Something for Everyone

How would you rewrite the shaded sentence using the synonym for redress?

A wrong is not avenged when retribution overtakes its avenger.

How many sub-genres could be in each category?

An unlimited number of sub-genres could be added to each category. Genre classification is not limited. New genres are created all the time.

Tutorial: Literary Movement Timeline

Are you ready to apply the ideas of rhetoric to some American literature? View this timeline to see which periods of literature we will study next. Select the play button to begin the tutorial, and then use the navigation buttons to pause/stop, continue, or reset the tutorial. View the presentation as often as you would like, and take notes as you follow along. Be sure to set your volume at a reasonable level before you begin. Don't forget to click on the tabs to display important text that you will be quizzed on.

© K12 Inc. Freudian Conflict: Within Each Person

© K12 Inc. Freudian Conflict: Within Each Person In 1909, Freud presented his ideas at a conference i n Massachusetts, and Freud soon became a household name in the United States. Writers influenced by Freud focused on their characters' internal conflicts. Many of Ernest Hemingway's heroes, for example, are motivated by hidden agendas of which they themselves are not aware. Other American writers influenced by Freud include William Faulkner and Eugene O'Neill. The influence of Freud and other psychologists also led writers to create stream -of- consciousness narratives, in which the first -person narrator si mply tells whatever is passing through his or her mind, leaving the reader to interpret hidden motives and symbolism.

Karl Marx

© K12 Inc. Karl Marx One of the most influential forces in twentieth- century art and politics actually died before the century began. Karl Marx was born in Germany in 1818 and died in London in 1883, but his vision of history and the struggle between social classes inspired communist regimes around the world in the twentieth century. Marx grew up in a cozy middle- class home, the son of a lawyer. As a college student, he studied law and philosophy and became involved in radical political movements. In the 1840s, when his political activity cost him a career as a professor, he began working as a journalist. He was forced to move from Paris to Brussels to London, as his increasingly radical ideas got him into trouble with local authorities. In Paris, Marx met Friedrich Engels, who focused Marx's attention on the plight of the working class. In 1848, Marx and Engels published The Communist Manifesto , which explained their view of the struggle between workers, called the proletariat , and business owners. The Communist Manifesto predicted the inevitable collapse of the capitalist system and the rise of governments ruled by the proletariat

© K12 Inc. Marxist Co nflict: Class Struggle Between Social Groups

© K12 Inc. Marxist Co nflict: Class Struggle Between Social Groups Although few American writers were actually Marxists, Marx's ideas led many authors to write fiction and drama that examined the struggles of the poor and dispossessed in American society. Rather than focusing on the internal conflicts of individuals, writers such as John Steinbeck portrayed the social and economic conflicts that prevented many Americans from realizing the goals of success and prosperity —the American Dream

What's the Big Idea?

Between World War I and World War II, Americans lived in a world that seemed to be falling apart. After the brutality of World War I ended, Americans at first retreated from the broader world and celebrated with a decade-long party called the Roaring Twenties. But in the 1930s, this party atmosphere collapsed as the Great Depression , the Dust Bowl , and the rise of dictators in German and the Soviet Union posed serious threats to Americans' optimism and sense of identity. American artists and writers began questioning old ideas and values. They were searching for new ideas that might better fit their experiences of modern life. Many found what they were looking for in the revolutionary ideas of three European thinkers: Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Nietzsche (NEE chee).These European thinkers changed the way people viewed themselves and their world. They helped shape the ideas, politics, literature, and culture of Europe and the United States in the modernist period. And some of their key ideas still shape the way we think about life today. Click on each picture to learn how these three European thinkers contributed to the development of American literature.

How are the short story and the tall tale alike?

Both stories end abruptly. Poe's narrator finishes his job, and Twain's narrator leaves the storyteller behind. In both stories, the motivations of the narrator are unclear. We never learn what Fortunado did to the narrator to deserve such a horrible death. Likewise we don't know why Twain's narrator listens to the silly story as long as he does. Both stories hinge on lies or exaggerations.

Class-Order-Genus-Species

Does this list look familiar to you? Domain Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species This is the biological classification system used by scientists to categorize plants and animals. The same kind of tool with levels for genres can be used to classify genres of literature, though it is nowhere near as organized, developed, or logical as the scientific system. View these literary genre webs for literatur

Something for Everyone: Introduction

Go to an online bookstore (Such as www.amazon.com or www.powells.com) and find their literature selection. Choose any book that appeals to you and browse it. Why did you choose that book? Was it something about the title? Did the cover attract you? Had you already heard about it? Was it a book that the website recommended for you? Scroll down the page. Somewhere, you will find other books that the bookstore thinks you might like. How do they know what you might like? Are they spying on you? Anytime you order something from a store like Amazon.com, information is recorded and saved. Netflix and iTunes do the same thing. They save information about your purchase, including the genre information, to your username so they can market additional items directly to you. So what are genres, and are they useful for anything other than targeted marketing? Even more importantly, how do you know what genre something belongs too? What categories or genres are available? Let's find out as we will explore the genres and sub-genres of literature.

"I was born in Tuckahoe, near Hillsborough, and about twelve miles from Easton, in Talbot county, Maryland. I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant. I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday. They seldom come nearer to it than planting-time, harvest- time, cherry-time, spring-time, or fall-time. A want of information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness to me even during childhood. The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege. I was not allowed to make any inquiries of my master concerning it. He deemed all such inquiries on the part of a slave improper and impertinent, and evidence of a restless spirit. The nearest estimate I can give makes me now between twenty-seven and twenty- eight years of age. I come to this, from hearing my master say, some time during 1835, I was about seventeen years old." ( The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave)

Non-Fiction: True Life: Autobiography. Fredrick Douglas really lived as a slave and he is telling his own story in this narrative.

Self Check: Categorizing Literature

Now, you try to categorize pieces of literature. Read each example. Then, look at the genre webs, and write the main genre and sub genres the piece probably belongs to in the text box. Follow the links to read more of each selection. Tom did play hookey, and he had a very good time. He got back home barely in season to help Jim, the small colored boy, saw next-day's wood and split the kindlings before supper -- at least he was there in time to tell his adventures to Jim while Jim did three-fourths of the work. Tom's younger brother (or rather half-brother) Sid was already through with his part of the work (picking up chips), for he was a quiet boy, and had no adventurous, troublesome ways. ( Tom Sawyer — Preface by Mark Twain) Fiction: Novel—adventure, coming-of-age regionalism. Tom Sawyer is a novel; the author Mark Twain is known for writing about the Mississippi river area where he grew up using the dialect and character types found there, so his style is called Regionalism. The story is about a young boy's adventures growing up; this type of story is adventure and a coming-of-age story.

A Synonym and Antonym Lifesaver

Strategy 2: Look for Synonyms and Antonyms Let's take a look the opening paragraph of "The Cask of Amontillado" again and see if we can use what we know about synonyms and antonyms to figure out what the narrator is talking about. The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled—but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong. We know that the narrator wants to avenge the wrongs he believes that Fortunato has done to him. The verb redress is a synonym for avenge. The prefix un- means "not," so unredressed is the opposite of avenged. It means "not avenged." The suffix -er means "a person who," so redresser means "a person who gets revenge." Redresser is a synonym for avenger.

Great Depression

The Great Depression began with the crash of the stock market in 1929. As panicked investors sold off their stocks, businesses collapsed, and millions of people in the United States lost their jobs and could not find new ones. This desperate economic situation continued throughout the 1930s.

What are the four main literary genres?

The four main genres are nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and drama.

Context and Connotations as Lifesavers

et's take one last look at the opening paragraph of "The Cask of Amontillado" and see if we can use context and connotations to figure out what the narrator is talking about. The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled—but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong. Strategy 3: Use Context and Connotations Sometimes you can figure out the meaning of an unknown word just by using common sense, considering the basic message of the paragraph and the connotations, or emotional associations, of the words the narrator uses. For example, the narrator says: A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. In other words: A wrong is not avenged when _____ overtakes the avenger. What everyday word makes sense here? You can't feel that you've avenged a wrong if the person you're avenging finds a way to get payback for what you've done. Retribution means "payback." The narrator wants to get revenge without inspiring payback from Fortunato. This meaning fits with the narrator's desire to get revenge with impunity, without punishment. Now you're ready to try out the word strategies you've learned.

Scene: The kitchen in the now abandoned farmhouse of John Wright, a gloomy kitchen, and left without having been put in order--unwashed pans under the sink, a loaf of bread outside the breadbox, a dish towel on the table--other signs of incompleted work. At the rear the outer door opens,and the Sheriff comes in, followed by the county Attorney and Hale. The Sheriff and Hale are men in middle life, the county Attorney is a young man; all are much bundled up and go at once to the stove. They are followed by the two women--the Sheriff's Wife first; she is a slight wiry woman, a thin nervous face. Mrs. Hale is larger and would ordinarily be called more comfortable looking, but she is disturbed now and looks fearfully about as she enters. The women have come in slowly and stand close together near the door. COUNTY ATTORNEY (rubbing his hands). This feels good. Come up to the fire, ladies. MRS. PETERS (after taking a step forward). I'm not cold. SHERIFF (unbuttoning his overcoat and stepping away from the stove as if to the beginning of official business). Now, Mr. Hale, before we move things about, you explain to Mr. Henderson just what you saw when you came here yesterday morning. COUNTY ATTORNEY. By the way, has anything been moved? Are things just as you left them yesterday? SHERIFF (looking about). It's just the same. When it dropped below zer0 last night, I thought I'd better send Frank out this morning to make a fire for us—no use getting pneumonia with a big case on; but I told him not to touch anything except the stove—and you know Frank. COUNTY ATTORNEY. Somebody should have been left here yesterday. ( Trifles by Susan Gaspell)

Drama:Tragedy: Crime. Trifles is a play written in the early 1800s about a courtroom drama that uncovers a crime within a crime.

Which two main categories of literaure share the most in common including sharing the same sub-genres?

Fiction and Drama have the most in common. They share sub-genres like mystery, comedy, and romance.

"The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. AT LENGTH I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong." (Edgar Allan Poe "The Cask of Amantillado")

Fiction: Short story: Horror. Poe's short stories are full of terrifying images like catcombs, graves, skeletons and horrifying ideas like burying someone alive.

Flashcards: Literary Genres Directions: View each flashcard below.

Flashcards Card 1 Front Side "We are going home, to Tara," Scarlett explained rapidly. "The Yankees are coming. Rhett is going to take us. It's the only way, Melly." - from Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell Card 1 Flip Side Fiction (Novel/Film: Historical Fict ion, Civil War Fiction, Romance) Card 2 Front Side Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, over many a quaint and forgotten lore... - from The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe Card 2 Flip Side Poetry (Formal: Lyric, Epic) Card 3 Front Side "The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with ye llow brick," said the Witch, "so you cannot miss it. When you get to Oz do not be afraid of him.." - from The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum Card 3 Flip Side Fiction (Novel/ Film: Fantasy, Musical, Allegory) Card 4 Front Side Jackie Robinson stepped onto the field in his new Brook lyn Dodgers baseball uniform. He was nervous. The crowd roared. It was 1947. Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was the first African American to play baseball for the modern major-league team. - from Jackie Robinson: Strong Inside and Out Card 4 Flip Side Non-fiction (Periodical : Biography) Card 5 Front Side She looked at the key quite a long time. She turned it over and over, and thought about it. All she thought about the key was if it was the key to the closed garden. It was because it had been shut up for so long that she wanted to see it. - from The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett Card 5 Flip Side Fiction (Young Adult or Children's: R ealism, Coming of Age- bildungsroman)

Section Warm-Up

Flashcards: Literary Genres You're trying out for a play. The stage manager asks for all the actors with experience to follow her. Backstage, she divides the group by gender—girls here, boys here. Then she puts all the young women in a group to read for the part of the romantic interest. The stage manager has categorized the women who will be reading for the starring role. Now, let's say these young women actors are works of literature. If so, they might be categorized like this: "Non-fiction: Periodical: Beauty and fashion." Genres help us classify by common features. Non-fiction is true. Periodicals are published at timed intervals, like weekly or monthly. Magazines have short non-scholarly articles. Beauty and fashion articles cover topics on the magazines' subjects. Let's practice this idea. Read each literature selection on the flashcards, then before you flip them, see if you can guess which literary genre each selection represents.

Taking Yourself Out with Passive Voice

I Made Mistakes vs. Mistakes Were Made Politicians don't like to admit it when they make mistakes, so instead of saying "I made mistakes," they might say, "Mistakes were made." This kind of sentence is an example of the passive voice, a sentence in which the doer of an action is either left out or tucked into the end of a sentence. Most of the sentences we say and write are in the active voice: The person who does the action is the subject of the sentence, followed by a verb, and possibly a direct object, the person or thing that receives the action of the verb. For example: Pedro threw the ball. In the passive voice, this pattern is reversed. The receiver of the action becomes the subject: The ball was thrown by Pedro. We don't normally use the passive voice, unless the person or persons who performed an action are unknown or don't matter. For example, we might say The Empire State Building was constructed in the 1930s. Notice that the passive voice uses a form of the verb be + a past participle, a past form of the main verb. Active: Pedro threw the ball. Passive: The ball was thrown by Pedro. Use this activity to explore how Ron figures out what sentences are active and what sentences are passive. Note Cards: Active vs. Passive Since Ron also sorted the note cards, compare your answers to his. Note Cards: Active vs. Passive Answers

How are the short story and the tall tale different?

In both stories, someone is tricked. In Twain's story, the narrator is told to look for someone who does not exist as a sort of practical joke, so he will hear the frog story. In Poe's tale, the narrator tricks Fortunado in to going into the catacombs so he can kill him. Twain's story has amusing images, training frogs, frogs filled with birdshot, betting and such. Poe's story on the other hand has dark imagery and an insane character building a wall around a man dressed as a clown. Twain's story is a story in a story or a frame story. The narrator is telling the audience what someone else told him.

Dust Bowl

In the 1930s, states in the Great Plains experienced severe droughts. A lack of rainfall, combined with the effects of over-planting, created deadly dust storms in the area throughout the 1930s. Known as "black blizzards," these storms blew away fertile topsoil, injured the health of farmers, and caused one quarter of the population to pack up and move, seeking jobs elsewhere when there were few jobs to be had. States such as Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas became known as the Dust Bowl.

Nietzschean Conflict: The Artist or Great Man vs. Society

Nietzsche's view that true artists should challenge authority and create their own reality appealed to many writers around the world. Among the American writers whos e work he influenced are Jack London, Eugene O'Neill, Ezra Pound, and T.S. Eliot.

© KC Distance Learning Course: Eng lish 3 Unit: The Tragic Story of Drama and the American Dream: Introduction Section: The Reality of the American Dream Tutorial: Literary Movement Timeline

Slide 1 Hello again. My name is Alice, and I hope you remember me from previous units. As we continue to explore American lit erature, I want you to see how timeless universals emerge from what you read. A timeless universal is a theme that applies regardless of time or place. Timeless universals highl ight how people from different times, backgrounds and locations are interconnected. Are you feeling some connections with the writers you are exploring in this course? Previously, you were introduced to the themes of Individual and Society, the American Dream and Freedom, Identity and Self, and Innoc ence and Experience. We know now that literature not only reflects the historical context of a particularly time period but also the themes can be expressed in a variety of literature. So, here we are beginning this unit on Community and Responsibility. Obligation and Choices, and Human Relationships. Even though we are studyi ng literature from different time periods that share certai n themes, I still want you to understand the differences between literary time periods. T hat's why I've created this ongoing literary movement timeline for you. As you know by now, we will continue to add to it as we progress through the course. Let's continue now! Slide 2 We will be studying literary works from va rious time periods throughout American history, beginning with Colonialism and moving in to Contemporary. But in this unit, we will focus on the two interesting literary time periods you see on the timeline in front of you: Realism and Modernism . Realism began immediatel y following the American Civil War. Modernism began foll owing World War I and continued until the end of World War II. What you are looking at is the broad literary period timeline. We will complete this timeline with more recent literary periods as we move through the course. Now it is time for you to select a time per iod by clicking on it. Once you do so, you can review key publications and events as well as characteristics of th e literature produced during that time; enrichment opport unities will also be listed here. American Realism The literary timeline you've selected is that of American Realism . This is the literary period that occurred immediatel y following the Civil War. M any famous writers emerged from this tumultuous period, as you will see in your Writers and Writings section. These include Mark Twain, Willa Cather , and Jack London. American Realism rejected © KC Distance Learning the optimistic, nature- centered Romantics as old-fashioned. As more people moved into cities to work at factories, wr iters paid closer attention to the urban landscape . They chose to describe it, along with their characters , with truth and frankness. Unlike Romantics, Realists did not believe that humans ar e the center of the universe; instead, they were depicted as ordinar y people who act on and react to their environment. American Realists oft en wrote about everyday people living ordinary lives . Click on each heading to view information about them. Take your time reading through this section. In addition to the characteristics of American Realism, this section also describes historical events and major works. Be sure to read the Additional Information section. Remember, these websites are provided for further study and enrichment. When you are finished reading, return to the main screen to explore the other new literary period on your timeline. Modernism The literary timeline you've selected is that of Modernism . Can you imagine what life must have been like living in between two Wo rld Wars? Well, it's understandable that writers and other artists felt their lives were fragmented, or torn in pieces . Maybe it's not surprising that Modernist writers experimented with fragmented st ory lines, deleting narration and rearranging plot sequence. It was a disturbing time that called for a new approach, and Modernism responded by breaking traditional rules of storytelling and poetic conventions. As you will learn, Moder nism was a literary mo vement of change that has had lasting effects on American literat ure. Modernists writers vary greatly but they all share a common goal: to express their view of the Modern experience. Click on each heading to view information about them. Take your time reading through this section. In addition to the characteristics of the Moder nist era, this section also describes historical events, major works and information about important writers. Be sure to read the Additional Information sect ion, and remember that these websites are provided so you can learn more about Moder nist writings. When you are finished reading, return to the main screen to explor e the remaining literary period on your timeline. Slide 3 Wow, the Realists and the M odernists certainly produced a huge body of literature! You have just explored two important time per iods during American history, American Realism and Modernism. Remember, you can visi t this timeline as often as you like. The Enrichment sections allow you to learn about these periods and also to listen to or read works by some of their most famous authors. Take advantage of this section! Since Ezra Pound was a central writer of t he Modernist movement, I did some research about him to pick up some writing tips. Here are two quotes from Pound that I want to apply to my own writing and thought you might learn from as well: © KC Distance Learning "Great literature is simp ly language charged with meani ng to the utmost possible degree." "Good writers are those who keep the langu age efficient. That is to say, keep it accurate, keep it clear." ~~Ezra Pound These quotes remind me that good writing uses language to clearly communicate ideas. We don't have to try to sound sophisticated to be good writers, but we do need to work on developing our own voice! I'll see you nex t time when we explore another literary timeline!

Strategy 1: Use Word Structure: Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes

One idea you probably didn't miss in this passage is that the narrator wants revenge on a guy named Fortunato. You probably also noticed two words with the same root as revenge: avenged and avenger. I would be avenged simply means "I would get revenge." The avenger means "the person getting revenge." The suffix -er adds the meaning "the person who." Understanding the basic idea of the paragraph alerts you to be on the lookout for words that express ideas and connotations similar to those of revenge. As part of his revenge, the narrator wants to punish Fortunato. But he wants to punish him with impunity. These words share the Latin root, pun, meaning punish. The prefix im- means "not" or "without." The narrator wants to punish Fortunato without being punished himself. You probably also recognized the root word definite in the words definitively and definiteness. You know that definite means "certain" or "sure." The suffix -ly makes definitively an adverb. Definitively means "in a way that makes sure."The suffix -ness makes definite a noun. Definiteness means "certainty." So, at this point, we know that the narrator wants to get revenge on Fortunato, to punish him without fear of being punished himself. He is certain that he will do this, and he wants to do it in a way that he is certain will have no risks. Before we learn two more strategies, let's play a game to review important prefixes, roots, and suffixes.

It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me. (" Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe)

Poetry: Formal: Narrative and Lyric. Poe's poem is formal because it follows a pattern for both the rhythm and rhyme. It is narrative and lyric because it is like a song that tells a story.

Up, Up and Away

Raise your hand if you have a toilet. How would you like to live without it? Did you know that when the toilet was invented, no one wanted to buy the idea or even make them? The inventor spent five years trying to convince people that it would be better than the established method of waste disposal. Great ideas don't always fly right away. The fiction movement took a little while to take off in America. Washington Irving started the engine up with his legends from upstate New York. James Fennimore Cooper taxied for a take off with his frontier adventure stories featuring the brave Natty Bumpo. Finally, Nathanial Hawthorne got us in the air with his dark novels and short stories. Edgar Allan Poe took us higher still with his tales of horror and psychology. But it was Mark Twain (Samuel Longhorn Clemens) who sent us into the clouds with his humorous, touching regional tall tales. The short story form caught on quickly in America where people had little leisure time to read novels. A typical short story can be read and enjoyed in a single sitting. Mark Twain and others in the mid 1800s (like Ambrose Bierce and Bret Harte) put a new spin on the short story. They took the form and made it humorous with local color (eccentric characters, speech, and habits of a particular part of the country) and hyperbole (exaggeration). This allowed for varied themes in the short story and varied sub-genres of fiction. Now you are going to read a short story and a tall tale to explore the differences and similarities of those two types of short fiction. First, look at the questions to focus your reading. Then, click on the links below to take you to each story. How are the short story and the tall tale different? How are the short story and the tall tale alike?

Help! I'm Drowning in Vocabulary Words!

Reading stories that were written in the 1800s can be a challenge. Most writers of that period didn't write the way we talk today. They tended to use long, complicated sentences filled with long, complex words, as well as slang phrases that are no longer used today. Luckily, you can use strategies to keep you from drowning in a sea of unknown vocabulary. Let's start with the opening paragraph of "The Cask of Amontillado" and see if we can use word strategies to figure out what in the world the narrator is talking about. The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled—but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.

Friedrich Nietzsche

© K12 Inc. Marxist Co nflict: Class Struggle Between Social Groups Although few American writers were actually Marxists, Marx's ideas led many authors to write fiction and drama that examined the struggles of the poor and dispossessed in American society. Rather than focusing on the internal conflicts of individuals, writers such as John Steinbeck portrayed the social and economic conflicts that prevented many Americans from realizing the goals of success and prosperity —the American Dream. Friedrich Nietzsche Like Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche focused on individuals facing conflicts. But Nietzsche was especially interested in artists or great men, and he believed they were oppressed not by inner conflicts but by the society in which they lived. Nietzsche was born in Germany in 1844, the son of a Lutheran pastor. In college, he first studied theology, but soon found that he was no longer a believer. He then became a professor of literature, but his poor health forced him to retire at an early age. © K12 Inc. For years, Nietzsche was a w andering scholar, developing his own personal philosophy that each individual's life is a work of art that the one must create for oneself. He questioned all beliefs and challenged all authority that did not come from inside the individual. This rejection of all established rules and institutions is known as nihilism , from the Latin root meaning "nothing." Nietzsche believed that new scientific discoveries had made old religious ideas obsolete and that people had to find new ways to make life meaningful by creating their own values

© K12 Inc. What's the Big Idea? Sigmund Freud

© K12 Inc. What's the Big Idea? Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud was born in 1856 and spent most of his life in Vienna, Austria. Trained as a doctor, he focused his career on treating and exploring the causes of mental illness, especially the type he called neurosis. Freud saw life as a conflict between different parts of a person's mind. According to Freud, the conscious mind is just the tip of the iceberg. Most of the impulses that determine our behavior lie below the surface of our conscious mind, in the unconsci ous. Freud developed psychoanalysis, or the "talking cure" to help patients reveal their unconscious impulses by free association— saying whatever popped into their minds. Freud also focused on interpreting the symbolism of dreams and popularized the idea of what came to be called "Freudian slips," seemingly accidental mistakes in speech which he claimed actually revealed our unconscious desires.