Abyssinia's Samuel Johnson

Abyssinia's Samuel Johnson
Author :
Publisher : OUP USA
Total Pages : 298
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780199793211
ISBN-13 : 0199793212
Rating : 4/5 (11 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Abyssinia's Samuel Johnson by : Wendy Laura Belcher

Download or read book Abyssinia's Samuel Johnson written by Wendy Laura Belcher and published by OUP USA. This book was released on 2012-05-31 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a young man, Samuel Johnson, one of the most celebrated English authors of the eighteenth century, translated A Voyage to Abyssinia by Jeronimo Lobo, a tome by a Portuguese missionary about the country now known as Ethiopia. Far from being a potboiler, this translation left an indelible imprint on Johnson. Demonstrating its importance through a range of research and attentive close readings, Abyssinia's Samuel Johnson highlights the lasting influence of an African people on Johnson's oeuvre.Wendy Laura Belcher uncovers traces of African discourse in Johnson's only work conceived for the stage, Irene; several of his short stories; and, of course, his most famous fiction, The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia. Throughout, Belcher provides a much needed perspective on the power of the discourse of the other to infuse European texts. Most pointedly, she illuminates how the Western literary canon is globally produced, developing the powerful metaphor of spirit possession to suggest that some texts in the European canon are best understood as energumens--texts that are spoken through. Her model of discursive possession offers a new way of theorizing transcultural intertextuality, in particular how Europe's others have co-constituted European representations. Drawing on sources in English, French, Portuguese, and Ge'ez, this study challenges the conventional wisdom on Johnson's work, from the inspiration for the name Rasselas and the nature of Johnson's religious beliefs to what makes Rasselas so strange.A rich monograph that fuses eighteenth-century studies, comparative literature, and postcolonial theory, Abyssinia's Samuel Johnson adds a fresh perspective on and a wealth of insights into the great, enigmatic man of letters.


Abyssinia's Samuel Johnson Related Books

Catalogue of Books Added to the Library of Congress Being the Year 1871
Language: en
Pages: 606
Authors: Anonymous
Categories: Fiction
Type: BOOK - Published: 2023-05-05 - Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Reprint of the original, first published in 1872. The publishing house Anatiposi publishes historical books as reprints. Due to their age, these books may have
Dr. Johnson's Translations from the French
Language: en
Pages: 394
Authors: John Lawrence Abbott
Categories:
Type: BOOK - Published: 1963 - Publisher:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

“The” Athenaeum
Language: en
Pages: 924
Authors:
Categories:
Type: BOOK - Published: 1868 - Publisher:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Bibliographia Aethiopica II
Language: en
Pages: 890
Authors: Hans Wilhelm Lockot
Categories: Literary Criticism
Type: BOOK - Published: 1998 - Publisher: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Erstmals wird hier die Fulle der englischsprachigen Athiopienliteratur geordnet dargeboten. In 100 Sections fuhrt der Autor alle fur die wissenschaftliche Besch
The Athenaeum
Language: en
Pages: 924
Authors: James Silk Buckingham
Categories:
Type: BOOK - Published: 1868 - Publisher:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK