17th-19th Century literature focuses on the disenchantment of the world. Move away from religious perspective towards a more rational, scientifically based approach.

-Gulliver's Travels focuses on colonialism, empire, capitalism, etc. Largely a conservative critique.

-Essay on Man focuses on the central issue of why the world is the way it is. Similar to Paradise Lost.

-Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography is an example of American Enlightenment Literature

-Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is an example of romance narrative 

The Sovereignty and Goodness of God

Mary Rowlandson

(I)

- English notion of 'Right to Discovery' is conflicted with native's ownership of land

- Rowlandson never points out cause of violent outbreak. Other puzzles include: Why is King Phillip so kind to Rowlandson? Maybe because they were neighbors so long without violence. Rowlandson was unable to understand native culture. Considers converts to be heathens.

Religious Text - Every event is related to cosmic power. Natives serve as way to punish those who lost sight of God. Fellow Christians are 'saints'. Gold 'allows' her to help others, keep faith, pray, etc. Provides a sense of enchantment, "Should there be evil in the city, the lord hath done it".

Doesn't understand native humor. Many negative images, such as cannibalism, were imposed on natives - they merely reenact the scene

The Sovereignty and Goodness of God

Mary Rowlandson

(III)

European Influenced Perception - Mary feared being raped by natives, this perception is from English myth. Rarely happened.

Hunger - Physical/Metaphysical. Surprised her body can sustain her so she feeds on soul's hunger through the bible.

Native Relations - Mary is treated well overall by King Phillip. Becomes 'Indianized' by her hunger, an equalizing force making her overcome many prejudices. Hunger is a component of revelation - eating what never eaten before.

Despair avoided because it is selfish

Religion - God separates Mary from all English culture in order to make her naked in the grace of god - called reductive. Natives, as agents of God, are never thanked - still racist undertones.

Narrative Form - Removes/Serial. Everything dependent on God's "Due Time". Must be patient.

Conversion Narrative - Had to prove to assembly that one was tested by God and had found grace. Does this complicate Mary's motives in the story?

Nature of Human Agency - Freewill delegated to humans. Rowlandson didn't believe in such an agency.

Politics/Culture - Swift displays Lilliput as non-comprehensible, corrupt, etc. Alluding to inherited line vs. parliamentary. Focus on the mess of humanity. 

Politics - Tories wanted old inheritance line in England; Swift aligns himself with this view by making the other side seem ridiculous (ex. whoever can jump the highest)

Religion - Presented as absurd, all religious manifestations (burying upside) are considered not worthwhile

Satire on Travel Literature - Sailor jargon used to poke fun at travel literature. Swift despised the genre for pushing out classic literature. Yet the curiosity element of travel lit. is maintained in Gulliver's travels as an example of enlightenment

Curiosity - Distracts from looking for deep meaning. King of Houyhnhnms looks for deeper meaning - thinks and then talks. If book is a moral statement, Swift is trying to show how our curiosity distracts from the true reality of the situation.

Utopian Quality - Book 4 features the Hoyhnhnm's in a sort of blissful ignorance - living only according to the means which make them happy. No concept of lying. Civility always. No ceremony. Also means no true government. Politically better than England.

Assistance - Gulliver tries to help out each civilization in different ways. Such as his suggestion of weapons to the Hoynhnhnms. Yet are all these needed or are they destructive? Also, shows pride which is a Christian sin. Gulliver's last statement is actually about pride and how no-one with pride should come near him - even though he is prideful

Anti-Utopia - Cannot really exist as it is a human creation from curiosity, destined to fail.

Natural World - Focus of Enlightenment. Gulliver, as an Enlightenment figure, was very interested in rationality in nature (ex. horses). Can't derive "ought" from "is", just because the world is one way doesn't mean everything in it acts that way.

Bringing the justification for world, on religious premise, up to date with enlightenment.

Chain of Being - An order of early Christian theology that each object which exists is part of a greater chain, leading up to perfection or "God". Each part of the chain serves its own purpose but cannot be broken as it also serves a purpose for the entire chain. Chain was static. Don't try and move beyond your station. Man is not put in superior power position. Ethics of mediocrity - taking pride away from the human.

Reason - Derives from human pride. Is crucial to serve and guide passion (which activates need for reason). Reason should be used as a guide but not an objective - God is the goal.

Happiness - Understand placement in the Chain of Being. World is fitted for each placement, fall within limits. Virtue ethics, if you do good - good things will happen to you. Poetry is a moral enterprise to evoke this. Pope is afraid of the stability of the Chain of Being

Poet as Good Person - Critics of his work are people who consider him only as a poet, not as an actual person. Also, he has friends who have turned against him.

Poet as Cultural Foundation - Many elements of the culture of Pope's time were being degraded slowly as time went along; consequently, poetry helped prevent this dissolution. Sees himself as part of a larger poetic tradition.

Honor of Omission - Not including names of those attacking his character when he attacks theirs. Pope takes the 'higher' road, though he still presents this long satirical poem.

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

(I)

Autobiography vs. Memoir - Less focused on the self, more with public life and ideas

Rags to Riches

Fragmentary Style - Working off 18th century discourse rather than a specific literary style

America - Served to destroy Pope's idea of the Great Chain of Being. Franklin's 'rags to riches' destroyed any sense of class or staying within one's "chain". Stepped out of poverty by following good moral advice. A jack of all trades.

Franklin Diet/Food Experimentation - He was a vegan and largely could alter his diet. Shows his ability to adapt, persuade and utilize logic as he would give grounds for breaking his diet.

Happiness - Always seeking usefulness - seeking to make life of community better. This is where happiness comes from. Pragmatic, what works is true.

Recognition - Must come from others as one can't recognize self. This, as Franklin states, is about becoming a 'character'. Image of self that doesn't always have to be true.

Distinct Autobiography - Not an autobiography in the sense of trying to convert, similar to Rowlandson's narrative. Advocates an economic change rather than religious.

American and Franklin - Takes his personal life and uses it as a model for the ideal American.

Similar to Swift - Trying to collect all wisdom in the world and reproduce it abstractly. Yet, Franklin doesn't contract true nature of nation.

Moral Perfection (13 Virtues) - How to find/reduce virtues to only 13? Compare to Gulliver with Houyhnhnms, quest for perfection isolates one from society. Franklin wants to simply lead a good life, discovers that virtues will follow. Chart helps Franklin keep self-surveillance. Happy with this monitoring, delight in virtue.

Freewill - Rowlandson attributes all consequence/thought to God. Though Franklin recognizes providence, he says it does not exclude human will.

Curiosity - Exemplified here while satirized in Gulliver's Travels.

Castle of Otranto

Horace Walpole

(I)

Reaction to Enlightenment - Many, around this time, began to question reason. Thought to be undermining state, nature and God. Walpole sought to provide again what reason/Enlightenment took away.

2nd Edition - States that story came to him in a dream (This is similar to many other stories including Sketches)

Past - Whereas Pope attempts to mix past/present (past in Greek/Roman poets, allusion) Walpole's focus is on the gothic (more primitive, focused on past)

De-familiarization - Though recognized as false, individuals place themselves in story for moral experience, becomes very unusual 

Form of Gothic Novel - Needs intervention from another world, especially that of the dead. Must be combined with realistic characters

Walpoles interest in developing Manfred's unusual action/implausible characters - Women are fully subservient to the patriarchy. Usurped rule - he is not true leader. Anxiety, origin of actions, is from the question of legitimacy of rule. Paranoia of losing rule.

Not for age of Enlightenment

Characters a primitive replication of Shakespearian types

Themes - Tragedy, romance, secrets, etc. Abrupt changes in focal points

Code of Enigma - How long can author delay the appearance of event's truth, contingency of perception. Allowing the reader ample time for deliberation

Disruption of Romantic Framework - The "correct" marriage isn't actualized at the end. Impossibility of the domestic life. Complicates the natural or inevitable move of females in domestic living.

Intention Against Reason - Fate is the dominating factor in death and other life events

Notion of the Sublime - Pain has lasting effect, pleasure doesn't. Romantic view of nature is Wordsworth's identifiable factor. Pleasure in nature. Arises with absence of God, natural world.

Classic language to write about nature

Poet life = Holy life. A ministry in nature.

Piety through Nature - Anyone has the capacity to be a poet if they can recognize surrounding beauty. A dialectic between the self (poet) and nature. Looks at clouds to be inspired. 

Egotistical Sublime - Always ends up talking about himself with regards to this sublime quality

Longing for Innocence / Past - Raised in paradise of nature, thought focused on natural world despite moving around. This longing for past is in many other texts (ex. Sketches for Christmas)

Drifting Quality - Moves to and from ideas as best representing the mind's function. Not always coherent, the narrator textually displays his preoccupation and distraction by nature.

Individuality - By being wholly individual, focusing on the self, Wordsworth is actually alluding to a more extensive breadth of community - as we all seek unique quality

Poet - Not same poet as Pope but a poet who has been caught up in activity. His past, in nature's 'perfection' offers critique of present. Seeking old ways. "Chance collisions" conflict of living old ways in contemporary society

Higher Mind - Must be "dedicated spirit" to transcribe moments of natural revelation

Paradise Lost - Natural paradise lost when heading off to Cambridge. Retrieved in small pieces with outings. Memory as important to keep solace in moments away from nature.

Vanity - How can Wordsworth critique vanity of school peers while he is egotistical?  He has a base in natural world that allows him to critique his culture from a different perspective. "Spots of Time" that develop and fortify his virtue in the human psyche by his natural relations/meditations.

Memory - Wordsworth notes that happiness is in these minute, "Spots of Time" moments in time. A guide to help him stay on his path (compare to Pope's idea of reason guiding passion). Relates to mind's desire for the eternal. A human spirit that will continue forever to sustain spirit of natural world. Mind of nature = mind of poet. World continually calls individual into the natural relationship.