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The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer

Literature, Critical Analysis, Indian Literature, Summary

Introduction

‘The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales’ is a famous literary work written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14^th century. It is an Introduction of stories that the pilgrims tell as they journey to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury. The Prologue itself is a poetic masterpiece and provides a vivid description of the diverse group of pilgrims who are travelling together.

The General Prologue is the First Part of ‘The Canterbury Tales’.

The Prologue begins with a description of the season of spring which symbolizes renewal and the start of a new journey.

“Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote,
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,”

Analysis Of General Prologue

Chaucer, the narrator of the play is also a character in the story, describing how he encounters a group of 29 pilgrims at The Tabard Inn in Southwark, a suburb of London. These pilgrims come from various social classes and professions, representing a wide range of medieval society.

At dinner with the pilgrims, the host proposes a plan to the group. He says, that on the way to Canterbury, each pilgrim must tell two tales and then two on the return journey. The Host will be the judge of the tales he says. He goes on to say that the pilgrim with the best tale will get a free dinner at the tavern when the journey ends. Moreover, he also states that anyone challenging his judgement will have to pay the bill for the whole pilgrimage.

This excites the pilgrims and all of them agree to this proposal. Moreover, they also swear to follow the rules of this game. They ride out of Canterbury the next morning when the tale-telling session begins.

However, a pilgrim immediately opposes the Host authority. The Monk is invited to tell another story after the previous one is finished, but the drunken Miller wants to move on or leave. The Host’s authority is subsequently questioned in the following scenes. After all, when a drunken pilgrim and a group of mysterious strangers are together something terrible will happen. Throughout the trek, the pilgrims tell us a variety of tales.

But they soon begin insulting each other directly. For instance, the carpenter becomes insulted when Miller recounts a demeaning story about him. He fabricates a story to degrade Miller as a result. This keeps repeating, the Host’s struggle to resolve the conflicts arising continually. However, it ends only after twenty-four tales instead of the intended one hundred and twenty. It ends with a sermon which the Parson gives. It is about sin and repentance and ends with Chaucer’s departure.

Thus, the Canterbury Tales helps in giving an overview of the Characters through the general Prologue. It will help further in getting to know the pilgrims in a better manner and their mannerisms.

The prologue begins with a description of the season of spring which symbolizes renewal and the start of a new journey. The narrator who is also a character in the story, describes how he encounters a group of 29 pilgrims at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, a suburb of London. These pilgrims come from various social classes and professions, representing a wide range of medieval society.

The narrator and 29 other pilgrimages decide to begin on their spiritual and religious quest the next morning. But before the pilgrimage starts, the narrator makes a point to observe and analyze every individual and create a persona based on their visible and discernible choices, manners and appearance.

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales Character Analysis

Chaucer begins to sketch the different characters beginning with the knight and his Son the squire.

The Knight – The Knight is a worthy man. He has noble qualities like Chivarly, Truthfulness, Honor, Courtesy and Charity. These are the codes of virtues that are supposed to have in a knight in the medieval era.

After the Prologue it is the knight who begins the first tale. He narrates a romantic story of a woman and two knights who fall in love with her.

The Squire – The squire is the son of the knight. He is around twenty years old. He has a passion for playing flute and singing. He narrates the story of a mysterious knight who comes to the court of Tartary with gifts.

The Yeoman – He is a servant to the knight and travels with him. He skillfully looks at the knight’s arrows and carries with him a great deal of weaponry used by his master. He is shown as a pious man with the mention of possessive silver St. Christopher on his chest. He doesn’t narrate any tale.

The Prioress – The name of the prioress is ‘Madam Eglentine’ As she is a nun, she often sings religious songs. She speaks French well, which was the standard language during the 14th century. She carries a golden brooch with shiny impressions that say:

“Amor vincit omnia
Love conquers all.

She narrates the tale of a child who sings on the Virgin Mary is killed by Hateful Jews who don’t like singing.

Nun – She is the secretary of Madame Eglantine, the Prioress. She narrates the life of St. Cecilia as her contribution to the pilgrimage.

The Monk – The Monk has a high rank in a monastery. He is handsome to look at. He looks at things differently and often keeps aside the Old traditions. He describes a series of tragedies about Lucifer, Sampson, Hercules, Nabugodonosor, Balthasar etc.

The Friar – The Frior’s name is Hubert. He is a joyful and lustful person. He is the best beggar who knows very well how to extract money from people. He starts to tell of summoner when a debate boils up between him and summoner.

The Merchant – According to the description the merchant is a solemn gentleman with great bargaining Skills, without having any need of debts. He narrates the story of a blind man, who longs for a union and marries a fair young girl who becomes unfaithful for her husband.

The Clerck – He is a studious man who was educated in Oxford University and has a passion for books. The tales of the Clerk is about a man of aristocratic class who wants to know about the devotion of his wife Griselde by Conducting several tests which are harsh.

The Sergeant – The sergeant of the law is full of dignity and speaks words of wisdom without any stuttering. The man of law can write legal writings that contain no flaws or errors whatsoever. He narrates the story of a woman named Constance, with numerous tragedies in her life that she overcomes by having faith in Christianity and God.

The Franklin – The Franklin is the company of the Sergeant. He is so careful about the food he takes and Selects the food and drinks based on the season. Franklin narrates a desperate tale about her husband, accepting to get associated with another man.

The Haberdasher, The Carpenter, The Weaver, The Drier, The Tapestry marker

All these appear uniform in clothing. Each of them is knowledgeable and suitable for an elder man. The five men do not contribute a tale to the Canterbury Tales during the pilgrimage.

The Cook – The cook goes with them. He can do anything concerned with the kitchen. He has an ulcerous sore on his skin. He narrates an abruptly ending story of Perking Reveller who is an apprentice.

The Shipman – The Shipman wears a cloth made of wool that only covers the body to the knees. He is very experienced at sea. He tells the story of a woman in need of money to pay off the debts her husband has made. The barque that he owns is called the Magdalene.

The Doctor of Physic – The narrator says he is skilled in medicine and surgery and knows astronomy. He knows the cause of every illness. He tells the story of Virginius, a bold knight instead of offering her daughter to sin kills her and makes her blessed by God.

The Wife Of Bath – The partially deaf woman who married to five men is the most boisterous of all the travellers. She has a great skill at making clothes and her head is clad with linen. Her travelled places, include Boulogne, Rome, St. James of Compostella and Cologne. In this way, she is an experienced traveller. He gives out a feministic note on different things such as marriage, men and women and even interprets the Bible in her own way stating that there is no. decree written in the book about marrying once.

The Parson – The Parson is a holy man in the town where he lives. Due to his devotion, he bounds only to tell the truth and earns only little to live. He says,

“That if Gold rust, what would iron do?”

It means if the priest whom we trust becomes corrupted, what would an ordinary man do?. The person is the lost of the travellers to narrate the tale and he discusses about penitence, confessions, seven deadly, sins, etc. and they end with Chaucer’s retraction.

The Ploughman – The Ploughman is Parson’s brother. He loves his neighbours. He helps the poor, without expecting any reward. However, he does not narrate a tale.

The Miller – He is big, muscular and a champion at wrestling with immense power. He carries along with him a shield and a sword. He narrates the tale of a student who longs to indulge in an affair with a carpenter’s wife.

The Manciple – He is described as the financial operator who buys religious provisions. Although he is not highly educated but he can certainly manipulate his way around those who are full of wisdom. The Manciple’s tale is about crows in relation to the story of Phoebus where a crow speaks of his wife’s unfaithfulness.

The Reeve – The Reeve is a slender, choleric and short-tempered man. He narrates the story of two Oxford students who humiliate a miller with villainous intents.

The Summor – He has a way of tricking people and suffers from skin disease. The tale seems as a response to the Friar’s tale and describes the professions of Friar in the manner of parody.

The Pardoner – He is a friend and peer of Summoner. The pardoner tells the about the death of three rioters in the form of an allegory. The cause of death in avarice.

The Host – The lost member is to be described in the prologue. Harry Bailly or the host is the owner of the Tabard Inn, where the journey starts. He is one to come up with the idea of tale telling game and plays a major role in calming down the company whenever there seems to be a possibility of an argument. The original idea of the host was that each of the travellers should give out two tales, but in the Canterbury Tales the numbers differ and some of them don’t even tell a lie.

Conclusion

Thus through ‘ The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales’ Chaucer provides detailed descriptions of each character, highlighting their appearance, clothing and personality traits. He offers insightful commentary on their individual characteristics, often satirizing the flies and vices of each person. Through this detailed portrayal, Chaucer provides a social commentary on Medieval society, exposing the corruption, hypocrisy and greed prevalent during that time.

It also showcases Chaucer’s mastery of characterization and his keen observations of human nature, providing a rich and colourful portrait of Medieval England.

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The Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison | The Bluest Eye Summary

Summary, English Literature, Literature, Novel

Introduction

“The Bluest Eye” is the debut novel of Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. It is a profound exploration of racism, beauty standards and the human condition. It was first published in 1970 and is considered one of Morrison’s seminal works. Set in Lorain, Ohio, in 1940, the novel explores the devastating effects of racism on Young African—American girls. The novel is divided into different sections named after the seasons – Fall (Autumn), Winter, Spring and Summer.

The story revolves around the life of a young girl named Pecola Breed Love, who years for blue eyes and believes that having them will make having them will make her beautiful and loved.

About Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison, originally named Chole Anthony Wofford was an American writer noted for her examination of the black experience (Particularly the black Female experience ) within the black community. She received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1993, She was the First African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize. She normally wrote about racial discrimination. She also received a Pulitzer ‘Beloved’. She has published approximately 11 novels, among which world-famous novels are ‘Song of Solomon’, ‘The Bluest Eye’, ‘Sula’, and ‘Beloved’.

Historical Context

The Bluest Eye is Penned down in the Era when the Civil Rights was at its peak. The basic themes and core issues of the Novel are the same as that of the Movement. Inside the Civil Rights Movement, another movement emerged stating that ‘Black is Beautiful’. The ‘Black is beautiful’ movement, is intended to wipe out the possibility that dark individuals, common traits, like the colour of the Skin, facial traits and Hair are inalienably appalling and ugly.

The Setting of the Novel

The Bluest Eye happened in Lorain, Ohio. It is a small town located on the bank of the Lake Erie. The novel starts in 1940 when the economy of Lorain depends on the industry.

Summary of the ‘The Bluest Eye’

The story of the novel starts with Nine-year-old ‘Claudia Mac Teer’, and her 10-year-old sister, ‘Frieda Mac Teer’ who lives in an old house in Lorain, Ohio. It is 1941, near the end of the Great Depression and their family struggles to make ends meet.

“Quiet as it’s kept, there were
no marigolds in the fall 1941.”

Although there is a tremendous sense of love in their home, their mother Mrs. Mac Teer is strict and punishes them often, but out of a sense of concern and love for her Children. Their father works hard to keep the family afloat. To help financially, the Mac Teer’s take in a boarder named Henry Washington. They later take in a young girl named Pecola Breedlove because her family’s house was down and ended up in jail Claudia and Frieda like Pecola, but feel sorry for her.

Pecola and Frieda love Shirley Temple because of her beauty, but Claudia hates Shirley Temple. She also hates the similarly blonde and blue-eyed baby dolls that she is supposed to adore. The only thing Claudia likes to do is destroy the dolls.

“Adults, Older girls, shops, magazines
newspapers, window signs all the
the world had agreed that a
blue-eyed, yellow-haired, Pink
Skinned dolls were what every
girl child treasured.”

Eventually, Pecola moves back into the apartment where her family lives and her life continues to be hard. Her father is an abusive alcoholic and her mother is neglectful and self-righteous. Her parents fight on a regular basis, and these altercations lead to physical violence by running away but Pecola being a young black girl is unable to escape. She believes she is fated to live her sad life because she is ugly, she is not white and because she lacks blue eyes. Her friend and other boys make fun of her several times. She prays for blue eyes because they will make her beautiful.

Pauline Breedlove, Pecola’s mother is partially lame and often feels isolated. She loves movies, but they make her believe in her ugliness and that only the beautiful deserve love. She cleans a white woman’s home and it makes her hate her own.

Pecola’s father, Cholly, was an abandoned Child raised by an Aunt who later died. During Cholly’s first sexual experience, two white men stumble upon the girl he has with and force him to continue sexual act as they watch. This humiliating incident leads Cholly to develop a hatred for women.

One day during the spring of 1941, Cholly returns home drunk and finds Pecola washing dishes. He rapes Pecoal and leaves her on the kitchen floor. Afterwards, Mrs Breedlove beats Pecoal when she learns of the rape. In an act of desperation, Pecola visits Soaphead Church, a local Charlatan who claims he can work miracles and asks for blue eyes. Soaphed Church tricks Pecola into poisoning a dog he has long wanted to kill, stating that if the dog acts funny it is a sign she will receive her wish.

When summer arrives, Claudia and Frieda begin selling marigold seeds. As they make their way around the neighbourhood, they learn that Pecola has been impregnated by her father. Unlike the rest of the community, the girls want the baby to live. They spend the money they have made buying it at Pecola’s house and Plant the remaining marigold seeds in their backyard. They believe that if the marigold seeds grow their prayers have been answered and the baby will live.

In the end, however, the seeds do not grow and Pecola babies die. Afterwards, Pecoal goes mad, and in her psychosis, believes she has received blue eyes.

Conclusion

Overall, Morrison’s novel ‘The Bluest Eye’ provides an essential insight into the issues of discrimination that are experienced by many African Americans. But despite many changes, modern society is still subjected to these damaging effects of beauty perception.

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Top Girls By Caryl Churchill | Top Girls Analysis

Literature, Analysis, English Literature, Summary

Introduction

“Top Girls” is a significant play written by Cary Churchill. The play established Churchill as one of the late 20^th century. The playwrights of the late 20^th century. The play approaches some of the famous women in history the role of women in history and the role of women in history and the role of women in contemporary society. The play approaches history and the role of women in contemporary society. The play is set in Britain in the early 1980s. It was first performed in 1982 at the Royal Court Theatre in London. It is a play with an all-women cast. Men though present in the stories are absent on the stage.

The story is told through the characters of five women of different join Marlene, who is the Chief Executive of Top Girl’s Employment Agency in London at a dinner party.

About Caryl Churchill

Caryl Churchill is one of the most significant and prolific British playwrights of the postmodern Era. She has written over thirty plays along with several translations and adaptations. Her work has been celebrated not only in the UK but internationally as well. ‘Downstairs’ her first play was written while she was at university. Some of her other notable plays include – ‘Cloud Nine’, ‘Serious Money’, ‘A Number’, ‘Top Girls’, ‘Blue Heart’, and ‘Far Away’. She also won a lot of literary awards for her works.

Analysis Of The Play ‘Top Girls’

The play opens in a restaurant where Marlene is hosting a dinner party for five friends. She has recently been promoted at work. The five guests are all women who are either long-dead or are fictional characters from Literature or paintings.

The first to come are ‘Isabella Bird’ and ‘Lady Nijo’. Nijo and Isabella discuss their lives, including their families. ‘Dull Gret’ and ‘Pope John’, who was elected to the papacy in the ninth century, appear. The conversation wanders between subjects, including religion and the love lives of Nijo and Isabella. Isabella goes on about her travel experiences. John talks about dressing and living as a male from the age of twelve so that she could further her education. Marlene proposes a toast to her guests. They, in turn, insist on toasting Marlene and her success.

John related her disturbing story. While she enjoyed being the pope, she also had a discreet affair with a chamberlain and became pregnant. She gave birth to her child during a papal procession. John was stoned to death and her child, she believes was also killed. While John relates her story, Nijo talks about her four children being born and talks about how she never had children. Marlene wonders why they are all so miserable.

The final guest arrives. She is Patient Griselda, a character in Geoffrey Chaucer’s ‘The Canterbury Tales’. Griselda tells her story. Though she was a peasant girl, she was asked to be the wife of a local prince, but only if obeyed him without question. Griselda agreed, She is losing the two children she bore him, they were taken from her as infants. Then Griselda was sent back to her father.

Marlene is upset by Griselda’s tale. Nija is also perturbed because her children were never returned to her. Gret finally speaks up about her journey through hell, and how she beat the devils. The scene ends with Isabella talking about the last trip she took.

The following Monday, Marlene is interviewing Jeanine for possible placement. Marlene tells Jeannie that if she is to be sent on a job with prospects, she must not tell them that she is getting married or might have children. Marlene evaluates Jeanine and suggests a job based on her perception of Jeanine’s future.

The action moves to the backyard of Marlene’s elder sister Joyce, Joyce’s sixteen-year-old daughter Angie and her twelve-year-old friend Kit are playing. Angie says she wants to kill her mother. Joyce comes out and calls, once again for the girls to come inside. Angie goes inside and comes back in just a moment later in a fancy dress which is too small for her. Angie reveals that she had put the dress on to kill her mother. She tells Kit she is going to London to see her aunt. Angie believes that Marlene is really her mother.

In the next scene, The Top Girls employment agency workers Nell and Win spend their time gossiping before starting work. They discuss their client’s profiles and their personal lives. They also gossip about their boss Howard, who is angry that Marlene has been promoted over him. Marlene receives a phone call from Joyce, who tells her that Angie has run away from home to visit her in London.

Marlene is surprised by Angie’s presence and asks if Angie is just visiting for the day, but Angie reveals that she has come to London to stay with Marlen indefinitely. Marlene tells Angie she has to go take care of some business, and leaves Angie alone in her office Nell interviews a young woman named Shona, it becomes clear over the course of the interview that Shona has lied about everything on her resume. Win and Angie get to talking – Angie asks for a job at Top Girls. Marlene returns to find Angie asleep.

Joyce also meets her sister Angie in their home in rural Suffolk. Then we learn that Marlene has a dark secret. She is actually Angie’s biological mother but she gave up her daughter to Joyce when she was born, so she pursued her career without any obstacles. Joyce resents Marlene for abandoning her family. Angie idolizes Marlene and wants to escape from her dull and unhappy life with Joyce. The play ends with a confrontation between Marlene and Joyce, in which they argue about their conflicting values and choices.

Conclusion

Thus, “Top Girls” is a play that challenges and questions the conventional notions of success and happiness for women in modern society. It asks whether women can have it all, career, family, freedom or whether they have to compromise or sacrifice something along the way. It also examines how women relate to each other across different historical and cultural contexts, and whether they can support or empower each other despite their differences.

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Disgrace Summary, Themes, & Analysis By J. M. Coetzee

Literature, Novel, Summary

Introduction

“Disgrace” is a novel by J. M. Coetzee, which tells who a 52 years old man who loses his everything after encountering an affair with his student. This novel was first published in 1999 and won the Booker Prize. It has a total of 24 chapters. It is set in post-apartheid South Africa.

About J. M. Coetzee

J. M. Coetzee is a South African novelist, critic and translator noted for his novels about the effect of colonization. In 2003 he won a Nobel Prize for literature. His first published book was Dusklands and this was followed by several others including – In the Heart of the Country, Slow Man, Diary of a Bad Year and Summer Times.

Themes Of The Novel ‘Disgrace’

The first theme that can be focused in the novel is “Lust”. In the novel lust is described as not merely fulfilling desire, but other meaning implied there. Sex is used as a way to fill emptiness and loneliness. In this novel, the author portrays sex as a symbol of domination as in Lucy’s rape. In the case of David and Melanie’s relationship, he seduces Melanie. After some time, after this incident, she made harassment complaints against David in the college committee.

The next theme the author wants us to understand is suffering. Sufferings in Disgrace appear physically, mentally and emotionally.

Soraya is a part-time prostitute having sex with David every Thursday, due to her financial sufferings. We can find physical suffering Lucy’s farm, where the dongs were killed by the introders, David being hit and Lucy was raped by the three men. After Lucy’s rape, she was mentally disturbed which leads to Lucy a psychological wound. We can also see Melanic as a vulnerable personality. She is actually weak and easily hurt physically and emotionally after the relationship with David.

Love and Support are the next themes of the novel. After David loses his reputation in Cape Town for sleeping with Melanie, he goes to his daughter’s far to stay temporarily to have a peaceful life and to escape from the problem. David supports Lucy in the aftermath of her rape. Even though David is a womanizer his love for his daughter is true and pure. But he could not protect her during her rape. David urges Lucy to report about terrible incident, to get justice. She decides not to report her rape in order to secure her privacy.

The Last theme is the society. David is a white man living among the Black society. The novel takes us to the setting of Post- Apartheid South Africa. Where Black people have just gotten their existence and acceptance upon their right to stand in the same position as the whites.

Summary And Analysis of ‘Disgrace’

The Novel starts with the protagonist David Lurie, a South African professor of English who loses everything. He is 52 years old, which means that he is losing his age and his good looks. Then he does something unacceptable, causing him to lose people’s respect and approval.

It is further told that he loses not only his job, but also his reputation, his dreams of artistic success, and even later the ability to protect his daughter. David has married twice and both of his marriages ended in divorce. He is given a daughter from his first marriage, named Lucy. David is a lecturer at a University in Capetown, South Africa. David does not enjoy his job as he is not fond of teaching. He just does it because it earns money.

David regularly meets with a prostitute, Soraya, but when he attempts to push their relationship into something romantic, Soraya denies him. David deals with this rejection by seducing one of the secretaries at his school, but after this success, he ignores her.

Still facing sexual urges, David turns his attention to one of the students in his Romantic poetry class, Melanie Issac, whom he seduces after using his access to university records to stalk her. Though Melanie eventually gives in to David’s relentless and inappropriate pursuit, his obsession is obviously unhealthy. He repeatedly follows her, spies on her, and pressures her into sexual intercourse. Malaine is hesitant during sexual encounters, and at one point, David uses alcohol and other actions to engage in an encounter that is not completely consensual.

After this rape, Melaine’s attendance in class beings to suffer. David becomes suspicious that the other students are aware of the affair. Melanie’s boyfriend confronts David and harasses him, and it implies that the boyfriend vandalizes David’s car. Melanie’s father, Mr. Issacs, confronts David, confirming David’s fears that the relationship is no longer a secret. David avoids Mr. Issacs in order to avoid the confrontation but Melanie soon files a sexual harassment suit against David.

Even this is not enough to spur David into reflecting upon his behaviour. The university gives David an opportunity to seek counselling, apologize, and save his job, but he does none of that. The committee hearings looking into the sexual harassment charge play out like a court case, and eventually, David resigns his position at the university.

David heads to the farm owned by his daughter, Lucy. His time there begins to have a positive effect on him as he settles into the routines of a farm life. He joins Lucy at the farmer’s market and helps tend to the dogs she boards on the property. His positive momentum is disrupted, however, as the political climate in the country changes. Three men attack the farm, rape Lucy, set David on fire and kill several of the dogs. The attackers steal David’s car and leave.

Lucy is deeply scarred, emotionally from the attack, and she becomes lethargic as a result. Though David encourages her to make a full report to the police, she refuses. She has become pregnant by the attackers. David suspects that one of the farm’s black workers was complicit in the attack, and when his suspicions are confirmed, Lucy again refuses to make appropriate reports. The worker is related to one of the attackers. Lucy, it seems, will be forced to marry into her attacker’s family, giving over her farm. David believes Lucy has resigned herself to this outcome.

David leaves the farm and returns to his house in Capetown. In his absence, someone has broken into the building. David tries to attend a theatre performance in which Melanie has a part but is harassed again by her boyfriend. David goes to apologize to Melanie’s father. While there, David encounters Mr. Issacs and Melanie’s younger sister. David is invited to stay for an awkward dinner. Mr. Issacs explained to David that any forgiveness he could offer David was irrelevant. David must find their redemption.

At the end of the novel, David returns to Lucy’s farm. He works with one of Lucy’s friends who operates an animal shelter. When animals are euthanized David’s job is to dispose of them.

Conclusion

Thus, the novel ‘Disgrace’ explores reactions in which humans fight for their rights. It was the post-apartheid era in South Africa when the novel was written. J. M. Coetzee focuses on the events of the characters ’ lives and their sufferings. This novel has cultural issues that can be applied in real life. These kinds of harassment happened not only in South Africa by Professor David Lurie, it happens in every day and in every part of the world. Many women are not ready to report this like Lucy in order to protect their privacy and not bring Disgrace to their families.

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The Life of Dr Johnson By James Boswell Biographical Literature

Literature, English Literature, Essay, Novel, Summary

Biography Of The Life Of Dr Johnson

“The Life of Dr. Johnson” by ‘James Buswell’ is a monumental work in biographical Literature. It was first published in London in 1791. Dr. Johnson also known as Samuel Johnson was an English poet, essayist and lexicographer who produced a pioneering and influential Dictionary of the English Language.

“The Life of Johnson is assuredly
a great, a very great work.
Homer is not more decidedly the
first of the heroic poets, Shakespeare
is not more decidedly the first
of dramatists,
Demosthenes is not more decidedly
the first of orators, than
Boswell is the first of biographers.”

James Buswell was a Scottish writer and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of his friend and older contemporary, the English writer Samuel Johnson, which is commonly said to be the greatest biography written in the English language.

On 16 May 1763, as a 22-year-old Scot visiting London, Boswell first met John’s son in the book shop of Johnson in the book shop of Johnson’s friend Tom Davies. They quickly became friends. From the age of 20, Baswell kept a series of Journals thoroughly detailing his day-to-day experience Johnson in commenting on Baswell’s excessive note-taking, playfully,

“One would think the man had
been hired to spy upon me.”

Johnson was born in 1709 in Lichfield, England, his parents belonged to the middle class. However, he also quickly begins to show signs of exceptional intelligence memorizing some of the contents of the Book of Common Prayer. He begins to write poems and translations when he is 16. Johnson enrolled at Oxford University in 1728, where he honed his skills in Greek and Latin and writing poetry. However, after their years at university, Johnson runs out of money and is forced to return home without a degree.

Back home in Lichfield, Johnson goes through a period of physical and mental anguish. He tries to become a school teacher but is rejected because he does not have a degree. With the help of his friend, Thomas Warren, a book published, Johnson began producing translated and annotated books. After Warren’s death, Johnson marries his widow, Elizabeth, who is 20 years senior from his.

In 1735, Johnson opened a school which failed soon after. One of Johnson’s students invited him to London and helped his secure work writing for The Gentleman’s Magazine. Johnson’s contribution to the magazine includes an allegoric poem London which earns him praise and comparison to England’s leading poet, Alexander Pope.

Around this time Johnson also finishes a play, the historical tragedy, Irene. Johnson’s reputation as a Brilliant writer grows by leaps and bounds. He also earns the reputation as an eccentric due to the tics that are probably symptoms of Tourette Syndrome and has periods of depression.

In 1746, some publishers pitched Johnson the idea of writing a complete dictionary of the English language. Johnson worked on the Dictionary for eight years with the help of a small secret rail staff, and it was finally published in 1755. In anticipation of the publication of Dictionary Oxford University awarded Johnson an Honorary degree. In addition, when George III acceded to the British throne, he awarded Johnson a pension for the rest of his life.

During this period Johnson also published the novel Rasselas Prince of Abyssinia and The Rambler, a collection of essays.

Boswell meets Johnson in 1763 and they form an instead friendship. Boswell sees Johnson whenever he is in London on business and the two men enjoy frequent conversation and meals together, often in the presence of the other member of the Literary Club which Johnson forms in 1764. In 1773, Johnson travels to Scotland to visit Boswell at home.

By the 1770s Johnson was showing signs of deteriorating health but continued to work, his later productions included an annotated edition of the works of Shakespeare and the ten-volume Live of the English Poets. In 1783, Johnson had a stroke and momentarily lost his ability to speak, although he is still able to write about his Melancholy and Fear of Death. Johnson died on December 13, 1784, and Boswell concludes the biography by expressing his view that Johnson’s works and reputation will endure.

Thus Boswell’s “Life Of Dr. Johnson” is the best biography of English Literature. Through this biography, Boswell not only praises Johnson but shows the entirety of his lie the good and the bad.

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