Overview

The 18th and 19th centuries were rich with philosophical inquiry, revolutionary ideals, industrial change, and a deepening exploration of human experience. Literature from this period captures the Enlightenment’s reason and order, Romanticism’s emotion and individualism, and Victorian realism’s concern with morality and society.

Key Themes and Authors

• 18th Century – Enlightenment and Satire:
  • Jonathan Swift – Gulliver’s Travels: Satirical critique of politics, science, and human pride.
  • Voltaire – Candide: Irony and optimism in a world of suffering.
  • Samuel Johnson – Essays on virtue, language, and reason.
• 19th Century – Romanticism and Realism:
  • Mary Shelley – Frankenstein: Ethics of creation, isolation, and the sublime.
  • Charles Dickens – Great Expectations, Oliver Twist: Social inequality, class struggle, and redemption.
  • Leo Tolstoy – Anna Karenina: Psychological realism and moral conflict.
• Recurring Themes: Rationalism vs. emotion, social injustice, nature and the sublime, individual conscience, reform and revolution, class and morality.

Quick Tip

These centuries are a mirror of transition. Look for shifts from satire to sincerity, reason to rebellion, and society to self. Understanding tone and historical context will deepen interpretation.