Eminent Victorians by Lytton Strachey
Introduction – vii à xviii
· Does biography make faulty history?
· What makes effective journalism?
· Research Strachey’s connection to the Bloomsbury Group.
· Is there anything in these four biographies that connects to modern blogging?
Cardinal Manning –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Edward_Manning
X –
1. (9) “In Manning, so it appeared, the Middle Ages lived again.” What does this mean?
2. (11) Wilberforce and Gladstone – Wiki each one of these individual and jot down a few sentences of material.
3. The Church of England “slept the sleep of the…comfortable.” (14) Explain this statement.
4. What is the Oxford Movement? (18)
5. Explain the “numbers” debate that takes place on pg. 21.
6. How “literal” should religion be? (22)
VIII
8. What are the conflicts between the Public vs. Private lives for Manning? (82)
9. Explain the four big questions that Manning ponders as part of the Metaphysical Society. (83)
X
10. What are the rules of sermons? (92)
11. Obituaries – how do you write one? Is it a form of literature?
Florence Nightingale
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_nightingale
1. Is this a different voice by Strachey in this piece?
2. What do you make of his attitude toward women?
3. Are there natural ‘tendencies” for men and women? (100)
4. What do you make of British arrogance and “panic” (105) in Crimea as compared with World War One?
5. What happens after a historical figure’s “legend” has been made?
6. Why use the nickname “Flo” on pg. 121?
7. Explain the references to “Aspasia” and “Egeria” on pg. 122.
8. Is Florence a reverse sexist? (132)
9. How could you describe the strange adoration of Florence? (134)
10. Why, late in life, was she so interested with these big religious questions? (135) [In your response, discuss the exchange with the Aga Khan.]
11. What do you make of the last adjective, “ironical?” Do you think this is appropriate usage?
Thomas Arnold
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Arnold
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_College
1. How closely aligned are the professions of teacher and philosopher? (146)
2. Why does a teacher belong alongside these other “eminent” Victorians? [Any relation to Wellington’s quote - "The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing-fields of Eton?”]
3. What do good teachers do? (156)
4. What is the principle of progress? (156)
5. Look up Unitarianism. (157) How is it connected with British history?
6. Is “injecting” “morals of religion” something positive by an educator? Why would such an independent, liberal such as Strachey, applaud this kind of schooling? Is he winking at us? (167)
7. What does Strachey describe about athletics and modern learning instructions? (168)
General Gordon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Gordon
1. Why add “End” to this title?
2. Why end the four biographies with the story of General who was killed in battle?
3. How can you be more specific about what “sheer force of character” is? Is it a bully? (176)
4. What does it mean for a general to “ruminate on the mysteries of the universe?” (179)
5. What do you make of his studying the bible?
6. Do generals need a dose of fatalism in their personality? (181) Does this outlook lead us to the trenches of WW1?
7. What were his goals in governing Equatoria? (182-3)
8. Is Strachey being respectful of the Muslim faith? (190)
9. Are the British in the middle of a Holy War in Sudan or are they the cause of it? (191)
10. Why “save” Khartoum? (199) Do we have these inclinations for regions today?
11. Is the public display of the Arabic book a perfunctory gesture by Gordon? (209)
12. Could you sum up imperialism with this statement? The West looked at the “East as something to be looked after.” (218)
13. Why all of this villainizing of Lord Harrington while also discussing Fate? (226)
14. What does he really understand astutely about Victorian society? (231)
15. What ties all FOUR of these individuals together?