A Timeline depicting events from the novels we're reading in class: Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, Joseph Conrad's Hear of Darkness, Thomas Mofolo's Chaka, An Historical Romance, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (listed in reading order).
Thiel College ENG 312 SP23 Dashboard
Description
Welcome to Dr. Gross's ENG 312 Topics in the Novel class group!
Galleries, Timelines, and Maps
A Map depicting locations from the novels we're reading in class: Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, Joseph Conrad's Hear of Darkness, Thomas Mofolo's Chaka, An Historical Romance, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (listed in reading order).
Individual Entries
Geneva, Switzerland is one of Europe's most cosmopolitan cities. The large city juts into France, being a European cultural center for urban life, politics, diplomacy, and language. The city is also known for its luxury jewelry and watch industry, as well as its large tourist population. The city has many languages, with a quarter of the permanent residency having English as a second language, with the primary languages being German, French, and Italian. Geneva also serves as the base of operations for many national organizations, such as the World Health Organization, the Red Cross, the World Bank, and the United Nations (Encyclopedia Britannica).
Geneva is both mentioned and an important aspect of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. Part of the novel takes place in Geneva, where the main character Victor was raised and where his family resides. The origins of the novel began in Geneva, which is why Shelley used it as a setting....
moreFrom 1908 to 1960, a large portion of the Congo was under the rule of Belgium. It was established by the Belgian parliament to replace the previous Congo Free States, as there was international outrage with the abuse of power the private citizens had over the natives. The Belgians view Africans as children who needed to be cared for and taught how to be civil which is known as paternalism. This “parent-child” relationship was heavily exploited by the Belgians as they drained the nation of gold, diamonds, copper, tin, cobalt, zinc, and ivory. The Colony had a plethora of farms ad plantations which were worked by indentured Africans on four-to-seven-year contracts. During the Belgian occupation in Africa, the Belgians build trains, railroads, electric stations, public building, and “civilized” ideas, all which were constructed by forced labor. There were resistances from the African people, but often they were suppressed, silenced, and reprimanded harshly. This harsh setting...
moreLowood Boarding School is an important location within Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Lowood is the boarding school her aunt sends her to and where she has her most formative years. At Lowood, she develops her morals, witnesses the first death she remembers, creates relationships that affect her throughout the rest of the book, is shamed and humiliated, and develops a deep love for learning and scholarship. Lowood School is heavily inspired by the school Bronte attended as a child, Cowan Bridge, which was a very traumatic experience. Boarding School for the poor during the 1800s resembled prisons more than schools and has the fitting nickname of “Rugged Schools.” A Portsmith shoemaker named John Pounds in 1818 created these schools with the intent of giving poor and orphaned children free education. By 1870, there were over 350 “Rugged Schools” in England. These institutions were strict, very religious (as they were often run by churches), and often had poor to barely...
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The scramble for Africa refers to the colonization of Africa in the late 1800’s and beginning of the 1900’s. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “before 1880 colonial possessions in Africa were relatively few and limited to coastal areas, with large sections of the coastline and almost all the interior still independent. By 1900 Africa was almost entirely divided into separate territories that were under the administration of European nations.” Many countries sought the resources available as well as the power to control these areas. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad explores the colonization of the Congo. G. N. Uzoigwe sums up the cause of this scramble to stem from Britain occupying Egypt. He says, “Africa was economically worthless; the leading European partitioners of the continent, with the possible exception of Leopold...
moreThe tale of “El Dorado” dates to the Spanish people in the sixteenth century. Allegedly, this story discusses a mythical tribal king of the indigenous people who covered himself in gold and submerged himself in Lake Guaravita (“El Dorado”). However, there have been various locations mentioned over the years of where “El Dorado” truly resides as well as interpretations of the story throughout history. Historians have been able to piece together the true details of the myth over the years. The surviving objects from El Dorado have been placed into the British Museum as well as the Museo del Oro. In Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the members of the company mention this tale to Marlowe as he is embarking on his journey through the Congo. They speak of the tale and the gold that could possibly be found if they are able to reveal the location of the golden objects.
Works Cited
Cooper, Dr Jago. “El Dorado: The Truth behind the Myth.” BBC News, BBC, 14 Jan....
moreIn Shelley’s literary work, she discusses the location of Bellerive, which is located near Switzerland. This secluded area of Switzerland contains various villages with a wide demographic of people (“Bellerive, Switzerland”). Frankenstein is advised to escape his town and visit this place in the novel. While there with his family, he reflects on various emotions he is experiencing related to the creation of his monster that has terrorized the community. Frankenstein is feeling guilty for the innocent lives lost because of his eternal quest for knowledge. In fact, he says, “When I reflected on his crimes and malice, my hatred and revenge burst all bounds of moderation,” showing how upset he is by the actions of his creation (Shelley). Furthermore, Frankenstein continues to feel the emotions throughout his stay, but does not take ownership of his actions until it is too late. While thinking about the past event, Victor is alone in a peaceful, serene area.
Works Cited
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