English Literature – 1670 to 1850 Unit 6 Review: Defoe and Richardson

Key Authors and Works

• Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) wrote "Robinson Crusoe" (1719), considered the first English novel, about a castaway's survival on a remote island
  • Also wrote "Moll Flanders" (1722), a picaresque novel about a woman's adventures and misfortunes
• Samuel Richardson (1689-1761) pioneered the epistolary novel with "Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded" (1740), a series of letters about a servant girl's resistance to her master's advances
  • Followed by "Clarissa" (1748), a tragic novel in letters about a young woman's struggle against a rakish suitor
• Aphra Behn (1640-1689) was a prolific dramatist and one of the first English women to earn a living by writing, known for her novel "Oroonoko" (1688)
• Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) wrote the satirical travel narrative "Gulliver's Travels" (1726), critiquing human nature and society
• Henry Fielding (1707-1754) wrote "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling" (1749), a comic novel parodying Richardson's moralistic style

Historical Context

• The rise of the novel occurred during the Age of Enlightenment (18th century), characterized by a focus on reason, individualism, and social reform
• The growth of literacy and the middle class created a new readership for prose fiction
• The novel emerged as a distinct genre, different from earlier romances and picaresque tales, focusing on realistic characters and social issues
• The development of the printing press and the expansion of the book trade made novels more widely available
• The increasing secularization of society and the decline of religious authority influenced the novel's themes and values
• The economic and social changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution (late 18th century) shaped the novel's depiction of class and labor

Literary Characteristics

• Novels of this period often featured a linear plot structure, with a clear beginning, middle, and end
• Characters were typically individualized and psychologically complex, with inner lives and moral dilemmas
• Realistic settings and social milieus were described in detail, reflecting the novel's aim to represent the world as it was
  • This included depictions of everyday life, work, and relationships across different classes
• The novel's form was often episodic, with loosely connected adventures or incidents making up the narrative
• Dialogue and direct speech were used extensively to reveal character and advance the plot
• Authorial intrusions and digressions were common, with the narrator commenting on the action or addressing the reader directly
• The language was often plain and accessible, in contrast to the elevated style of earlier prose

Themes and Motifs

• The individual's struggle for identity and self-realization in a complex social world
• The tension between individual desire and social norms, particularly in matters of love, marriage, and sexuality
  • This included critiques of arranged marriages and the sexual double standard
• The corrupting influence of money and social status on moral values and personal relationships
• The journey or quest as a metaphor for personal growth and self-discovery
• The contrast between the country and the city, with the former idealized as a site of innocence and the latter as a place of corruption
• The role of providence or fate in shaping human lives and destinies
• The power dynamics between masters and servants, employers and employees, and men and women
• The importance of virtue, chastity, and moral rectitude, especially for women

Narrative Techniques

• Epistolary form, in which the story is told through a series of letters exchanged between characters (Richardson)
  • This allows for multiple perspectives and a sense of immediacy and intimacy
• First-person narration, in which the protagonist tells their own story (Defoe)
  • This creates a sense of authenticity and personal testimony
• Third-person narration, with an omniscient narrator who has access to characters' thoughts and feelings (Fielding)
  • This allows for a wider perspective and social commentary
• Use of irony, satire, and parody to critique social norms and conventions (Swift, Fielding)
• Detailed descriptions of settings, objects, and physical appearances to create a sense of realism
• Use of coincidence and deus ex machina to resolve plot complications and bring about a happy ending
• Inclusion of subplots and secondary characters to enrich the main narrative and provide social context

Social Impact and Reception

• The novel's focus on individual experience and social realism made it a vehicle for exploring contemporary issues and debates
  • This included questions of gender, class, politics, and religion
• The novel's popularity among middle-class readers helped to create a new literary market and a new class of professional authors
• The novel's moral and didactic aims were often emphasized, with many works promoting virtuous behavior and social reform
  • This led to criticisms of the novel as a corrupting influence, particularly on young women
• The novel's realism and frankness about sexuality and desire were controversial, leading to charges of obscenity and immorality
• The novel's form and themes influenced the development of other literary genres, such as the Gothic novel and the sentimental novel
• The novel's success led to a proliferation of imitations, parodies, and adaptations, both in print and on stage

Critical Analysis

• The rise of the novel is often seen as a reflection of the broader social and cultural changes of the 18th century, particularly the growth of individualism and realism
• The novel's focus on the individual and their inner life has been interpreted as a product of the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and subjectivity
• The novel's realism has been seen as a response to the increasing complexity and opacity of modern life, with the novel providing a way of making sense of the world
• The novel's treatment of gender and sexuality has been a key focus of feminist criticism, with scholars examining the ways in which the novel both reinforced and challenged patriarchal norms
• The novel's depiction of class and social hierarchy has been analyzed in terms of the emerging capitalist order and the novel's role in shaping middle-class identity
• The novel's formal innovations, such as the use of epistolary and first-person narration, have been studied in terms of their psychological and rhetorical effects
• The novel's relationship to other literary genres and traditions, such as romance and epic, has been a subject of comparative analysis

Legacy and Influence

• The 18th-century novel established the basic template for the modern novel, with its emphasis on realism, individualism, and social commentary
• The works of Defoe, Richardson, and Fielding became canonical texts in the history of English literature and continue to be widely read and studied
  • "Robinson Crusoe" has been adapted into numerous films, TV shows, and children's books
  • "Pamela" and "Clarissa" have been seen as pioneering works of psychological realism and feminist writing
• The novel's techniques and themes were taken up and developed by later writers, such as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and George Eliot
• The novel's success helped to establish prose fiction as a serious and respectable literary form, paving the way for the novel's dominance in the 19th and 20th centuries
• The novel's emphasis on the individual and their place in society has been seen as a key factor in the development of modern conceptions of the self and identity
• The novel's global spread and adaptation in different cultural contexts has made it a key site for the study of world literature and postcolonial theory
• The novel's ongoing relevance and popularity have been testified to by the continued production of new editions, adaptations, and scholarly studies