ENGLISH LITERATURE XVIII-CENTURY

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ENGLISH LITERATURE XVIII-CENTURY

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CONTENTS
The Rise of the Novel
Realistic storytelling emerged.
Satire and Social Critique
Humor exposed flaws.
Poetry and the Augustan Age
Order and reason ruled
Sentimentalism and Sensibility
Theatre and Drama
Emotion took focus.
Gothic fiction
Horror and mystery thrived

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Issies to be discussed
Daniel Defoe
Pioneer of English novel
Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding
Shaped modern prose fiction.
Alexander Pope
Master of satire and heroic couplets.
Jonathan Swift
Criticized society through sharp satire.
01
03
02
04

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A TIMELINE OF ENGLISH LITERATURE
Old English
The Renaissance
The Romanticism
456-1066
1500-1600
1785-1832
Middle period
The Neoclassic
1066-1500
1600-1785

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A New Literary Form Emerges
The 18th century was a transformative period in English literature, marking the rise of a new and enduring literary form—the novel. Unlike earlier narratives that were often rooted in allegory, epic poetry, or drama, the novel introduced a more personal, realistic, and psychologically nuanced approach to storytelling.

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INTRODUCTION
At the heart of this literary evolution were authors who sought to capture the complexities of human nature, the realities of everyday life. Daniel Defoe, Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, Laurence Sterne, and Tobias Smollett helped shape the novel into a dominant genre, experimenting with themes of individual morality, social satire, and psychological depth. Their works laid the foundation for the modern novel.

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Daniel Defoe and the Birth of Realism
01
Daniel Defoe, a writer, journalist, and businessman whose works reflected the dynamic and often perilous world of early 18th-century England. Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719) is often considered the first true English novel.

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Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
Defoe continued to experiment with the novel form in Moll Flanders (1722), which follows the life of a woman who navigates poverty, crime, and social mobility. Unlike the noble heroines of earlier literature, Moll is a flawed, complex character who makes morally ambiguous choices for survival.

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Samuel Richardson and the Psychological Novel
Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740)
Clarissa (1748)
Expanded on this psychological realism, presenting a tragic tale of a woman coerced into an unwanted marriage. The depth of character analysis and exploration of virtue, coercion, and personal dignity set a new standard for narrative complexity.
Tells the story of a young servant girl who resists the advances of her wealthy employer, ultimately earning his respect and marrying him.

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Henry Fielding and the Comic Novel
Joseph Andrews (1742)
A parody that replaced Richardson’s virtuous heroine with a virtuous male servant who resists the seductive advances of women.
Tom Jones (1749)
It follows the adventures of an orphan who travels through England, encountering a colorful cast of characters and discovering his true heritage.
Amelia (1751)
It tells the story of a virtuous woman facing hardships and injustice in society.

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Laurence Sterne and Narrative Experimentation
Tristram Shandy (1759- 1767)
Tristram, frequently digresses from his own story, discussing seemingly unrelated topics and even addressing the reader directly.
Tristram Shandy defied traditional plot
The novel includes blank pages, squiggly lines, and other visual experiments, making it one of the earliest examples of metafiction—a narrative that self-consciously reflects on its own storytelling process.

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Humorous travel novel told through a series of letters from different perspectives.
Humphry Clinker (1771)
Tobias Smollett and the Picaresque Tradition
Roderick Random(1748)
Semi-autobiographical work that satirizes British society through the eyes of a young man navigating life’s hardships.
Tobias Smollett
Brought an energetic, adventurous spirit to the English novel, drawing inspiration from the picaresque tradition—stories that follow the escapades of roguish but endearing protagonists.

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set the stage for the great novelists of the 19th century, including Austen, Dickens, and the Brontës.
Character psychology
Themes and Lasting Influence
Morality and virtue
Central concerns, particularly in Richardson’s novels
Satire and social critique
Played a major role in Fielding’s and Smollett’s works.
Democratization of literature
No longer confined to aristocrats or scholars, novels became widely read by the growing middle class, particularly women.

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SATIRE AND SOCIAL CRITIQUE IN 18TH-CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE

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Unlike Swift and Pope, who used prose and poetry for their satire, John Gay turned to the stage to deliver his critiques of society.
John Gay
The Rise of Satire
Jonathan Swift
Used literature to expose the cruelty and irrationality of both individuals and institutions.
Alexander Pope
A master of rhyming couplets and sharp wit, Pope satirized aristocratic vanity, literary mediocrity, and political corruption.

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Jonathan Swift: The Sharpest Pen of His Time

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Gulliver’s Travels (1726): A Political and Social Allegory

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At first glance, Gulliver’s Travels appears to be a fantastical adventure story, but beneath its surface lays a sharp critique of European society. The novel follows Lemuel Gulliver, an Englishman who voyages to strange lands, each representing different aspects of human nature and political folly.

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Lilliput, the land of tiny people, represents the pettiness of political conflicts.

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Brobdingnag, the land of giants, highlights Gulliver’s own moral shortcomings and the absurdity of European pride.

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Laputa, a floating island, mocks scientific and intellectual pretension, portraying scientists who conduct useless experiments while ignoring real-world problems.

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The land of the Houyhnhnms and Yahoos represents Swift’s most radical social critique.

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A Modest Proposal (1729): The Ultimate Irony

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Alexander Pope: The Master of Satirical Verse
Wielded poetry as his weapon of choice. A master of rhyming couplets and sharp wit, Pope satirized aristocratic vanity, literary mediocrity, and political corruption.

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Alexander Pope
The Rape of the Lock (1712, 1714): A Mock Epic
One of Pope’s most famous works, The Rape of the Lock, takes a trivial event—a young nobleman cutting a lock of a woman’s hair without her permission.
The Dunciad (1728, 1743): The War Against Mediocrity
If The Rape of the Lock is lighthearted, The Dunciad is Pope at his most savage. This satirical poem attacks literary dullness and mediocrity, portraying a world where ignorance reigns supreme.

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John Gay: Satirical Drama and Social Critique

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The Beggar’s Opera (1728): A Satirical Masterpiece
One of the most popular plays of the 18th century, The Beggar’s Opera is a bold and subversive work that satirizes both politics and the criminal underworld. The play presents a world where corrupt politicians and ruthless criminals are indistinguishable from each other.
The main character, Macheath, is a highwayman who engages in double dealings, much like the real-life politicians of the time. The play mocks the aristocracy’s obsession with Italian opera by replacing high-class characters with thieves and prostitutes, suggesting that society itself is morally bankrupt.

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The Lasting Power of Satire
Pope’s literary critique
Reflected a society grappling with issues of morality, power, and identity.
Swift’s political satire
Gay’s theatrical rebellion

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Contributions to literature, influence on later works, and historical significance
Alexander Pope
Major poet, The Rape of the Lock, The Dunciad
Daniel Defoe
Pioneer of the English novel, Robinson Crusoe, Moll Flanders)
Jonathan Swift
Master of satire, Gulliver’s Travels, A Modest Proposal
30%
25%
20%

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Contributions to literature, influence on later works, and historical significance
John Gay
Best known for The Beggar’s Opera, which influenced musical theater
Samuel Richardson
Father of the epistolary novel, Pamela, Clarissa
Henry Fielding
Founder of modern novel structure, Tom Jones, Joseph Andrews
10%
5%

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Main directions
Sentimentalism
Focused on emotions, morality, and individual experience; by Samuel Richardson, Laurence Sterne.
Neoclassicism
(Emphasized reason, order, and classical ideals; represented by Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, and Samuel Johnson.)
30%
70%

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ALTERNATIVE RESOURCES

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Watt, Ian. The Rise of the Novel: Studies in Defoe, Richardson, and Fielding. University of California Press, 1957.
Richetti, John (Ed.). The Cambridge Companion to the Eighteenth-Century Novel. Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Battestin, Martin C. Henry Fielding: A Life. Routledge, 1989.
Rogers, Pat. The Oxford Illustrated History of English Literature. Oxford University Press, 2001.
Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver’s Travels. 1726. Various Editions.
Pope, Alexander. The Rape of the Lock and Other Poems. 1712. Various Editions.
RESOURCES

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Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. 1719. Various Editions.
Richardson, Samuel. Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded. 1740. Various Editions.
Gay, John. The Beggar’s Opera. 1728. Various Editions.
Blanning, Timothy C. W. The Culture of Power and the Power of Culture: Old Regime Europe 1660–1789. Oxford University Press, 2002
.
RESOURCES

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