János Barcsák, Márta Pellérdi

English literature 1660-1900


The middle class

Most literary historians agree that the rise of the novel was a process that paralleled the rise of the middle class in the social history of England. By the turn of the eighteenth century the literate population of London was not composed merely of aristocrats and their courtiers, but also included tradesmen, craftsmen, merchants, businessmen, and an increasing number of women. It is estimated that in 1600 only about 25 per cent of the population (mostly male) could read, while by 1800 this figure rose to about 60-70 per cent. At the turn of the eighteenth century, this figure must have been somewhere in between the two, indicating a steady rise in the literate population. The growing middle class showed an aversion to what they considered corrupt courtly values and preferred to read more informative works, firstly, for the purpose of advancing their business and only secondly for entertainment. Modern journalism was also born in this period. In very general terms, we can say that the turbulent historical events of the seventeenth century (the Civil War, Restoration) created in people an awareness of how society can change over time and how their own conditions are influenced by these changes.

English literature 1660-1900

Tartalomjegyzék


Kiadó: Akadémiai Kiadó

Online megjelenés éve: 2018

ISBN: 978 963 454 261 2

A history of the English literature is presented here, with a scope on the years 1660 to 1900. The book is written in three main parts; beginning with the Restoration Period of the 17th century, followed by the first, and second halves of the 18th century. Thus, a sequential development of literary genres is presented, with explorations of the key figures and texts which drove these. The book also synthesises the historical, cultural and sociological background which gave rise to this literature, and allows the reader to effectively contextualise these.

Hivatkozás: https://mersz.hu/barcsak-pellerdi-english-literature-1660-1900//

BibTeXEndNoteMendeleyZotero

Kivonat
fullscreenclose
printsave