EMINENT VICTORIANS

Litton Starchy is the chief figure among the biographies of the early twentieth century. His best work as a biographer is Eminent Victorians. Starchey wrote it under the influence of Samuel Butlers novel The Way of All Flesh. His credentials as a biographer were questionable. George Sampson describes him Starchey cannot be seriously considered either a bio9grapher or novelist, either a historian or a writer of fiction, but rather some curious species between the two which we can call either biographical novelist or fiction. Lytton Starchey was a prominent member of the Bloomsbury group in London. The members of the group were united in an abiding belief in the importance of the arts. They reacted against the artistic and social restraints of Victorian society. Eminent Victorians is a biographical work dealing with the lives of four eminent personalities of the Victorian period, an ecclesiastic Cardinal Manning, an educational authority Dr. Arnold, a woman of action Florence Nightingale and a man of adventure General Gordon. Starchey took six years to complete the book from 1912 to 1918. His main intention in writing the book, in his own words is to present some Victorian visions to the modern eye. This book could also be viewed as a book of history since it provides insights into the lives of four eminent personalities of the Victorian Period. But critics like Noel Aunan considers the a polemic against the establishment and its culture Even though Starcheys views and ideas expressed in the text are highly controversial, his forceful style and powerful language have brought the book success and long-standing recognition. CARDINAL MANNING Henry Edward Manning was born on 15th July 1808 and died on January 1892. He was a member of the Oxford movement, which sought a return of the church of England to the high church ideals of the 17th century. He converted to Roman Catholicism and became Archbishop of West minister in 1865. He was elevated to the rank of Cardinal in 1875. As Archbishop he was a vigorous builder of catholic schools and other institutions.

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE Florence Nightingale was born on May 12, 1820. On 7th Feb 1837, she believed that she heard the voice of God informing her that she had a mission. But she realized what that mission was in 1846. Meanwhile she underwent training as a nurse in Germany. In 1853 she was appointed as the superintendent of the institution for the care of the sick in London. She proved to be a successful administrator. When Crimean war broke out in manas 1854 he volunteered to nurse the sick and wounded British soldiers in the military hospitals in Turkey. The facilities in the hospital were very poor. The doctors were hostile. Nurses were not allowed in the wards. In one year she surmounted most of the difficulties and took full charge of the hospital. Each night she made her rounds giving comfort and solace and advice to the wounded soldiers. She was called the lady with the lamp. By may 1855 nursing the sick became her secondary interest and her prime concern was the welfare of the British army. After her return to England she started working on the improvement of health, living conditions and food of the British soldiers. She had a long interview with Queen Victoria. She became an invalid in 1857. Lying on her couch year after year she carried out her mission. She used the Nightingale fund to establish Nightingale school for nurses at St. Thomas hospital the first of its kind in the world. Her sight gradually failed. In 1907 the King conferred on her the order of merit. She was the first woman ever to receive it. She died on 13th August 1910. Dr. THOMAS ARNOLD (1795-1842) Dr. Arnold was a well known educator and historian of the Victorian period. He was the father of the famous poet Mather Arnold. In 1828 he was appointed the headmaster of Rugby school. With his characteristic energy he strove to raise the standards and reputation of the school. He stressed the importance of classical education particularly religious training. Its purpose was to develop the boys sense of duty and their character. Through his efforts Rugby school became the model for the English public school system in the 19th century. Dr. Arnold was held in great personal veneration by his pupils. He wrote in favour of church reform and catholic emancipation. He attacked the Tractor ions of the Oxford movement. He was the author of several books on Roman history. GENERAL GORDON Charles General Gordon born in 1833 was a British general who became a national hero for his exploits in China and his ill fated defence of Khartoum against Sudanese rebels who

killed him. He was dubbed Chinese Gordon by the public. During his spare time he developed his own unorthodox, mystical brand of Christianity. Starcheys book became a success because his tone caught exactly the prevailing mood of disillusionment with the Victorian virtues namely religiosity, inflated patriotism and debased liberalism and opportunism. The eminent in the title is not adulatory but ironical. The porpose of the book seems to be to remove the halos with which a pious period had invested its heroes and heroines. All the four personalities were extraordinary. They were so anxious to do good, so powerful in carryin out their schemes so notable at the end of their lives for their achievements that all four had been canonized by their admirers. But Starchey raises questions about their other human qualities: what of their virtues- what of simplicity moderation, tolerance, sanity compassion for others and love. How had they fared? All the four spent their lives in pursuit of ideals but Starchey projected these ideals as deceptive masters which made them lose their human side. They were Victims enslaved by the ideals of the Victorian period. Starchey describes Cardinal Manning as an eminent ecclesiastic of the Victorian period, who is known less for his saintliness and learning than for practical ability. The persistent strength of his innate characters is striking. He lived unperturbed through all the changes of his fortunes. When his wife died at first he was inconsolable but found relief in the distraction of redoubled work. Late in his life he referred to his wifes death as Gods special mercy and the memory of his wife seemed to be completely blotted form his mind. Her never spoke of her when he became a cardinal he completely forgot his old friend Taloot. There is irony in the tone of Starchey whenever he alludes to Mannings success in life. His success was a result more of his worldly wisdom and practical ability than of any intrinsic worth. He might have been a successful man but was less humane. Starcheys portrayal of Manning lays bare his hatred of eccliastical Christianity. Strarchey begins his account of Florence Nightingale by saying that the popular conception of the lady as a saintly, self sacrificing woman who gave up the pleasures of life for the sake of the sick is wrong. He says, a demon possessed her. In the real Miss. Nightingale there was more that was interesting than in the legendary one. There was also less that was agreeable. He gives us a detailed account of the ruthless way in which Nightingale moulded her career and life though she was a changed woman towards the end of her life. Starchey ends his biographical account of Florence Nightingale with a highly sarcastic remark. When she was

conferred the merit of order she murmured too a kind- too kind. Starchey says that she was not ironical in her response. Dr. Arnold no doubt altered the whole atmosphere of public school by introducing morals and religion in to his scheme of education. But he had deleted physical science from curriculum as he thought that it was too great a subject to be studied in school. In its place he wanted moral philosophy. Moreover he had no theoretical objection to corporal punishment. The essay on Gordon was an attack on imperialism and power politics which Starchey and his friends considered to be the major causes of the war. Starchey ends his essay on Gordon with a highly ironic remark Gordon had always been a contradictious person even a little off his head perhaps though a hero. Starcheys biographical method was a conscious reaction to the characteristic 19th century tasteless biography. His aim was the creation of an honest, lifelike portrait not a stuffed effity. He was no doubt honest but was not fair. Behind the protestation of fairness there was a spirit of mocker, bordering on animosity which threatened the fidelity of his historical portraits. However Eminent Victorians marked the peak of Starcheys antivictorianism. Thus the four eminent Victorians are presented by Starchey, Victorian of Victorian culture.

This passage is taken from the essay Hamlet and his Problems the most popular critical essay written by T.S. Eliot. The essay is one of the thirteen essays on poetry and criticism published by him under the title The Sacred Wood. The essay is mainly known for his use of the term Objective Corelative coined by him. The term was subsequently used by many literary critics. The essay has raised a great controversy for Eliots views on Shakespeares master piece Hamlet. Generally Hamlet is considered Shakespeares masterpiece. Shakespeare wrote 37 plays. But he took most pains to write. It was also his longest play. It considered mona Lisa of literature. Monalisa the famous painting by the famous Italian painter Leonardo De Vinci. Monalisa is considered an embodiment of beauty. Her smile is supposed to be magical.

According to Eliot Hamlet is an artistic failure. It could not achieve the unity of impression. It lacks in artistic inevitability. The external is not adequate to the emotional. The intense feeling in the play is without an object or exceeds its object. Eliot names objective corelative. OBJECTIVE CO-RELATIVE A set of objects, a situation, a chair of events which will be the formula of a particular emotion. When the external facts are given the emotion is immediately evoked. According to Eliot this defect is not found in the other tragedies of Shakespeare as in king Lear. Eliots views on Hamlet are not convincing. No object in itself is a formula for an emotion. So a writer need not have an objective co-relative to express an emotion. Hamlet is not an artistic failure. It is certainly the most successful creation of Shakespeare enjoyed all over the world for the past so many years and many more years to come.

THE POWER AND GLORY GRAHAM GREENE Graham Greene is one of the most successful writers in English. To his credit more than thirty works of his have been translated into twenty one languages. His novels have proved uniquely cinematic. All of them have been turned into films. The Power and Glory is generally accepted as Graham Greenes masterpiece. It was first published in 1940. It is essentially religious in character. Greene is preoccupied with Roman Catholicism. The essential theme of The Power and Glory is salvation versus damnation. Greene travelled widely in Mexico during the year 1938. He published his experiences in his travelogue The Lawless Road in 1939. In that there is a reference to a drunken priest who leld out against the police for ten years as practice of religion was strictly prohibited in his Province. The character of the protagonist in The Power and Glory is based on him. In a particular Mexican state the church was outlawed. Practice of religion was banned. The priests were forced to go underground. Otherwise they would be shot. The governor of the state came to know that inspite of the ban one priest Father Montex was still moving from village to village carrying on the work of the church. A young lieutenant of police came forward to catch the priest. He was an ardent revolutionist and against the church. He considered the priest guilty of treason. The photograph of the priest was pasted in the police station along with that of an American bank robber as the men wanted. As the search was going on the priest planned to go aboard a boat that would take him to a place of safety. But before he boarded the boat he came to know that an Indian woman was on her death bed several miles away. Being a true priest he mounted on a mule and set out to reach the woman and perform the last rites to her. The priest knew that he was taking a risk because he may be caught and may not find another boat to take him to safety. After completing his mission he set out on a mule to escape from the police.

On the way he thought of his own past. He considered himself as a poor example of the priest hood. He was addicted to drink. He was ready to do anything for a bottle of alcohol. He was nicknamed whisky priest. Moreover in a moment of weakness he fathered a child by a woman. Inspite of these weaknesses he was determined to carry on the work of the church as long as he could not because he wanted to a martyr but because he knew nothing else. THE POSSIBILITIES OF A POETIC DRAMA This passage is extracted from the essay the Possibilities of a poetic drama written by T.S.Eliot who has been praised as a critic for his originality. This essay is taken from his famous book the Sacred Wood in its 1928 edition. Eliot discusses the nature of Verse drama. He feels that they are necessary in the modern field. He says that many people like to enjoy poetic dramas because readers and audience get more satisfaction from a poetic drama than any other form of literature. He believes that drama is the most permanent of literary forms. It can express in many ways to the different strata of society than any other. There is a big gap between the past and present. Charles lamb made people aware of the decline of poetic drama. He performed its autopsy (examination of the dead body to find out the cause of death). Eliot asserts that we shoud not lose our tradition. They should be carried out. Otherwise we lose our hold on the present. Eliot argues that in the past there were many good poets. They were very talented. The present day poets are more talented than those of the past. But where as the poets of the past put all their talent to the best use the present day poets waste much of their talent. In the 20th century the minor poets do not have anything worth doing. In the present condition the minor poets have much to do. They can create very good poetic dramas. Eliot wants the contemporary poets to use their thought and intellect like plato, Aristotle and Shakespeare. THE PERFECT CRITIC This passage is extracted from the essay The Perfect Critic written by T.S.Eliot who has been praised as a critic for his originality. This essay is taken from is famous bood the Sacred Wood, in its 1928 edition. Eliot declares that poetry and criticism should be complementary. A critic criticizes poetry in order to create poetry. According to Eliot bad criticism is that which is nothing but an

expression of intelligence to say that criticism is for the sake of creation. It is equally wrong to say that creation is for the sake of criticism . he says that according to psychology appreciation is a faculty. It is different from criticism. Criticism is a development of sensibility. Eliot describes criticism as a disinterested exercise of intelligence. According to Eliot Arnold was a more a propagandist tan a critic. He recognizes Coleridge as the greatest and the last of English critics. A critic should not be a dictator. He should not lay down some rules. Such a critic is a dogmatic critic. He should not day down some rules. Such a critic is a dogmatic critic. He cannot do full justice to his work./ Poetry is more highly organization astronomy. Physics or pure mathematics. Because it is the most highly organized form of intellectual activity. Eliot reexamines and redefines the principles of