week7The Eighteenth Century English Literature--18世纪英国文学.doc

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1、TheEighteenthCenturyEnglishLiteratureI.HistoricalandsocialBackgroundThe18thcenturyisaperiodofcomparativelypeacefuldevelopmentinEngland.AftertheGloriousRevolution,EnglandenteredtheGoldenAge.ThestatepowerpassedfromthekinggraduallytotheParliamentandthecabinetministers;therefore,systemwa

2、sestablishedinEngland.AvastabroadofBritishcoloniesinAsia,AfricaandNorthAmericaandActsofathomecausedtheIndustrialRevolution.So,towardsthemiddleofthe19thcentury,Englandhadbecomethefirstpowerfulcapitalistcountry,thework-shopoftheworld,floodingthemarketsbothathomeandabroadwithitsmanufact

3、uredgoods.PopularagainandagainhitIreland;inScotlandpeoplewerethreateningofindependencefromtheBritishgovernment;andtheAmericanpeoplestartedtheirWarofIndependencein1776andfinallybrokeawayfromtheBritishgovernment.AstheIndustrialRevolutionwentoninitsfullswing,moreandmorepeoplejoinedthera

4、nkofthemiddleclassorthepropertiedclassthroughmuchhardwork.Morally,theystressedthevirtuesofself-discipline,thriftandhardwork.PeopledividedintotheliberalWhigs,whoweredeterminedtosafeguardpopularliberty,andtheconservativeTories,withtendermemoriesofkingcraft.OntheextremeofToryismwereJaco

5、bites.AndalmostallwritersoftheagewereservantsofWhigsorToriesduringtheircompetition.Ⅱ.CulturalBackground1.EnlightenmentThewasaprogressiveintellectualmovementthroughoutWesternEuropeinthe18thcentury.Itwasanexpressionofstruggleofthebourgeoisieagainstfeudalism.Theenlightenersfoughtagainst

6、classinequality,stagnation,prejudicesandothersurvivalsoffeudalism.Theythoughtthechiefmeansforbetteringthesocietywas"enlightenment"or"education"forthepeople.TheEnglishenlightenerswerebourgeoisdemocraticthinkers.Theysetnorevolutionaryaimbeforethemandwhattheystroveforwastobringittoanend

7、byclearingawaythefeudalideaswiththebourgeoisideology.Enlightenersfellintotwogroups-thegroupandtheradicalgroup.Moderateenlightenerssupportedtheprinciplesoftheexistingsocialorderandconsideredthatpartialreformswouldbesufficient.InthisgroupmaybeincludedchieflyAlexanderPope,JosephAddisona

8、ndRichardSte