France

=__//** France **//__=

=__**French Literary History:**__= ===//During the Medieval time period, literacy was not common, as it was reserved for the well educated and chancellery officials. Most stories were shared orally, instead of in text. As the sixteenth century rolled around, literature began to erupt out of France. This was aided with the invention of the printing press. This was a big time period of works containing love. The seventeenth century included a majority of works of classicism. These works were more formally done and people began to develop a more "high-class" personality. The eighteenth century was the beginning of romanticism in France. Writers began to contribute with ideas of liberty, equality, and humanitarianism which is similar to western Democracy. The nineteenth century brought an interesting mix of naturalism, symbolism, and surrealism. The nineteenth century, in France, was more of a visual arts time than a literary works time. During the twentieth century, a whole lot happened that affected the writing profession. There were two world wars, an increase of the French communist party, the spread of fascism in Europe, French colonialism, and even imperialism in Africa. France became a necessary destination for writers, due to its rise of reputation because of France's creativity and contributions to the arts.//===

=**__Contributors to French Litarature:__**=
 * ===__**Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (Molière)**__ - //Playwright and actor who is considered one of the masters of comedy in Western literature.//===
 * ===__**Jean Racine**__ - //Dramatist who wrote primarily tragedies. He is considered a literary genius.//===
 * ===__**H****onoré de Balzac**__ - //A novelist and playwright who is considered one of the founders of realism.//===
 * ===__**Henri-Marie Beyle (Stendhal)**__ - //19th century writer known for his analysis of his character's psychology.//===
 * ===__**Gustave Flaubert**__ - //Writer who is considered one of the greatest Western novelists.//===
 * ===__**Émile François Zola**__ - //Important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism.//===
 * ===__**Marcel Proust**__ - //A famous novelist, essayist, and critic.//===
 * ===__**Samuel Barclay Beckett**__ - //A famous writer, dramatist, and playwright who offers a philosophical and formal outlook on human culture.//===
 * ===__Albert Camus__ - //An author, philosopher, and journalist who won the Nobel Prize in 1957.//===

=__**Balzac:**__= ===//In 1799, Honoré de Balzac was born in southwestern France. Balzac, very early, completed his primary education at boarding schools. Thereafter he studied law and gained employment as a notary's office in Paris. After deciding he wanted to pursue literature, his parents reluctantly supported him as he took up writing. Now, between 1819 and 1824, he had released a number of unsuccessful works. With his failures he wanted to start his own printing company. He borrowed money from his family and close friends but, due to his inexperience, the company did terrible and he carried his debts for many years. After all his experiences, he was compelled to become a writer and did so.//===

=__**Samuel Barclay Beckett:**__=

[[image:http://static.photo.net/attachments/bboard/00O/00Ovqs-42530484.jpg width="167" height="205" align="right"]]
===//Samuel Beckett studied 3 languages, French, Italian, and English, at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. He is not a French though he is considered a French writer, all things considered. He spent the majority of his life traveling through Europe. He remained in France during WWII and joined the French resistance as a courier. It is not known as to whether his experiences during the war really impacted his writing. Unlike most writers, Beckett was a success ever since the first work he published. He won a small literary prize on a poem he wrote, "Whoroscope", which was one of the first things he had published. "Waiting for Godot" is what he is most well known for. It was not accepted at first, but it began to grow into a piece that is performed often nowadays.//===

=__"Waiting for Godot" summary:__= ===//This play revolves around two men, Vladamir and Estragon, that are meeting at a tree. They are both, ironically, waiting for a man named Godot. They are then greeted by two men, Pozzo who is on his way to sell his slave, Lucky. Lucky entertains them and then they leave. A small boy arrives, claiming to be a messenger of Godot saying that he will not be showing up tonight. So, as any normal person probably would, Vladamir and Estragon leave.//===

===//Vladamir and Estragon, again, meet at the tree to, again ironically, wait for Godot. They are, again, greeted by the same two men, Lucky and Pozzo. Pozzo is now blind and Lucky is now dumb. Pozzo doesn't recall their meeting from the previous night. They leave again as Vladamir and Estragon wait for Godot. The messenger boy shows up again, relaying the news that Godot won't be coming. The boy also doesn't remember running into Vladamir and Estragon the previous night. After he departs, Vladamir and Estragon depart as well.//=== //--// ===//There are many inner meanings that can be taken from this play. Some think that Godot is hope and hope will never come. Others think that Godot might stand for love and how it never comes. This is a very vague play, but we know he is trying to convey a message about how something won't come because of his use of repetition. He made two acts with almost the exact same plot. After reading this play, my general mood is wonder. I think the reason he chose two people to wait is to make the "complete person". If one was lacking in one thing, the other would make up for it. They each make up qualities that fulfill each other.//===

=__Sources:__=

[|Source 1] [|Source 2]