Literature Help: The History of Rasselas: Prince of Abissinia

By Students' Academy

“The History of Rasselas: Prince of Abissinia” by Samuel Johnson was first published In April 1759. The book was originally titled “The Prince of Abissinia: A Tale.”

It is said that Samuel Johnson had written it in only one week because he needed money to pay for his mother’s funeral. He intended to complete writing the book on the eve of his mother’s death.

The book was first published in Great Britain, and the author is said to have received only seventy five British pounds for the copyright.

Eventually, the book got published in America in 1768. It is said that Samuel Johnson was greatly influenced by the vogue for exotic locations.

Literature Help: The History of Rasselas: Prince of Abissinia
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Major Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Chapter Five: Thematic Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Mar 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311491336

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Literature Help: The History of Rasselas: Prince of Abissinia

Copyright

Literature Help: The History of Rasselas: Prince of Abissinia

Students' Academy

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Chapter One: Introduction

The History of Rasselas: Prince of Abissinia by Samuel Johnson was first published In April 1759. The book was originally titled The Prince of Abissinia: A Tale.

It is said that Samuel Johnson had written it in only one week because he needed money to pay for his mother’s funeral. He intended to complete writing the book on the eve of his mother’s death.

The book was first published in Great Britain, and the author is said to have received only seventy five British pounds for the copyright.

Eventually, the book got published in America in 1768. It is said that Samuel Johnson was greatly influenced by the vogue for exotic locations.

The early readers of the present novel thought that it was a work of philosophical and practical importance. Most of the critics often argue whether the book should be classified as a novel or not.

Samuel Johnson was believed to be a very strong opponent of slavery. The abolitionists respected him. The book The History of Rasselas became very popular among the emancipated slaves and they often adopted the name.

The novel shares its central theme with Candide by Voltaire. Both these works are about young men travelling in the company of honoured teachers. They face human suffering and examine it, trying to determine the cause of happiness. However, the root concerns are quite different in the present novel and the book written by Voltaire.

The book has a very simple plot that is extended to an extreme. Rasselas is the son of the King of Abyssinia. The place is called Ethiopia today. Rasselas is shut up in a very beautiful valley. He keeps waiting for the order of succession.

During his stay in the valley, Rasselas becomes weary of the factitious entertainments of the place. He thinks for a long time and eventually escapes with his sister Nekayah and her attendant Pekuah. His poet friend Imlac is also with them.

They travel as a group to see the world and look for happiness, but having spent some time in Egypt, where they see different classes of society, they realize that their search is futile. They immediately go back to Abyssinia.

Chapter Two: Plot Overview

The novel begins with the central character Rasselas. He and his siblings are the children of the Emperor of Abissinia. As the novel begins, they happen to be secluded in a place called ‘happy valley.’

It is an extremely beautiful place, and they are not able to leave it. They must stay there until the line of succession calls forth the eldest son, Rasselas.

In that happy valley, they have everything at their disposal and they have almost everything that could ever desire. The world’s miseries cannot touch them there.

Since the life is very much comfortable there, most of the siblings