Boswell and Johnson

Boswell's Biographical Style and Technique

Tries to tell Johnson's story with his own words as much as possible

Presentation of character

-Examples that delineate character

----Johnson's letter to Chesterfield

-reception of Boswell

-Physical description

-Johnson's words on death

-deathbed prayers and Shakespeare

Dramatic/Romantic Tone

- Johnson's death portrayed like an epic hero. (Boswell, 1330)

Samuel Johnson's Rambler No.4

Johnson begins with defining the novel in a similar manner as we view the novel today.

--Ordinary events happening to everyday people influenced by passion and human qualities

The goal of the novel is to remain interesting but not be silly, or improbable

--Most literature of the past relied on these facetious elements

"A book was thus produced without fear of criticism, without the toil of study, without knowledge of nature, or acquaintance with life." (Johnson 2744)

However modern writing require three things

--Knowledge gained from text

--Experience

--Observation of the world

Book that don't add up to this, are for "the young, the ignorant, and the idol" (Johnson 2744)

--They are "the entertainment of minds unfurnished with ideas, and therefore easily susceptible of impressions" (Johnson 2744)

Philosophy is not as useful as a novel because novels mix delight with teaching

Even in fiction the components always originate in truth

The ultimate of literature is to improve people

--Horatian idea

Does James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, L.L.D. conform to Samuel Johnson's guidelines for biographies in Rambler No.60?

--Find text from Rambler No.60 that outlines Johnson's ideas of a biographer's duty.