The Neoclassical Period 1660 1785

The Neoclassical period of English literature was much influenced by contemporary French
literature, which was in the midst of its greatest age. The literature of this time is known for its
use of philosophy, reason, skepticism, wit and refinement.
It also marks the first great age of English literary criticism. The predominant genres were:
satire, essays and novels. Also, this is the period of grammarians, the men who created many of
the grammar rules that are still in use today.
The neoclassical period can be divided into 3 subsets: The Restoration, The Augustan Age and
the Age of Sensibility.
Neoclassical writers modeled their works on classical texts and followed various esthetic values
first established in Ancient Greece and Rome. Neoclassicism was, in a way, a resurgence of
classical taste and sensibility, but it was not identical to classicism.
In part as a reaction to the bold egocentrism of the Renaissance, the neoclassic scaled the concept
of man as an individual within a larger social context, seeing human nature as dualistic, flawed
and needing to be curbed by reason and decorum.
The English Augustan Age derives its name from the brilliant literary period of Vergil and Ovid
under the Roman Emperor Augustus (27 bc ad 14).
In English literature, the Augustan Age, 1700-1745, refers to the literature with the predominant
characteristics of refinement, clarity, elegance and balance of judgement.
Well-known writers of the Augustan age include: Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope and Daniel
Defoe. A great contribution of this time period included the release of the first English novels by
Defoe, and the novel of character, Pamela, by Samuel Richardson in 1740.
a. During Defoes life, England was politically driven by the monarchy and the Anglican
Church and, like his father, Defoe found the need to defend his faith and he participated
in several rebellions.
Also, he witnessed 2 of the greatest disasters of the 17 th century: a recurrence of the
plague and the Great fire of London in 1666. These events may have shaped his
fascination with catastrophes and survival in his writing.
b. J. Swift was a man of social charm, friend of Addison, Pope and John Gay but still had a
darker side that led some scholars to think, wrongly, that his great satires were the
product of a diseased mind: he was a misanthrope. In a letter to Pope, he confessed that
though he loved individuals, he hated mankind in general.
B. Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe, a British writer among those responsible for
the creation of the English novel. The novel was first published in 1719 under the full title: The
life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe of York Mariner and is now
recognized as simply Robinson Crusoe.

In terms of literary history, it is often called the first English novel.

Robinson Crusoe rejects his mercantile family in favor of a life at sea. After a number of
adventures including his encounter with pirates and an escape from slavery, Crusoe is caught in a
hurricane. His ship is now a wreck and for the next 28 years, he is stranded on an island on the
Caribbean. The novel documents Crusoes struggle to survive in isolation.
Robinson Crusoe has many features of a classical epic, with an identifiable hero, hard travel,
separation from a homeland, and even small battles.
Defoe assigns the main character several admirable qualities, recognized both in modern times
and at the time of the books publication, for his practicability, intelligence and a well-balanced
religiousness, among others. The book was even used for instructional purposes.
His style is will establish a new standard for the English novel: simple, direct and fact-based,
approaching a detached, meticulous tone.
Robinson Crusoe is both narrator and main character of the tale, leading many people to believe
that he was a real person and the book a travelogue of true incidents.
Crusoe narrates both in the first and third person, avoiding dramatic storytelling, presenting
objective what he observes. Seldom does Crusoe describe his feelings but only when theyre
overwhelming, focusing on actions and events.
Despite its simple narrative style, Robinson Crusoe was well-received in the literary world
and is often credited as marking the beginning of realistic fiction as a literary genre.

Gullivers Travels 1727

Is a prose satire by Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift, that is both a satire on
human nature and a parody of the travelers tales literary subgenre. It is Swifts best known
work and a classic of English literature which saw overnight success.
Gullivers Travels had all of the elements of a tempting read-mystery, political, social and
sexual scandal. With this potentially controversial content, Swift saw fit to publish the book
anonymously.
Lemuel Gulliver is the main character and the book is an account of his adventures in Lilliput,
Brobdingnag and Laputa. Gulliver finds himself towering over the inhabitants of Lilliput (they
are only 6 inches high), and they refer to Gulliver as Man-mountain. Gullivers size is a
political issue and, as he become more and more involved in Lilliput, demands are put upon him
to aid them in a war against Blefuscu.
The plot is largely allegorical and comments indirectly on contemporary British politics. It did
not take the public long to discover that the author was writing about England rather that Lilliput
and that Jonathan Swift was behind this biting satire. Swift was not only active on the political
scene but a well-known journalist with an easily recognizable style.

Swift makes sure that he is both humorous and critical, constantly attacking British and
European society through its description of imaginary countries.
Gullivers travels adopts the ancient device of an imaginary voyage, with Gulliver travelling to
four remote nations of the world, enabling Swift to approach mankind from a fresh point of
view. As he once confessed to his dear friend, Alexander Pope, he loved individuals but hated
mankind in general.
Gulliver, as a first person narrator, is not completely reliable though he is very precise in
detailing his travels, sometimes he doesnt see the forest for the trees. Swift deliberately made
Gulliver nave and sometimes arrogant for 2 reasons:
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It makes the reader skeptical about the ideas presented in the book
It allows the reader to have a good laugh at Gullivers expense when he doesnt realize
the absurdity of his limited viewpoint.

In other words, this technique of the unreliable narrator assures a humorous and satirical
effect.
We could mention that the maps illustrating the geographical positions of the fictional
places at the beginning of each part are for the sake of pretended authenticity.