The period of enlightenment

Took place in the 18th century. This century saw Great Britain rapidly growing into a capital country. It was an age of intensive industrial development. New machinery was invented that turned Britain into the first capitalist power of the world. In spite of the I austral progress and vast innovations in culture, the majority of English people were still very ignorant. That is why one of the most important problems that faced the country was the problem of education. The 18th century is known in history of Europe as the period of enlightenment. The enlightenment defended the interests of common people. The central problem of the enlightenment ideology was "man and his nature". The enlighteners believed in reason and in mens' inborn goodness. The contrary of the middle ages ideoly. The miserable living conditions were the only obstruction to the universal health. The enlighteners also believed in educational value of art. The major English enlighteners of the period were: Daniel Defo, Alexander Pope, Samuel Richardson. These writers believed that a few reforms were enough to improve the situation in society. Some of the writers openly protested against the inferiority of the social order. They were: Jonathan Swift, Oliver Goldsmith, Richard Sheridan. The period of enlightenment can be divided into three stages:

1688 (Glorious Revolution)- 30s of the 18th century.

40-50s of the 18th century

Late enlightenment - the end of the 18th century.

Alexander Pope (1688-1744) he was a catholic and is why he was several times expelled from schools and universities. Most of his knowledge he got from books and he never received any official degree. His poetic career started with a selection of poems "four pastorals" published in 1709. They were short poems on seasons. Then in quick succession came three major poems after which he was clearly recognized as the greatest living poet. He is also known as a major translator of Homer's Iliad after which he became famous among all the people in England. This success didn't satisfied Pope and he turned to another sort of writing- satiric and didactic poetry. First came "the Dunciad" which was a mock-heroic-epic in which the author ridicules his literary opponents. The major theme of the poem is a fight of the reason against ignorance and barbarity. The next didactic poem was "the essay of men" (1733). The satire which the poem contains has behind it Pope's antipathy against the corruption of false taste and avarice which were undermined the social and political order of the country he loved.

Daniel Defo (1661-1731) he is regarded as the founder of realistic novel in english. He was from a wealthy family and received a good education. His father wanted him to be a priest but chose a sailor's profession. He travelled in euro Ken countries, spoke a lot of languages and was generally considered as a man of wide learning. He took active part in political life and started his literary career as a pamphlet writer (an essay on political situation). In 1697 he published his famous "Essay upon projects" in which he suggested all kinds of reforms (establishment of saving banks, construction of railways, wider education for women). In 1701 appeared his "True born Englishman" a vigorous satire in verse. The idea of which was the English as a mixed race should not object to the foreign birth of king William III. His pamphlet is the shortest way with Dissenteurs enraged the officials so much that he was given three day pillory. It was not until Defo was nearly sixty that he discover a great desire to write. The first book of fiction was "Robinson Cruso" (1719) then followed a series of other novels "Captain Singelton" (1720), "Moll Flanders' and etc. The main theme of his major work is that Bourgous initiative entepreneurship are the best ways to success and self-fulfillment.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) is regarded as a major prose satirist of the enlightenment. Unlike Defo Swift didn't believe in the all mighty power of Bourgousee. The main feature of his creative activity is merciless criticism og Bourgous society. His major method was satire. Swift comes from Dublin graduated from Trinity college, became a statesman when he moved to England. After being a minister of the Anglican church he got the position of a head clergyman of st.Patrick's cathedral in Dublin and spent there in this position the rest of his life. Swift wrote "Gulliver's travels" in 1726. And became immediately famous. The travels described four voyages that Lemuel Gulliver makes to strange lands. The first "lilliputia", the second "brobdingnang". The third voyage takes Gulliver's to several strange kingdoms (lagado - where scientists extract sun beams from cucumbers, laputa- a flying island with different unknown creatures). the forth voyage is to the land of gentle wise horses Houyhnhnms which are eaten by the evil human beings which are called Yahoos.

The novel is of adventure type but only in for its assents is social criticism. It is an attack against all attempts to justify Bourgous order. In the end we understand that Gulliver is a kind of Robinson found himself on an uninhabited island while Guliver visited civilized countries and got acquainted with different social systems. Apart from Robison who ended with acknowledging bougrouis way of civilization while Guliver denied it all together.

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