In this blog post, we’ll examine François Rabelais’s masterpiece ‘Gargantua’, focusing on the preparation required of the reader, the meaning of the laughter contained within the work, and how the historical context shapes that meaning. Rabelais’s ‘Gargantua’ and the Demand for Laughter If you’re getting ready to open ‘Gargantua’, you’d better be...
What is Lu Xun’s significance, and why are his works still important today?
In this blog post, we will examine Lu Xun’s significance and why his works remain important today. Lu Xun’s Contemporary Significance In September 2010, reports emerged that Chinese textbooks had drastically reduced the amount of writing by Lu Xun—the preeminent intellectual of the Enlightenment era—and instead included a large number of works by authors and intellectuals who provided...
How Did Roberto Bolaño’s Nomadic Life Influence ‘The Savage Detectives’ and ‘2666’?
In this blog post, we’ll explore how Roberto Bolaño’s nomadic life and his major works—particularly ‘The Savage Detectives’ and ‘2666’—intertwined to drive his literary innovation. A Nomadic Life and Intense Writing Roberto Bolaño was born in Chile but spent most of his life in Mexico and Spain, living as a geographical and cultural outsider. His life—in which he...
Is Lord Jim a Hero or a Fool?
In this blog post, we’ll explore the complex character of “Lord Jim,” the various emotions readers feel toward him, and the background of author Joseph Conrad’s life and work. Questions and First Impressions Now that you’ve finished reading “Lord Jim,” what are your feelings? How do you feel about the novel’s protagonist, Lord Jim? Given his tragic ending, do you feel he made a heroic...
“La Celestina”—How Did the Thirst for Life Lead to a Tragic End?
In this blog post, we’ll examine the evolution of the editions of ‘Calisto and Melibea’ (later known as ‘La Celestina’), published in 1499, and explore how the characters and social conflicts drove love toward tragedy. About the Work and the Author In 1499, ‘The Comedy of Calisto and Melibea’, a work that would leave an indelible mark on the history of...
Can Raskolnikov’s murder in Dostoevsky’s ‘Crime and Punishment’ be justified?
In this blog post, we’ll take a close look at how Raskolnikov’s ideology and sense of guilt clash, exploring Dostoevsky’s life and the plot and characters of ‘Crime and Punishment’. About the Author Fyodor Dostoevsky was born in Moscow in 1821 as the second son among seven siblings of a doctor at the Moscow Mariinsky Charitable Hospital. Although his father’s family was of...
How did Dostoevsky’s life and works unfold?
In this blog post, I will summarize Fyodor Dostoevsky’s life and major works, focusing in particular on the background and thematic significance of ‘Crime and Punishment’. Dostoevsky’s Life Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was born in 1821. He was the second son among seven siblings born to his father, Mikhail Andreyevich, and his mother, Maria Fyodorovna. His father, a former...
Why does Osamu Dazai continue to captivate people to this day?
In this blog post, we’ll examine Osamu Dazai’s life and major works, summarizing his literary characteristics and recurring themes. Osamu Dazai’s Life and Tragic End Osamu Dazai, a writer widely known for works such as ‘No Longer Human’ and ‘Sayonara’, took his own life by jumping into the sea with a woman in 1948. His body was discovered five days later, on his...
“Darwin’s Table” Debate: Is Rape an Evolutionary Adaptation? What Do the Characters and Narrative Reveal?
In this blog post, I will summarize and critically examine the pro- and con arguments regarding whether rape should be viewed as an adaptation—as discussed in “Darwin’s Table”—and present my own position. The Concepts of Natural Selection and Adaptation The mechanism of “natural selection,” as explained by Darwin in ‘On the Origin of Species’, addresses “the question of...
Who Is Rilke, the Master of Modern Literary Art?
In this blog post, we’ll explore Rainer Maria Rilke’s life and literary career, as well as provide commentary on his major works, organized chronologically and by title. Rilke’s Life and Literature Rainer Maria Rilke was born on December 4, 1875, in Prague. At the time, Prague was the center of German-ruled Bohemia, and Rilke’s family experienced an early rift due to the personality...