Johnson never visited the Middle East nor did he have any competence in the oriental languages, yet he felt the influence of the literature more than any other writer of the early eighteenth century. His interest in that literature and the civilization it represented began at an early age through his careful and intensive reading, probably in his father's bookshop, and continued throughout his life. The extent of his knowledge of the Middle East, the importance he attached to it and the nature of its contribution to his inspiration have never been established sufficiently to support a critical appreciation of the oriental elements in his oriental tales. To this problem five chapters of this dissertation are devoted, with a view to placing these tales in perspective and uncovering essential materials which can be used in their analysis. Whereas most critics consider Johnson's Rasselas unfinished, this study explains why Rasselas' conclusion is the more satisfying one. Chapter six analyzes the two sequels to Rasselas: Dinarbas; A Tale: Being a Continuation of Rasselas, by Ellis Cornelia Knight in 1790; and The Second Part of the History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, by Elizabeth Pope Whately in 1835. / Among Samuel Johnson's contributions to the oriental tale are five in The Rambler, three in the Idler and, most important, Rasselas. This dissertation attempts to reassess and re-evaluate the literary value of these tales. By examining the shorter tales critically, it seeks to determine whether their contribution to English literature is permanent. It also attempts to re-assess and re-evaluate Rasselas, which continues to be widely read and which has contributed greatly to Johnson's literary reputation both in England and in the rest of the world. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-03, Section: A, page: 0692. / Major Professor: Bertram H. Davis. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77968 |
| Contributors | Nassir, Ghazi Q., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 315 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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