Evolution of Western Lit

In Tartuffe, the Neo-classic Playwright Moliere, paints a picture of a hypocritical thief attempting to swindle victims under the blanket of religious goodness. Tartuffe has the character Orgon so brainwashed that he is completely blind to his grand sche

h these characters Moliere is able to attack the religious hypocrisy. In the finale of Tartuffe, Moliere uses a common literary technique during the Neo-classical period called, “Deux Ex Machina.” A French term in which all the character's problems are solved by some miracle. The king made the intervention. Although it is very unrealistic it was a way of praising the monarch.

Early philosophers such as Descartes began all of this, Neo-classicalism, Romanticism, Realism and beyond. Western thought in general has been shaped by the idea of questioning. Question government, question society, question nature, and bring change to our world. Descartes and his philosophy of the “Tabula Rasa”, or clean slate started this idea. Descartes relied on logic and mathematics in his reasoning. Descartes based his writings and philosophies on four guidelines. Descartes would reject everything except that he found as recognizable. Then divide everything into as many parts as possible. By solving small intricate parts of a problem, the solution is easier to achieve. The third was to carry his reflections in order of easiest to most difficult. Finally, Descartes was very efficient and made sure nothing was lost. This father of philosophy has greatly altered society in so many ways.

A brilliant example of the Realistic movement is found in Dostoyevsky’s masterpiece, “Notes from the Underground.” This novel is one of the most influential pieces of work in all of Western literature. It is an assault on all of Enlightenment rationalism, shaping the Realism genre. Dostoyevsky’s work has attracted attention due to the fact that, the Underground Man was one of the first examples of an anti-hero. Lacking every trait of the Romantic hero and living out a futile life on the margins of society. The narrator is a pessimist with a profound self-contempt. This work is an outstanding example of the author’s psychological skills, depicting a character that is contradictory and misunderstood. The Underground man’s self-contradictions are not the ravings of a madman, but instead a psychological portrait of the narrator. It would take many years for psychologists to truly understand what Dosteovsky already expressed. One of the most interesting passages, the author explains why people enjoy pain and why people never do anything against there own self-interest. He goes on to say that people take pleasure from pain, by letting others know that they are suffering. He says, “ he’s merely irritating himself and others in vain… he knows he has an audience…has now begun to listen to him.” In addition, these writings completely lack an optimist, a point that strengthens the message of the work. The author feels “the natural” to human is their desires. These desires, according to Dosteovsky, is the reason humans behave the way they do, �

Some topics in this essay:
House Ibsen, Playwright Moliere, Pangloss Moliere, Finally Descartes, Romanticism Realism, Tartuffe Moliere, Industrial Revolution, Baronesses” Pangloss, Romanticism Introducing, Renaissance Neo-classical, nineteenth century, doll’s house ibsen, logic mathematics, house ibsen, literary technique, true optimist, neo-classicalism romanticism, movement literature, western civilation, spoke “natural law”, doll’s house, tartuffe moliere,