Charles Dickens

Francis Scott Fitzgerald

George Bernard Shaw

Aldous HuxleyArthur Conan

Doyle

Agatha Christie

Jane Austen

James FenimoreCooper

TEN BEST SELLERS

of theANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE

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THE ART OFCULTURE

In this volume, we introduce you to great works of literature, with additional information on their authors, whether British or American. The novels have been summarised from a sociological, historical or literaryperspective to give you a taste of this famous “Anglo-Saxon” literary culture.We have selected ten world-famous novels, each one chosen from a list of the 100 most celebrated and widely read literary works in English. They are presented with a mini-biography of their authors – each onea unique character with a highly colourful life.

1. Sherlock Holmes 2. Pride and Prejudice 3. Murder on the Orient Express 4. Uncle Tom's Cabin 5. Frankenstein 6. The Lord of the Rings 7. The Great Gatsby 8. Brave New World 9. Vanity Fair 10. Gone with the Wind

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1. SHERLOCK HOLMES by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes, the most brilliant detective of all time

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THE ART OF CULTURESHERLOCK HOLMES by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

THE STORY

«Sherlock Holmes» did not exist. He never said «Elementary, my dear Watson» and the well-known flat at 221B Baker Street was a fictional address. But, in spite of this, he is probably the most famous detective of all time. He was a brilliant man and solved many difficult and frequently impossible and improbable cases*. He investigated crimes that the police couldn’t solve or did not know about. His adventures started in 1887 and most of the stories are told by his friend, Dr. Watson. Holmes is more famous for his character and his way of dressing* than for his adventures. His creator wrote four novels and fifty-six short stories about ‘Holmes’, but he didn’t like him, so he had him killed by his enemy, ‘Moriarty-the Napoleon of Crime’*. But his character was so popular that the author had to bring him back to life and the stories continued up to the death of the author in 1930. Many films and TV serials* have been made about Sherlock Holmes and his adventures.

Helpful Words

* fictional = fictif* case = affaire* way of dressing = façon de s’habiller* the ‘Napoleon of Crime’ = Moriarty était l’ennemi de Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle fut le premier à utiliser l’expression ‘the Napoleon of...’ qui signifie ‘le ‘pire’ de quelque chose de mauvais. ‘The Napoleon of Crime’ = ‘le pire de tous les criminels’, ‘le maître dans l’art du crime’.* serials = feuilletons

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THE AUTHOR

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was a Scottish doctor and author. He set up a medical practice in the town of Portsmouth in the south of England, which was not very successful. He started to write detective stories and published them in magazines. He based the characters of ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and ‘Dr. Watson’ on his university professors. He also wrote historical novels. In the later part of his life he became interested in justice and tried to save people from the death penalty*. He was also very interested in spiritualism*.

Helpful Words

* death penalty = peine de mort* spiritualism = spiritisme. Le spiritisme fut un mouvement qui débuta aux Etats- Unis en 1840 et continua jusqu’en 1920. Ce mouvement fut très populaire dans les pays anglophones. Les spiritistes croyaient que l’esprit des morts revenait et communiquait à travers un médium. Parmi les spiritistes connus figurent Abraham Lincoln* et sa femme, qui assistèrent à plusieurs séances à la Maison Blanche pendant son mandat de Président.* Abraham Lincoln = (1809-1865) 16ème Président des Etats-Unis d’Amérique, mort assassiné.

Sherlock Holmes’ enemy - Moriarty, the ‘Napoleon of Crime’

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2. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen

Elizabeth Bennett

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THE ART OF CULTUREPRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen

QUOTE: «It is a truth universally acknowledged*, that a single* man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.» Jane Austen

THE STORY

«Pride and Prejudice*» was published in 1813 and is the first English romantic comedy in the history of the novel. It tells the story of a woman, Mrs. Bennett, who has five daughters, Jane, Elizabeth, Lydia, Kitty and Mary. She wants them to marry rich men. In England at that time, women had an inferior position to men and were obliged to marry for financial security. Mrs. Bennett introduces them to all the rich, single men in the town. This novel is the most famous of the six novels by the author and is the second ‘best-loved’ book in the United Kingdom - the first is «Lord of the Rings». «Bridget Jones’ Diary*»is a comedy written by Helen Fielding, who based her story on «Pride and Prejudice». She took the name of the hero of «Pride and Prejudice», Fitzwilliam Darcy, for the hero of her book, Mark Darcy. «Pride and Prejudice» was serialised* on British and American TV in 1995 and most English and American women fell in love with the actor, Colin Firth*, in the role of Fitzwilliam Darcy. Colin Firth accepted to play the role of Mark Darcy in «Bridget Jones’ Diary».

Helpful words

* to acknowledge = reconnaître* single = célibataire* Pride and Prejudice = Orgueil et Préjugés* «Bridget Jones’ Diary» = «Le Journal de Bridget Jones» écrit en 1996 et sorti au cinéma en 2001. Le journal raconte les aventures amoureuses d’une femme célibataire de trente ans.* to serialise = publier en feuilleton* Colin Firth = (1960-) acteur de theâtre et de cinéma anglais. Pour la petite his-toire, quand un journaliste du ‘Figaro’ lui a demandé qui étaient les femmes de sa vie, il a répondu «Ma mère, ma femme et Jane Austen.»

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THE AUTHOR

Jane Austen (1775-1817) is one of the most admired and beloved novelists in English literature. Her father was a vicar* and Jane lived a peaceful life in a vicarage* in the English countryside. At first, she published her novels anonymously, which was a common practice for female authors. This allowed her the peace she needed to write. Her six novels depict* the society in which she lived and are novels of the behaviour*, language, customs* and values of the society of the time. She fell in love with a lawyer* when she was very young, but they didn’t marry. Her parents disapproved because he had no money.Jane Austen occupies a very special place in the hearts of her readers. There is a «Jane Austen Society» in every English speaking country, where people study the works and the life and times of Jane Austen and her family. These societies take care of her homes, her possessions and her manuscripts.

Helpful Words

* vicar = pasteur de l’église anglicane. L’église anglicane, dont la Reine d’Angleterre est le chef, prit naissance en 1534 après un différend entre le Roi Henri VIII d’Angleterre et le Pape. Le Roi voulait divorcer de sa première Reine et le Pape refusa. Sous menace d’excommunication, Henri VIII créa sa propre église. Cette dernière se dit église catholique réformée. (Henri VIII a eu 6 épouses.) * vicarage = presbytère de l’église anglicane* to depict = dépeindre* behaviour = comportement * custom = coutume* lawyer = avocat

Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy

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3. MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS by Agatha Christie

The famous train, “The Orient Express”, in 1920

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THE ART OF CULTUREMURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS by Agatha Christie

THE STORY

«Murder* on the Orient Express*» is a work of detective fiction*. Hercule Poirot, the famous Belgian detective, is the main character. This detective story is about 12 people - all members of the same family, the Armstrongs - who decide to take revenge* on a rich man. They believe he has murdered a young member of their family. The man is travelling on the famous train, «The Orient Express», and the Armstrong family decide to hire* all the remaining compartments in his carriage*, including an empty one. Unfortunately for the family, Hercule Poirot, who arrives late, is given the empty compartment, because there is no other compartment available. The murder takes place during the night in the rich man’s compartment while everyone is asleep. Poirot, of course, investigates and solves the crime. The story is based on the famous kidnapping and murder of the son of the American aviator, Charles Lindbergh*. This book has frequently been made into films and for television.

Helpful Words

* murder = meurtre* Orient Express = train appartenant à la Compagnie Internationale des Wagons- Lits, qui partait de Paris - Gare de l’Est - pour Istanbul, Turquie (1889-1977). Ce nom est synonyme d’intrigue et de voyages de luxe.* detective fiction = roman policier* to take revenge = se venger* to hire = louer* carriage = wagon d’un train* Charles Lindbergh = (1902-1974) un pilote américain qui a fait le premier vol transatlantique non-stop entre les Etats-Unis et Paris. Son fils, du même nom, fut kidnappé en 1932 à l’âge de 20 mois et retrouvé mort peu de temps après.

Charles Lindbergh

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THE AUTHOR

Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is the best-selling author worldwide of all time* with William Shakespeare. She has sold over 4 billion* copies around the world and 103 translations! Only the Bible has sold more - with 6 billion copies. She was an English crime fiction writer and playwright*. Her creations were ‘Hercule Poirot’ and ‘Miss Marple’, a female detective. She didn’t like ‘Hercule Poirot’ but she was very fond of* ‘Miss Marple’. However, the public in the 1920s preferred ‘Poirot’. Agatha Christie acknowledged this and therefore there are more books with ‘Poirot’ than with ‘Miss Marple’ as the main character. One of her plays, «The Mousetrap», is the longest running play ever*. It has been playing in London since 1952. Agatha Christie was her married name. She married twice* and had one child by her first husband. She became a Dame of the British Empire* in 1971.

Helpful Words

* of all time = de tous les temps* to translate = traduire* 4 billion = 4 milliards. (Dans le passé, les anglais et les américains avaient des équivalences différentes par rapport au ‘billion’, mais à présent, et depuis 1974, ‘1 billion’ = 1 milliard dans tous les pays de langue anglaise).* playwright = dramaturge* to be fond of = bien aimer (quelqu’un)* The Mousetrap = La Souricière* longest running play ever = la pièce a tenu le plus longtemps l’affiche* twice = deux fois* Dame of the British Empire = Titre donné aux femmes anoblies par la reine.

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4. UNCLE TOM’S CABIN by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

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THE ART OF CULTUREUNCLE TOM’S CABIN by Harriet Beecher Stowe

THE STORY

«Uncle Tom’s Cabin»* was first published in 1852. It was the best-selling novel of the 19th century and the second best-selling book of that century, following the Bible. It is an anti-slavery* novel and it had a very deep effect on attitudes towards slavery and the African Americans (Afro-Americans)* in the United States when it was published. This book so influenced the attitudes of white Americans, that it can be said that it was one of the causes* of the American Civil War* (1861-1865). It tells the story of a black slave, Uncle Tom, the slave owners*, both good and bad, and his fellow slaves*. At first, Uncle Tom is sold to a good slave owner, Mr. St. Clair, and then to a cruel owner called Simon Legree. One of the highlights* of the book is when Eliza, a slave, escapes on the Underground Railroad*. The book shows the cruelty and inhumanity of slavery. Although the book was extremely popular in the 19th century, it has fallen in public estimation* because it stereotypes Afro-Americans - the honest and faithful* black slaves who love their white masters, the sweet, curly haired little children and the wonderful, large female servants. But, in spite of this negative aspect, it shows us the inhumanity of slavery. It has frequently been filmed and many books and plays have been based on it.

African Americans arriving in America to become slaves

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Helpful words

* Uncle Tom’s Cabin =La Case de l’Oncle Tom* anti-slavery = anti-esclavage* African American (Afro-Americans) = les africains américains, la plupart descendants des esclaves venant de la côte ouest de l’Afrique. Ils furent amenés aux Etats-Unis comme esclaves afin de travailler pour les blancs. L’esclavage commença en 1680 et dura jusqu’à la fin de la guerre de Sécession (1865) quand le président Abraham Lincoln rendit la liberté aux esclaves. 12 millions d’africains, environ, ont été réduits en esclavage. * the causes = les raisons de la Guerre de Sécession. Les nordistes étaient pour l’abolition de l’esclavage, alors que les sudistes avaient besoin de leur population noire pour les champs de coton qui faisaient leur richesse.* American Civil War = Guerre de Sécession (1861-1865) aux Etats-Unis entre le nord et le sud. * slave owners = propriétaires d’esclaves ; fellow slaves = compagnons d’esclavage.* highlights = points forts*Underground Railroad = des routes secrètes et des lieux sûrs utilisés par les esclaves en fuite au 19ème siècle aux Etats-Unis pour gagner les états du nord ou même le Canada. Plus de 100 000 esclaves se seraient échappés en utilisant ce réseau de routes secrètes.* to fall in public estimation = tomber dans l’estime du public* faithful = fidèle

Abraham Lincoln(1809-1865), President of the United States of America.

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THE AUTHOR

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was the daughter of an American Protestant minister*(this is the same as an English vicar). She was a Christian and this greatly influenced her work, her books and her life. She became a teacher and wrote many books and poems but she is remembered for her first book, «Uncle Tom’s Cabin». When President Abraham Lincoln* met her, he said: «So you’re the little woman who started this big war.» She helped slaves who were escaping from their masters on the Underground Railroad. When the war was over, Harriet set up schools and homes for freed slaves.* In her later years, she spoke in countries all over the world on the subject of cruelty and the inhumanity of slavery.

Helpful Words

* Protestant minister = prêtre de l’église protestante* President Abraham Lincoln = (1809-1865) 16ème Président des Etats-Unis. Contre l’esclavage et mort assassiné. * freed slaves = esclaves qui avaient acquis leur liberté

Harriet Beecher Stowe

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5. FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley

The creation of the Creature

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THE ART OF CULTUREFRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley

THE STORY

«Frankenstein» was first published anonymously in 1818 because the author was female. It is the story of a scientist, Dr. Frankenstein, who learns how to recreate flesh*. He creates a man out of parts taken from the dead*. The novel is a warning* against industrialisation and the power of modern man. It has influenced many writers and film makers. It shows how something that started out as good can become evil*. Doctor Frankenstein wanted to create a beautiful person, but the man is ugly* and the doctor is disgusted*. The creature wants love, but everyone is frightened of him and treats him badly and he escapes from the doctor’s house. He commits a murder as an act of revenge. Doctor Frankenstein’s creation is known as ‘The Creature’, but in popular culture the ‘creature’ is often called ‘Frankenstein’.

Helpful words

* flesh = (la) chair* dead = mort; death = la mort* warning = avertissement* evil = mauvais* ugly = laid* disgusted = dégoûté

The Creature

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THE AUTHOR

Mary Godwin Shelley (1797-1851) was an English novelist, poet and intellectual. She was the daughter of a famous anarchist philosopher and journalist and be-cause of this she was educated, which was not usual for women at that time. She was married to the famous poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley* (1792-1822). She travelled with her husband and the famous English Romantic poet, Lord Byron* (1788-1824), to Geneva, Switzerland. It was there that the friends started to tell each other stories, and Mary was encouraged by Bysshe Shelley and Byron to write her story, ‘Franken-stein’, and have it published. She was only 19 years old at the time. Mary Shelley had a tragic life, losing her sister, her children and her husband to early deaths*.

Helpful Words

* Percy Bysshe Shelley = poète lyrique et romantique anglais toujours étudié dans les écoles anglaises. Il est mort noyé à l’âge de trente ans après une vie drama-tique. Sa belle sœur et ses enfants sont également morts tragiquement.* George Gordon, Lord Byron = poète romantique anglais, réputé comme étant un des meilleurs poètes européens. Il est mort jeune en Grèce où il est considéré comme un héros, s’étant battu contre les Turcs pendant la guerre d’indépendance grecque (1821-1829). Il est toujours populaire de nos jours.* to lose (loved ones) to early deaths = perdre (des êtres aimés) emportés tôt par la mort.

George Gordon, Lord Byron

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6. LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien

Frodo Baggins and the Ring

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THE ART OF CULTURELORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien

THE STORY

The three books which make up «The Lord of the Rings» are the best-loved books in the English language. The trilogy was written as a story for the author’s children and is an example of classic high fantasy novels*. It was begun in 1937 and published in 1949. It is a sequel* to J.R.R.Tolkien’s first children’s story, «The Hobbit»*, which introduced the characters of Bilbo Baggins*, the hero, and Gandalf, a wizard*. It also introduced ‘the Ring*’, which had magical powers and gave the wearer* a great amount of power. The sequel, «The Lord of the Rings», tells the story of an alternate* pre-history* and Tolkien calls this world ‘The Middle Earth’*. The trilogy continues the story of the magical ring and relates the adventures of Bilbo Baggins’ nephew, Frodo*, and his friend, Samwise Gamgee*, as they travel across ‘Middle Earth’ to destroy the ring, which could be dangerous in the wrong hands. The story shows the author’s interest in the Roman Catholic religion, Norse mythology* and fairy tales* and is greatly influenced by his experiences in the First World War (1914-1918). ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is considered to be the forerunner* of high fantasy novels. The trilogy was very successfully filmed in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

A hobbit

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Helpful words

* high fantasy novels = les romans de ce genre sont des romans dans lesquels les lois physiques sont différentes, où les effets de la magie et du surnaturel sont essentiels à l’intrigue de l’histoire. Ils racontent des actions héroïques dans des univers parallèles. On y trouve des sortilèges, des lieux et des gens qui se transforment. Ils introduisent des sorcières, des magiciens, des elfes, des nains, des animaux fabuleux, tels les dragons et les licornes. Tout y est possible et fabuleux. Ce genre est très apprécié par les anglo-saxons.* sequel = suite* hobbit = une créature de petite taille, une variété de la race humaine.* Bilbo Baggins = un hobbit, qui retrouve la bague magique et la lègue à son neveu, Frodo.* Gandalf, the wizard = Gandalf, le magicien, qui conduit Frodo et ses compagnons dans leur voyage pour détruire la bague magique.* The Ring = l’anneau magique, le plus puissant de tous les anneaux du monde, donnant à son porteur la puissance absolue. L’anneau donne un pouvoir maléfique dans les mains d’un être malveillant.* the wearer = le porteur* alternate = autre* pre-history = préhistoire* Middle Earth = la Terre du Milieu* Frodo = neveu de Bilbo Baggins, qui entreprend un voyage périlleux avec deux de ses cousins et son ami, Samwise Gamgee, pour détruire l’anneau magique.* Samwise Gamgee = ami de Frodo Baggins.* Norse mythology = la mythologie des pays nordiques. Ces légendes datent d’avant la période chrétienne et consistent en histoires de héros, d’elfes et de la destruction de l’univers.* fairy tales = contes de fées.* forerunner = précurseur

Fairies and Elves

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THE AUTHOR

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was a writer and professor of Anglo-Saxon language at the University of Oxford. He was a Roman Catholic and his religion and the subject of Norse Mythology greatly influenced his stories. He served in the First World War as an officer and fought in the Battle of the Somme*, but he became ill in 1916 and was sent back to England. Most of his friends died. These experiences greatly influenced his work. He disliked industrialisation, which he considered was destroying the English countryside.

Helpful words

* The Battle of the Somme = La Bataille de La Somme. Bataille de la 1ère guerre mondiale, 1916, qui a entraîné plus d’un million de morts.

The hobbits saying goodbye to their friends in the village

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7. THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Jay Gatsby, “the Great Gatsby”

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THE ART OF CULTURETHE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald

THE STORY

«The Great Gatsby» is considered The Great American Novel*. It is the author’s masterpiece*. It takes place in New York and Long Island*, an island in southeast New York, in 1922, a time known as ‘The Jazz Age.’* Although the story is about an impossible love affair between a very wealthy* young married girl, Daisy Buchanon, and the millionaire, Jay Gatsby, the main theme of the novel is the inevitable future collapse* of the American Dream* at a time when there was unprecedented* wealth* and prosperity. No one knew how Jay Gatsby had made his millions; some people thought he had been a bootlegger*! After the First World War (1914-1918), the American economy was excellent - industry was booming*, the country had enormous natural reserves of gas, coal*, oil and timber* and they no longer had to pay for an army. The people were very enthusiastic and optimistic. Life in the 1920s was very good for the rich white Americans. Fitzgerald called them ‘careless’* people. Although the author enjoyed the life of the rich, he mistrusted the lack* of morality that accompanied it. This novel has been made into many films and plays.

The American Dream

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Helpful words

* The Great American Novel = le concept d’un roman, écrit par un américain, qui représente l’esprit américain de son époque.* masterpiece = chef-d’oeuvre* Long Island = une île au sud-est de New York, connue pour la richesse de ses habitants et pour la qualité de vie.* The Jazz Age = les années 1915 à 1929 quand la musique de Jazz était à son apogée. Phrase dont l’origine est de l’auteur, F. Scott Fitzgerald, qui signifie l’époque après la première guerre mondiale (1917-1918) où ‘Tout va bien et tout est accepté’ = ‘Anything goes’ fut le dicton des américains fortunés. * wealthy / wealth = fortuné / fortune* collapse = effondrement* The American Dream = le rêve que tout américain peut réussir et devenir riche s’il travaille.* unprecedented = sans précédent* bootlegger = contrebandier spécialisé dans la contrebande de l’alcool aux Etats-Unis. * boom = boom (économique). «Business is booming» = les affaires prospèrent.* coal = (le) charbon* timber = (le) bois* careless = négligeant, inconsidéré* lack of = manque de

The American Dream

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THE AUTHOR

Francis Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) is considered one of the greatest English language writers of the 20th century. He wrote four novels and many short stories. Most of his work deals with ‘The Jazz Age’, youth*, despair*, excess and age. He married a very beautiful girl called Zelda, who was a great influence on his writing. He and his wife represented ‘The Jazz Age’ to most Americans and drank and partied* to excess. They made an exciting couple. Like many American writers and artists of the time, they went to live in Paris, became friends with the American expatriate community* and spent their summers on the Riviera in the South of France. The excesses of partying and alcohol destroyed their relationship and they separated. Fitzgerald became an alcoholic and died in Hollywood at the age of 44 of a heart attack. Fitzgerald had already put Zelda, a schizophrenic*, in a psychiatric hospital and she died following a fire a few years later.

Helpful Words

* youth = (la) jeunesse* despair = désespoir* to party = faire la fête* expatriate community = communauté d’expatriés. Durant le 20ème siècle, Paris était connu comme la ville la plus culturelle du monde et beaucoup d’écrivains anglo-saxons, surtout américains, sont venus s’y installer. * schizophrenic = schizophrène. La schizophrénie est caractérisée par une perte de contact avec la réalité et le repli sur soi.

Long Island

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8. BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley

The Brave New World of mass production and industrialisation

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THE ART OF CULTUREBRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley

THE STORY

Huxley’s vision of a ‘Brave New World’ is a ‘negative’ utopia! The book was written in 1932, but it takes place in 2054. Although ‘Brave New World’ is a serious book, it was written as a parody* on a book by H.G. Wells*. It predicts* enormous changes in society due to the increasing advances in technology and industrialisation. In «Brave New World», humanity is carefree* and technologically advanced. There is no war. Nobody is poor. Nobody is sick. But... there is no family, no culture, no art, no literature, no philosophy and no religion. People use drugs to sleep. The novel is also a criticism of the world as it was in 1932. People at that time were very worried about the changes that were taking place - cars, telephones and radios had become cheaper and more available. Mass production* and industrialisation could be seen everywhere. People were worried they would lose their individuality and freedom in the future. This book has influenced many authors and film directors - for such films as «Fahrenheit 451»* - and has been made into many TV films.

Helpful words

* utopia = utopie; un pays imaginaire où un gouvernement idéal règne sur un peuple heureux.* parody = parodie. Une imitation burlesque d’une œuvre sérieuse.* to predict = prédire* Herbert George Wells = (1866-1946) écrivain anglais. Il avait publié un livre en 1923 «Men Like Gods» - Les Hommes Dieux (le titre français = «Monsieur Barnstaple chez les Hommes Dieux») qui parlait d’un univers parallèle parfait.* carefree = insouciant* mass production = fabrication en série* Fahrenheit 451 = un livre de science fiction par Ray Bradbury (américain né en 1920) publié en 1953, qui parle de la destruction des livres et d’un monde dénué de culture livresque. La version cinématographique la plus récente date de 2008.

Fahrenheit 451

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THE AUTHOR

Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) was an English writer, who spent his later* years in the USA, although he never became American because he refused to fight for that country. He was a pacifist. Huxley came from a wealthy intellectual family. He graduated* from Oxford University with an honours degree* in English and was famous for his use of words. He wrote many books on the subject of the future. At the end of his life he became blind* and died on the same day as John F. Kennedy* on Nov. 22nd 1963.

Helpful Words

* later years = les dernières années* to graduate = obtenir sa licence* honours degree = un diplôme universitaire avec mention, qui correspond à qua-tre années après le baccalauréat français.* blind = aveugle* John Fitzgerald Kennedy = 35ème Président des Etats-Unis, mort assassiné à l’âge de 46 ans.

A Brave New World?

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9. VANITY FAIR by William Makepeace Thackeray

A lady in 1800

31

THE ART OF CULTUREVANITY FAIR by William Makepeace Thackeray

THE STORY

«Vanity Fair*: The Novel without a Hero» is an early 19th century novel, which satirises* all human beings*. It tells the story of two middle class* families in London at the time of the Napoleonic Wars* (1803-1815). The main character is Becky Sharp, a fiery character, who, although she is very beautiful and charming, tries to improve her social position by marry-ing a man with money. She goes to work as a teacher and meets Captain Rawdon Crawley. She believes he will inherit money from an old aunt, but he doesn’t. She has a friend, Amelia, whose husband dies at the battle of Waterloo (1815). Amelia never realised that her husband was a womaniser* and that he did not love her. Each of the characters in the book is neither completely good nor completely bad, which is the reason the book is called «The Novel without a Hero». Individuals, even good people, are corrupted* by wealth, power and social position. In «Vanity Fair» the author depicts* the vices of greed*, idleness*, snobbery* and hypocrisy.

The two friends, Becky and Amelia.

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Helpful words

* Vanity Fair = L’auteur a pris ce nom d’un autre livre anglais, qui parle d’une foire (fair) dans un village nommé ‘Vanity’, (la vanité). Le personnage principal de «Vanity Fair» est gentil et sympathique, mais vaniteux et mélancholique. «Vanity Fair» est une ‘foire aux vanités’, car chaque personnage, même le plus attachant, possède des défauts.* to satirise = faire la satire de* middle class = classe moyenne. Les classes socio-professionnelles de l’époque, ni aristocrates, ni ouvriers. * Napoleonic Wars = (1803-1815) les guerres entre l’empire français sous Napoléon et les forces de coalition (notamment les britanniques, les allemands et les russ-es) pour détruire la République Française, suite à la révolution française de 1792. Ces guerres se terminèrent à la Bataille de Waterloo par la défaite de Napoléon. * womaniser = coureur de jupons* to corrupt = corrompre, dépraver* to depict = dépeindre* greed = avidité - une recherche immodérée du profit.* idleness = paresse* snobbery = le snobisme - quelqu’un qui pense qu’il est mieux que les autres du fait de sa richesse, de son éducation ou de son appartenance sociale.

Captain Rawdon Crawley

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THE AUTHOR

William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) was an English novelist. He went to Cambridge University, but he failed to get a degree. He worked as a writer and satirist* for «Punch» magazine, a weekly satirical* magazine, published in London between 1841and 2002. He published a book called «The Book of Snobs»* and, because of it, the word ‘snob’ has the meaning it has today. When «Vanity Fair» was published, he became extremely popular as a writer. He was a friend of Charles Dickens (1812-1870).

Helpful Words

* satirist, satirical = satiriste, satirique = quelqu’un qui se moque ou attaque quelqu’un ou quelque chose.* Snob = Il y a deux explications pour l’origine de ce mot. 1) Il provient du scandinave et trouve ses origines dans le mot ‘cordonnier’ (Shoemaker - the ‘snub’) qui taillait le cuir en petits morceaux. (to snub = to cut short = couper / tailler court). Thackeray l’a utilisé pour signifier un arriviste ou un parvenu. En effet, le verbe ‘to cut short’ veut aussi dire ‘couper la parole à quelqu’un’. Donc, en fait, ‘Snobs snub’! = les snobs coupent la parole (forts de leur suffisance). 2) sine nobilitate - sans noblesse - ‘snob’= l’abréviation. Les étudiants des grandes écoles et universités anglaises de l’époque utilisaient ce mot pour ceux qui appartenaient à la haute bourgeoisie mais qui n’étaient pas nobles. Cependant, les haut bourgeois aspiraient à devenir comme les aristocrates, ce qui leur rendaient ‘snob’!

Snobs

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10. GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell

A southern plantation before the American Civil War

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THE ART OF CULTUREGONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell

QUOTE : «Tomorrow is another day.» - Margaret Mitchell

THE STORY

«Gone with the Wind» is an American novel written in 1936. It tells the story of the American Civil War* (1861-1865) between the north and the south of the United States of America. It also relates the story of the Reconstruction* of the south after the war. The author uses the life of a southern belle* named Scarlett O’Hara and the lives of her friends, husbands, family servants and enemies before, during and after the war to show the effect of the American Civil War on the southern states and on the wealthy. The author depicts* the shallow* lives of rich women before the war and then shows how, despite not being used to work of any kind, they rebuild their homes and their plantations after the war. The love story between Rhett Butler, a southern gentleman, and Scarlett O’Hara is one of the highlights* of this romantic and powerful book. Scarlett married three times, but her destiny was such that she never married the man she thought she loved, Ashley Wilkes. The action takes place in and around Atlanta*, and Scarlett’s plantation home, «Tara». This brilliant novel won the Pulitzer Prize* in 1937 and the film of the same name won the Academy Award* in 1939.

Scarlett O’Hara

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Helpful words

* Civil War = guerre de Sécession ou guerre civile américaine. Une guerre entre le nord des Etats-Unis (les états qui voulaient abolir l’esclavagisme) dirigé par Abraham Lincoln et le sud des Etats-Unis (Les Etats confédérés d’Amérique, esclavagistes) mené par Jefferson Davis. Cette guerre dura de 1861 à 1865. * Reconstruction = 1863-1877 une tentative ratée pour résoudre les problèmes issus de la guerre de Sécession dans les états du sud des Etats-Unis. Le plan fut un échec à cause des lois sévères que voulaient infliger les Nordistes aux Sudistes. Les noirs, qui se voyaient octroyer la liberté, n’avaient par ailleurs aucun droit civil et la ségrégation persista jusqu’à la fin des années soixante. * southern belle = jeune fille du sud issue d’une famille riche* to depict = dépeindre* shallow = superficiel* highlights = points forts* Atlanta = ville principale de la Géorgie, un des états du sud des Etats-Unis* Pulitzer Prize = prix annuel américain discerné depuis 1904 aux œuvres exceptionnelles dans plusieurs domaines notamment en journalisme, littérature et musique.* Academy Award = ancien nom des ‘Oscars’ - prix américain de L’académie des Arts et Sciences Cinématographiques.

Rhett Butler, a southern gentleman.

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THE AUTHOR

Margaret Mitchell (1902-1949) came from Atlanta, Georgia, one of the southern states of the United States of America. She started life as a journalist, writing about film actors, criminals, prisoners and civil war generals. In 1929, she broke her ankle* and had to stay in bed. She decided to write a book. She wrote because she enjoyed it and she never wanted to publish her writings, but, in 1935, she showed some of her work to a publisher.... and the rest is history. «Gone with the Wind» was the best selling book of 1936. She never published another book in her lifetime*, although some earlier writings have been published since her death*. She died young in 1949 following a car accident.

Helpful Words

* to break an ankle = se casser la cheville* in her lifetime = de son vivant* death = (la) mort

The brilliant author of «Gone With the Wind», Margaret Mitchell

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Rhett and Scarlett at Tara