Prompts are based on these novels: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy 1984 by George Orwell The Fall by Albert Camus Friday by Michel Tournier (Below need to choose two to write, each 2 pages) (1) Robinson 1.0 goes into nature and conquers it. Robinson 2.0 goes into nature and is conquered, but also reborn. What enables the first Robinson to civilize nature? What causes the second Robinson a way to succumb to nature, and what philosophy of life does he propose? (2) Explain the different ways in which the situations or characters in The Death of Ivan Ilyich, 1984, and The Fall are consequences to the so-called death of God (in less flamboyant terms, a secularized view of existence, knowledge, and morality)? (3) Of the six novels we have read, and which represent six facets of the Western identity in the modern period, which one you would argue describes most accurately and convincingly our current situation. Be specific in identifying the salient moral and existential characteristics of your chosen novel (novels) and in explaining why they are most relevant to what you take to be our present concerns. (4) The quest for personal self-realization underpins many of the stories we have read this quarter. In the modern period, self-realization is often experienced as a clash with social cohesion. Choose three novels and compare their treatment of this tension. (5) Which, of all the main characters seen this quarter, comes close to your idea of a hero and heroine? Start by laying out and justifying your notion of what a hero is, then explain why your chosen character embodies this heroic principle, in action and conviction.
