Balti state university a. Russo chair of english philology

Enlightenment in English 
Literature (18
th
 century) 
Plan 
1. Historical background of English Enlightenment. Sentimentalism – a new trend in 
English Literature. 
2. Literary theory of the age: pamphlet – a leading literary form. The writers of the time J. 
Swift, R. Addison, J. Steel, A. Pope. 
3. The Beginning of the novel. 
4. Literary contribution of A. Richardson, H. Fielding, T. Smallett, L. Stern. 
5. Daniel Defoe – the founder of the English novel. His life and literary activity. The first 
novel in English literature Robinson Crusoe. 
6. Jonathan Swift – the greatest satirist of the time. Life and literary work. The Battle of the 
Books, The Tale of the Tub. 
7. Gulliver‟s Travels – the first satirical novel 
* * * 
Bibliography 
1. Norton Antohology of English Literature 5
th
Edition / Major Authors/New York London 
1989 
2. H. Hecker – English Literature / M. 1995 
3. Bantaş, Clonţea – Manual de Literatură Engleză şi Americană / Teora 1993 
4. Ana Cartianu, Ioan Preda – Eseuri de Literatură engleză / Edit. St. 1970 
5. Leon Leviţchi – Istoria Literaturii Engleze şi Americane V 2 Dacia Cluj – Napoca 1985. 
6. Daniel Defoe – R. Crusoe (Norton Anthology, New York 198) 
7. J. Swift – Gulliver‟s Travel (NAEL) 

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74 
74 
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 
As the 17
th
century drew to a close, its temper became more secular, tolerant and moderate. 
The history of England of this time was marked by British colonial expansion. The most active 
section of the population were the commercial classes which made England a commercial centre 
of Europe. Many goods were brought to England. New traditions were born. They opened the so 
called coffee houses where people gathered to drink Coffee, Chocolate and tea and discuss 
politics. There was a great variety of people under their roofs. There were earls, clergymen, 
translators, book-printers, who criticized the corrupt government and its ministries. This was a 
remarkable rise of literature. People wrote on many subjects and in many fields, such as: history, 
philosophy, political economy and natural science. The new age was willing to settle for the 
possible within the limits of human intelligence and of the material world. Its temper was 
expressed by its most influential philosopher - John Locke (1632 – 1704) in his work Essay 
Concerning Human Understanding (1690). 
But if the eighteenth century brought a recognition of human limitations it also took an 
optimistic view of human nature. Some philosophers asserted that human beings are naturally 
good and find their highest happiness in the exercise of virtue and benevolence/1. Such a view 
was thought to be “sentimental”. 
The sentimentalism forced a benevolence that led to social reforms, which in its tern brought to the 
improvement of some spheres of life.