Samuel Johnson
- contracted a tubercular infection as an infant, leaving him partially deaf and blind
- was not slowed by his disability, never accepting pity or help from anyone
- abandoned his religion at age eight, only to return to it with a renewed intensity soon after
- studied at Oxford for a year until his mother’s funds ran out
- married a very wealthy woman, twenty years older than he, and used her money to open a private school
- wrote books, poems and dictionaries
The History of
Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia
- Written in 1759
- Seven Years War
- -Huge conflict between the imperial powers for the rights to land in the New World
- Considered an apologue, or fable-like story meant to teach a moral
Discussion Questions
- Are there parallels between Rasselas and his “happy valley,” and Crusoe and his island “colony?” Why does Rasselas first seek the isolation with nature that Crusoe had during his time on the island?
- Does the description of the royal lifestyle (in the first paragraph of Chapter II) mirror the society Johnson lived in? He was known to have radical, anti-slavery feelings. How might this contribute to the meaning of this paragraph/novel?
- How do you think Imlac affects Rasselas’ sense of the outside world? How does his story open the eyes of Rasselas and motivate him even more to leave the valley?
- “’The Europeans,’ answered Imlac, ‘are less unhappy than we, but they are not happy. Human life is everywhere a state in which much is to be endured and little to be enjoyed.’” (page 66) How does this quote show Johnson’s feelings of his own culture? How does it reflect Imlac's view on happiness in the world?
- Are the “happy valley” and the “pleasures” of royalty misnomers? Why do both Rasselas and his sister seek to expand their lives by leaving the valley? Why does Johnson create this contradiction?
- How do Rasselas’ experiences in Cairo shape his idea of happiness? What do the “pastoral life,” “solitude,” and “nature” expose him to? Does a life of simplicity seem appealing to Rasselas?
Sources
A Persian translation of the novel.
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