Teachers Outlines for Studies in English | Page 4

they say of one
another?
INTERPRETATION.--It is fair to suppose in every novel that the
author has had a more or less distinct purpose in writing it. It may be to
present in life-like pictures some dramatic events in history; or to paint
vivid scenes that illustrate the spirit of an age; or to hold up ideals of
bravery, patriotism, patience, devotion, or some other virtue; or to show
the working out of some great truth or principle of life.
What seems to you the purpose of the author in Ivanhoe? What ideals
of character does he hold up? What service has he done for the reader
of history?

METHOD OF NARRATION.--Who tells the story? Would it be
difficult to rearrange the plan so that Ivanhoe or some other character
should tell it? Why?
Does the narrator speak from the standpoint of one who somehow or
other knows all that the characters do and think and feel, or of one who
recounts merely his own feelings and what he sees and hears?
Compare Ivanhoe in this respect with The Vicar of Wakefield, or with
some other novel.
STYLE.--Does Scott attempt to reproduce the language of a time other
than his own? Does he introduce dialect? Do the characters talk
naturally as we should expect persons of different birth and education
to talk, or do they talk alike?
Note how Scott describes an outdoor scene (p. 6); a man (p. 7); a scene
of action (pp. 300-306). Try to imitate his methods in descriptions of
your own.
Note the parts of the story where the movement of events is very rapid
(pp. 322-330), and others where the author introduces description or
exposition (pp. 148-152) to retard the movement.
Do you find the sentences natural and easy, or formal and hard to read?
Are there many unfamiliar words?
THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF THE AUTHOR.--What are the
main facts of Scott's boyhood? his education? his professional career?
his success as a poet? his change from poetry to prose? his success as a
novelist? his financial distress? his struggle to meet the demands of the
law and of his own honor?
Would you judge from Ivanhoe that the author was a man of learning?
a lover of nature? fond of social life? fond of animals? fond of
children?
Write what you think we have reason to believe of Scott's character

from reading this book.
OUTLINE FOR THE STUDY OF THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD
I. Preparation
It is well to suggest to pupils who have read Ivanhoe and now turn to
the Vicar of Wakefield that the latter is not a romance, but a novel of
life and manners; not an exciting story of heroic deeds and wonderful
escapes, but a story that paints clear pictures of simple life, quiet humor,
and true sentiment. A few facts of Goldsmith's boyhood and young
manhood should be dwelt on in order to show his familiarity with the
country, the church, and with other matters treated in the story. Other
topics of interest are the circumstances that led to the publication of the
book; the comparative newness of the novel in literature; eighteenth
century essays, like the De Coverley Papers; similarity between such
essays and this novel.
II. Reading and Study
To become familiar with the details of this story is simple, but students
are likely to overlook little references to the customs and manners of
the time, and to fail to use their imaginations in picturing the beautiful
but simple scenes of country life.
III. Study of the Book as a Whole
SETTING AND SITUATION.--Find five or six references in the story
that throw light on the time when the events are supposed to have taken
place. (See customs of travel in Chapter III, of dress in IV and XII and
of the punishment of criminals in XXX and XXXI.) Draw as definite a
conclusion as you can from these references, and be prepared to defend
it.
Where is Wakefield? Do we know whether the places described are
English or French or Irish? Give reasons.
Could the scene have been laid in some other country or some other

century without radically changing the story? What alterations would
be necessary?
What do we learn from this book about customs in dress? means of
travelling? education? other customs?
PLOT.--How long a time is involved from the beginning to the end of
the story?
At what point did you discover the identity of Mr. Burchell? Could you
have discovered it earlier if you had read more closely?
Are there frequent surprises, or do events occur as we expect them to?
Are all the events probable? Has the author succeeded in making them
seem probable?
Is the plot simple or complex? How many chapters are used to
introduce the story? What is the