General Background
Romanticism, which was the leading literary movement in
England for half a century, was caused by great social and eco
nomic changes. The Industrial Revolution, which had begun in
the middle of the 18lh century didn’t bring happiness to the people
o f Great Britain. Dur ng that period England changed from an
agricultural to an industrial society and from home manufacturing
to factory production. The peasants, deprived o f their lands, had
to go to work in factories. Mines and factories had changed the
appearance ofthe country. A large new working class developed
in the cities. But mechanization did not improve the life o f the
common people. The sufferings o f the working people led to the
first strikes, and workers took to destroying machines. That was
a movement directed against industrial slavery. Workers, who
called themselves Luddites after a certain Ned Ludd who in fit of
fury broke two textile frames, naively believed that machines were
the chief cause o f their sufferings. Those actions led to severe
repression by the authorities.
During the early 1800s the French situation dominated England’s
foreign policy. The French Revolution had begun in 1789 as a
protest against royal despotism. In its early phases the French
Revolution seemed to offer great hope for common people. At
the beginning of the French Revolution, most enlightened people
in Great Britain felt sympathy for the democratic ideals of the
revolutionaries in France. But after achieving power, the
revolutionary government in France resorted to brutality. Further
more, in i 793 revolutionary France declared war on England.
Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |
