Literary Movement: Age of Reason 1750-1800

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Literary MovementAge of Reason1750-1800
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Historical Context

• 1763 French and Indian War ends
• 1773 Boston Tea Party
• 1775-1781 Revolutionary War
• 1776 Declaration of Independence is adopted
• 1793 Invention of cotton gin
• 1796 Development of smallpox vaccine
• 1800 Washington, D.C. is named the capital

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Worldview

• The Age of Reason is also known as the
  Enlightenment, a movement that began in Europe
  with the development of rationalism by scientists
  and philosophers.

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Worldview

• Rationalism the belief that human beings can
  arrive at truth by using reason, rather than by
  relying on the authority of the past, on
  religious faith, or on intuition.
• Rationalists believed in the perfectibility of
  humans through the use of reason (optimistic view
  of human nature).
• Deism the belief that God created the world but
  does not interfere with its workings.
• God clockmaker (Sir Isaac Newton)

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Common Elements of the Literature

• Most literature from this time period is rooted
  in reality.
• Literature was often intended to serve practical
  or political ends.
• This is considered the age of pamphlets.

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Famous Authors

• Benjamin Franklin Autobiography, Poor Richards
  Almanac
• Patrick Henry Speech to the Virginia
  Convention
• Thomas Paine The Crisis, No.1 Common Sense
• Thomas Jefferson The Declaration of Independence

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The Autobiography and Poor Richards
AlmanacAbout the Author

• Benjamin Franklin
• Born in Boston, one of 17 children
• Later settled in Philadelphia
• Jack of all trades
• A printer by trade
• A diplomatrepresented Philadelphia
• in London later represented the U.S.
• in negotiations with France
• A Founding Fatherhelped draft the
• Declaration of Independence and was
• a member of the Constitutional Convention in
  1787
• Popular throughout the world because of his wit
  and charm
• The ultimate self-made American
• A man of practicality

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The Autobiography

• Context of the Work
• Franklins own account of his journey to success
  and toward perfection
• A classic rags-to-riches story shows the triumph
  of the self-made American
• The unquestioned masterpiece of the American Age
  of Reason (Elements of Literature)
• Literary Focus
• In an autobiography, the writer tells the story
  of his or her own life.

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The Autobiography

• Review Leaving Boston / Arrival in
  Philadelphia
• Why did Franklin choose to leave Boston?
• Trace Franklins journey from Boston to
  Philadelphia. Transportation? Accommodations?
• What do the details of Franklins journey suggest
  about his character?
• Franklin has no money and is very hungry. Why
  does he insist on paying for his passage on the
  boat?
• What does Franklins trip to the bakery suggest
  about travel and currency in the eighteenth
  century?
• Franklin appears on the streets of Philadelphia
  in tattered clothes, with his pockets stuffed
  with stockings, a roll under each arm, and his
  mouth full of the roll he is eating. This
  description has become very famous. Why do you
  think it appeals to people?

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The Autobiography

• Review Arriving at Moral Perfection
• Describe Franklins plan for achieving
  perfection.
• What metaphor does Franklin use to compare the
  process of eliminating the black dots on his
  virtue chart?
• Franklin writes about arriving at moral
  perfection just as he had earlier written about
  his arrival in Philadelphia. What does this
  similarity of language reveal about Franklins
  philosophical assumptions?
• How would a Puritan (such as Jonathan Edwards)
  respond to Franklins plan for moral success?
• Which of Franklins virtues do you think is most
  important? Least important? Why?

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Poor Richards Almanac

• Context of the Work
• Almanacs calculated the tides and phases of the
  moon, forecast the weather for the next year, and
  even provided astrological advice.
• Poor Richard was the fictional narrator of the
  almanac. He was an astrologer with a critical
  wife named Bridget.
• Many of his sayings are taken from other
  languages, other cultures, and other writers.
• Literary Focus
• An aphorism is a short, witty saying that offers
  a significant truth about life.

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Poor Richards Almanac

• Review
• Would Poor Richard agree or disagree with the
  following statements? Support your answer with
  reference to specific aphorisms.
• Even close friends need some privacy from each
  other.
• Live for tomorrow.
• May all your wishes come true.
• There is dignity in hard work.
• A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
• Which of his sayings is your favorite, and why?
• Can you identify any common thread linking these
  aphorisms together? What character qualities
  does Poor Richard encourage?

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Speech to the Virginia Convention

• About the Author Patrick Henry
• A lawyer who served as a representative in the
  Virginia House of Burgesses
• Two famous speeches
• Treason speech opposing the Stamp Act
• Speech to the Virginia Convention (Give me
  liberty, or give me death) speech encouraging
  the colonists to arm themselves against the
  British
• Said to have plunged an ivory letter opener
  toward his chest while crying, Give me liberty,
  or give me death!

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Speech to the Virginia Convention

• Context of the Work
• Delivered March 23, 1775 to the Virginia House of
  Burgesses
• Henry delivered this speech following several
  speeches from the Loyalist side.
• The Convention then voted to take up arms against
  the British.
• No manuscript exists the speech was pieced
  together by Henrys biographer, William Wirt.
• Literary Focus
• Logical appeals are meant to appeal to the
  audiences mind consist of reasons and evidence.
• Emotional appeals are meant to appeal to the
  audiences feelings often presented with strong,
  connotative language.

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Speech to the Virginia Convention

• Review
• What does Henry believe is at the heart of the
  debate?
• Identify metaphors used by Henry in the third and
  fourth paragraphs. How do these metaphors
  contribute to his purpose?
• In the fifth paragraph, Henry makes use of
  rhetorical questions. How do they make Henrys
  speech more persuasive?
• What does Henry foresee happening if the country
  does not fight the British?
• Because his audience was familiar with the Bible
  and classical mythology, Henry knew certain
  allusions would produce certain effects. Find
  two allusions in Henrys speech. How would each
  allusion relate to the conflicts in Virginia in
  1775?
• What elements of Henrys styleword choice,
  figurative language, rhetorical questionsare
  most effective in his speech?

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The Crisis, No. 1

• About the Author Thomas Paine
• A radical revolutionarysupported American
  independence and the French Revolution
  encouraged the overthrow of the British King
• Famous Works
• Common Sense pamphlet in favor of American
  independence
• The Rights of Man a document calling the
  British to overthrow their king
• The Age of Reason a critique of institutional
  religion laid out the principles of deism
  (EOL)

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The Crisis, No. 1

• Context of the Work
• Written in 1776 to urge exhausted, discouraged
  Continental troops to keep up the fight against
  the British
• One in a series of sixteen pamphlets
• Read to Washingtons troops in December 1776
  before their attack on Trenton, New Jersey
• Literary Focus
• An analogy is a comparison made between two
  things to show how they are alike.
• An anecdote is a brief story told to illustrate a
  point or serve as an example of something.
• A writers style is the distinctive way that he
  or she uses language.
• Components sentence structure, diction, use of
  figurative language and imagery