic invasions by the early fifth England had become Christian thanks to
century. Roman forces had withdrawn the missionary of the Roman pope in an
from Britain. attempt to reestablish Christianity in
Anglo-Saxon England England.
The Angles-Saxons had taken over Unification
most of lowland Britain by 650, enslaving In 879, Alfred the Great defeated
the Britons or driving them to the rugged the Danes and united the country under his
western reaches of the island. conquest.
By the end of the seventh century, The end of Anglo-Saxons Rule
the Angle-Saxons had come to think of In the eleventh century (1066), the
themselves as one people-the English. Normans (the people from the North;
From this civilization grew the history, speaking French) led by William- the
language and literature of England. conqueror- conquered Britain (= the
Early Anglo-Saxon Life Norman conquest in 1066). Thus, the
Warfare was a way of life: Their Anglo-Saxon came to an end.
tribal organization, values, beliefs as well
as poetry reflected that fact.
Literature of Anglo-Saxons Time

The two most important influences Anglo-Saxons and the Christian Traditions
on Anglo-Saxons (Old English) Literature of the Roman Church.
were the Germanic Traditions of the Germanic Tradition:
Oral Tradition: Anglo-Saxons and loyalty; 2. the elegy mourns a loss or

storytellers created heroic verses glorifying laments the fleeting nature of life’s joys; 3.
earthly virtues and concerns, such as religious verse focuses on Christian
bravery and loyalty, which were crucial to teachings and stories. Some poems such as
Anglo-Saxons life. The early Anglo- Beowulf, contains all three types of poetry.
Saxons developed a rich oral tradition of Themes in Old English Poetry: In
songs and stories about the valiant Beowulf and other Old English poems,
struggles of heroic warriors. These songs seafaring warriors figures, the poems
and stories were often performed by bards depict a society like that of the Anglo-
called scops at the banquets of Anglo- Saxons, bound together by military and
Saxons rulers. With illiteracy widespread, tribal loyalties, in which the bravery of
the oral tradition of songs and tales became warriors and the generosity of rules are
the major literary entertainment for Anglo- highly valued. Yet, the writer of Beowulf
Saxons. interprets the monster-slaying stories he
Christian Teachings inherited from pagan Germanic folklore as
- The Christian monks established libraries struggles between good and evil that his
and schools within their monasteries, Christian contemporaries could appreciate.
where they emphasized the importance of The epic depicts the monster Grendel as an
the written words- especially of the bible. enemy of God and a descendent of Cain,
- Their contributions were laid on the the first murderer in the Bible. Thus,
preservation of much of the Old English Beowulf is a blend of Germanic heroic
Literature that survived today. These can tradition and the Christian tradition.
be seen in: Prose: Histories and Sermons: Alfred-
+ Poetry: Heroes, laments, Salvation: The Great- was the one who helped in
Almost all Old English poetry that has spreading the prose of the Anglo-Saxons
been preserved so far comes from four periods. King Alfred encouraged prose
manuscripts- The Beowulf Book, The writers to compose new works in Old
Exeter Book, the Junius manuscript, and English. The first great prose work written
the Vercelli Book. These manuscripts in Old English was the Anglo-Saxon
contain three major types of poetry: 1. Chronicle, a record of historical event
Heroic verse celebrates courage, honor, compiled by numbers of writers over more
than three centuries. Writers also and other works that helped establish Old
composed homilies, biographies of saints, English as a versatile literary language.
Middle English (1066-1485)

History
In 1066, a new group of warriors top. Under the king were the lords to
landed on England’s shore from whom the king allotted parcels of land,
Normandy, an independent state in France. called fiefs, in return for their loyalty. Each
The ruler of Normandy, Duke William, had lord provided warriors or knights to the
claimed to be heir to England’s throne, had king. The lords, in turn, distributed tracts
gone instead to Harold of Wessex. So, of land to lesser nobles in exchange for
William led his army to England, where their loyalty. At the bottom were the serfs,
the Normans soon defeated and killed who farmed small plots of land belonging
Harold and overran much of the country. to their lords and gave a portion of their
This event- the Norman Conquest- changed crops to their lords.
the course of English history, language, A New Language
and literature. After the Norman Conquest,
French England England’s new aristocracy spoke mainly
Following the Norman conquest, French. Well-educated people needed to
the Anglo-Saxons became the subjects of a know three languages; however: French
Norman aristocracy. The Normans brought for dealing with the nobility or the courts;
their social system, called feudalism, and Latin for the Church, business, and
their French language. Over time, these scholarship; and English for
and other elements of French culture communicating with the majority of
blended into Anglo-Saxon life to create a common people.
new English culture. French had a strong influence on
Feudalism English. Many French words were added,
Under this rule, the English society and many Old English words were
was divided into a clear hierarchy- a social dropped. French influence also led to the
and economic ranking- with the king at the gradual simplification of English grammar
and spelling. Eventually, Middle English, a used today developed.

language in many ways similar to English
Middle English Literature
Contrary to the Old English Chaucer’s Masterpiece

Literature that tended to speak as if with Perhaps the greatest English writer
dignified voice, expressing ideals and of the Middle Ages was the poet Geoffrey
concerns of the nobility, Middle English Chaucer. His long narrative poem, The
Literature spoke in many voices on a Canterbury Tale, written in the late 1300s,
wide range of popular topics. is a collection of stories told by people
French Romances making a religious pilgrimage to the shrine
Having originated in France in of St. Thomas à Becker in Canterbury. In
1100, most romances described the the Canterbury Tale, Chaucer portrays a
adventures of knights and celebrated a broad colorful cross section of medieval
chivalric code that emphasized courtly English society.
love-in which a man’s love for one The Beginning of Drama
idealized woman makes him a better English drama developed from
person. The heroes of romances are enactment of biblical stories during church
admirable men who nevertheless shared the services on such feast days as Palm Sunday
feelings and weaknesses of ordinary and Easter. These plays sometimes drew on
humans. The heroes of Old English can stories from Old Testament of the Christian
seem, by contrast, superhuman and Bible, but most focused on the life and
impossibly perfect. death of Christ.
The most acclaimed verse romance Such plays became popular as a
of the period is Sir Gawain and the Green source of both religious instruction and
Knight, written in the 1300s by an entertainment. Following a papal edict in
unidentified poet. Another outstanding 1210 that forbade the clergy to act on the
Arthurian romance is the Death of Arthur. public stage, performance of these plays
It describes King Arthur’s legendary was taken over by trade guilds. Over time,
Conquest and his eventual fall. these plays omitted the scenes found in the
Bible. Eventually, these plays were moved qualities. The most famous morality play
from the church to the outdoors, where the was everyman, written at the end of the
tradesmen presented them on the movable 1400s. typically, in a morality play, a
platform in the streets or town squares. character that can be taken as a
These plays serve to teach moral representative of humankind undergoes
lessons and feature allegorical characters difficulties and imparts a lesson to the
that represent good, evil and abstract audience.
The Renaissance Age (From the 16th Century –around 1500- 1603)
History
The World Influences of England Protestant Reformation: In 1517,

As England was emerging from the the German monk Martin Luther protested
Middle Ages, significant changes were against the sale of indulgences and certain
taking place in the world. practices of Catholic Church. His protest
Decline of Feudalism: After was the beginning of a religious movement
feudalism collapsed in Europe, a new called the Reformation that eventually led
economy arose. Wassals preferred to give to the Protestantism. The Reformation had
money payments to their lord rather than a tremendous influence on the social,
military service. The lords, in return, used political, and economic structure of Europe
the money to hire professional trained and the sixteenth century.
troops. Money became a source of power. England’s Rulers
Renaissance: The word The Tudors. The Tudor Royal line
“Renaissance” (French for “rebirth”) is a began with Henry VII who was crowned in
fitting title to describe the reawakened 1485. His son Henry VIII’s reign, which
interest in science, art, and literature that began in in 1509, spanned several
swept across Europe during this period. successful wars and six marriages. In 1530,
During the Renaissance, great advances Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church
were made in education and science, while and established the Church of England
some of the world’s finest artists and (The Anglican Church), creating long-
writers created their masterpiece. lasting conflicts among religious factions.
Henry’s children Edward VI and Mary I Jame’s son and successor, Charles
each ruled briefly before Henry’s second I, understood the people even less. His
daughter Elizabeth, came to throne in conflicts with Parliament finally led to a
1558. She turned England into a great sea civil war. In 1649, Charles lost both his
power capable of defeating the feared throne and his life.
Spanish Amanda. Elizabeth also supported Cromwell. England soon became a
a flourishing period of cultural commonwealth ruled by Oliver Cromwell,
achievement. an ironed-willed Puritan. Cromwell
The Stuarts: When Elizabeth I died in achieved his goals of creating a stable
1603, the throne passed peacefully to her government and ensuring toleration for
cousin James, king of Scotland and a Puritans. After his death in 1658,
member of Stuart family. Unfortunately, Parliament recovered and, in 1660, invited
Jame’s domineering approach provoked Charles Stuart, son of Charles I, to become
disputes with Parliament, conflicts that he king. The monarchy was restored.
ultimately lost.
Key Literary Figures

William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) living language, and are performed more
was an English poet and playwright, often than those of any other playwright.
widely regarded as the greatest writer in His works included Historical plays, Great
the English language and the world's comedies, Great tragedies. Historical plays
preeminent dramatist. He is often called included Henry Ⅳ, Richard III, HenryⅤ,
England's national poet and the "Bard of Henry VIII. His Great comedies included
Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It,
His surviving works consist of 38 Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s
plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative Dream. His Great tragedies included
poems, and several other poems. His plays Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth.
have been translated into every major
The Puritan age/ The Classic Literature (1603- 1689)

History
After the death of Shakespeare, many restoration of the Monarchy and the
changes took place in English life and Glorious Revolution.
thought. England began to split into The Stuarts: When Elizabeth I died in
warring camp: 1. The king’s and the 1603, the throne passed peacefully to her
Parliament’s; 2. between the new and the cousin James, king of Scotland and a
old way of life. member of Stuart family. Unfortunately,
The new men of England, the men Jame’s domineering approach provoked
who gained their wealth from great trade, disputes with Parliament, conflicts that he
were inclined to a sort of religious belief ultimately lost.
very different from the established faith of Jame’s son and successor, Charles
England. They were for the most part the I, understood the people even less. His
Puritan: They wanted the purer kind of conflicts with Parliament finally led to a
Christianity than the reformation had civil war. In 1649, Charles lost both his
brought to the country. They wanted the throne and his life.
Christianity so pure that it would admit of Cromwell. England soon became a
no toleration, no joys, no color, no charity; commonwealth ruled by Oliver Cromwell,
an austere religion which frowned on easy an ironed-willed Puritan. Cromwell
pleasure, punished moral crimes in the achieved his goals of creating a stable
most savage manner. government and ensuring toleration for
Briefly speaking, the 17th century Puritans. After his death in 1658,
England was the time of the conflicts Parliament recovered and, in 1660, invited
between the king and the parliament, Charles Stuart, son of Charles I, to become
between the English Protestants and king. The monarchy was restored.
Puritan. This conflicts became so acute
under the reign of King Charles I that they
led to the Civil War, followed by the
Puritan Literature
Literary Figure
John Milton: With the Restoration of Paradise Lost: It is a long epic of 12

Charles II, Milton was arrested and books. The story was taken from the Bible
imprisoned. His book were burnt. But he (e.g. The Old Testament, The New
was saved. He probably owed his escape Testament). The story was taken from the
from death to his blindness. A fire in Old Testament, the Creation. Its Content
London destroyed his house. He moved included 1. the rebellion of Satan and his
from place to place until he settled down fellow-angles in Heaven; 2. the Creation of
on the outskirts of London. the earth and of Adam and Eve by God; 3.
His blindness forced him to depend on Satan’s temptation of Eve and the
his daughters for an assistance with his departure of Adam and Eve from the
reading and writing. Everyday he dictated Garden of Eden. His masterpiece: Paradise
his epic Paradise Lost 10 or 20 lines at a Lost & Paradise Regained
time.
The Enlightenment Age or the Restoration Age- (the 18th century)

History
The Restoration that Parliament asked Charles’ daughter
For the people of England, King Mary and her Duke Protestant William to
Charles II, procession through the street of replace James in 1688. William and Mary
London was cause for the celebration. This took the throne in what was called the
parade marked the beginning of a new era- Glorious Revolution because it occurred
one free from Cromwell and his oppressive without bloodshed. The new king and
mandate. The new King, fond of pomp and Queen affirmed the 1689 Bill of Right
ceremony, set the tone for a nation ready to which allowed the properties classes to rule
make up for years of austere living. through an elected parliament. Though not
The Glorious Revolution a democracy, England now had the most
After his coronation, Charles II representative government of its time.
worked with parliament to restore peace The End of Stuart Line
and order to the nation. Upon Charles’ After the death of Mary and
death in 1685, his James II took the throne. William, Anne, the younger daughter of
Unfortunately, James proved so unpopular James II took the throne. She would be the
last of the Stuart to rule England. To unpopular. George III, however, was born
prevent any Roman Catholics Stuarts from and educated an Englishman.
reigning in the future, Parliament passed The Industrial Revolution
the Act of Settlement, which provided that The political arena was not the only
the throne should go next to the James’s area of activity in Great Britain in the 18th
protestant relations. In 1707 the Act of the century. The Industrial Revolution brought
Union was passed, and Scotland joined with lasting changes in manufacturing, the
England to form the kingdom of the great economy, and society in general. As
Britain. technology developed, goods were no
the House of Hanover longer manufactured by family in small
When Queen Anne died, leaving no shop. Factory opened, and people began to
heir to the throne, her nearest Protestant migrate from their rural farm to urban
relative, Augustus, succeeded her. King community. New class distinctions
George I came from Hanover, Germany, emerged. Those who owned factory or
and never learned the English language. He controlled production were called
took little interest in England and lost “capitalist” and were considered to be in a
popularity because of his turbulent private higher social classes than workers.
life. His son, George II, was equally
Literature
Newspaper: With the restoration of popular periodicals at that time, delighted
King Charles II, restrictions on the press the readers with a mixture of current events
were gradually phased out, and English and social gossip.
publishers enjoyed considerable freedom. Novels: In 1719 Daniel Defoe’s
Their only restriction was to refrain from Robinson Crusoe, which tells the tale of a
criticizing the government. shipwrecked man, was published to
Periodicals: People enjoyed enormous success. Its overwhelming
reading about the latest developments in popularity encouraged the publication of
art, literature, and science, and British other novels. Five authors- Defoe, Samuel
periodicals provided updates on these Richardson, Henry Fielding, Laurence
topics. The Tatler and The Spectator, two
Sterne, and Tobias Smollett- wrote the first Letters: Letter writing was both a
of classic English novels. practical means of correspondence and an
Diaries: People used them to record art. People of that time enjoyed writing
the details of their daily lives- from major letters to share their opinions, gossip about
events to the latest gossip. Today, Fanny their friends, relay business matters, and
Burney, and John Evelyn are famous for describe their surroundings. In fact, much
their journal, which provided fascinating of what we know about this period comes
accounts of Britain during this period of from its record of rich and detailed
time. correspondence.
Literary Trends
Wit and Satire: 18th century writers took modes of satire emerged in English
pride in looking at the world around them Literature during this period: Horatian, in
with sharp eyes, and writing about what which the author mildly pokes fun at a
they saw with sharp pen. Wit, or subject, and Juvenalian, in which the
cleverness, was prized in conversation and author mercilessly criticizes certain
in writing. Humorous, harsh, or practices of characters. Artists, too,
pretentious, wit was everywhere- in the especially William Hogarth, produced
mocking poetry of Alexander Pope, in the witty satirical drawings that ridiculed the
biting satire of Jonathan Swift, and even in politics, manners, and celebrities of the
the definitions in Samuel Johnson’s A day.
Dictionary of the English Language. Two
Romanticism (the late 18th century)

Historical Background
The Monarchy prowess as a ruler. During the course of his
George III ruled Britain for more long reign, King George lost the American
than fifty years. The first monarch from the colonies and suffered from bouts of
House of Hanover to be born in Great dementia. Still, he was a kind, frugal
Britain. King George showed great family man whose sense of private duty
concerns for his subjects, if not great
and public morality made him popular with or stand-in ruler. In place of mentally
his subjects. incompetent monarch, Britain now had an
In 1783 George III named the extravagant and thoughtless ruler. In 1820
youthful William Pit prime minister of his father died, the prince regent became
Britain. His nomination came at a time, for King George IV, a man who lived lavishly
Britain was on the brink of war with and paid little attention to his suffering
France, and Pitt was prepared with subjects for the duration of his reign.
strategies. Over the years, as the French William IV. George IV died in 1830 and
Revolution turned into a full-scale war, Pitt was succeeded by his more liberal brother,
organized several coalitions of countries William IV. William’s major contributions
against France, leading eventually to the to his reign was his passage of the Reform
defeat of France’s leader, Napoleon in Bill in 1832, which extended the right to
1814. vote to members of the middle class and
The Regent George IV. In 1811 George artisans. The bill encouraged political party
III was officially declared insane at the age organization and began to weaken the
of seventy-three. His son was made regent, monarchy’s grip on politics.
Literature of the Time

Writers of romantic literature are Passive poets/ Lake poets: William
more concerned with imagination and Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge,
feeling than with the power of reason. and Robert Southey
The glory of the age is notably seen Active poets: George Gordon
in the Poetry of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John
Byron, Shelley and Keats, who were Keats
grouped into two generations:
The Victorian Age (the 19th century)

Queen Victoria wrote in her diary, towards my country; I am very young and
“I shall do my uttermost to fulfill my duty perhaps in many, though not in all things,
inexperienced, but I am sure that very few Victoria’s ministers and subjects
have more real good-will and more desire disapproved of her distant manner and
to do what is fit and right than I am.” began to talk of abolishing monarchy. By
This era can be described “The Sun the time of her in 1901, however, Victoria
never sets on the British Empire.” had reached the peak of her popularity,
Victoria especially among the middle classes that
Victoria was crowned Queen in had risen and prospered during her reign.
1837 at the age of 18, and went on to rule Victorian Age
for more than sixty years-The longest The contributions of Victorian age
range in British history. In 1840 she can be seen in:
married her Germanic cousin Albert, 01. Britain peaked in influences as a world
whom she adored. Victoria eventually bore power. The British Empire covered about a
nine children, while Albert assumed an quarter of the world’s area and population,
excessive role in influencing the governing reaching to Canada, Australia, New
of the country. Royal observer commented Zealand, Africa, and Asia.
that for all intents and purposes he was a 02. People referred to England as “the
king. workshop of the world”. Unfortunately, as
To escape hectic London, Albert material and technological advances
designed Balmaral Castle in Scotland and a multiplied, so did congestion, slums, and
royal residence on the Isle of Wight. The exploited working class.
family made frequent retreats to these 03. Other reforms also took place. Public
homes, where they could enjoy a simpler Health Acts established local control over
life that brought them closer to the lives of water, sewage, and other public health
their increasingly middle-class subjects. matters. In 1891 free grammar schools
In 1861 Price Albert died for were established.
typhoid fever, the inconsolable queen went 04. When the Queen’s power diminished,
into deep mourning, which lasted virtually Prime Ministers seized the power and had
the rest of her life. She attempted to govern more voices in domestic issues as well as
her country as her beloved Albert would foreign diplomatic policies.
have wished, but eventually she withdrew
to Balmoral and became a remote figure.
05. In 1901 Victoria’s eldest son took the greatest public appeal came from his many
throne as Edward VII. The Victorian age novels, which typically appeared in serial
was over, and the modern age had begun. form in newspaper and magazine.
Literary Trends: Exposing Social Issues Dickens was the model of Victorian
The Romanticism that characterized writer, for his work combined realistic
the beginning of the nineteenth century social criticism with comedy and romantic
continued, however, emerging concerns sentiment. He was no stranger to the social
over working and living conditions in the conditions found in his stories. At the age
industrial age caused many writers to begin of twelve, he was forced to support himself
to focus on these topics. Charles Dickens by working in a factory while his father
and Charlotte Bronte wrote novels that spent time in debtor’s prison. Dickens’ s
combined romanticism with realistic experiences during this period formed the
descriptions of life. Browning created basis for his novel David Copperfield, and
realistic character studies in poetic form, one can find images of prisons and lonely,
and Christina Rossetti wrote intense poems oppressed children in many of his other
based on her own experiences of loss and novels. In his writing, Dickens invented a
sorrows. vast array of memorable characters, and his
Literary Figures sharp portrayal of social abuses helped
Charles Dickens bring about reforms in prison.
Charles Dickens reigned as the
most popular writer of his day. Dickens
began his career as a journalist, but his
The Twentieth Century

Edward VII: earned himself the title Edward the
01. Edward VII brought renewed sense of Peacemaker.
gaiety and glamour to the musty court. World War I
02. Politically, he secured friendship of 01. After Edward’s death, his son- George
several major European countries. This V (1910-1936), took the nation through a
war of unprecedented destruction.
02. Britain, France, Russia wag war against France. Within a year, German has
Germany after Germany invaded Belgium surrendered.
in 1914. This war a war of mud, blood, and Postwar to Modern
barbed wire, made more deadly by new 01. Saddened with debt and shortages,
tanks, machine gun, and poison gas. postwar Britain imposed a program of
World War II austerity on its already weary citizens.
01. In 1933, Adolf Hitler, head of the Fresh fruits, canned goods, meat, and
National Socialist German Workers’ party- butter were among the rationed foods.
“Nazi”, for short- became chancellor of 02. The sun set over the British empire,
Germany on a platform of rabid which dissolved into a federation of
nationalism and vengeance. He quickly independent nations. These nations
gained power and swept through Europe, included Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
conquering countries in days with South Africa, India, Pakistan, Nigeria,
“lightning war”. When he invaded Poland Sierra Lenone, and most of Britain’s west
in September 1939, Britain and France Indian holdings.
declared war. World War II began. 03. The economy fluctuated under the
02. In 1941, large parts of London were direction of prime minister Margaret
destroyed by air raids, and 60,000 civilians Thatcher and John Major in the 1980s and
were killed. The Head of England’s war ‘90s. in 1997 forty-three-year-old Tony
cabinet, Winston Churchill, joined forces Blair became the youngest prime minister
with U.S. president Roosevelt to find a way in almost 200 years.
to end this war that was threatening both
nations. On June 6, 1944, British and
American forces landed in Normandy,
Literature of the Time and Wilfred Owen recorded the savageness

War Poems: After witnessing the of the continuing war.
World War I, many authors were inspired Tabloids: This small newspaper
to write. Rupert Brooke expressed the published in 1962 was paid attention to by
patriotic fervor of the beginning of the war the Scandal-seeking readers for
while Isaac Rosenberg, Siegfried Sassoon sensationalized stories about public figures.
In 1997, the “paparazzi” or tabloid and Virginia Woolf, who injected the
journalists, were widely censured for their stream of consciousness into their work.
role in the accidental death of Princess Through modernism, writers were able to
Diana. capture and express the soul of their
The Web: Today, people turned to rapidly changing world.
the World Wide Web for some of the Focus on
information and entertainment they once Short Story
found in printed materials. Not only are the 01. Virginia Woolf
growing number of Web-generated Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) was an
magazines and other information sources, English novelist and essayist, regarded as
but many traditional newspapers, one of the foremost modernist literary
magazines, and reference works are figures of the twentieth century.
presenting material on their own Web Site During the interwar period, Woolf was
as well. a significant figure in London literary
Literary Trends: Modernism society and a member of the Bloomsbury
A new approach to literature with Group.
the new century- modernism. The term Her most famous works include the
modernism covers a variety of moments novels Mrs Dalloway (1925), To the
united by the desires to break with the past, Lighthouse (1927) and Orlando (1928),
to change the structure and contents of the and the book-length essay A Room of
art. Spurred by new ideas in anthropology, One's Own (1929), with its famous dictum
psychology, and philosophy, writers and (lời xác quyết chính thức), "a woman
other artists were both creating and must have money and a room of her own if
responding to new ways of perceiving and she is to write fiction."
describing the world. 02. E. M. Forster
At first, exuberant and optimistic, Edward Morgan Forster(1879–1970),
the tone of the moment was then changed was an English novelist, short story writer,
by the horrors of World War I to one of essayist, and librettist.
disillusionment and alienation- as He is known best for his ironic and
conveyed in T. S. Eliot’s poem The Waste well-plotted novels examining class
Land or prose writers such as James Joyce
difference and hypocrisy in early 20th- His works includes A Room with a
century British society. View (1908) , Howards End (1910),
and A Passage to India (1924)
Questions for Each Period (Revision)

Stage 1
01. In what century did the Angles-Saxons 08. From what word did the name of
invade Britain? England come?
02. In What century/ or in what year did 09. Who helped unify the whole England?
the Angles-Saxons come to an end? 10. Who ended the reign of Angles-
03. What qualities are mostly valued in the Saxons?
Angles-Saxons time? 11. What are the two main contributions of
04. Which peoples did settle in England the angles-Saxons literature?
long before the arrival of Angles-Saxons? 12. What was the story teller in the angles-
05. From which tribal groups did Angles- Saxons time also called?
Saxons come? 13. List some main theme of the angles-
06. How can Christianity spread to Saxons poetry?
England? 14. Who helped spread the old English
07. Who conquered England before the prose?
Angles-Saxons?
Stage 2
01. What are literary trends in the middle 04. Name the socio-economic hierarchy in
English? French England?
02. Who is called the father of English 05. What is the official language in the
poetry? what is his greatest work? what is middle age?
it about? 06. Who used the three languages at the
03. In what year did the Normandy invade same time?
England? what was the main reason for
their invasion?
Stage 3
01. What does the word “Renaissance” 05. Which King was beheaded in England?
mean? Who is William Shakespeare?
02. Who was the one who formed the 06. What is the pen-name of the William
Protestant reformation? Why did he break Shakespeare?
away from the Roman Catholics? 07. Name some major works of
03. Who helped establish the Anglican Shakespeare?
Church in Britain?
04. Who helped English empire become
the great power on sea?
Stage 4
01. Which king began the age in the 05. What changes did the industrial
glorious revolution? revolution bring about?
02. Which kings were proved unpopular in 06. What is the main theme of the literary
this age? trend in this age?
03. Which king began the age in the 07. Who is the main literary figure in this
glorious revolution? age? Name some of his famous works?
04. Why was it called the glorious
revolution?
Stage 7
01. Which king was made insane and 03. Which king helped to pass the law of
incompetent to reign the country during his reform which was then in effect to reduce
reign? the power of the monarch?
02. Which king was described to have a 04. In your opinion, why was England
lavish life? called the “Sun never set in British
empire”?
05. How many years did queen victoria 06. How many years did queen victoria
reign England? reign England?
Stage 8
01. Who was considered as the Peace 02. What does it mean when we say “the
Maker? Sun sets over the British Empire”?
Multiple Choices
01. What was the only acknowledged religion in England during the early sixteenth century?
A. Catholicism B. Protestantism C. Ancestor-worship D. Judaism
02. Who began to ignite the members of dissent against the Catholic Church in November
1517 in a moment that came to be known as reformation?
A. Anne Boleyn B. Martin Luther King C. Pope Leo X D. John Calvin
03. Who succeeded Elizabeth I on the throne of England?
A. James I B. Elizabeth II C. Charles I D. Henry IX
04. Which phrase indicates the interior flow of thought employed in high modern literature?
A. Automatic writing B. Stream of consciousness C. Total recall D. Free association
The end for Chapter 2!
Chapter 3: Analyses and Interpretations of Some Typical British Literary

Works
Work 1: From Beowulf (Anonymous)
The Coming of Beowulf (Poem: Excerpt)
Pre-reading
Connecting to the Epic
01. What is a hero? In your opinion, what following questions to identify the
qualities should a hero possess? sequence. What are the main events?/When
02. Literary Element: do these events happen?
Conflict is a struggle between the two 04. Background Information: “The
forces. An external conflict is between a coming of Beowulf” is part of a longer
character and something outside that story about Beowulf. Before this part
character, such as another person or begins, Denmark’s king Hrothgar builds a
nature. Meanwhile, an internal conflict is a huge banquet hall for his people. The noisy
struggle within a character’s mind such as celebrations make the monster Grendel
a difficult decision; a choice between two very angry. Grendel attacks and kills some
actions. As you read, look for examples of of the people.
conflict. Ask yourself, are these items
internal or external conflicts?
03. Identify the sequence: The sequence
of events in a story is the order in which
they happen. As you read, as yourself the
The Epic
So living sorrow of Healfdane’s son On king and people and alike, harsh
Simmered, bitter and fresh, and no wisdom And unending, violent and cruel, and evil.
Or strength could break it: That agony
hung.
In his far-off home Beowulf, Higlac’s

follower and the strongest of the Geats- The wind hurried them over the waves,
greater The ship foamed through the sea like birds
And stronger than anyone anywhere in this Until in the time they had known it would
world- take,
Heard how Grendel filled nights with Standing in the round-curled prow they
horror could see
And quickly commanded a boat fitted out, Sparkling hills, high and green,
Proclaiming that he’d go to that famous Jutting up over the shore, and rejoicing
king, In those rock-steep cliffs they quietly
Would sail across the sea to Hrothgar, ended their voyage. Jumping to the ground,
Now when help was needed. None the Geats pushed their boat to the sand and
Of the wise ones regretted his going, much tied it.
As he was loved by the Geats: The omens
were good. In place, mail shirts and armor rattling.
And they urged the adventure on. So As they swiftly moored their ship. And
Beowulf Choose the mightiest men he then
could find The bravest and best of the They gave thanks to god for their easy
Geats, fourteen In all, and led them down crossing
to the boat; He knew the sea, would point
to the prow’. Straight to that distant Danish High on the wall a Danish watcher
shore. Patrolling along the cliffs they saw
Then they sailed, set their ship. Out on the The traveler crossing to the shore, their
wave, under the cliffs. Ready for what shields
came they would through the currents, Raised and shining; he came riding down,
Hrothgars lieutenant, spurring his horse,
The sea beating at the sand, and were borne Needing to know why they’d landed, these
In the lap of their shining ship, lined with men
gleaming armor going safely In armor. Shaking his heavy spear in their
In that oak-hard boat to where their hearts faces he spoke:
took them.
“Whose soldier are you, you who’ve been Their leader answered him. Beowulf
carried in your deep-keeled ship unlocking
Across the sea-road, to this country of Words from deep in his:
mine? “We are Greats, men who follow Higlac.
Listen! I’ve stood on those cliffs longer My father was a famous soldier, known far
Than you know, keeping our coast free and wide as a leader of men. His name was
Of pirates, raider sneaking ashore Edgetho. His life lasted many winters;
From their ships, seeking our lives and our Wise men all over the earth surely
gold. remember him still. And we have come
None have never come more openly- seeking your prince, Healfdane’s son,
And yet you’ve offered no password, no protector of this people, only in friendship:
sign instruct us, watchman, help us with your
From my prince, no permission from my words! Our errand is a great one, our
people for your landing business with glorious king
Here. Not have ever seen, Of the Danes no secret; there’s nothing
Out of all the men on earth, one greater dark
Than has come with you; no commoners Or hidden in our coming. You know (if
carries we’ve heard the truth, and been told
Such weapons, unless his appearance, and honestly) that your country is cursed with
his beauty, some strange, vicious creature that hunts
Are both lies. You! Tell me your name, only at night and that no one has seen. It’s
And your father’s; no spies go further onto said, watchman, that he has slaughtered
Danish Soil than you’ve come already. your people, brought terror to the darkness.
Strangers, Perhaps Hrothgar can hunt, here in my
From wherever it was you sailed, tell it, heart,
And tell it quickly, the quicker the better, For some way to drive this devil out-
I say, for us all. Speak, say If anything will ever end the evils
Exactly who you are, and from where and Afflicting your wise and famous lord,
why.” Here he can cool his burning sorrow.
Or else he may see his suffering go on
Forever, for as long as Herot towers
High on your hills.” “Hail, Hrothgar!

Higlac is my cousin and my king; the days
The mounted officers Of my youth have been filled with glory.
Answered him bluntly, the brave Now Grendel’s Name has echoed in our
watchman: land: sailors Have brought us stories of
“A soldier should know the difference Herot, the best Of all mead-halls, deserted
between words And deeds, and keep that and useless when the moon Hangs in skies
knowledge clear the sun had lit, Light and life fleeing
In his brain. I believe your words, I trust in together.
Your friendship. Go forward, weapons and My people have said, the wisest, most
armor knowing And best of them, that my duty
And all, on into Denmark. I’ll guide you was to go to the Danes’
Myself-and my men will guard your ship,
Keep it safe here on our shores, Great king. They have seen my strength for
Your fresh-tarred boat, watch it well, themselves,
Until that curving brow carries Have watched me rise from the darkness of
Across the sea to the Geatland a chosen war,
Warrior who bravely does battle with the Dripping with my enemies’ blood. I drove
creature Haunting our people, who Five great giants into chains, chased
survives that horror Unhurt, and goes home All of that race from the earth. I swam
bearing out.” In the blackness of night, hunting monsters
Beowulf arose, with his men Out of the ocean, and killing them one
Around him, ordering a few to remain By one; death was my errand. Now
With their weapons, leading the others Grendel and I are called
quickly Along under Herot’s steep roof Together, and I’ve come. Grant me, then,
into Hrothgar’s Presence. Standing on that Lord and protector of this noble place,
prince’s own hearth, A single request! I have come so far,
Helmeted, the silvery metal of his mail Oh shelterer of warriors and your people’s
shirt Gleaming with Smith’s high art, he loved friend,
greeted The Dane’s great lord: That is one favor you should not refuse
me-
That I, alone and with the help of my men, There will be nothing to mourn over, no
May purge all evil from this hall. I have corpse to prepare
heard, For its grave: Grendel will carry our
Too, that the monster’s scorn of men bloody
Is so great that he needs no weapons and Flesh to the moors, crunch on our bones
fears none. And smear torn scraps of our skin on the
Nor will I. My Lord Higlac. walls
Might think less of me if I let my sword Of his den. No, I expect no Danes
Go where my feet were afraid to, if I hid Will fret about sewing our shrouds, if he
behind some broad liden shield: My hands wins,
alone shall fight for me, struggle for life And if death does take me, send the
Against the monster. God must decide hammered
Who will be given to death’s cold grip. Mail of my armor to Higlac, return
Grendel’s plan, I think, will be The inheritance I had from Hrethel, and he
What it has been before, to invade this hall From Wayland. Fate will unwind as it
And gorge his belly with our bodies. If he must!”
can,
If he can. And I think, if my time will have
come,
While-Reading
01. What happened after Beowulf heard 05. Underline the words that tell you that
about Grendel? Hrothgar’s lieutenant has never seen
02. Who is the “famous king” of Danes? Beowulf before.
03. Explain the sentence “The wise ones 06. What details do you learn about
urges the adventure on” Grendel?
04. How do you know that Hrothgar’s 07. What does “drive the devils out” mean?
watchman expects conflicts with the 08. The watchman has to decide whether to
Geats? What kinds of conflict is it? let Beowulf and the Geats into Denmark.
What kind of conflict is this?
09. What belongings do the Geats take c. Beowulf takes strong men and sails to
with them into Denmark? What do these Denmark.
signify? d. The watchmen lets the Geats go into
10. Do the Geats expect an internal or Denmark.
external conflict? Underline the words in e. Beowulf hears that Grendel is killing
the text that support your answer. the people of Denmark.
11. What do the Geats do with their boat f. Beowulf and the Geats lands on the
when they march to Herot? shore of Denmark.
12. Why do you think Hrothgar made 15. Explain why he thinks he can beat
Herot so fancy? Grendel. What does he do next?
13. What clues in the story tell you that the 16. Explain the sentence “Might think less
Geats expect a conflict? of me”
14. Identify the sequence: Use numbers 1-6 17. Beowulf plans to fight Grendel. What
to put the following events from the story kind of conflict is this?
into the correct order 18. What is Grendel’s plan, according to
a. Beowulf and the Geats march toward Beowulf?
Herot. 19. Think about what happened in the
b. A watchman asks the Geats who they are story. Then write what you think will
and why they have come. happen next?
Post-Reading
Complete the sentences about the conflict 04. How does Beowulf say he is going to
in “the coming of Beowulf” fight Grendel?
01. When Beowulf and his men arrive in 05. What do you think will happen if
Denmark, they meet______ Grendel and Beowulf fight?
02. Beowulf decides to fight Grendel Circle the letter of the word that
because___________________ completes each sentence correctly
Answer the questions about the conflicts 06. The diamond was ___________ in the
in “Beowulf” light.
03. Summarize the conflict between A. afflicting B. Shining C. Purge
Grendel and the Danes
07. I need to ___________ the computer of 09. The _______ for the dance sparkled in
the virus. the candle light
A. Shining B. Strength C. Purge A. Strength B. Decorations C. Sentinels
08. The farm road led ___________ from
the house to the barn
A. Straight B. afflicting C. Shrouds
A Summary on each Section of the Epic

01. The monster, Grendel, ________________________________. Beowulf decides
___________________. He chooses _______________________________. Beowulf and his
men ______________________________________.
02. Beowulf and his men arrive in Denmark. A watchman _____________________
____________. The watchman asks the Geats _________________________________
__________________________________
03. Beowulf tells the watchman ____________. Beowulf says he ____________________.
The watchman ____________________________________________________
____________________________.
04. Beowulf and his men ____________________________. Beowulf and his men
________________________________________
05. Beowulf _____________________________________________________. Beowulf
greets Hrothgar. Beowulf says ________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.
06. Beowulf says that ________________________________________. Beowulf says that
___________________________________________________________________________
Glossary for Work 1

01. Afflicting: Causing serious harm. 04. Healdane’s son: Hrothgar
Ex: Sickness and lack of money were 05. Higlac’s follower: Higlac-King of the
among the many problems afflicting the Geats- is Beowulf’s uncle. Higlac’s
small country. follower is then, referred to Beowulf.
02. Sentinels: People who keep watch and 06. Prow: The bow, or forward most part
alert people of dangers: Lính gác of the ship
Ex: The sentinels alerted the king when the 07. Mail shirt: A style of flexible body
soldiers come close to the castle. armor usually made of linked metal loops:
03. Purge: To remove/to get rid of: Xua Áo giáp
đuổi, quoi đi.
Ex: We try to purge the boat of excess
water
A Summary of the Story of Beowulf

King Hrothgar of Denmark, a descendant of the great king Shield Sheafson, enjoys a
prosperous and successful reign. He builds a great mead-hall, called Heorot, where his
warriors can gather to drink, receives gifts from their lord, and listen to stories sung by the
scops, or bards. But the jubilant noise from Heorot angers Grendel, a horrible demon who
lives in the swamplands of Hrothgar’s kingdom. Grendel terrorizes the Danes every night,
killing them and defeating their efforts to fight back. The Danes suffer many years of fear,
danger, and death at the hand of Grendel. Eventually, however, a young Geatish warrior
named Beowulf hears of Hrothgar’s plight. Inspired by the challenge Beowulf sails to
Denmark with a small company of men determined to defeat Grendel.
Hrothgar, who had once done a great favor of Beowulf’s father Ecgtheow, accepts
Beowulf’s offer to fight Grendel and holds a feast in the hero’s honor. During the feast, an
envious Dane named Uferth taunts Beowulf and accuses him of being unworthy of his
reputation. Beowulf responds with a boastful descriptions of some of his past
accomplishments. His confidence cheers the Danish warriors, and the feast lasts merrily into
the night. At last, however, Grendel arrives. Beowulf fights him unarmed, proving himself
stronger than the demon, who is terrified. As Grendel struggles to escape, Beowulf tears the
monster’s arm off. Mortally wounded, Grendel slinks back into the swamp to die. The severed
arm is hung high in the mead-hall as a trophy of victory.
Overjoyed, Hrothgar shows Beowulf with gift and treasure at a feast in his honor.
Songs are sung in praise of Beowulf, and the celebration lasted late into the night. But another
threat is approaching. Grendel’s mother, a swamp-hag who lives in a desolate lake, comes to
Heorot seeking revenge, for her son’s death. she murders Aschere, one of Hrothgar’s most
trusted adviser, before slinking away. To avenge Aschere’s death, the company travels to the
murky swamp, where Beowulf dives into the water and fights Grendel’s mother in her
underwater lair. He kills her with a sword forged for a giant, then, finding Grendel’s corpse,
decapitates it and brings the head as the prize to Hrothgar. The Danish countryside is now
purged of its treacherous monsters.
The Danes are again overjoyed, and Beowulf’s fame spreads across the Kingdom.
Beowulf departs after a sorrowful goodbye to Hrothgar, who has treated him like a son. He
returns to Geatland, where he and his men are reunited with their king and queen, Hygelac and
Hygd, to whom Beowulf recounts his adventures in Denmark. Beowulf then hands over most
of his treasure to Hygelac, who, in turn, rewards him.
In time, Hygelac is killed in a war against the Shylfings, and after Hygelac’s son dies,
Beowulf ascends to the throne of the Geats. He rules wisely for fifty years, bringing prosperity
to Geatland. When Beowulf is an old man, however, a thief disturbs a barrow, or mound,
where a great dragon lies guarding a horde of treasure. Enraged, the dragon emerges from the
barrow and begins unleashing fiery destruction upon the Geats. Sensing his own death
approaching, Beowulf goes to fight the dragon. With the aid of Wiglaf, he succeeds in killing
the beast, but at a heavy cost. The dragon bites Beowulf in the neck and its fiery venom kills
him moments after their encounter. The Geats fear that their enemies will now attack them
now that Bewoulf is dead. According to Beowulf’s wishes, they burnt their departed king’s
body on a huge funeral pyre and then bury him with a massive treasure in a barrow
overlooking the sea.
Some Major Themes of Beowulf
01. _____________________: Warfare, or feuds and stories of clan fealty throughout
the threat of warfare, is a regular part of Beowulf, this is clear. Other Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon life. From the number of texts, such as the battle of Maldon,
Cynewulf and Cyneheard, and the Battle at much tributary gold kept the peace because
Finksburg are essentially Germanic “heroic no other tribes try to face him. Sheer
lay” tradition commemorating the heroic military might is a major peacekeeper in
efforts of individual warriors, their such troubled time. Of the most prevalent
strategies and fates. What makes Beowulf virtues of kingship is the responsible
different from these other works is not the distribution of weapons and treasure. The
portrayal of warfare, but the exaltation of treasures bestowed upon Beowulf by
peace and peace-keeping through the rule Hrothgar following the defeat of Grendel
of powerful king. Beowulf opens by an example of the proper distribution of
demonstrating the power of those kings. treasure to a warrior who has proven
Scyld Scefing, who was strong to have himself worthy of a king.
taken many mead benches and was offered
02. _____________________: F.A Blackburn summarizes the possible sources for the
Christian elements of the poem in his essay The Christian Coloring in the Beowulf:
A. The poem was composed by a Christian, whom we owe the Christian allusions
who had heard the stories and used them as found in it.
the material of their work. C. Unfortunately, without records of those
B. The poem was composed by a heathen, old stories of lays upon Beowulf may have
either from old stories or from old days. At been based, we cannot be sure which one
a later date it was revised by a Christian, to of these is true.
Blackburn also classifies these Christian elements:
• Passages contain biblical history or Danes near the beginning of the
allusions to some scriptural poem.
narrative. These include references • Passages containing references to
to Cain, Abel, and the flood. doctrines distinctively Christian:
• Passages containing expressions in References to heaven, hell, and the
disapproval of Heathen ideas or day of judgment. He finds ten
Heathen worship. There is one of cases.
these in the introduction to the • Incidental allusions to the Christian
God. He finds 53 cases.
Looking closely at these elements, poem, Hamilton argues, would have been
Blackburns speculates on how easily one familiar to the English at that time.
can refigure them to be pagan by the Beowulf’s concern over his honor and
replacement of a word or omission of a Wyrd-his fate-are concerns about
phrase, thus seeing how scribes may have Providence or Divine will. In Wyrd, we
done so in the past. Reversing the can see the beginnings of a change in what
Christianizing process, he concludes that at was a pagan concept and its acceptance of
some point, Beowulf may have been a new Christianized meaning. On the other
entirely pagan text. side, Grendel is equated to the race of
Others choose to examine how well the Cain, and the dragon to be an incarnation
Christian elements fit together and form of the devil. Again, these characterizations
such an integral part of the poem. Unlike of the monstrous and evil were well known
other poems, such as the wanderer or the to the English.
Seafarer, in which it appears to many What is celar about the religious
editors that the Christian exhortations coloring of Beowulf is that while it is
appear [to early critic] to have been clearly Christian, there is little Christian
appended to the otherwise pagan poems, doctrine. References are only to the Old
Beowulf has Christian elements through Testament narratives and concepts easily
narrative. refigured from their pagan equivalents. It
Marie Padgett Hamilton, in her essay seems that Beowulf tells of a period in the
the Religious Principle, argues that the midst of religious change being neither
poem is consistent with Augustine’s model entirely pagan, nor fully Christian [or to be
of God’s Grace: That a society of an attempt to integrate Germanic history
Righteous live together with one of the into old testament time frame]. We can let
reprobate on earth. This principle and the the decision to you, after reading and
ways in which they are presented in the analyzing this epic.
Work 2: From a Vindication of the Right of Women

(By Mary Wollstonecraft)
Meet Mary Wollstonescraft (1759-1797)
Mary Wollstonecraft's youth was a of the best era’s writers and thinkers. Her
hard one. Her mother was physically work soon generated controversy. When A
abused by her alcoholic father, who Vindication of the Rights of Women was
wasted his own inheritance as well as all published, a shocked opponent called its
the money that had been left to his author “a hyena in petticoats”
children. The family moved from place to Wollstonecraft left later married
place in an effort to survive. noted philosopher and novelist William
At nineteen, Wollstonecraft left Godwin. Their happy marriage was short.
home to work as a governess and Wollstonecraft died only eleven days after
schoolteacher. During this time she also the birth of their daughter, Mary (who
began to write. After mild success with a became Mary Shelly, author of
novel, she took a job at Joseph Johnson’s Frankenstein.) Wollstonecraft is now
bookshop. Johnson encouraged recognized as a founder of the women’s
Wollstonecraft and introduced her to many right moment.
Reading
Before you Read
01. Read the title and author. Guess what women’s lives changed as a result of the
the essay is about? women’s right movement? What
02. From the title of the work, guess what opportunities do women have today that
problems did women in the author’s age they did not have 200 years ago?
encounter? 06. What impact does your education have
03. Do you think good education is on your life? Or your development as a
important for women? person?
04. Some important notes: In 07. Discuss the benefits people gain from
Wollstonecraft’s time, girls were not taught having an education. How does having an
the same things as boys were taught. education affect a person’s life?
05. Connect to the essay: What is the
women’s rights movement? How have
08. Read to learn Wollstonecraft’s thoughts women who sacrificed their own goals in
on the importance of a good education and an effort to please men. Women’s focus on
on the detriment of an inferior education. pleasing men did not end in the 1700s, of
09. Background Information course. Many advertisements today urge
The Status of Women: In women to buy something in order to please
Wollstonecraft’s society, a woman lost all a man. Buy this brand of jeans, an ad may
legal rights when she married; the law say, and that special guy will notice you.
regarded her property- and even her Certainly, ads using tactics like these are
children- as belonging to her husband. Yet not directed only at women. Many ads try
most women still chose to marry, because to persuade an audience that its future
their educational and career opportunities health and happiness depend on buying a
were severely limited. certain product
In writing A vindication of the
Rights of Women in the late 1700s, Mary
Wollstonecraft created awareness about
Now Read the Essay

From the Introduction
After considering the historical but what has been the result? A profound
page and viewing the living world with conviction that the neglected education of
anxious solicitude, the most melancholy my fellow creatures is the grand source of
emotions of sorrowful indignation have the misery I deplore and that women, in
depressed my spirits, and I have sighed particular, are rendered weak and wretched
when obliged to confess that either nature by a variety of concurring causes,
has made a great difference between man originating from one hasty conclusion. The
and man or that the civilization which has conduct and manners of women, in fact,
hitherto taken place in the world has been evidently prove that their minds are not in
very partial. I have turned over various a healthy state, for like the flowers which
books written on the subject of education are planted in too rich a soil, strength and
and patiently observed the conduct of usefulness are sacrificed to beauty, and the
parents and the management of schools, flaunting leaves, after having pleased a
fastidious eye, fade, disregarded on the abrogated in favor of woman. A degree of

stalk long before the season when they physical superiority cannot, therefore, be
ought to have arrived at maturity. One denied-and it is noble prerogative! But not
cause of this barren blooming I attribute to content with this preeminence, men
a false system of education, gathered from endeavor to sink us still lower merely to
the books written on this subject by man, render us alluring objects for a moment,
who, considering females rather as women women, intoxicated by the adoration which
than human creatures, have been more men, under the influence of their sense, pay
anxious to make them alluring mistresses them, do not seek to obtain a durable
than affectionate wives and rational interest in their hearts or to become the
mothers, and the understanding of the sex friends of fellow creatures who find
has been so bubbled by the specious amusement in their society.
homage that the civilized women of the I am aware of an obvious inference
present century, with a few exceptions, are from every quarter have I heard
only anxious to inspire love when they exclamations against masculine women,
ought to cherish a nobler ambition and by but where are they to be found? If by this
their abilities and virtues exact respect… appellation men mean to inveigh against
Yes, because I am a woman, I their ardor in hunting, shooting and
would not lead my readers to suppose that I gambling. I shall most cordially join in the
mean violently to agitate the contested cry; but if it be against the imitation of
question respecting the quality or manly virtues, or, more properly speaking,
inferiority of the sex, but as the subject lies the attainment of those talents and virtues,
in my way, and I cannot pass it over the exercise of which ennobles the human
without subjecting the main tendency of character, and which raise females in the
my reasoning to misconstruction, I shall scale of animal being, when they are
stop a moment to deliver, in a few words, comprehensively termed mankind; all
my opinion. In the government of the those who view them with a philosophic
physical world, it is observable that the eye must, I should think, wish with me that
female in point of strength, is, in general, they may every day grow more and more
inferior to male. This is the law of nature, masculine….
and it doesn’t appear to be suspended or
My own sex, I hope, will excuse me them, when they marry, they act as such
if I treat them like rational creatures instead children may be expected to act; they
of flattering their fascinating graces and dress, they paint, and nickname god’s
viewing them as if they were in a state of creatures. Surely these weak beings are
perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone. only fit for a seraglio! Can they be
I earnestly wish to point out in what true expected to govern a family with judgment
dignity and human happiness consists- I or take care of the poor babes whom they
wish to persuade women to endeavor to bring into the world?
acquire strength, both of mind and body, If then it can be fairly deduced from
and to convince them that the soft phrases the present conduct of the sex , from the
susceptibility of heart, delicacy of prevalent fondness for pleasure which
sentiment, and refinement of taste and takes place of ambition and those nobler
almost synonymous with epithets of passions that open and enlarge the soul,
weakness and that those beings who are that the instruction which women have
only the objects of pity and that kind of hitherto received has only tended, with the
love which has been termed its sister will constitution of civil society, to render them
soon become objects of contempt… insignificant objects of desire-mere
The education of women has, of propagators of fools!-if it can be proved
late, been more attended to than formerly; that in aiming to accomplish them, without
yet they are still reckoned a frivolous sex cultivating their understanding, they are
and ridiculed or pitied by the writers who taken out of their sphere of duties and
endeavor by satire or instruction to made ridiculous and useless when the
improve them. It is acknowledged that they short-lived bloom of beauty is over, I
spend many of the first years of their lives presume that rational men will excuse me
in acquiring a smattering of for endeavoring to persuade them to
accomplishments; meanwhile, strength of become more masculine and respectable.
body and mind are sacrificed to libertine Indeed, the word masculine is only
notions of beauty, to the desire of a bugbear. There is little reason to fear that
establishing themselves- the only way women will acquire too much courage or
women can rise in the world- by marriage. fortitude, for their apparent inferiority with
And this desire making mere animals of respect to bodily strength must render
them, in some degree, dependent on men in the expectation of new conquests, endeavor
the various relations of life, but why should to forget the mortification her love or pride
it be increased by prejudices that give a sex has received? When the husbands ceased to
to virtue and confound simple truths with be a lover-and the time will inevitably
sensual reveries? come-her desire of pleasing will then grow
From Chapter 2 languid or become a spring of bitterness,
…Youth is the season for love in both and love, perhaps the most evanescent of
sexes, but in those days of thoughtless all passions, gives place to jealousy of
enjoyment, provision should be made for vanity.
the more important years of life when I now speak of women who are
reflection takes place of sensation. But restrained by principle or prejudice. Such
Rousseau, and most of the male writers women though they would shrink from an
who have followed his steps, have warmly intrigue with real abhorrence, yet,
inculcated that the whole tendency of nevertheless, wish to be convinced by the
female education ought to be directed to homage of gallantry that they are cruelly
one point: to render them pleasing. neglected by their husbands, or days and
Let me reason with the supporters weeks are spent in dreaming of the
of this opinion who have any knowledge of happiness enjoyed by congenial souls till
human nature, do they imagine that their health is undermined and their spirits
marriage can eradicate the habitude of life? broken by discontent. How can then a great
The woman who has only been taught to art of pleasing be such a necessary study?
please will soon find that her charms are It is only useful to a mistress; the chaste
oblique sunbeams and that they cannot wife and serious mother should only
have much effect on her husband’s heart consider her power to please as the polish
when they are seen every day, when the of her virtues, and the affection of her
summer is passed and gone. Will she then husband as one of the comforts that render
have sufficient native energy to look into her talk less difficult and her life happier.
herself for comfort and cultivate her But whether she be loved or neglected, her
dormant faculties? Or is it not more first wish should be to make herself
rational to expect that she will try to please respectable and not to rely on for all her
other men, and in the emotions raised by
happiness on a being subject to like uncultivated understandings make them

infirmities with herself. entirely dependent on their senses for
The worthy Dr. Gregory fell into employment and amusement, when no
similar error. I respect his heart but entirely noble pursuit sets them above the little
disapprove of his celebrated legacy to his vanities of the day or enables them to curb
daughters… the wild emotions that agitate a reed over
He actually recommends which every passing breeze has power? To
dissimulation and advises an innocent girl gain the affection of the virtuous man, is
to give the lie to her feelings and not affection necessary? Nature has given
dance with spirit, when gaiety of heart woman a weaker frame than man, but to
would make her gestures immodest. In the ensure her husband’s affections, must a
name of truth and common sense, why wife, who by the exercise of her mind and
should not one woman acknowledge that body whilst she was discharging the duties
she can take more exercise than another or, of a daughter, wife, and mother, has
in other words, that she has a sound allowed her constitution to retain its natural
constitution. And, why, to damp innocent strength, and her nerves a healthy tone, is
vivacity, is she darkly to be told that men she, I say, to condescend to use art and
will draw conclusions which she little think feign a sickly delicacy in order to secure
of? Let the libertine draw what inference her husband’s affection? Weakness may
she pleases, but I hope that no sensible excite tenderness and gratify the arrogant
mother will restrain the natural frankness pride of man, but the lordly caresses of a
of youth by instilling such indecent protector will not gratify the noble mind
cautions. Out of the abundance of the heart, that pants for, and deserves to be respected.
the mouth speaketh, and a wiser than Fondness is a poor substitute for
Solomon hath said that the heart should be friendship!...
made clean and not trivial ceremonies If all the faculties of woman’s mind
observed, which it is not vey difficult to are only to be cultivated as they respect her
fulfill with scrupulous exactness when dependence on man; if, when a husband be
vice reigns in the heart. obtained, she have arrived at her goal, and
Women ought to endeavor to purify meanly proud, rests satisfied with such a
their heart, but can they do so when their paltry crown, let her grovel contentedly,
scarcely raised by her employments above unless the reason of an individual demands
the animal kingdom; but, if, struggling for my homage; and even then the submission
the prize of her high calling, she look is to reason, and not to man. In fact, the
beyond the present scene, let her cultivate conduct of an accountable being must be
her understanding without stopping to regulated by the operations of its own
consider what character the husband may reason, or on what foundation rests the
have whom she is destined to marry. Let throne of God?
her only determine, without being too It appears to me necessary to dwell
anxious about present happiness, to acquire on these obvious truths because females
the qualities that ennoble a rational being, have been insulated, as it were, and while
and a rough inelegant husband may shock they have been stripped of the virtues that
her taste without destroying her peace of should clothe humanity, they have been
mind. She will not model her soul to suit decked with artificial graces that enable
the frailties of her companion, but to bear them to exercise a short-lived tyranny.
with them: His character may be a trial, but Love, in their bosoms, taking place of
nor an impediment to virtue… every nobler passion, their sole ambition is
These may be termed Utopian to be fair, to raise emotion instead of
dreams. Thanks to that being who inspiring respect; and this ignoble desire,
impressed them into my souls and gave me like the servility in absolute monarchies,
sufficient strength of dare to exert my own destroys all strength of character. Liberty is
reason, till, becoming dependent only on the mother of virtue, and if women be, by
him for the support of my virtue, I view their very constitution, slaves, and not
with indignation the mistaken notions that allowed to breathe the sharp invigorating
enslave my sex. air of freedom, they must ever languish
I love men as my fellows; but his like exotics and be reckoned beautiful
scepter, real or usurped, extend not to me, flaws in nature.
New Words
01. Indignation (n): Anger about Ex: Enrique felt indignation at the unfair
something unfair or unjust: Sự phẫn nộ rules
02. Rational (adj): Sensible or able to 09. Bloom (n): A time of flowering and
reason: Có lý trí, sáng suốt. beauty: Tuổi thanh xuân, thời kì rực rỡ đẹp
Ex: The woman was angry, but she stated nhất, sự ra hoa
her opinion in a rational way. Ex: Spring is the time when any flowers
03. Faculties (n): Abilities: Khả năng, tài are in bloom.
năng. 10. Solicitude (n): Care or concern: Sự lo
Ex: The smart students had the faculties to lắng, sự quan tâm
solve many problems 11. Bubbled (adj): fooled or deceived: Bị
04. Congenial (adj): Compatible, lừa
agreeable: Dễ chịu, thoải mái, xứng hợp, 12. Specious homage (n): False honor,
hòa đồng respect: Danh dự giả tạo, hão huyền
Ex: The congenial couple loved and 13. Agitate: insist on a decision or debate:
respected each other. Tranh luận công khai
05. Condescend (v): Lower oneself: Hạ 14. Abrogated: Cancelled or abolished:
cố, quy lụy, hạ thấp chính mình bãi bỏ, hủy bỏ
Ex: She wouldn’t condescend to cheating 15. Prerogative and preeminence:
on the test. superiority: Tính ưu việt
06. Neglected (adj): Not cared for: Bị bỏ 16. Appellation: masculine: danh hiệu,
rơi. danh xưng
Ex: The neglected puppy whined sadly. 17. Inveigh against their ardor: speak
07. Deliver (v): To announce or speak against women’s enthusiasm for: Công
publicly: Thông báo, nói công khai, phát kích, đả phá chống lại lòng nhiệt huyết của
biểu. phụ nữ
Ex: The president will now deliver an 18. Epithets: descriptive words: Những lời
important speech. hoa mỹ
08. Barren (adj): Failing to grow or 19. Libertine: lacking moral limits or
produce life: Trơ trọi, cằn cỗi restraints: người phóng đãng, trụy lạc,
Ex: The desert was barren except for the người tự do tín ngưỡng
places where a few plants grow 20. Seraglio: harem: Khuê phòng, hậu
cung
21. Propagators: are those who produce 22. Bugbear is something you fear for no
children: Người nhân giống reason: Vấn đề băn khoăn, lo lắng
While-reading
Recall
01. In the introduction, what does 03. What marital problems result when
Woolstonecraft say has resulted from women are taught only to please? Why
women’s neglected education? What does does Wollstonecraft think it is important
she urge women to do? Why? for women to fully cultivate all of their
02. What comparisons does the author faculties?
make between women and children? What
do these comparisons reveal about
women’s status?
More Questions
01. Find the information in the text that 08. According to Wollstonecraft, what
explain one way Wollstonecraft says would happen to young women who only
women are inferior to men. have beauty and charm?
02. What does Wollstonecraft say she is 09. According to Wollstonecraft, why did
going to “deliver” women pretend to be weak?
03. What does Wollstonecraft say she 10. How does Wollstonecraft say she feels
wants to persuade women to do? about man?
04. According to Wollstonecraft, what 11. Reread the last sentence of the
should women do if they want to rise in the selection starting with “Liberty is the
world? mother of virtue.” Does this statement
05. What options do women have today to make an effective closing argument? Why?
“establish” themselves? 12. How is the bloom of beauty like the
06. According to Rousseau, what was the bloom of a flower?
purpose of women’s education? 13. What is the main idea of the first
07. What is the main topic of her essay so paragraph?
far?
14. How does Wollstonecraft feel about a 17. What has been neglected?
marriage in which the husband is the “lord” 18. What does Wollstonecraft mean by
and “protector”? “neglected education”?
15. To what does Wollstonecraft say she
will submit?
16. What does vindication mean? What
does Wollstonecraft try to do in this
persuasive essay?
Post-reading
A. Complete the sentences according to • Women’s happiness in marriage.
what Wollstonecraft believes • Women’s misery.
a. Women do not get _______________ c. To show how helpless woman are,
b. Women are taught only _________ Wollstonecraft compares women to
c. Women should receive an education that • Teachers
makes them stronger_______________ • children
B. Choose the answer that completes the • Dr. Gregory
sentence d. Wollstonecraft’s attitudes about exercise
a. Wollstonecraft says that women’s for woman is that exercise
education has been neglected because • Could be dangerous
• men do not see them as human • Should be encouraged
creatures.
• Should be avoided
• men fear women will be better e. Wollstonecraft wants to persuade
hunters. women to
• men are afraid to give women too • Use their beauty to attract men
much power.
• Use their physical skills to hunt and
b. According to Wollstonecraft, the result
shoot
of women’s neglected education is
• Pay more attention to their minds
• Women’s independence. than their beauty
A Summary on Each Section on the Essay

01. The writer has read books about woman when she grows older if she has
education. She has watched the way only been taught to please men? Women
children are taught at school. Women do should not rely on men for happiness.
not get a very good education. Men would Women should respect themselves.
rather have women be pretty than 05. Women should not pretend to be weak
intelligent and reasonable. and delicate to get a husband. Women will
02. Women are only inferior to men in be happier in marriage if their husbands
physical strength. Women should not try to respect them as friends.
be pretty, delicate, and weak to attract men. 06. God gave Wollstonecraft a good mind.
Women should try to become strong in She trusts her intelligence and uses it to
mind and body. point out men’s incorrect ideas about
03. Women seem to prefer beauty and women. Women have traded respect for the
pleasure over educating their mind. power of beauty. Women use their beauty
Women have been taught that marriage is to have power over men for a short time.
the only way to rise in the world. Women’s Women’s desire to be beautiful destroys
education has made them focus on their strength of character. Women must be
attracting men. The result is that when a free in order to have virtue or goodness.
woman’s beauty is gone, she is considered
useless to men.
04. Rousseau and other male writers of the
time agree about women’s education. They
say the purpose is to make women pleasing
to men. Wollstonecraft disagrees with
Rousseau. She asks what will happen to a
Free Essay
01. In her essay, Wollstonecraft explains 02. In your opinion, why is education
the problems that women face and offers important for women?
solutions to those problems. List three 03. What is the main fault of the education
problems that women have and list three in the age when Wollstonecraft lived?
solutions to this.
04. Do you think that there is still injustice suffer? In order to solve these problems,
women have to suffer as compared to men what should the society in general and each
in this modern society? If yes, what individual in particular do to bring about
problems do women of today have to the equality for the women?
Work 3:
From a Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)
Meeting Virginia Woolf
As a child, Virginia Woolf was recovered, she periodically suffered serious

tutored by one of the most prominent mental breakdowns for the rest of her life.
intellectuals and critics in England-her After the death of her father, when
father, Sir. Leslie Stephen. Following in his she was in early twenties, Woolf, her
footsteps, Woolf began her career as an brother, and her two sisters left the family
essayist and critic. She went on, however, home and moved to the Bloomsbury
to write some of the most original and district of London. Well known in literary
influential novels of the early twentieth circles because of their father’s fame, they
century, earning a place in English letters hosted gatherings of some of the most
far above that of her father. She was an distinguished writers and thinkers of the
early practitioner of stream-of- time. Woolf soon joined their ranks,
consciousness writing, and many of her becoming an essayist and critic for The
novels convey an acute sense of time as a Times Literary Supplement, to which she
sequence of experiences perceived by the continued to contribute articles for most of
main character. her life.
Virginia Woolf, born Adeline When she was thirty, she began a
Virginia Stephen, was the next to youngest new phase in her life, marrying journalist
in a family of four children When Virginia and essayist Leonard Woolf. At the time of
was fourteen years old, her mother died, a their marriage, she had already begun
loss that plunged a girl into a deep writing her first novel, The Voyage Out,
depression. Though she eventually which would take her three years to
complete. The next few years were difficult
ones for Woolf. Personal problems and the important literary figures as Katherine
out-break of World War I had caused her Mansfield and T. S. Eliot and such
depression to recur. Hoping a new interest influential thinkers as Sigmund Freud.
would help restore her health, she and her Hogarth Press also published Woolf’s own
husband bought a printing press and set it novels, including Mrs. Dalloway and To
up in the basement of Hogarth House, their the Light House, two of her most popular
home. From this humble beginning grew and respected works.
one of the most important publishing When Woolf in her fifties, she
ventures of the day- Hogarth Press. fought- and lost- her last battle with mental
Dedicated to making new, experimental illness. She drowned herself in Yorkshire,
work available to the public, the press England, at the age of fifty-nine.
became a leading force in the Her famous saying, “A woman
popularization of modern literature and must have money and a room of her own if
philosophy, publishing works by such she is to write fiction.”
Reading: From a Room of One’s Own
Pre-reading Questions
01. Do you think we believe different 05. Read the following essay to discover
things about male and female writers? If Woolf’s views about the negative effects of
so, what are some of those beliefs? Why do traditional roles on women’s lives.
you think we have them? 06. Background Information
02. What do you know about Shakespeare? The Time and Place: Woolf wrote
03. What is an ideal woman? Use the web the essay “A Room of One’s Own” during
to describe qualities of a woman in our a time in which England’s women suffrage
society is expected to have? movement had won substantial victories. In
04. What roles does modern society expect 1918 the English government extended the
women to play? Are women expected to rights to vote to all British female citizens
marry and have children, or are the roles of over the age of 30. in 1929, the year in
wife and mother just two of many options which, even though many of the
open to women today? intellectuals she associated with scorned
the agitation for increased women’s right.
“A Room of One’s Own” was published,
the voting age for women was lowered to such thinkers as the economist John
twenty-one. Maynard Keynes, Woolf’s sister (a painter)
Woolf was an active supporter of and Vanessa’s husband, Clive Bell (an art
the suffrage movement and other women’s critic), also attracted many artists of the
rights movements of the time, even though time to attend Bloomsbury group
many of the intellectuals she associated conservations.
with scorned the agitation for increased The members of Bloomsbury group
women’s right. “A Room of One’s Own” is were bound by friendship, a mutual interest
based on “Women and Fiction,” a Series of in the arts, and an intense dislike of the
lectures she delivered at Newham College artistic and social restrictions of Victorian
and Girton College, Cambridge. In these England. Actively rebelling against those
lectures, she discussed the educational, restrictions, the Bloomsbury Group helped
social, and financial disadvantages that she further the development of the avant-garde
believed prevented women of the past from or experimental, element in English art and
becoming successful writers. literature. Though mainstream society
The Bloomsbury Group: often frowned upon the group’s views, the
Beginning in about 1950s, the Bloomsbury individual works of the members of the
home of Virginia Woolf and her sister Bloomsbury Group were highly influential
Vanessa became a center of English and respected.
intellectual activity. The discussion groups
the sisters held attracted such authors as E.
M. Forster and George Bernard Shaw and
Now read an extract from a Room of One’s Own

Here am I asking why women did from eight in the morning till eight at night.
not write poetry in the Elizabethan age, and They had no money evidently; according to
I am not sure how they went educated; professor Trevelyan they were married
whether they were taught to write; whether whether they liked it or not before they
they had sitting-rooms to themselves; how were out of the nursery, at fifteen or
many women had children before they sixteen very likely. It would have been
were twenty one; what, in short, they did extremely odd, even upon this showing,
had one of them suddenly written the play elements of grammar and logic. He was, it
of Shakespeare, I concluded, and I thought is well-known, a wild boy who poached
of that old gentleman, who is dead now, rabbits, perhaps shot deer, and had, rather
but was a bishop, I think who declared that sooner than he should have done, to marry
it was impossible for any woman, past, a woman in the neighborhood, who bore
present, or to come, to have the genius of him a child rather quicker than was right.
Shakespeare. He wrote to the papers about That escapade sent him to seek his fortune
it. He also told a lady who applied to him in London. He had, it seemed a taste for the
for information that cats do not as a matter theatre; he began by holding horses at the
of fact go to heaven, though they have, he stage door. Very soon he got work in the
added, souls of sort. How much thinking theatre, became a successful actor, and live
those old gentlemen used to save one! How in the hub of the universe, meeting
the borders of ignorance shrank back at everybody, knowing everybody, practicing
their approach! Cats do not go to heaven. his arts on the boards, exercising his wits in
Women cannot write the play of the streets, and even getting access to the
Shakespeare. palace of the queen. Meanwhile, his
Be that as it may, I could not help extraordinary gifted sister, let us suppose,
thinking, as I looked at the works of remained at home. She was as adventurous,
Shakespeare on the shelf, that the bishop as imaginative, as agog to see the world as
was right at least in this; it would have he was. But she was not sent to school. She
been impossible, completely and entirely, had no chance of learning grammar and
for any woman to have written the plays of logic, let alone of reading Horace and
Shakespeare in the age of Shakespeare. Virgil. She picked up a book now and then,
Let me imagine, since facts are so one of her brother’s perhaps, and read a
hard to come by, what would have few pages. But then her parents came in
happened had Shakespeare had a and told her to mend the stockings or mind
wonderfully gifted sister, called Judith, let the stew and not moon about with books
us say. Shakespeare himself went, very and papers. They would have spoken
probably-his mother was an heiress - to the sharply but kindly, for they were
grammar school, where he may have learnt substantial people who knew the conditions
Latin-Ovid, Virgil and Horace -and the of life for a woman and loved their
daughter-indeed, more likely than not she woman, he said, could possibly be an
was the apple of her father’s eyes. Perhaps actress. He hinted-you can imagine what.
she scribbled some pages up in an apple She could not get training in her craft.
loft on the sly, but was careful to hide them Could she even seek her dinner in a tavern
or set fire to them. Soon, however, before or roam the street at mid night? Yet her
she was out of her teens, she was to be genius was for fiction and lusted to feed
betrothed to the son of a neighboring wool abundantly upon the lives of men and
stapler. She cried out that marriage was women and the study of their ways. At last,
hateful to her, and for that she was severely for she was very young, oddly like
beaten by her father. Then he ceased to Shakespeare the poet in her face, with the
scold her. He begged her instead not to hurt same gray eyes and rounded brows-at last
him, not to shame him in this matter of her Nick Greene the actor-manager took pity
marriage. He would give her a chain of on her; she found herself with child by that
beads or a fine petticoat, he said; and there gentleman and so-who shall measure the
were tears in his eyes. How could she heat and violence of the poet’s heart when
disobey him? How could she break his caught and tangled in a woman’s body?-
heart? The force of her own gift alone killed herself one winter’s night and lies
drove her to it. She made up a small parcel buried at some crossroads where the
of her belongings, let herself down by a omnibuses now stop outside the Elephant
rope one summer’s night and took the road and Castle.
to London. She was not seventeen (She That, more or less, is how the story
was younger than seventeen). The birds would run, I think, if a woman in
that sang in the hedge were not more Shakespeare’s day had had Shakespeare’s
musical than she was, she had the quickest genius. But for my part, I agreed with the
fancy, a gift like her brother’s, for the tune deceased bishop, if such he was-it is
of words. Like him, she had the taste of the unthinkable that any woman in
theatre. She stood at the stage door; she Shakespeare’s day should have had
wanted to act, she said. Men laughed in her Shakespeare’s genius. For genius like
face. The manager-fat, loose-lipped man- Shakespeare’s is not born among laboring,
guffawed. He bellowed something about uneducated, servile people. It was not born
poodles dancing and woman acting-no in England among the Saxons and Britons.
It is not born today among the working the ballads and the folks songs, crooning
classes. How, then, could it have been born them to their children, beguiling her
among women whose work began, spinning with them, or the length of the
according to Professor Trevelyan, almost winter’s night.
before they were out of the nursery, who This may be true or it may be false-
were forced to it by their parents and held who can say?-but what is true in it, so it
to it by all the power of law and custom? seemed to be, reviewing the story of
Yet genius of a sort must have existed Shakespeare’s sister as I had made it, is
among women as it must have existed that any woman born with a great gift in
among working classes. Now and again an the sixteenth century would certainly have
Emily Bronte or a Robert Burns [They are gone crazed, shot herself, or ended her
examples of writers who overcame days in some lonely cottage outside the
obstacles of being a woman (Bronte) or village, half witch, half wizard, feared and
being from the working class (Burns) to mocked at. For it needs little skills in
become the writers) blazes out and proves psychology to be sure that a highly gifted
its presence. But certainly it never got itself girl who had tried to use her gift for poetry
on to paper. When, however, one reads of a would have been so thwarted and hindered
witch being ducked, of a woman possessed by other people, so tortured and pulled
by devils, of a wise woman selling herbs, asunder by her own contrary instinct, that
or even of a very remarkable man who had she must have lost her health and sanity to
a mother, then I think we are on the track certainty. No girl could have walked to
of a lost novelist, a suppressed poet of London and stood at a stage door and force
some mute and inglorious Jane Austen, her way into the presence of actor-
some Emily Bronte who dashed her brains managers without doing herself a violence
out on the moor or mopped and mowed and suffering an anguish which may have
about the highway crazed with torture that been irrational-for chastity may be fetish
her gift had put her to. Indeed, I would invented by certain societies for unknown
venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so reasons-but none the less inevitable.
many poems without signing them, was Chastity had then, it has even now, a
often of a woman. It was a woman Edward religious importance in a woman’s life, and
Fitzgerald, I think, suggested who made has so wrapped itself round with nerves
and instincts that to cut it free and bring it whatever she had written would have been
to the light of day demands courage of twisted and deformed, issuing from the
rarest. To have lived a free life in London strained and morbid imagination. And
in the sixteenth century would have meant undoubtedly, I thought, looking at the shelf
for a woman who was poet and playwright where there are no plays by women, her
a nervous stress and dilemma which might work would have gone unsigned.
well have killed her. Had she survived,
New Words and Expressions

01. Guffaw: Laugh loudly: Cười hô hố, ha 07. Professor Trevelyan was a British
hả historian and author who often wrote about
Ex: Martin guffawed at the silly joke the history of England.
02. Thwart: Prevent someone from doing 08. Ovid, Virgil and Horace were famous
something poets from ancient Rome. They were
Ex: The bicycle’s strong lock thwarted a commonly studied by students.
would-be thief. 09. Poach: Hunt illegally: Săn bắn bất hợp
03. Hindered: Held back or made progress pháp
difficult: Bị cản trở, bị gây trở ngại 10. On the board: Onstage: Lên sân khấu
Ex: The snow hindered our camping trip 11. Wits: Intelligence: Sự thông minh
04. Morbid: not cheerful; overtly 12. Agog: full of interest: Nóng lòng, sốt
concerned with death and dying: Bệnh tật, ruột
ốm yếu, không lành mạnh 13. Moon: Wander or pass time aimlessly:
Ex: People who are depressed may have Mơ mộng
morbid and unhappy thought. 14. Betrothed: Engaged to be married:
05. Hub: A center of activity: Trung tâm Đính hôn
Ex: The café was a hub of music and art 15. Omnibuses: Buses
06. Tangled: twisted together into a snarl 16. The Elephant and Castle is a famous
or knot: Làm rối pub in London
Ex: The strong wind tangled the woman’s 17. Bronte overcame the obstacle of being
hair. a woman. Burns overcame the obstacle of
being from the working class. Both became 19. Anon is the abbreviation for
famous writers. anonymous
18. Some mute and inglorious Jane Austen: 20. Edward Fitzgerald was an English poet
Talking about poor, humble country people and translator
who never have the means to achieve fame 21. Chastity is the state of being morally
or greatness pure: trạng thái trong trắng, trinh bạch
Unit Summary
01. Woolf remembers a man who said that 03. No woman in Shakespeare’s time
a woman could not have written the works would have had Shakespeare’s ability. If
of Shakespeare. Woolf imagines what women did write, they would not have
would have happened if Shakespeare had signed their work. If the woman had been
had a sister. Shakespeare went to a school. highly gifted, she would have been laughed
He learned Latin, grammar and logic. at or feared.
02. If Shakespeare had a sister, she would 04. In the sixteenth century, living a free
not have gone to school. She would have life in London would have caused a woman
been engaged to be married, probably a terrible stress. If she survived and
while she was still a teenager. She would became a writer, she would not have
have run away to London. She would not signed her work.
be able to become an actor or a writer as
Shakespeare did. She would have killed
herself.
Comprehension Questions
01. What was your response to Woolf’s 03. Explain the sentence: “How the borders
argument? of ignorance shrank back at their
02. Summarize Professor Trevelyan’s and approach!”
unnamed bishop’s comments about 03. What would the women be doing if
women, as presented in paragraph 1. What they had lived in Shakespeare’s time?
points might Woolf be making by 04. Why does Woolf say that “It is
including comments about cats? unthinkable that any woman in
Shakespeare’s day should have had 07. What is her attitudes towards women
Shakespeare’s ability”? How do these who lived in Shakespeare’s time?
words support Woolf’s arguments? 08. Who is “Anon”? What point does
05. What would happen to gifted women in Woolf make by using this name?
Shakespeare’s time? 09. Woolf writes in response to someone
06. Think about Woolf’s tone in this essay. else’s opinion. Whose opinion is Woolf
What is her attitude towards people who responding to? How does she respond?
say women cannot be great writers?
Oral Assessment
01. Tell me about the essay: “A room of 04. Why is it true that women in
one’s own”? Shakespeare’s time could not have written
02. Who is Judith Shakespeare? as well as Shakespeare?
03. Why does Woofl tell a story about 05. According to Woolf, what would have
Judith Shakespeare? happened to a woman writer in the
sixteenth century?
Free Essay
01. List two reasons a woman could not kill herself because her talent was not
have written the plays of Shakespeare. recognized by the society in which she
02. What do you understand the saying of lived. Do you think that if women all in
Virginia Woolf “A woman must have Shakespeare’s time had been treated
money and a room of her own if she is to equally as men had, there would have been
write fiction.” many of the second “female Shakespeare”?
03. What does the “room” in the work “A Justify your stance with sound evidences
Room of One’s Own” symbolizes for? extracted from the work.
04. In the work: “A Room of One’s Own”,
the imaginary twin sister of William
Shakespeare, Judith Shakespeare, had to
Work Four: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

Meeting Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)
Jonathan Swift’s early poetry was Oxford. Through Temple, Swift also
so bad that his cousin, poet John Dryden, gained the notice of king William III, who
reportedly said, “Cousin Swift, you will suggested he pursue a career in the Church
never be a poet.” Dryden was right. Swift of England. Swift became an Anglican
did go on to write good poetry, but his real priest and, while in his late twenties, served
gift was for prose. He is considered to be in Ireland. However, Swift was unhappy
one of the world’s finest satirists. with his post and returned to his old job.
Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland, During this period, he also began to write,
of English parents. He had a difficult composing two of his most important
childhood. Before he was born, his father satires. A Tale of Tub, in defense of the
died, leaving the family so poor that Anglican Church, and the Battle of the
Swift’s mother sent her newborn son to Books, a mock debate between ancient and
live with an uncle. Swift showed signs of modern authors in which the ancient
brilliance early on- he could read when he writers are shown as superior to the
was only three. At the age of six, he was modern ones. After Temple’s death, swift
sent to Killkenny school, which was then returned to Ireland, where he held various
the best school in Ireland. However, positions in the church, but he often visited
depression kept Swift from doing well in England. His works had caught the eyes of
school, and later he barely graduated from other authors, and he was invited to write
Dublin’s Trinity college. essays for the Tatler, a popular English
Swift’s education as a writer began periodical. These essays and a series of
at the age of twenty-two, when Sir William political pamphlets, which added to his
Temple, a retired diplomat living near fame, showed that he kept himself well
London, hired Swift to be his secretary. informed about contemporary affairs in
Temple was also a noted author, and Swift both Ireland and England.
learnt a great deal about writing from him At the age of forty six, Swift was
and benefited from exposure to his rich named dean of Dublin’s St. Patrick’s
library. Temple helped Swift obtain an Catheral. In Ireland, Swift wrote his
M.A. degree from the University of masterpiece, Gulliver’s Travels. He also
wrote several political pamphlets, in which Swift died at the age of seventy eight. As
he protested the English government’s he had requested, his money was used to
policies toward Ireland and championed build a hospital. His famous sayings are:
the rights of the Irish people. The bitterness “There is no one so blind as they that won’t
Swift displayed in these works made his see.”; “Satire is a sort of glass, wherein
critics charge that he hated humankind; beholders do generally discover
Swift replied that he only hated everybody’s face but their own
humankind’s folly. After a long illness,
Reading: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

Pre-reading
01. What kind of proposal would be called economic problems on England. They
modest? claimed that English landlords, who owned
02. Think about a problem in your society/ much of Ireland’s property, charged
community. How would you convince overtly high rents; that England imposed
people to do something about the problem? high taxes on Ireland; and that English
03. Brainstorm a list of three or more ways laws restricting Irish trade made economic
that you might draw people’s attention to recovery difficult. Many Irish also resented
the problem and make them want to solve England’s negative attitudes towards
it. List everything that comes to mind, even Roman Catholics. Swift expressed his
ideas that seem unusual or far-fetched. disgust with English economic policies in
04. Read to discover how Swift brought the Pamphlet A Modest Proposal.
certain societal problems to the public’s Gulliver’s Travels: In his novel
attention Gulliver’s Travels, Swift criticized society
05. Building Background and pokes fun at books about travel to
The Time and Place: A Modest exotic places, which were very popular at
Proposal was first published in 1729 in his time. The narrator of Gulliver’s
Dublin, Gulliver’s Travels, in 1726 in Travels, Lemuel Gulliver, is a doctor on a
London. Royal Navy Ship who washed up on the
Swift’s Ireland: In the early 1700s, shores of several fictional countries. In
many Irish blamed their country’s severe each, he encounters a society very different
from his own. When he returns to England, irony, the writer says one thing and means
he is painfully aware of his own country’s another. For example, saying “good idea!”
flaws. The name Gulliver is a take-off on about a very bad idea is an example of
the word “gullible” which means “easily irony.
persuaded or tricked.” 06. Background Information
06. Satire: It is a literary work that points A Modest Proposal is about the
out a problem and the people who are problems in Ireland in the early 1700s. At
causing it. In a satire, writers use humor to that time, Ireland was ruled by England.
make their points. Authors use different The Irish was not allowed to sell goods to
tools or techniques to create humor in their most other countries. England made them
satire. In Exaggeration, the writer makes buy some goods at very high prices. Most
something sound better, worse, or more of the best farmland in Ireland was owned
than it really is. For example, calling a by the English. They made Irish farmers
mouse “a giant beast” is an exaggeration. pay very high rents. The right to have
In understatement, the writer makes money and property was taken away from
something sound less important than it Irish Catholics. For these reasons, many
really is. For example, calling a forest fire people in Ireland were very, very poor.
“a small problem” is an understatement. In
Reading
For preventing the children of poor mothers, instead of being able to work for
people from being a burthen to their their honest livelihood, are forced to
parents or the country, and from making employ all their time in strolling to beg
them beneficial to the public. sustenance for their helpless infants who,
It is a melancholy object to those as they grow up, either turn thieves for
who walk through this great town, or travel want of work or leave their dear Native
in the country, when they see the streets, Country to fight for the Pretender in Spain
the roads and cabin doors crowded with or sell themselves to the Barbados.
beggars of the female sex, followed by I think it is agreed by all parties that
three, four, or six children, all in rags, and this prodigious number of children, in the
importuning every passenger for an . These arms or on the backs or at the heels of
their mothers, and frequently of their a charge upon their parents or the parish, or
fathers, is, in the present deplorable state of wanting food and raiment for the rest of
the kingdom, a very great additional their lives, they shall, on the contrary,
grievance; and, therefore, whoever could contribute to the feeding and partly to the
find out a fair, cheap and easy method of clothing of many thousands.
making these children sound and useful There is likewise another advantage
members of the Commonwealth would in my scheme, that it will prevent those
deserve so well of the public as to have his voluntary abortions, and that horrid
statue set up for the preserver of the nation. practice of women murdering their bastard
But my intention is very far from children, atlas! Too frequent among us,
being confined to provide only for the sacrificing the poor innocent babes, I
children of professed beggars; it is of a doubt, more to avoid the expense than the
much greater extent and shall take in the shame, which would move tears and pity
whole number of infants at a certain age in the most savage and inhuman breast.
who are born of parents in effect as little The number of souls in this
able to support them as those who demand kingdom being usually reckoned one
our charity in the streets. million and a half, of these I calculate there
As to my own part, having turned may be about two hundred thousand
my thoughts for many years upon this couples whose wives are breeders, from
important, and maturely weighed several which number I subtract thirty thousand
schemes of other projectors, I have always couples who are able to maintain their own
found them grossly mistaken in their children, although I apprehend there cannot
computation. It is true a child just dropped be so many under the present distresses of
from its dam may be supported by milk for the kingdom, but this being granted, there
a solar year with little other nourishment, will remain a hundred and seventy
at most not above the value of two thousand breeders, I again subtract fifty
shillings, which the mother may certainly thousand for those women who miscarry or
get, or the value in scraps, by her lawful whose children die by accident or disease
occupation of begging And it is exactly at within the year. There only remain a
one year old that I propose to provide for hundred and twenty thousand children of
them in such a manner as, instead of being poor parents annually born. The question,
therefore, is how this number shall be I shall now therefore humbly

reared and provided for, which, as I have propose my own thought, which I hope
already said, under the present situation of will not be liable to the least objection.
affairs is utterly impossible by all the I have been assured by a very
methods hitherto proposed, for we can knowing American of my acquaintance in
neither employ them in handicraft or London that a young healthy child, well
agriculture; we neither build houses (I nursed, is at a year old a most delicious,
mean in the country) nor cultivate the land. nourishing, and wholesome food, whether
They can very seldom pick up a livelihood stewed, roasted, or baked, and I make no
by stealing till they arrive at six years old , doubt that it will equally serve in a
except where they are of cowardly parts, fricassee
although I confess they learn the rudiments I do, therefore, humbly, offer it to
much earlier, during which time they can, public consideration that, of the hundred
however, be properly looked upon only as and twenty thousand children already
probationers, as I have been informed by a computed, twenty thousands may be
principal gentleman in the county of reserved for breed, whereof only one-
Cavan, who protested to me that he never fourth part to be males, which is more than
knew above one or two instances under the we allow to sheep, black cattle, or swine;
age of six, even in the part of the kingdom and my reason is that these children are
so renowned for the quickest proficiency seldom the fruits of marriage, a
in that art. circumstance not much regarded by our
I am assured by our merchants that savages; therefore, one male will be
a boy or girl, before twelve years old, is no sufficient to serve four women.
saleable commodity and even when they That the remaining hundred
come to this age, they will not yield above thousand at a year old be offered in sale to
three pounds and half-a crown at most, on the persons of quality and fortune through
the Exchange, which cannot turn to the the kingdom, always advising the mothers
account either to the parents of/or the to let them suck plentifully of the last
kingdom, the charge of the nutriments and month, so as to render them plump and fat
rags having been at least the four times that for a good table. A child will make two
value dishes at an entertainment for friends, and
when the family dines alone, the fore or reckon all cottagers, laborers, and four-fifth
hind quarter will make a reasonable dish of the farmers) to be about two shillings
and, seasoned with a little pepper or salt, per annum, rags included, and I believe no
will be very good boiled on the fourth day, gentlemen would repine to give ten
especially in winter. shillings for the carcass of a good fat child,
I have reckoned upon the medium, which, as I have said, will make four
that a child just born will weigh twelve dishes of excellent nutritive meat when he
pounds and, in a solar year, if tolerably hath only some particular friend or his own
nursed, increased to twenty eight pounds. family to dine with him. Thus the Squire
I grant this food will be somewhat will learn to be a good landlord and grow
dear, and therefore very proper for popular among his tenants; the mother will
landlords who, as they have already have eight shillings net profit and be fit for
devoured most of the parents, seem to have work till she produces another child
the best title to the children. Those who are more thrifty (as I
Infants’ flesh will be in season must confess the times require) may flay
throughout the year, but more plentiful in the carcass, the skin of which, artificially
March, and a little before and after, for we (skillfully) dressed, will make admirable
are told by a grave author, an eminent gloves for ladies and summer boots for fine
French physician, that fish being a prolific gentlemen.
diet, there are more children born in As to our City of Dublin, shambles
Roman Catholic countries about nine may be appointed for this purpose in the
months after lent than at any other season; most convenient parts of it, and butchers,
therefore, reckoning a year after lent, the we may be assured, will not be wanting,
markets will be more glutted than usual although I rather recommend buying the
because the number of Popish infants is at children alive and dressing them hot from
least three to one in this kingdom, and the knife, as we do roasting pigs.
therefore it will have one other collateral A very worthy person, a true lover
advantage by lessening the number of of his country, and whose virtues I highly
Papists among us. esteem, was lately pleased, in discoursing
I have already computed the charge on this matter, to offer a refinement upon
of nursing a beggar’s child (in which list I my scheme He said that many gentlemen
of this kingdom, having of late destroyed But in order to justify my friends,

their deer, he conceived that the want of he confessed that his expedient was put
venison might be well supplied by the into his head by the famous Psalmanaza, a
bodies of young lads and maidens not native of the island Formosa, who came
exceeding fourteen years of age, not under from thence to London above twenty years
twelve, so great a number of both sexes in ago and in conversation told my friend that
every country being now ready to starve in his country when any young persons
for want of work and service [ to be slave], happened to be put to death, the
and these to be disposed of by their executioner sold the carcass to persons of
parents, if alive, or otherwise by their quality as a prime dainty, and that in his
nearest relations. But with due deference to time, the body of a plump girl of fifteen,
so excellent a friend and so deserving a who was crucified for an attempt to poison
patriot I cannot be altogether in his the emperor, was sold to his Imperial
sentiments; for as to the males, my Majesty’s Prime Minister of State and
American acquaintance assured me from other great Mandarins of the Court, in
frequent experiences that their flesh was joints from the gibbet, at four hundred
generally tough and lean, like that of our crowns. Neither, indeed, can I deny that if
schoolboys, by continual exercise, and the same use were made of several plump
their taste disagreeable, and to fatten them young girls in this town, who, without one
would not answer the charge. Then as to single groat to their fortunes, cannot stir
the female, it would, I think, with humble abroad without a chair and appear at the
submission, be a loss to the public because playhouse and assemblies in foreign
they soon would become breeders fineries, which they never will pay for, the
themselves. And besides, it is not kingdom would not be the worse.
improbable that some scrupulous people Some persons of the desponding
might apt to censure such a practice spirit are in great concern about that vast
(although indeed very unjustly) as a little number of poor people who are aged,
bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess, diseased, or maimed, and I have been
hath always been with me the strongest desired to employ my thoughts what course
objection, however, so well intended. may be taken to ease the nation of so
grievous encumbrance. But I am not in the
least pain upon that matter because it is Secondly, the poorer tenants will
very well known that they are every day have something valuable of their own,
dying and rotting by cold and famine and which by law may be made liable to
filth and vermin as fast as can be distress and help to pay their landlord’s
reasonably expected. And as to the younger rent, their corn and cattle being already
laborers, they are now in almost as hopeful seized and money a thing unknown.
a condition. They cannot get work and Thirdly, whereas the maintenance
consequently pine away for want of of a hundred thousand children, from two
nourishment to a degree that if at any time years old and upwards, cannot be
they are accidentally hired to common computed at less than ten shillings a piece
labor, they have not strength to perform it; per annum, the nation’s stock will be
and thus the country and themselves are thereby increased fifty thousand pounds
happily delivered from the evils to come. per annun, besides the profits of a new dish
I have too long digressed and introduced to the tables of all gentlemen of
therefore shall return to my subject. I think fortune in the kingdom who have any
the advantages by the proposal which I refinement in taste; the money will
have made are obvious and many, as well circulate among ourselves, the goods being
as of the highest importance. entirely of our own growth and
For first, as I have already observed manufacture.
it would greatly lessen the number of Fourthly, the constant breeders,
Papists, with whom we are yearly overrun, besides the gain of eight shillings sterling
being the principal breeders of the nations per annun by the sale of their children, will
as well as our most dangerous enemies and be rid of the charge of maintaining them
who stay at home on purpose with a design after the first year.
to deliver the kingdom to the Pretender, Fifthly, this food would likewise
hoping to take their advantage by the bring great customs to taverns, where the
absence of so many good Protestants, who vintners will certainly be so prudent as to
have chosen rather to leave their country procure the best receipts for dressing it to
than stay at home and pay tithes against perfection and consequently have their
their conscience to an Episcopal curate. houses frequented by all the fine
gentlemen, who justly value themselves
upon their knowledge in good eating; and a way comparable in taste or magnificence to
skillful cook, who understand how to a well-grown, fat yearling child, which,
oblige his guests; will contrive to make it roasted whole will make a considerable
as expensive as they please. figure at Lord Mayor’s feast or any other
Sixthly, this would be a great public entertainment. But this and many
inducement to marriage, which all wise others I omit, being studious of brevity
nations have either encouraged by rewards Supposing that one thousand
or enforced by laws and penalties. It would families in this city would be constant
increase the care and tenderness of mothers customers for infants’ flesh, besides others
towards their children when they were sure who might have it at merry-meetings,
of a settlement for the life to the poor particularly weddings and christenings, I
babes, provided in some sort by the public compute that Dublin would take off
to their annual profit instead of expense. annually about twenty thousand carcasses,
We should see an honest emulation among and the rest of the kingdom (where
the married women, which of them could probably they will be sold somewhat
bring the fattest child to the market. Men cheaper) the remaining eighty thousands.
would become as fond of their wives, I can think of no one objection that
during the time of their pregnancy, as they will possibly be raised against this
are now of their mares in foal, their cows proposal, unless it should be urged that the
in calf, sows when they are ready to number of people will be thereby much
farrow, nor offer to bear or kick them (as it lessened in the kingdom. This I freely own,
is too frequent a practice) for fear of and it was indeed one principle design in
miscarriage. offering it to the world. I desire the reader
Many other advantages might be will observe that I calculate my remedy for
enumerated for instance, the addition of this one individual kingdom of Ireland and
some thousand carcasses in our exportation for no other that ever was, is, or, I think,
of barreled beef; the propagation of ever can be upon earth. Therefore, let no
swine’s flesh and improvement in the art of man talk to me of other expedients: of
marking good bacon so much wanted taxing our at five shillings a pound; of
among us by the great destruction of pigs, using neither clothes, nor household
too frequent at our tables, which are no furniture, except what is of our own growth
and manufacture; of utterly rejecting the uttering despairing of success, I fortunately

materials and instruments that promote fell upon this proposal, which, as it is
foreign luxury; of curing the expensiveness wholly new, so it hath something solid and
of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in real, of no expense and little trouble, full in
our women; of introducing a vein of our own power, and whereby we can incur
parsimony, prudence, and temperance; of no danger in disobliging England. For this
learning to love our Country, wherein we kind of commodity will not bear
differ even from Laplanders and the exportation, the flesh of being of too tender
inhabitants of Topinamboo; of quitting our a consistence to admit a long continuance
animosities and factions;… of being a little in salt, although perhaps I could name a
cautious not to sell our country and country which would be glad to eat up our
consciences for nothing; of teaching whole nation without it.
landlords to have at least one degree of After all, I am not so violently bent
mercy towards their tenants; lastly, of upon my own opinion as to reject any offer
putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and proposed by wise men, which shall be
skill into our shopkeepers, who, if a found equally innocent, cheap, easy, and
resolution could now be taken to buy only effectual. But before something of that
our native goods, would immediately unite kind shall be advanced in contradiction to
to cheat and exact upon us in the price, the my scheme, and offering a better, I desire
measure, and the goodness, nor could ever the author, or authors, will be pleased
yet be brought to make one fair proposal of maturely to consider two points. First, as
just dealing, though often and earnestly things now stand, how they will be able to
invited to it. find food and raiment for a hundred
Therefore, I repeat, let no man talk thousand useless mouths and backs. And
to me of these and the like expedients till secondly, there being around million of
he hath at least some glimpse of hope that creatures in human figure throughout this
there will ever be some hearty and sincere kingdom, whose whole subsistence put into
attempt to put them in practice. a common stock would leave them into
But as to myself, having been debt two millions of pound sterling; adding
wearied out for many years with offering those who are beggars in effect; I desire
vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length those politicians who dislike my overture
and may perhaps be so bold to attempt an and the most inevitable prospects of
answer, that they will first ask the parents entailing the like or greater miseries upon
of these mortals whether they would not at their breed forever.
this day think it a great happiness to have I profess in the sincerity of my
been sold for food at a year old in the heart that I have not the least personal
manner interest in endeavoring to promote this
I prescribe and thereby have necessary work, having no other motive
avoided such a perpetual scene of than the public good of my country, by
misfortunes as they have seen gone advancing our trade, providing for infants,
through by the oppression of landlords, the relieving the poor, and giving some
impossibility of paying rent without money pleasure to the rich. I have no children by
or trade, the want of common sustenance, which I can propose to get a single penny,
with neither house nor clothes to cover the youngest being nine years old and my
them from the inclemency of the weather, wife past childbearing.
New words and Expressions

01. Sustenance: food or other things Ex: Please talk about one thing and do not
people need to live: Thức ăn digress.
Ex: After the big storm, we gave people 05. Strolling: Walking at a slow, relaxed
the sustenance that they needed pace: Đi dạo, đi tản bộ.
02. Deference: Polite respect: Sự tôn Ex: Carolyn is strolling through the park
trọng/ sự tôn kính. on a sunny day.
Ex: He showed deference for his favorite 06. Idleness: Laziness; a state of not
teacher working: Sự lười biếng.
03. Devour: ate greedily; consumed or Ex: Adam’s idleness as he sat on the couch
destroyed: Ăn ngấu nghiến, ăn hết. all day angered his mother.
Ex: We were very hungry, so we quickly 07. A burthen is a burden or
devoured the pizza. responsibilities: Một gánh nặng, một trách
04. Digress: to talk about things that are nhiệm.
not the main subject: Đi lạc chủ đề
08. Importuning every passenger for an 19. Popish: Roman Catholics: Papists:
alms: asking people who walk by for Người theo đạo thiên chúa giáo.
money: Xin tiền khách qua đường. 20. Repine: Complain: Than phiền, khiếu
09. For wants: Lack of something: Thiếu nại
thốn cái gì 21. To flay is to take the skin off of an
10. The Pretender was James Edwards animal, usually make leather: Lọc gia động
Stuart (1688-1766). Stuart was the son of vật
James II, England’s king who was removed 22. Artificially: with skills: Có tài năng
from office and killed. Stuart was Roman 23. Shambles were places where animals
Catholic. Many Irish people thought Stuart were killed for food: Lò sát sinh
should be King. 24. Jobs as servants were called service
11. Sell themselves to the Barbados: Many 25. An expedient is a way to do or achieve
poor people left Ireland for the West something: Tính có lợi, thiết thực
Indies. To get there, they promised to work 26. George Psalmanazar was a French
as servants, Swift says that these people writer who pretended to be from Formosa,
sell themselves to the Barbados. which is now Taiwan. He wrote that the
12. A dam is a female animal that has a people there ate human beings.
baby. Here, the author is describing a 27. Joints means “pieces of meat” The
human mother as an animal. gibbet was where animals were hanged.
13. Raiment: clothing: Y phục, quần áo A tithe is one-tenth of a person’s income.
Of towardly parts: Talented: Có tài năng People in Ireland had to pay tithes to the
14. Probationers: People learning a Anglican, or Episcopal, Church. Some
profession from experts: Những người học protestants left Ireland so they would not
việc have to pay the tithes. Swift is criticizing
15. Turn to account: Earn money or be these people
useful or valuable: Kiếm tiền 28. Distress: Taking property away from
16. Fricassee and Ragout are types of people to pay their debts: Tài sản bị biên
meat stew tịch, xiết nợ
17. Dear: expensive: Quý giá, mắc. 29. People who sell wine are called
18. The grave author is a French writer 30. vintners: ngườ bán rượu.
named Francois Rabelais 31. Receipt: Recipes: Công thức nấu ăn
32. Emulation: Competition: Sự thi đua 36. Topinamboo was an area in Brazil
khen thưởng Whole subsistence: Every thing they own:
33. For female pigs, to farrow means “to Mọi thứ họ làm chủ
give birth to piglets”: Đẻ 37. Entailing: Giving to children: Di sản
34. Absentees are people who own land in để lại cho con cái
Ireland but do not live there: Địa chủ
không ở thường xuyên tại ruộng đất.
35. Parsimony is the thriftiness or not
spending money carelessly: Sự tằn tiện/ tiết
kiệm.
Comprehension Questions
01. What is your reactions to the 10. The speaker says that he is against the
suggestions in a Modest Proposal? Explain cruel plans. In your own words, tell how
your answer. this is ironic. Why do you think Swift has
02. What problem does the speaker the speaker say he is against cruel plan?
describe in the opening paragraphs of A 11. The speaker says wedding and
Modest Proposal? christening are good occasions for eating
03. What solution to the problem does the children. In your own words, explain why
speaker propose? it is ironic?
04. List three advantages the speaker 12. What is the only reason why the
claims for his proposal. speaker says someone might disagree with
05. What objection to the proposal does the his proposal?
speaker think readers might raise? How 13. Why does the speaker include these
does he answer this objection? other “expedients” or “ways” to solve the
06. Summarizes at least two other solutions problem of Ireland’s poor?
the speaker lists and rejects. 14. Who are landlords?
07. Which is an example of 15. What words would you use to describe
understatement? Check one the speaker’s plan? Why would Swift
08. What is Swift’s main plan? suggest the outrageous plan?
09. What does the speaker’s plan suggest?
16. How do you know that the rich 20. What does Swift say about poor people
gentlemen have no deer? who are old, sick, or injured?
17. How could you know the speaker’s 21. How do you think Swift really feels
friend wants to let them eat older children? about this?
18. Do you think Swift really wants to sell
poor children for food?/ Why do you think
Swift is against this plan?
19. Why have the speakers in this essay
become beggars?
Post-reading
A. Complete the sentences about Swift * The laziness of poor people in his
use of Satire in Modest Proposal country
a. Swift uses exaggeration when he shows b. In the essay, the speaker thinks the
that the speaker ______________ problem is that there are
b. Swift uses understatement when the * Too many poor people in Ireland
speaker says that his plan _________ * Not enough things for rich people to eat
c. An example of Irony is when the speaker * Laws prevent poor people from begging
says he is against ____________ c. The speaker’s plan is terrible. Swift
B. Think about “A Modest Proposal” uses the plan to criticize
Then answer the following questions * People who want to eat children
a. Swift uses satire to point out that the * People who do not support the speaker’s
problems of the poor caused by plan
* People who beg for money in Ireland. * People who agree that poor people are
* The treatment of the Irish by the English the problem
Unit summary
01. Each year in Ireland, many children are thieves. The speaker claims he has a plan
born to parents who cannot take care of to solve the problem of the poor children.
them. Many poor people have no jobs. 02. The speaker says his plan will give
Their children beg in the street or become poor children a way to be useful. Young
children cannot survive by stealing until 06. The speaker says that in his plan
they are six years old. He says that one- breeders will not have to feed and clothe
year-old children would be good to eat. their children after the first year. Once poor
03. The speaker’s plan is cook and eat poor children are worth money, their mothers
children at the age of one. Poor parents will will take better care of them. Fathers will
sell their children for a small amount of treat their pregnant wives better. The flesh
money to wealthy landlords. Some people of babies would be popular food at
will make clothing from the children’s weddings and baptisms, or christenings.
skin. 07. The speaker says other solutions, such
04. A friend of the speaker’s thought older as taxing the rich or changing the laws to
children up to age 14 could be eaten. The help the poor, will not work. Asking rich
speaker thinks that older male children landlords to treat the poor well will not
would not taste as good as younger work either. The speaker says if others
children because they will soon become have a cheaper way or better plan, he is
breeders. Some people might think it is willing to listen to it.
cruel to eat older children. 08. Poor parents would rather see their
05. Older sick and poor adults are a children die young rather than suffer for
problem, but many of them are dying. The years without food, shelter and clothing.
speaker says his plan will lessen the Children of the poor will be poor forever. It
number of Catholics in Ireland. The will never end. The speaker says he has
speaker says his plan will give the poor a nothing to gain from his plan. He has no
way to pay their landlords. young children to sell.
Oral assessment
1. What problem does the speaker say he 4. Why does the speaker think poor parents
will solve? will agree with his plan?
2. What is the speaker’s plan to solve the 5. Does Swift really agree with the
problem? speaker’s plan? Why or Why not?
3. Why does the speaker say he wants to
make it possible for poor parents to make
some money?
Interview
Prepare an interview that you and your Speaker: It will solve the problem. Poor
partner will role play for the class. Pretend people will save (5)-------------. Also the
that you are the speaker of “a Modest poor will (6) ------------- and the rich
Proposal” and a reporter is interviewing people will (7) -------------
you about your plan. Write your answers to Interviewer: That is horrifying. You are a
the questions below. very cruel person.
Interviewer: You think there is a problem Speaker: What is really cruel is the way
in Ireland. What is it? poor people will suffer. For example, (8) --
Speaker: (1) ------------- -----------
Interviewer: Why is that a problem? Interviewer: That is all true. But it is still a
Speaker: They cannot (2) -------------. terrible plan. Can’t you help the poor in
Their children (3) ------------- another way?
Interviewer: What do you propose about Speaker: Would you rather (9) -------------
this problem? Interviewer: Yes
Speaker: (4) ------------- Speaker: Oh, allright, we’ll do that instead.
Interviewer: But that’s terrible! Why would
you do that?
Free Essay
1. According to Swift, what are the advantages from the practice of selling and eating
children?
2. Supposing you were asked to suggest some solutions to such problems as poverty, hunger,
disease, social evils and etc. in our Vietnamese Society nowadays, what proposals would you
make? Why?
Work 5: Be Ye Men of Valor

By Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Summary
BBC, May 19, 1940
First Broadcast as Prime Minister to the British People
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Before you Read

01. What events in your life has called for the most courage? How did you respond to this
event? What emotions did you experience?
02. Write about this event in your journal. If you could relive the experience, would you
respond differently? Give reasons to explain why or why not?
03. Read the following speech to see how Churchill called for courage from the people of his
country at a critical time in history.
Reading: Be Ye Men of Valor by Churchill
First Broadcast as Prime Minister France and Flanders. The Germans, by a
I speak to you for the first time as remarkable combination of air bombing
Prime Minister in a solemn hour for the and heavily armored tanks, have broken
life of our country, of our empire, of our through the French defenses north of the
allies, and, above all, of the cause of Maginot Line, and strong columns of their
Freedom. A tremendous battle is raging in armored vehicles are ravaging the open
country, which for the first day or two was be still more foolish to lose heart and
without defenders. They have penetrated courage or to suppose that well-trained,
deeply and spread alarm and confusion in well-equipped armies numbering three or
their track. Behind them there are now four millions of men can be overcome in
appearing infantry in lorries, and behind the space of a few weeks, or even months,
them, again, the large masses are moving by a scoop, or raid of mechanized vehicles,
forward. The re-groupment of the French however formidable. We may look with
armies to make head against, and also to confidence to the stabilization of the Front
strike at, this intruding wedge has been in France, and to the general engagement
proceeding for several days, largely of the masses, which will enable the
assisted by the magnificent efforts of the qualities of the French and British soldiers
Royal Air Force. to be matched squarely against those of
We must not allow ourselves to be their adversaries. For myself, I have
intimidated by the presence of these invincible confidence in the French Army
armored vehicles in unexpected places and its leaders. Only a very small part of
behind our lines. If they are behind our that splendid Army has yet been heavily
Front, the French are also at many points engaged; and only a very small part of
fighting actively behind theirs. Both sides France has yet been invaded. There is a
are therefore in an extremely dangerous good evidence to show that practically the
position. And if the French Army, and our whole of the specialized and mechanized
own Army, are well handled, as I believe forces of the enemy have been already
they will be; if the French retain that thrown into the battle; and we know that
genius for recovery and counter-attack for very heavy losses have been inflict upon
which they have so long been famous; and them. No officer or man, no brigade or
if the British Army shows the dogged division, which grapples at close quarters
endurance and solid fighting power of with the enemy, wherever encountered, can
which there have been so many examples fail to make a worthy contribution to the
in the past -- then a sudden transformation general result. the Armies must cast away
of the scene might spring into being the idea of resisting behind concrete lines
It would be foolish, however, to or natural obstacles, and must realize that
disguise the gravity of the hour. It would mastery can only be regained by furious
and unrelenting assault. And this spirit that the unwritten laws of war permit.
must not only animate the High Command, There will be many men and many women
but must inspire every fighting man. in the Island [England] who when the
In the air -- often at serious odds, ordeal comes upon them, as come it will,
often at odds hitherto thought will feel comfort, and even a pride, that
overwhelming -- we have been clawing they are sharing the perils of our lads at the
down three or four to one of our enemies; Front -- soldiers, sailors and airmen, God
and the relative balance of the British and bless them -- and are drawing away from
German Air Forces is now considerably them a part at least of the onslaught they
more favorable to us than at the beginning have to bear. Is not this the appointed time
of the battle. In cutting down the German for all to make the utmost exertions in their
bombers, we are fighting our own battle as power? If the battle is to be won, we must
well as that of France. My confidence in provide our men with ever-increasing
our ability to fight it out to the finish with quantities of the weapons and ammunition
the German Air Force has been they need. We must have, and have
strengthened by the fierce encounters quickly, more aero planes, more tanks,
which have taken place and are taking more shells, more guns. there is imperious
place. At the same time, our heavy need for these vital munitions. They
bombers are striking nightly at the tap-root increase our strength against the
of German mechanized power, and have powerfully armed enemy. They replace the
already inflicted serious damage upon the wastage of the obstinate struggle; and the
oil refineries on which the Nazi effort to knowledge that wastage will speedily be
dominate the world directly depends. replaced enables us to draw more readily
We must expect that as soon as upon our reserves and throw them in now
stability is reached on the Western Front, that everything counts so much.
the bulk of that hideous apparatus of Our task is not only to win the
aggression which gashed Holland into ruin battle - but to win the war. After this battle
and slavery in a few days will be turned in France abates its force, there will come
upon us. I am sure I speak for all when I the battle for our Island -- for all that
say we are ready to face it; to endure it; Britain is, and all the Britain means. That
and to retaliate against it -- to any extent will be the struggle. In that supreme
emergency we shall not hesitate to take sublime. Side by side, unaided except by
every step, even the most drastic, to call their kith and kin in the great Dominions
forth from our people the last ounce and and by the wide empires which rest
the last inch of effort of which they are beneath their shield - side by side, the
capable. The interests of property, the British and French peoples have advanced
hours of labor, are nothing compared with to rescue not only Europe but mankind
the struggle of life and honor, for right and from the foulest and most soul-destroying
freedom, to which we have vowed tyranny which has ever darkened and
ourselves. stained the pages of history. Behind them -
I have received from the Chiefs of behind us- behind the Armies and Fleets of
the French Republic, and in particular from Britain and France - gather a group of
its indomitable Prime Minister, M. shattered States and bludgeoned races: the
Reynaud, the most sacred pledges that Czechs, the Poles, the Norwegians, the
whatever happens they will fight to the Danes, the Dutch, the Belgians - upon all
end, be it bitter or be it glorious. Nay, if we of whom the long night of barbarism will
fight to the end, it can only be glorious. descend, unbroken even by a star of hope,
Having received His Majesty's unless we conquer, as conquer we must; as
commission, I have formed an conquer we shall.
Administration of men and women of Today is Trinity Sunday. Centuries
every Party and of almost every point of ago words were written to be a call and a
view. We have differed and quarreled in spur to the faithful servants of Truth and
the past; but now one bond unites us all -- Justice: "Arm yourselves, and be ye men of
to wage war until victory is won, and never valor, and be in readiness for the conflict;
to surrender ourselves to servitude and for it is better for us to perish in battle than
shame, whatever the cost and the agony to look upon the outrage of our nation and
may be. this is one of the most awe-striking our altar. As the Will of God is in Heaven,
periods in the long history of France and even so let it be-
Britain. It is also beyond doubt the most
New words and Expressions

01. Ravaging: laying waste to; destroying/ 07. Dogged endurance: Constant or
the soldiers fought to stop the enemy from continued strength
ravaging their country. 08. The Maginot line was a heavily
02. Grapples: attempts to deal with; guarded line of defense in France that was
struggles/ Franklin has a lot to think about put together to hold off the Germans
as he grapples with his problems 09. Gravity: seriousness, importance
03. Imperious: very necessary or 10. Formidable: arousing fear or
important; urgent/after the flood, there was dread/adversaries: opponents/ taproot: the
an imperious need for food and fresh most important part.
water. 11. Bludgeoned: bullied or beaten
04. Indomitable: Incapable of being beaten 12. Trinity Saturday is the first Sunday
or overcome/Justine is so good at soccer after Pentecost (the fiftieth day after
that is indomitable on the field. Easter) in the Christian calendar
05. Shield: Something that protects or
defends/A knight would carry a shield to
protect himself.
06. Shattered: broken into pieces; damaged
very badly/The rock shattered the window
While-reading
01. Why is Churchill confident that the German invasion of France can be stopped? Underline
the words in the text that tell you.
02. What is Churchill trying to do in this speech?
03. As Churchill gives this speech, what is happening in France?
04. How does Churchill feel about what is happening in France?
05. What does Churchill say what happen next?
06. What does Churchill say England and France must do?
07. What are some things that you might be feeling or thinking? What will happen if Germany
conquest France? (Par 1 & 2)
08. What are the artful phrases that Churchill uses? How do these words appeal to the
emotions of the English people?
09. Who or what is the shield that Churchill refers to? What does this shield provide protection
from?
10. How does Churchill appeal to the emotions of the British people in this part of the speech?
11. Personal Reflection
Do you agree with the quotation Churchill relates, “It is better for us to perish in battle than to
look upon the outrage of our nation and our altar.”? Gives reasons for your opinions.
Unit Summary
01. The Germany army is taking over France. French and British soldiers are fighting against
the Germany army. Churchill believes that the French and the British soldiers can stop the
Germans and prevent the defeat of France.
02. Only a small part of France has been attacked by the Germany. The German army has
experienced great losses already. Churchill says that when the fighting in France stops,
Germany will attack England. He believes that England is ready.
03. Churchill says that Britain must not only win this battle, but also the war. When the
fighting in France is over, the battle for Britain will begin. Churchill reminds the British
people that they have promised to fight for life, honor, right, and freedom.
Work six: A cup of Tea by Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923)
About the Author
Katherine Mansfield lived for only There, she edited the school magazine and,
thirty-four years, but in her short life, she to her delight, discovered such authors as
became one of the world’s greatest short Oscar Wilde.
story-telling writers and an innovator in the Mansfield returned briefly to New
form. Born Katherine Mansfield Zealand, but in 1908 moved to England for
Beauchamp in Wellington, New Zealand, good. Her life there got off to a rough start.
Mansfield tasted her first literary success at She married hastily, leaving her husband
age nine: first prize in a school after only a few days, suffered a
composition contest. When she was miscarriage, and became increasingly
fourteen, her family sailed to London, and disillusioned. Then in 1911 life improved-
Mansfield enrolled in Queen’s college. Mansfield published her first book and met
the man who would become her second Despite her terrible illness, she continued
husband, John Middleton Murry, editor of to write, penning some of her best works
two magazines in which she published her while desperately seeking a cure for her
stories. After the death of her soldier illness. She died in January 1923.
brother in 1915, she wrote a series of short William remarked, “She had an eye
stories that beautiful evoke her family for the subtleties, rather than dramatics, of
memories of New Zealand. human behavior.”
Never in good health, Mansfield
contracted tuberculosis in her early thirties.
The Story
Before you Read:
01. Think about some favors you have and it was inappropriate for upper-class
done for others. What prompted you to do women to work inside or outside the home.
such things? 05. A new Kind o the Story: Mansfield is
02. With a partner, make a list of motives credited with writing a new kind of short
people have for being charitable. Are all story- one more concerned with the
the motives noble. emotions and psychological makeup of its
03. Read a “A Cup of Tea” to discover characters than those of the past. Through
why the main character helps a young girl the use of images, dialogues, monologues,
she meets on the street. and metaphors, Mansfield focuses on her
04. Note: This short story is set in England characters’ emotional states, subtle shifts
at the beginning of the twentieth century. of mood, and epiphanies- that is, their
At this time, people from different social sudden, significant realizations.
classes did not socialize with one another,
Now Read the Story

Rosemary Fell was not exactly anyone to pieces? She was young, brilliant,
beautiful. No, you couldn't have called her extremely modern, exquisitely well
beautiful. pretty? Well, if you took her to dressed, amazingly well read in the newest
pieces.. But why be so cruel as to take of the new books, and her parties were the
most delicious mixture of the really in a little antique shop in Curzon Street. It
important people and... artists – quaint was a shop she liked. For one thing, one
creatures, discoveries of hers, some of usually had it to oneself. And then the man
them too terrifying for words, but others who kept it was ridiculously fond of
quite presentable and amusing. serving her. He beamed he could scarcely
Rosemary had been married two speak. Flattery, of course. All the same,
years. She had a duck of a boy. No, not there was something-. "You see, madam,"
Peter - Michael-And her husband he would explain in his low respectful
absolutely adored her. They were rich, tones, "I love my things. I would rather not
really rich, not just comfortably well off, part with them than sell them to someone
which is odious and stuffy and sounds like who does not appreciate them, who has not
one's grandparents. But if Rosemary that fine feeling which is so rare..." And,
wanted to shop she would go to Paris as breathing deeply, he unrolled a tiny square
you and I would go to Bond Street. If she of blue velvet and pressed it on the glass
wanted to buy flowers, the car pulled up at counter with his pale finger-tips.
that perfect shop in Regent Street, and To-day it was a little box. He had
Rosemary inside the shop just gazed in her been keeping it for her. He had shown it to
dazzled, rather exotic way, and said; "I nobody as yet. An exquisite little enamel
want those and those and those. Give me box with a glaze so fine it looked as though
four bunches of those And that jar of roses. it had been baked in cream. On the lid a
Yes, I'll have all the roses in the jar. No, no minute creature stood under a flowery tree,
lilac - I hate lilac. It's got no shape." The and a more minute creature still had her
attendant bowed and put the lilac out of arms round his neck. Her hat, really no
sight, as though this was only too true; lilac bigger than a geranium petal, hung from a
was dreadfully shapeless. "Give me those branch; it had green ribbons. And there
stumpy little tulips. Those red and white was a pink cloud like a watchful cherub
ones." And she was followed to the car by floating above their heads. Rosemary took
a thin shop-girl staggering under an her hands out of her long gloves. She
immense white paper armful that looked always took off her gloves to examine such
like a baby in long clothes.... One winter things. Yes, she liked it very much. She
afternoon she had been buying something loved it; it was a great duck. She must have
it- And, turning the creamy box, opening with the rain it seemed the dark came too,
and shutting it, she couldn't help noticing spinning down like ashes. There was a cold
how charming her hands were against the bitter taste in the air, and the new-lighted
blue velvet. The shopman, in some dim lamps looked sad. Sad were the lights in
cavern of his mind, may have dared to the houses opposite. Dimly they burned as
think so too. For he took a pencil, leant if regretting something. And people hurried
over the counter, and his pale, bloodless by, hidden under their hateful umbrellas.
fingers crept timidly towards those rosy, Rosemary felt a strange pang. She pressed
flashing ones, as he murmured gently: "If I her muff against her breast; she wished she
may venture to point out to madam, the had the little box, too, to cling to. Of
flowers on the little lady's bodice." course the car was there. She'd only to
"Charming!" Rosemary admired the cross the pavement. But still she waited.
flowers- But what was the price? For a There are moments, horrible moments in
moment the shopman did not seem to hear- life, when one emerges from shelter and
Then a murmur reached her. "Twenty-eight looks out, and it's awful. One oughtn't to
guineas, madam." "Twenty-eight guineas." give way to them. One ought to go home
Rosemary gave no sign. She laid the little and have an extra-special tea. But at the
box down; she buttoned her gloves again. very instant of thinking that, a young girl,
Twenty-eight guineas. Even if one is rich... thin, dark, shadowy- where had she come
She looked vague. She stared at a plump from? - was standing at Rosemary's elbow
tea-kettle like a plump hen above the and a voice like a sigh, almost like a sob,
shopman's head, and her voice was dreamy breathed: "Madam, may I speak to you a
as she answered: "Well, keep it for me- moment?"
will you? I'll..." "Speak to me?" Rosemary turned.
But the shopman had already She saw a little battered creature with
bowed as though keeping it for her was all enormous eyes, someone quite young, no
any human being could ask. He would be older than herself, who clutched at her
willing, of course, to keep it for her coat-collar with reddened hands, and
forever. The discreet door shut with a click. shivered as though she had just come out
She was outside on the step, gazing at the of the water.
winter afternoon. Rain was falling, and
"M-madam, stammered the voice. mean it, madam," said the girl, and there
Would you let me have the price of a cup was pain in her voice.
of tea?" "But I do," cried Rosemary. "I want
"A cup of tea?" There was you to. To please me. Come along."
something simple, sincere in that voice; it The girl put her fingers to her lips
wasn't in the least the voice of a beggar. and her eyes devoured Rosemary. "You're -
"Then have you no money at all?" asked you're not taking me to the police station?"
Rosemary. she stammered.
"None, madam" came the answer. "The police station!", Rosemary
"How extraordinary!" Rosemary laughed out. "Why should I be so cruel?
peered through the dusk and the girl gazed No, I only want to make you warm and to
back at her. How more than extraordinary! hear - anything you care to tell me."
And suddenly it seemed to Rosemary such Hungry people are easily led. The
an adventure. It was like something out of footman held the door of the car open, and
a novel by Dostoevsky, this meeting in the a moment later they were skimming
dusk. Supposing she took the girl home? through the dusk. "There!" said Rosemary.
Supposing she did do one of those things She had a feeling of triumph as she slipped
she was always reading about or seeing on her hand through the velvet strap. She
the stage, what would happen? It would be could have said, "Now I've got you," as she
thrilling. And she heard herself saying gazed at the little captive she had netted.
afterwards to the amazement of other But of course she meant it kindly. Oh,
friends: "I simply took her home with me," more than kindly.' She was going to prove
as she stepped forward and said to that dim to this girl that - wonderful things did
person beside her: "Come home to tea with happen in life, that - fairy godmothers were
me." The girl drew back startled. She even real, that - rich people had hearts, and that
stopped shivering for a moment. Rosemary women were sisters. She turned, saying'.
put out a hand and touched her arm. "1 "Don't be frightened-After all, why
mean it," she said, smiling. And she felt shouldn't you come back with me? We're
how simple and kind her smile was. "Why both women. If I'm the more fortunate, you
won't you? Do. Come home with me now ought to expect..."
in my car and have tea." "You - you don't
But happily at that moment, for she dragging her big chair up to the fire in this
didn't know how the sentence was going to comfy chair. Come and get warm. You
end, the car stopped. The bell was rung, the look so dreadfully cold.
door opened, and with a charming, "1 daren't, madam," said the girl,
protecting, almost embracing movement. and she edged backwards.
Rosemary drew the other into the hall. "Oh, please," - Rosemary ran
Warmth, softness, light, a sweet scent, all forward - "you mustn't be frightened, you
those things so familiar to her she never mustn't, really- Sit down, when I've taken
even thought about them, she watched that off my things we shall go into the next
other receive. It was fascinating- She was room and have tea and be cozy. Why arc
like the rich little girl in her nursery with you afraid? “And gently she half pushed
all the cupboards to open, all the boxes to the thin figure into its deep cradle.
unpack. But there was no answer. The girl
"Come, come upstairs," said stayed just as she had been put, with her
Rosemary, longing to begin to be generous. hands by her sides and her mouth slightly
"Come up to my room." And, besides, she open. To be quite sincere, she looked rather
wanted to spare this poor little thing from stupid. But Rosemary wouldn't
being stared at by the servants; she decided acknowledge it. She leant over her, saying:
as they mounted the stairs she would not "Won't you take off your hat? Your
even ring to Jeanne, but take off her things pretty hair is all wet. And one is so much
by herself. The great things were to be more comfortable without a hat, isn't one?"
natural! There was a whisper that sounded
And "There!" cried Rosemary like, "Very good, madam," and the crushed
again, as they reached her beautiful big hat was taken off.
bedroom with the curtains drawn, the fire "And let me help you off with your
leaping on her wonderful lacquer furniture, coat, too," said Rosemary.
her gold cushions and the primrose and The girl stood up. But she held on
blue rugs. to the chair with one hand and let
The girl stood just inside the door; Rosemary pull. It was quite an effort. The
she seemed dazed. But Rosemary didn't other scarcely helped her at all. She
mind that. "Come and sit down," she cried, seemed to stagger like a child, and the
thought came and went through go on no longer like this. I can't bear it. I
Rosemary's mind, that if people wanted can't bear it. I shall do away with myself. I
helping they must respond a little, just a can't bear no more."
little, otherwise it became very difficult "You shan't have to. I'll look after
indeed. And what was she to do with the you. Don't cry any more. Don't you see
coat now? She left it on the floor, and the what a good thing it was that you met me?
hat too. She was just going to take a We'll have tea and you'll tell me
cigarette off the mantelpiece when the girl everything. And I shall arrange something.
said quickly, but so lightly and strangely: I promise-Do stop crying- It's so
"I'm very sorry, madam, but I'm going to exhausting. Please!"
faint. 1 shall go off, madam, if I don't have The other did stop just in time for
something." Rosemary to get up before the tea came.
"Good heavens, how thoughtless I She had the table placed between them.
am!" Rosemary rushed to the bell. She plied the poor little creature with
"Tea! Tea at once! And some brandy everything, all the sandwiches, all the
immediately!" bread and butter, and every time her cup
The maid was gone again, but the was empty she filled it with tea, cream and
girl almost cried out: "No, I don't want no sugar. People always said sugar was so
brandy. I never drink brandy. It's a cup of nourishing. As for herself she didn't eat;
tea 1 want, madam. “And she burst into she smoked and looked away tactfully so
tears. that the other should not be shy.
It was a terrible and fascinating And really the effect of that slight
moment- Rosemary knelt beside her chair. was marvelous-When the tea-table was
"Don't cry, poor little thing," she said. taken away a new being, a light, frail
"Don't cry." And she gave the other her creature with tangled hair, dark lips, deep,
lace 'handkerchief. She really was touched lighted eyes, lay back in the big chair in a
beyond words - She put her arm round kind of sweet languor, looking at the blaze.
those thin, birdlike shoulders. Rosemary lit a fresh cigarette; it was time
Now at last the other forgot to be to begin.
shy, forgot everything except that they "And when did you have your last
were both women, and gasped out: "I can't meal?" she asked softly.
But at that moment the door-handle "I say," said Philip, when they were
turned. alone. "Explain. Who is she? What does it
"Rosemary, may I come in?" It was all mean?'
Philip. Rosemary, laughing, leaned against
"Of course." the door and said: "I picked her up in
He came in. "Oh, I'm so sorry," he Curzon Street. Really. She's a real pick-up.
said, and stopped and stared- She asked me for the price of a cup of tea,
"It's quite all right," said Rosemary, and I brought her home with me."
smiling. "This is my friend. Miss _" "But what on earth are you going to
"Smith, madam," said the languid do with her?" cried Philip.
figure, who was strangely still and "Be nice to her," said Rosemary
unafraid. quickly- "Be frightfully nice to her. Look
"Smith," said Rosemary. "We are after her. 1 don't know how. We haven't
going to have a little talk." talked yet. But show her - treat her - make
"Oh yes," said Philip. "Quite," and her feel -"
his eye caught sight of the coat and hat on "My darling girl," said Philip,
the floor. He came over to the fire and "you're quite mad, you know- It simply
turned his back to it. "It's a beastly can't be done."
afternoon," he said curiously, still looking "I knew you'd say that," retorted
at that listless figure, looking at its hands Rosemary. Why not? I want to. Isn't that a
and boots, and then at Rosemary again, reason? And besides, one's always reading
"Yes, isn't it?" said Rosemary about these things-1 decided -"
enthusiastically. "Vile." 'But," said Philip slowly, and he cut
Philip smiled his charming smile. the end of a cigar, “she's so astonishingly
"As a matter of fact," said he, "I wanted pretty”. “Pretty?" Rosemary was so
you to come into the library for a moment. surprised that she blushed. "Do you think
Would you? Will Miss Smith excuse us?" so? I - I hadn't thought about it."
The big eyes were raised to him, "Good Lord!" Philip struck a
but Rosemary answered for her: "Of course match. "She's absolutely lovely. Look
she will." And they went out of the room again, my child. I was bowled over when I
together. came into your room just now. However...
I think you're making a ghastly mistake, Rosemary came over and sat down
Sorry, darling, if I'm crude and all that. But on his knee. "She insisted on going," said
let me know if Miss Smith is going to dine she, "so I gave the poor little thing a
with us in time for me to look up The present of money. I couldn't keep her
Milliner's Gazette." against her will, could I?" she added softly.
"You absurd creature!" said Rosemary had just done her hair,
Rosemary, and she went out of the library, darkened her eyes a little and put on her
but not back to her bedroom. She went to pearls. She put up her hands and touched
her writing-room and sat down at her desk. Philip's cheeks.
Pretty! Absolutely lovely! Bowled over! 'Do you like me?" said she, and her
Her heart beat like a heavy bell. Pretty! tone, sweet, husky, troubled him.
Lovely! She drew her check-book towards "1 like you awfully," he said, and
her. But no, checks would be no use, of he held her tighter.
course. She opened a drawer and took out There was a pause.
five pound notes, looked at them, put two Then Rosemary said dreamily: "I
back, and holding the three squeezed in her saw a fascinating little box to-day. It cost
hand, she went back to her bedroom. twenty-eight guineas. May I have it?"
Half an hour later Philip was still in Philip jumped her on his knee.
the library, when Rosemary came in, "You may, little wasteful one," said he.
"1 only wanted to tell you," said But that was not really what
she, and she leaned against the door again Rosemary wanted to say. "Philip," she
and looked at him with her dazzled exotic whispered, and she pressed his head
gaze, "Miss Smith won't dine with us to- against her bosom, "am I pretty?'
night."
Philip put down the paper. "Oh,
what's happened? Previous engagement?"
After you Read

01. What are your reactions to Rosemary? 02. Why does Rosemary enjoy shopping at
Do you sympathize with her? Why or Why the antique shop? What does she consider
not? buying there?
03. Why does Rosemary offer to help the 09. “I picked her up in Curzon Street,”
young girl? Rosemary explains to Philip. “She’s a real
04. What does Philip say about Miss Smith pick-up.” In What way do you think is
that causes Rosemary to blush? As a result Mansfield’s opinion of the upper class?
what does Rosemary do in her writing Support your answer with details from the
room after this exchange with Philip? story.
05. What does Rosemary ask her husband 10. By the end of the story, with whom or
at the end of the story? what might Rosemary be disillusioned?
06. What do Rosemary’s motives for With what might Miss Smith be
helping the girl suggest about her disillusioned? Give reasons for your
character? In your opinion, is the girl right answers.
to distrust her? 11. Do you think that many people today
07. Why, do you think, does Rosemary would take a homeless person into their
send Miss Smith on her way? What do you home? In your experience, how do most
infer is her real reason for telling Philip people behave toward the homeless today?
that Miss Smith had insisted on leaving?
08. What does Rosemary’s question to
Philip reveal about their relationship?
Free Essay
01. “Philip,” she whispered, and she pressed his head against her bosom, “am I pretty?”
Comment on this statement.
02. Imagine yourself in the position of Rosemary. Do you think she did the right thing by not
keeping Miss. Smith with them?
03. Do you think that many people today would take a homeless person into their home? In
your experience, how do most people behave toward the homeless today?
Summary of the Text

A Cup of Tea is the story of 2______. We are told that Rosemary Fell is
Rosemary Fell and her relationship with a “young, brilliant, extremely modern,
two people, 1_________ and Philip, her exquisitely well- dressed” woman who
belonged to the 3_____ section of the with good intentions and, therefore insisted
society and was married for two years. She that the girl accompany her home. The girl
is a 4______ who threw extravagant parties was much 11________, but Rosemary
and was also well read in the latest books. convinced her to come along with her as
If she wanted to buy flowers, she will buy “hungry people are easily led”. Rosemary
it in Regent Street and her clothes came was very gracious towards the girl in her
from Paris. So, from this we can make out home and gave her food and drinks which
that Rosemary Fell had all the 5_______ the latter took with alacrity and gratitude.
comforts of life. Not only this, Rosemary The rich meal had an 12_______ effect on
Fell was also 6_______ by her husband, the young girl and her eyes showed her
Philip, who was a generous person as far as contentment. Just as Rosemary was making
pleasing her whims were concerned. small talk with the girl, her husband Philip
Rosemary, however, knew little about the came into the room.
7_____ world which exists outside her Rosemary gets to know that the
cocoon of luxury. girl’s name is Miss Smith and she
One winter afternoon, Rosemary 13________ her to Philip. He then asks
was shopping in an antique shop in Curzon Rosemary to accompany him to the library
Street where she made up her mind to 8___ in order to discuss something 14________.
an “exquisite little enamel box” for an Philip then asks her what intends to do
outrageously high price of twenty eight with the girl and Rosemary enthusiastically
guineas. Just as she came out of the shop reveals her noble intentions to him. But
into the cold rainy afternoon, she Philip says that this 15_____ be done
encountered a “little battered creature with because she is “astonishingly pretty” and
enormous eyes”, almost her age, 9______ that he is “bowled over” by her 16_____.
her for a “cup of tea”. This chance meeting Rosemary was greatly surprised to hear
seemed to Rosemary almost something out this from her husband. Her good nature
of a Dostoevsky novel. It seemed like an instantly evaporated to be replaced by
adventure to Rosemary and she began to womanly 17______. She could not bear the
wonder what would happen if she took the fact that her husband is praising a stranger.
10______ girl home and do things which a After a few moments of thinking, she
fairy godmother would do. She is filled 18_______ Miss Smith gifting her three
pounds out of the five that she had initially usual, is very indulgent and grants her the
intended to give her. Rosemary then permission. Thus, Rosemary’s jealousy and
dresses herself up prettily, doing her hair, possessiveness cause an 20_____ of her
darkening her eyes and putting on her relationship with Miss Smith. All her good
pearls in order to prove herself 19______ intentions of being helpful to the poor girl
pretty. She succeeds in getting from Philip are reduced to naught. Womanly jealousy
the assurance that she is really pretty. She got the better of her warm human qualities
even gets his permission to buy the enamel of showing charity and compassion to the
box for twenty eight guineas. Philip, as girl.
Characters in the Story

01. Rosemary Fell
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02. Philip
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03. Miss Smith
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Theme
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Questions for Discussion

1. Reproduce the story in your own words.
2. Who is Miss. Smith? Under what circumstances was she brought by Rosemary to her own
home? Why did she send her back?
3. Why did Rosemary Fell consider the fact of helping Miss. Smith an “adventure”?
4. Why did Rosemary try to appear as attractive as possible before her husband?
5. Elaborate on the main themes of the story?
6. “Philip,” she whispered, and she pressed his head against her bosom, “am I pretty?”
Comment on this statement.
7. Imagine yourself in the position of Rosemary. Do you think she did the right thing by not
keeping Miss. Smith with them?
8. Why does Philip disapprove of Rosemary’s decision to keep Miss. Smith with them?
Work 7: A Shocking Accident
By Graham Green (1904-1991)
About the Author
• He was born in Hertfordshire in 1904
• Son of a schoolmaster
• Studied at Oxford University
• Shortly after, Greene converts to Catholicism
• As a religious convert, Greene explored the themes of pain, fear, despair, and
alienation
• After working as an copy editor, Greene mainly worked as a freelance journalist
• His job allowed him to develop his unique style and skill with his writing
• Strong powers of observation, sensitivity to atmosphere, and simplicity of language
• Many of his novels focus on spiritual crisis and burn with intense concern for
salvation.
• Greene’s best fiction focuses on the psychology of human character, rather than plot.
Now Read the Story
Jerome was called into his the second and the third class on a Tuesday
housemaster's room in the break between morning. He had no fear of trouble, for he
was a warden-the name that the proprietor Nice, Beirut, Majorca, even the Canaries.
and headmaster of a rather expensive The time had arrived about his eighth
preparatory school had chosen to give to birthday when Jerome believed that his
approved, reliable boys in the lower forms father either 'ran guns' or was a member of
(from a warden one became a guardian and the British Secret Service. Now it occurred
finally before leaving, it was hoped for to him that his father might have been
Marlborough or Rugby, a crusader: The wounded in 'a hail of machine-gun bullets.
housemaster, Mr. Wordsworth, sat behind Mr. Wordsworth played with the
his desk with an appearance of perplexity ruler on his desk. He seemed at a loss how
and apprehension. Jerome had the odd to continue. He said, 'You know your
impression when he entered that he was a father was in Naples?'
cause of fear. 'Yes, sir.'
'Sit down, Jerome,' Mr. 'Your aunt heard from the hospital
Wordsworth said. 'All going well with the today.'
trigonometry?' 'Oh.'
'Yes, sir. Mr. Wordsworth said with
'I've had a telephone call, Jerome. desperation, 'It was a street accident.'
From your aunt. I'm afraid I have bad news 'Yes, sir?' It seemed quite likely to
for you.' Jerome that they would call it a street
'Yes, sir?' accident. The police of course fired first;
'Your father has had an accident.' his father would not take human life except
'Oh.' as a last resort.
Mr. Wordsworth looked at him 'I'm afraid your father was very
with some surprise. 'A serious seriously hurt indeed.'
accident.' 'Oh.'
'Yes, sir?' 'In fact, Jerome, he died yesterday.
Jerome worshipped his father: the Quite without pain.'
verb is exact. As man re-creates God, so 'Did they shoot him through the
Jerome re-created his father-from a restless heart?'
widowed author into a mysterious 'I beg your pardon. What did you
adventurer who travelled in far places - say, Jerome?'
'Did they shoot him through the boy who brooded, and it never occurred to
heart?' him at his preparatory school that the
'Nobody shot him, Jerome. A pig circumstances of his father's death were
fell on him.' An inexplicable convulsion comic - they were still part of the mysteries
took place in the nerves of Mr. of life. It was later, in his first term at his
Wordsworth's face; it really looked for a public school, when he told the story to his
moment as though he were going to laugh. best friend, that he began to realize how it
He closed his eyes, composed his features affected others. Naturally after that
and said rapidly as though it were disclosure he was known, rather
necessary to expel the story as rapidly as unreasonably, as Pig. Unfortunately his
possible. 'Your father was walking along a aunt had no sense of humor. There was an
street in Naples when a pig fell on him. A enlarged snapshot of his father on the
shocking accident. Apparently in the piano; a large sad man in an unsuitable
poorer quarters of Naples they keep pigs on dark suit posed in Capri with an umbrella
their balconies. This one was on the fifth (to guard him against sunstroke, the
floor. It had grown too fat. The balcony Faraglione rocks forming the background.
broke. The pig fell on your father.' By the age of sixteen Jerome was well
Mr. Wordsworth left his desk aware that the portrait looked more like the
rapidly and went to the window, turning author of Sunshine and Shade and
his back on Jerome. He shook a little with Ramblers in the Balearics than an agent of
emotion. the Secret Service. All the same he loved
Jerome said, 'What happened to the the memory of his father: he still possessed
pig?' an album fitted with picture-postcards (the
This was not callousness on the part stamps had been soaked off long ago for
of Jerome, as it was interpreted by Mr. his other collection), and it pained him
Wordsworth to his colleagues (he even when his aunt embarked with strangers on
discussed with them whether, perhaps, the story of his father's death.
Jerome was yet fitted to be a warden. 'A shocking accident,' she would
Jerome was only attempting to visualize begin, and the stranger would compose his
the strange scene to get the details right. or her features into the correct shape for
Nor was Jerome a boy who cried; he was a interest and commiseration. Both reactions,
of course, were false, but it was terrible for wonders whether the whole thing may not
Jerome to see how suddenly, midway in be an obscure form of blackmail and
her rambling discourse, the interest would whether many a potential writer of a
become genuine. 'I can't think how such biography or thesis finds the means in this
things can be allowed in a civilized way to finish his education at Kansas or
country,' his aunt would say. 'I suppose one Nottingham. Jerome, however, as a
has to regard Italy as civilized. One is chartered accountant, lived far from the
prepared for all kinds of things abroad, of literary world. He did not realize how
course, and my brother was a great small the menace really was, or that the
traveller. He always carried a water-filter danger period for someone of his father's
with him. It was far less expensive, you obscurity had long passed. Sometimes he
know, than buying all those bottles of rehearsed the method of recounting his
mineral water. My brother always said that father's death so as to reduce the comic
his filter paid for his dinner wine. You can element to its smallest dimensions- it
see from that what a careful man he was, would be of no use to refuse information,
but who could possibly have expected for in that case the biographer would
when he was walking along the Via undoubtedly visit his aunt who was living
Dottore Manuele Panucci on his way to the to a great old age with no sign of flagging.
Hydrographic Museum that a pig would It seemed to Jerome that there were
fall on him?' That was the moment when two possible methods - the first led gently
the interest became genuine. up to the accident, so that by the time it
Jerome's father had not been a very was described the listener was so well
distinguished writer, but the time always prepared that the death came really as an
seems to come, after an author's death, anti-climax. The chief danger of laughter in
when somebody thinks it worth his while such a story was always surprise. When he
to write a letter to the Times Literary rehearsed his method Jerome began
Supplement announcing the preparation of boringly enough.
a biography and asking to see any letters or 'You know Naples and those high
documents or receive anecdotes from tenement buildings? Somebody once told
friends of the dead man. Most of the me that the Neapolitan always feels at
biographies, of course, never appear - one home in New York just as the man from
Turin feels at home in London because the In course of time, neither too early
river runs in much the same way in both nor too late, rather as though, in his
cities. Where was I? Oh, yes. Naples, of capacity as a chartered accountant, Jerome
course. You'd be surprised in the poorer had studied the statistics and taken the
quarters what things they keep on the average, he became engaged to be married:
balconies of those sky-scraping tenements - to a pleasant fresh-faced girl of twenty-five
not washing, you know, or bedding, but whose father was a doctor in Pinner. Her
things like livestock, chickens or even pigs. name was Sally, her favorite author was
Of course the pigs get no exercise whatever still Hugh Walpole, and she had adored
and fatten all the quicker.' He could babies ever since she had been given a doll
imagine how his hearer's eyes would have at the age of five which moved its eyes and
glazed by this time. 'I've no idea, have you, made water. Their relationship was
how heavy a pig can be, but these old contented rather than exciting, as became
buildings are all badly in need of repair. A the love-affair of a chartered accountant; it
balcony on the fifth floor gave way under would never have done if it had interfered
one of those pigs. It struck the third floor with the figures.
balcony on its way down and sort of One thought worried Jerome,
ricocheted into the street. My father was on however. Now that within a year he might
the way to the Hydrographic Museum himself become a father, his love for the
when the pig hit him. Coming from that dead man increased; he realized what
height and that angle it broke his neck.' affection had gone into the picture-
This was really a masterly attempt to make postcards. He felt a longing to protect his
an intrinsically interesting subject boring. memory, and uncertain whether this quiet
The other method Jerome rehearsed had love of his would survive if Sally were so
the virtue of brevity. insensitive as to laugh when she heard the
'My father was killed by a pig.' story of his father's death. Inevitably she
'Really? In India?' would hear it when Jerome brought her to
'No, in Italy.' dinner with his aunt. Several times he tried
'How interesting. I never realized to tell her himself, as she was naturally
there was pig-sticking in Italy. Was your anxious to know all she could that
father keen on polo?' concerned him.
'You were very small when your 'I will give you a set for your
father died?' wedding. He wrote so tenderly about his
'Just nine.' travels. My own favorite is Nooks and
'Poor little boy,' she said. Crannies . He would have had a great
'I was at school. They broke the future. It made that shocking accident all
news to.' the worse.'
'Did you take it very hard?' 'I can't 'Yes?'
remember.' 'You never told me how it Jerome longed to leave the room
happened.' 'It was very sudden. A street and not see that loved face crinkle with
accident.' 'You'll never drive fast, will you, irresistible amusement.
Jimmy?' (She had begun to call him 'I had so many letters from his readers after
'Jimmy'.) It was too late then to try the the pig fell on him.' She had never been so
second method - the one he thought of as abrupt before. And then the miracle
the pig-sticking one. happened. Sally did not laugh. Sally sat
They were going to marry quietly with open eyes of horror while his aunt
in a registry-office and have their told her the story, and at the end, 'How
honeymoon at Torquay. He avoided taking horrible,' Sally said. 'It makes you think,
her to see his aunt until a week before the doesn't it? Happening like that. Out of a
wedding, but then the night came, and he clear sky.'
could not have told himself whether his Jerome's heart sang with joy. It was
apprehension was more for his father's as though she had appeased his fear for
memory or the security of his own love. ever. In the taxi going home he kissed her
The moment came all too soon. 'Is with more passion than he had ever shown
that Jimmy’s father?' Sally asked, picking and she returned it. There were babies in
up the portrait of the man with the her pale blue pupils, babies that rolled their
umbrella. eyes and made water.
'Yes, dear. How did you guess?' 'A week today,' Jerome said, and she
'He has Jimmy’s eyes and brow, squeezed his hand. 'Penny for your
hasn't he?' thoughts, my darling.'
'Has Jerome lent you his books?' 'I was wondering,' Sally said, 'what
'No.' happened to the poor pig?'
'They almost certainly had it for dear child again.

dinner,' Jerome said happily and kissed the
A Summary
"The Shocking Accident", Graham death of his father. Whenever Jerome tries
Greene writes about a character named to tell someone about his father's death, he
1______ and the change he goes through as doesn't get the 6_____ he wants from the
he becomes a different person in the end of person. He thinks of many ways to explain
the story. We see him as a whole new the death of his father without having the
changed person, way different from the other person be baffled at him or thinking
Jerome we knew from the beginning of the that his story was a joke. As time passes,
book. Jerome finds a 7____he loves dearly even
Jerome is quite 2_______ in the though he went through all those hard
beginning, for he attends school where he times, and decides to marry her. However,
is told the news of his father's death. He Jerome was worried about the situation of
had always thought his dad was some telling his future wife Sally about the
Secret Service Agent for Britain, and incident of his father. He was 8_____that
assumed that his father was killed in a she would see it as humorous and laugh at
gunfight when the headmaster told him the story just like every other person did.
about the death of his father. The Jerome never gets around telling
headmaster tells him the incident of his Sally about the shocking incident with his
father with the 3___falling on him. Jerome father. She would ask him about it, but he
wasn't so sure what to feel then, and he would 9______that he couldn't remember
asks what happens. Soon, Jerome realized because he was so young. Finally, the two
that this incident was a 4______to other of them were about to get married and
people, and people started calling him Jerome tries to avoid contact with his aunt,
"Pig" as a fun joke. but that unfortunately doesn't happen.
As Jerome gets older, he realizes When Sally asks about the death of
how 5____it is to tell people of how his Jerome's father, Jerome's aunt tells her
father died. He always feels a pain about it and Sally didn't laugh, but she
whenever his aunt tells strangers about the became 10____at what happened. This
made Jerome so happy and filled his body death of his father because no ever took the
with joy. He goes about with Sally making story seriously. Now that Henry knows that
love to her more then ever, and he Sally doesn't see the shocking incident as a
suddenly has a bright positive attitude in jape, he isn't embarrassed about it
him now. anymore.
We see that Jerome becomes more The change in Jerome shows that
of a happy person in the end of the story, one character in the story like Sally can
and he's relieved at the end because Sally make a huge impact on any character. This
accepts the death of his father as a change may have taken a while for Jerome,
mourning event, instead of a humorous but his understanding of Sally and Sally's
joke. Jerome wasn't like this in the great personality changes his life, basically.
beginning of the story, for he was One little thing can change something big,
embarrassed of sharing the story of the like Sally changing Jerome's world.
Main Character in the Story

Jerome ________ He tries to make the story boring by giving
As the story progresses, it becomes clear extreme detail.
that Jerome is a victim of the absurdity of He tries to infer that his father was killed
this father’s death. while hunting a pig.
His question, “What happened to the pig” The reader, aware of Jerome’s problem,
is interpreted as callousness by his finds his efforts amusing.
teachers. Jerome _________
He is given the nickname “Pig” at school When Jerome falls in love with Sally, he
after he tells the story to his best friend. continues to hide the manner of his father’s
To avoid ridicule, he decides to hide the death from her (“It was very sudden. A
way his father died, although his aunt street accident”).
misunderstands this because she has “no This adds a new element of tension to an
sense of humour” absurd situation – hiding the truth from his
Jerome _________ love could destroy their relationship.
Jerome practices ways to tell of his father’s
death that do not cause laughter:
No need to worry! When she finds out, she that Jerome has found the perfect soul mate
is truly shocked that such a thing could for life (and death).
happen “Out of a clear sky”.
Her statement – “I was wondering what
happened to the poor pig?” – makes it clear
Questions
01. What is the “shocking accident?” happened? Why? What has actually
02. What is the tone of this short story? happened in the accident?
03. After his father’s death, how does 11. How do Mr. Wordsworth and others
Jerome view his father and his death? react to the story of the accident? Why
04. How do others view Jerome’s father’s might it pain Jerome to hear his aunt tell
death? the story to the strangers?
05. Is the death “shocking”? 12. Compare the two methods Jerome
06. What is Jerome’s question after hearing devises for telling the story of the accident.
the news about his father? What does this In your opinion, why does he devise
do for his relationships with others? different methods?
07. What is ironic about Jerome’s 13. How does Sally react to the aunt’s
connection with Sally? story? What does her reaction seem to
08. What is a theme of this text? suggest about her character?
09. How did you react when you learned
what had happened to Jerome’s father? Do
you think your reaction was appropriate?
10. When Jerome first hears about his
father’s accident, what does he assume has
Free essay
1. You know that life is full of unexpected situations. We will not know for sure what will
happen tomorrow. Supposed that you knew that you would have one day of your life to live,
what would you do?
2. Have you ever felt saddened at your beloved one’s death? What did you do to forget this
sadness?
3. Do you think it is fair to laugh at a sad and unfortunate event? Why or Why not? Is there
any situation in which we find it hard to resist ourselves from laughing before someone’s
mishap?
The End of Chapter 3!
REFERENCES
[01]. Abrams. M.H. (1984). A Glossary of Literary Terms. 6th Edition. New York.
Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.
[02]. Ann Chin, B, Fisher, D, & Willhelm, J. (2009). Literature (American Literature).
McGraw-Hill Glencore.
[03]. Borges, L. (?). British Literature & American Literature. Univer Cindade.
[04]. Coote, S. (1993). The Penguin Short History of English Literature.
[05]. Defoe, D. (1965). Robinson Crusoe. London. Penguin Books.
[06]. High, Peter B. (1998). An Outline of American Literature. New York: Longman.
[07]. Lê Thị Thanh. (2007). American Literature. Educational Publishing House.
[08]. Lê Văn Sự. (2011). A Collection of 110 Literary Texts From British & American
Literatures. Hong Duc Publishing House.
[09]. McCloskey, Mary Lou & Lydia Stack (1996). Voices in America. Boston: Heinle
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[10]. Nguyễn Chí Trung. (2002). English Literature. Educational Publishing House.
[11]. Nguyễn Trung Tánh. (1997). Readings in American Literature (Book 1 & Book 2).
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[12]. Tô Minh Thanh. (2006). Giáo Trình Ngữ Nghĩa Học Tiếng Anh. HCMC National
University Publishing House, pp. 36-47
THE END OF THE COURSE!

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British Literature Page |1

Some Factors Leading to the Boredom in Learning Literature among Vietnamese

Chapter 1: Literary Elements & Phases of History of English Literature

__________: Plot is characterized by a conflict: This is a struggle between two or more

2. ___________________: Use the facts as they are presented in the story.

______________: Dialogue refers to the conversation between or among characters. Dialogue

_____________: Foreshadowing is a technique used by the authors as a hint or suggests what

____________: Switching in time by going to the past to provide background to characters or

Similes & Metaphors

A ___________is an implicit or indirect comparison in which no function word is

Distinguish Simile from Metaphor

Riddles and Periphrases

Personification is a special kind of metaphor in which some ________ characteristic is

appears.” (Alexander Pope): The above behind.

The End of the Theory!

Revision for Chapter 1

01. rhythm A. repeating the same starting sounds of words.

05. metaphor A. exaggeration for effect

09. personification A. when a words pronunciation imitates its sound

II. Circle the best answer

A. metaphor B. hyperbole C. personification D. onomatopoeia E. simile

7. My dormitory is like a cave. 23. Right at this minute, I could drink a

The End of Chapter 1!

Chapter 2: A Short History of British Literature

01. Old English 06. Romanticism

Literature of Anglo-Saxons Time

Oral Tradition: Anglo-Saxons and loyalty; 2. the elegy mourns a loss or

Middle English (1066-1485)

and spelling. Eventually, Middle English, a used today developed.

Middle English Literature

Contrary to the Old English Chaucer’s Masterpiece

The World Influences of England Protestant Reformation: In 1517,

Key Literary Figures

The Puritan age/ The Classic Literature (1603- 1689)

John Milton: With the Restoration of Paradise Lost: It is a long epic of 12

The Enlightenment Age or the Restoration Age- (the 18th century)

Romanticism (the late 18th century)

Literature of the Time

The Victorian Age (the 19th century)

The Twentieth Century

Literature of the Time and Wilfred Owen recorded the savageness

Questions for Each Period (Revision)

Chapter 3: Analyses and Interpretations of Some Typical British Literary

In his far-off home Beowulf, Higlac’s

High on your hills.” “Hail, Hrothgar!

A Summary on each Section of the Epic

Glossary for Work 1

A Summary of the Story of Beowulf

Work 2: From a Vindication of the Right of Women

Now Read the Essay

fastidious eye, fade, disregarded on the abrogated in favor of woman. A degree of

happiness on a being subject to like uncultivated understandings make them

A Summary on Each Section on the Essay

As a child, Virginia Woolf was recovered, she periodically suffered serious

Now read an extract from a Room of One’s Own

New Words and Expressions

Work Four: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

Meeting Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

Reading: A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

therefore, is how this number shall be I shall now therefore humbly

of this kingdom, having of late destroyed But in order to justify my friends,

and manufacture; of utterly rejecting the uttering despairing of success, I fortunately