Myths of modern individualism : Faust, Don Quixote, Don Juan, Robinson Crusoe
(Book)
Author
Published
Cambridge [England] ; New York, NY, USA : Cambridge University Press, 1996., Cambridge [England] ; Cambridge University Press, [1996].
Physical Desc
xii, 293 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
Status
Community College of Aurora - CentreTech - BOOKS
PN 56 .I57 W37 1996
1 available
PN 56 .I57 W37 1996
1 available
Description
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Location | Call Number | Status |
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Community College of Aurora - CentreTech - BOOKS | PN 56 .I57 W37 1996 | On Shelf |
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More Details
Published
Cambridge [England] ; New York, NY, USA : Cambridge University Press, 1996., Cambridge [England] ; Cambridge University Press, [1996].
Format
Book
Language
English
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
"In their original versions, the ultimate fates of Faust, Don Quixote, and Don Juan reflect the anti-individualism of their time: Faust and Don Juan are punished in hellfire, and Don Quixote is mocked. The three represent the positive drive of individualism, which brings down on itself repression by social disapproval. A century later, Defoe's Robinson Crusoe embodies a more favorable consideration of the individual, but only if one refuses to take seriously Defoe's statement that Crusoe's isolation is punishment for disobeying his father." "In this volume, Ian Watt examines these four myths of the modern world, all created in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, as distinctive products of a historically new society. He shows how the original versions of Faust (1587), Don Quixote (1605), and Don Juan (ca. 1620) presented unflattering portrayals of the three, whereas the Romantic period two centuries later re-created them as admirable and even heroic. Robinson Crusoe (1719) is seen as representative of the new religious, economic, and social attitudes." "The four figures reveal the problems of individualism in the modern period: solitude, narcissism, and the claims of the self versus the claims of society. None of them marries or has lasting relations with women; rather, each has as his closest friend a male servant. Mephistopheles, Sancho Panza, Catalinon, and Friday are devoted till the end and happy in their subordinate role - the perfect personal servant. This suggests the self-centeredness of the four figures. Each pursues his own view of what he should be, raising strong questions about his character as a hero and also about the society whose ideals he reflects."--BOOK JACKET
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Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Watt, I. P. (1996). Myths of modern individualism: Faust, Don Quixote, Don Juan, Robinson Crusoe . Cambridge University Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Watt, Ian P. 1996. Myths of Modern Individualism: Faust, Don Quixote, Don Juan, Robinson Crusoe. Cambridge University Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Watt, Ian P. Myths of Modern Individualism: Faust, Don Quixote, Don Juan, Robinson Crusoe Cambridge University Press, 1996.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Watt, Ian P. Myths of Modern Individualism: Faust, Don Quixote, Don Juan, Robinson Crusoe Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
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