What major thematic concern from Samuel Johnson’s other writings or broader 18th-century literature is central to Rasselas ?
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Answer: C. The ultimate impossibility of achieving happiness, as espoused in his poem “The Vanity of Human Wishes”
Explanation
Johnson's philosophical tale follows a prince searching for lasting happiness, ultimately concluding it is unattainable on earth. This pessimistic conclusion directly mirrors the central argument developed in his famous philosophical poem. Both works reflect the author's deep Christian skepticism regarding human pretensions toward earthly perfection. Samuel Johnson was a towering literary figure of the eighteenth-century English Enlightenment and moralist writer. Rasselas was composed rapidly to pay for his mother's funeral expenses, yet it remains a profound philosophical work. The narrative employs an Eastern setting, a popular literary device among Enlightenment writers critiquing European society.
Linguistic correctness relates to his monumental dictionary project rather than the thematic exploration of human happiness. Universal knowledge is epitomized by French Enlightenment encyclopedias rather than Johnson's pessimistic moral tale. Self-sufficiency details survival on an isolated island, which describes Daniel Defoe's novel rather than Johnson's fable.
- Subject
- English
- Category
- English Literature
- Topic
- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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