The Modern City

• Which cities are mentioned as examples of modern cities that rose in the 19th century?


  London, Paris, and St. Petersburg
• How did the rise of modern cities shape literature and art in the 19th century?


  It profoundly influenced writers and artists to explore new realities.
• What aspects of urban spaces did writers explore in their works during the rise of modern cities?

  Rapid growth, social stratification, and industrialization
• What literary techniques did writers use to explore the realities of modern cities?


  They blended realism, romanticism, and the grotesque.
• What dualities do modern cities symbolize according to the study material?


  Opportunity and alienation, crime and beauty
• How do modern cities reflect the transition from traditional societies to modernity?


  They embody the changes in social structures and cultural dynamics.
• How does Dickens depict London in his works?


  As a vast, chaotic metropolis filled with grandeur and misery
• What does London symbolize in Dickens's novels?


  The tension between wealth and poverty
• How do the markets and slums in London reflect its social structure?


  They illustrate the coexistence of wealth and poverty
• What themes are explored in Dickens's novels like Bleak House and Oliver Twist?


  • The labyrinthine nature of London
  • Chance encounters
  • Crime
  • Mystery
• Name two novels by Dickens that explore the nature of London.


  Bleak House and Oliver Twist
• Which authors depicted Paris as a city of contrasts?


  Balzac and Victor Hugo
• How is Paris characterized in the works of Balzac and Victor Hugo?


  As a city of contrasts—luxury and decadence versus poverty and revolution
• What aspects of London does Dickens portray in his novels?


  He portrays it as a place where chance encounters, crime, and mystery thrive
• What themes does Hugo explore in Les Misérables?


  The revolutionary spirit and moral ambiguity of urban life
• What literary form is associated with the Parisian roman-feuilleton and boulevard novels?


  They convey the allure and danger of the city
• What are the key characteristics of the Parisian roman-feuilleton and boulevard novels?


  • Blend social critique with sensational plots
  • Convey the allure and danger of the city
• What dual role does St. Petersburg play in Russian literature according to the study material?


  It serves as both a mystical and oppressive space.
• How does Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment depict St. Petersburg?


  As a psychological maze reflecting alienation and inner torment.
• What elements of St. Petersburg contribute to the atmosphere in Crime and Punishment?


  The harsh winters, poverty, and isolation.
• What is the significance of St. Petersburg's environment in Crime and Punishment?


  • Creates a backdrop for crime and redemption
  • Enhances the psychological depth of characters
  • Reflects the societal issues of the time
• What marks the advent of modernity in cities?


  The displacement of nature by streets, factories, and railroads
• How do urban spaces affect traditional connections to nature?


  Urban spaces diminish traditional connections to nature and rural life
• In what way is the human condition redefined in modern cities?


  It is redefined within the new, artificial landscape of the modern city
• What are the key characteristics of modernity as described in urban settings?


  • Displacement of nature
  • Emergence of streets, factories, and railroads
  • Diminished connections to nature and rural life
  • Redefined human condition in artificial landscapes
• What are some pressures of city life mentioned in the study material?

  Competition, anonymity, and social fragmentation
• How do the pressures of city life affect individuals?


  They place individuals in new moral and psychological contexts
• What issues must characters navigate in the context of city life?

  Identity, ambition, and survival
• What is the impact of the loss of community and tradition in city life?


  • Characters face challenges related to identity
  • Ambition becomes a driving force
  • Survival becomes a critical concern
• How is the modern city depicted in literature according to the study material?

  As a bewildering and unfamiliar space
• What feelings do characters often experience in the modern city?

  Disorientation and confusion
• How does urban life contribute to alienation according to the study material?


  It fosters isolation and disconnection from others
• Which character exemplifies the theme of alienation in urban life?

  Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment
• What does the study material suggest about the relationship between crime and the modern city?


  The city creates fertile ground for crime due to its anonymity and complexity
• In the works of which authors is crime depicted as a product of social conditions and moral decay?

  Charles Dickens and Fyodor Dostoevsky
• How is the city described in relation to transgression in the study material?


  The city becomes a breeding ground for transgression
• What are the main themes related to urban life as discussed in the study material?

  • Strangeness: Bewildering and unfamiliar space
  • Alienation: Isolation and disconnection from others
  • Crime: Anonymity and complexity leading to moral decay
• What is the role of mystery in modern city literature?

  Mystery reflects the psychological and social complexities of urban life.
• How does grotesquerie manifest in urban literature?


  It appears in exaggerated characters and bizarre events, revealing absurdity and contradictions.
• Who are examples of Dickens's villains that embody grotesquerie?


  Quilp and Fagin.