A Jungle of Wisdom or A Forest of Sagacity Quiz

Answer: Albert Camus

Albert Camus was born in 1913. Apart from being an author, he was also a philosopher, belonging to the school of absurdism. Although he was classified as an existentialist, he denied being one. Some of his works are "The Stranger" and "The Plague". He died in an accident in 1960.

Answer: Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller was born in 1915. His plays include some of the most representative ones of the American theater, such as "All My Sons", "The Crucible" and "Death of a Salesman". The screenplay of the film "The Misfits" was written by Miller. Miller was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Drama during his lifetime. He died in 2005.

Answer: Bette Davis

Bette Davis was born in 1908. Her film debut was the 1921 film "The Bad Sister". Throughout her career, Davis was noted for her eagerness to portray unsympathetic and often sardonic and shrewish characters. Moreover, she was reputed for her performances in a variety of film genres, from comedies to historical films and melodramas. She died in 1989.

Answer: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804. Most of his works are set in New England, with "The Scarlet Letter" being the most famous, where Hawthorne criticizes the shortcomings of a Puritan society. Another, more controversial, work of Hawthorne's, was "Chiefly About War Matters", written in the first months of the American Civil War.

There, Hawthorne expressed opposition to the war and viewed Abraham Lincoln in a negative light. Hawthorne died in 1864.

Answer: A.A. Milne

A.A. Milne was born in 1882. He is mostly known for his "Winnie the Pooh" books and several children's poems. Milne also served Britain as a soldier in both World Wars. He died in 1956.

Answer: Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo was born in 1802. Apart from his known works "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" and "Les Misérables", he wrote several lesser known works, such as "Napoléon le Petit", where he criticized Emperor Napoleon III of France. In 1867, Hugo petitioned Mexican Prime Minister Benito Juarez to spare former Emperor Maximilian's life, but Juarez decided to execute his rival.

In the course of his life, Hugo became a noted radical in politics. He died in 1885 and was buried in the Panthéon.

Answer: Thomas Carlyle

Thomas Carlyle was born in 1795. His best known works are "Sartor Resartus", "The French Revolution: A History" and "On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and The Heroic in History". The second was used by Charles Dickens as a source for his novel, "A Tale of Two Cities". Carlyle also a wrote articles for the "Edinburgh Encyclopedia" and, as a social commentator, he remains controversial especially on account of his skepticism about democracy and his profound admiration, not to say hero-worship, of "great men".

He died in 1881.

Answer: Henrik Ibsen

Henrik Ibsen was born in 1828. He was one of the founders of Modernism in theater. One of his works, "A Doll's House" was the most performed play of the 20th century. Richard Hornby refers to Ibsen as "a profound poetic dramatist-the best since Shakespeare". Ibsen died in 1906.

Answer: Marcel Proust

Marcel Proust was born in 1871. One of his most known works is "In Search of the Lost Time". Some of Proust's social views can be described as conservative, such as his belief that separation of church and state is wrong, because socialism poses a far more serious threat to society than the Church.

Moreover, according to Proust, the Church plays a significant role in sustaining a cultural and educational tradition.

Answer: James Fenimore Cooper

James Fenimore Cooper was born in 1789. He is remembered today foremost as the author of "The Last of the Mohicans". Many European 19th century writers, such as Hugo and Balzac, widely praised Cooper. He died in 1851.