Point of View of Gullivers Travels and The Sorrows of Young Werther - Literature review Example

Neo ic Point of View Vs. Romantic Point of View. An Analysis of “Gulliver’s Travels”, “Candide”, and “The Sorrows of Young Werther” The eighteenth century was a century of great change and progress in the Western world. It was the century during which new scientific theories were propounded with far reaching consequences. The theories of Copernicus had challenged the long held beliefs of the people and the Church. The Devine Right of kings was being challenged. King Charles I of Britain was beheaded and Cromwell came into power for a short time With more and more commoners becoming wealthy through trade, the old social order was changing throughout the Western world. This general upheaval in social order had its influence on art and literature also. There was an emphasis on classical conventions and style. The restoration of the monarchy to Charles II of England in 1660 marks the beginning of the Neoclassical period in English literature, with its emphasis on restraint, logic and rationalism. It lasted from 1660 to 1798, when the Romantic Movement with its emphasis on imagination and nature began . Written in the latter part of the eighteenth century, “Gulliver’s Travels” by Jonathan Swift and “Candide” by Voltaire are examples of Neoclassicism in English and French literature respectively, exhibiting elements of Neoclassicism such as reason , restraint and clarity While “Gulliver’s Travels” portrays Neoclassical elements of clarity, superiority of reason and experimentation,, at the same time digressing from Neoclassicism by giving vent to imagination., .”Candide” exhibits the typical Neoclassical reaction against optimism and exuberance .In his iconoclastic ideas about God and the Church, Voltaire strays from Neoclassical Theory. “The Sorrows of Young Werther “written by Goethe exhibits elements of Romanticism like love of nature, imagination and emotion, as well as some elements of Neoclassicism like form and structure and “correctness”.. “Gulliver’s Travels” by Jonathan Swift is an enduring classic beloved by both young and old. Although when he wrote the book in 1789, Swift meant it to be a satire on the existing society of the time, the book became instantly popular as a children’s book, which it has continued to be to the present times. Like “Gulliver’s Travels”, Voltaire’s Candide was also written during the same period. Both the books describe the fantastic adventures of the protagonists who travel to different parts of the world and encounter unforeseen problems. On the other hand, “The Sorrows of Young Werther” by Goethe, written in the same period of late eighteenth century, is a sort of autobiography of the author. Goethe later distanced himself from the work, although the book was instrumental in bringing fame and recognition to him. In fact the book became so famous that there was a spate of copycat suicides , and it became fashionable for high born young men of European nations to visit Weimar as a part of their ‘Grand Tour’. Neoclassicism came into being after the Renaissance. It rejected the optimistic view of the Renaissance thinkers that man was essentially good and is capable of great spiritual and intellectual growth. On the contrary, the Neoclassical theorists maintained that man was fundamentally weak and sinful .Influenced by the great strides in experimental science that were taking place at the time, the Neoclassicists emphasized experimentation and rational thinking as opposed to imagination. . The English Neoclassicism was influenced by the French and German models .It was an attitude to art and life in which man was seen as a rational creature. The ideas of form, restraint, logic and adherence to rules dominated the art forms of the period, so that the artists harked back to the structure of the Roman and Greek art forms. Restraint, Correctness, form and structure were some of the elements emphasized by the Neoclassical theorists. Natural passions are restrained in Neoclassical writings. Preferring not to reflect on the sublime, the Neoclassicists took a logical and scientific view, extolling intellect, not imagination, nor mysticism. They preferred restraint, clarity and rules of composition. Their preferred mode of writing was the satire, the essay and the letter, through which they tried to instruct, correct and educate their fellow human beings. Some of the main theorists of Neoclassicism were Pope, Dryden and Samuel Johnson. Pope advocates the rules of elegant writing in his Essay on Criticisms (1711) Pope models his essay on Horace’s writings. He is of the view that besides knowledge, a critic should have honesty and humility in putting forth his views. “Nay, fly to the altars, there they’ll talk you dead For fools rush in where angels fear to tread” he warns. Dryden was another Neoclassical theorist whose creative work followed the Neoclassical rules. For Dryden, rhyme was a conscious effort, not inspirational. Admirer of the Greek satire, he classified types of satires. Another famous exponent of Neoclassicism was Dr. Samuel Johnson. Johnson was a poet, lexicographer and essayist. He was one of the most influential writers of his time. Although he advocated the Neoclassical standard of morals in writing, he admired Shakespeare, and recognized his greatness.( encyclopedia.jrank.org) Gulliver’s encounter with a ‘floating or flying island’ in his travels to Laputa .is an example of the love of experiments that the Neoclassicists exhibited. “But at the same time the reader can hardly conceive my astonishment to behold an island in the air, inhabited by men, who were able (as it should seem) to raise and sink, or put it into progressive motion as they pleased”. (Swift, PartIII, chapter 1) The ‘floating or flying island’ was controlled by a loadstone. In Chapter 3, Swift describes the workings of the ‘flying or floating island’ .”But the greatest curiosity upon which the fate of the island depends , is a lodestone of a prodigious size, in shape resembling a weaver’s shuttle”( Swift , ch 3) Swift goes on to give the exact dimensions of the magnet and the mechanism which makes it work, thus instructing the reader and conforming to the principles of Neoclassicism. Clarity of expression is another element of Neoclassic movement. Jonathan Swift, a rationalist, writes clear and simple prose which can be understood easily, in “Gulliver’s Travels” “Gulliver’s Travels” was so clearly written that even children could understand it. Another element of Neoclassicism is the exaltation of reason . According to David Daiches, “It is here that we see most clearly how Swift’e exaltation of reason leads to anti-intellectualism. Speculative thought is ridiculous” (Daiches ch 16, p 616)The flappers whose job is to recall their masters from their speculation to the matter on hand is a satire ridiculing speculative thought. Being an “enlightened” writer, Swift describes some of the incidents in the book which had a clear bearing to contemporary events in England and Europe. He describes the Academy of Logado in Chapter 5. He meets professors who are engaged in various projects ranging from one for extracting sunbeams out of cucumbers to one “operation to reduce human excrement to its original food” (Swift. partIII, ch 5) By the incisive satire, Swift is attacking useless scholarship and vain philosophy Restraint of natural passions is another element followed by the Neoclassicists including Jonathan Swift. Although he is disgusted and horrified by the poverty to which the people of Lagado are reduced to by the ‘Projects’, Gulliver is always circumspect in his language, never giving vent to his emotions. Swift wrote “Gulliver’s Travels “ at an age when accounts of travels to distant lands was popular. Although the book is written in a matter- of- fact style, Swift has used his imagination with good effect. In this he deviates from the principles of Neoclassicism. Swift’s description of the’ floating or flying island’, while making use of logic and scientific language, is still based completely on imagination. “Candide”, written by the French writer Voltaire, bears a great resemblance to “Gulliver,s Travels”. In both the works the protagonists are innocent young men who travel to strange new places and encounter many trials and tribulations. Voltaire was inspired to write “Candide’ by the Seven Year War and the Great earthquake of Lisbon which was followed by tsunami and fires , in 1755. He satirizes the Optimistic worldview of the earlier thinkers in the book, thus conforming to the main element of the theory of Neoclassicism. Candide, an innocent young man was taught by his tutor Pangloss that everything has a cause and effect and that this is the best possible world. Candide is caught by the Bulgarian militia and brutalized, but he continues to think that it is ‘the best of all possible worlds’.. Voltaire uses a matter-of-fact tone while describing the greatest horrors In Chapter 3, he describes the massacre carried out by the armies at war.. “The entertainment began by a discharge of cannon, which , in the twinkling of an eye, laid flat about 6000 men on each side. The musket bullets swept away , out of all possible worlds, nine or ten thousand scoundrels which infested its surface” (Voltaire, ch 3) Voltaire mocks at the optimists by referring to “the best of all possible worlds” In this passage we see an example of restraint while writing about the most horrific incidents of war. The same restraint of language can be seen when he describes the horrors of the earthquake and the ensuing tsunami and fires in Lisbon in chapter 5. In the midst of the destruction and havoc caused by the earthquake and tsunami, the ever optimistic Pangloss engages to console the suffering inhabitants . “But Pangloss endeavored to comfort them under this affliction by affirming that things could not be otherwise than they were”.(Voltaire , chapter 5).Voltaire’s antipathy to the Liebnitzian theory of optimism is evidenced in this passage. Reason, logic and reasonableness are the hallmarks of Neoclassical writing. Voltaire amply shows these characteristics in “Candide” Without exaggerating any event, the author describes the horrors of the war, and the terrible natural calamity that took place in Portugal. Throughout the account, his tone is reasonable so that he satirizes the events. An example is the action of the sailor in Chapter 5, who, immediately after the earthquake in Lisbon, robs the dead and injured to get drunk and find a wench. Voltaire breaks away from Neoclassicism when he shows his skepticism about the all-loving God. An aspect of Neoclassicism was a belief in God and religion. In “Candide, Voltaire satirizes the religious leaders, which cost him dearly as his book was banned in many countries as heretical. In chapter 3 of Candide, the man haranguing “a numerous assembly for a whole hour on the subject of charity” refuses to give charity to Candide who desperately wanted a meal .Later, it is mentioned that the Pope was an antichrist., a clear deflection from Neoclassicism. While both “Gulliver’s Travels” and “Candide” are satires, a form of literary writing much favored by the Neoclassicists, “The Sorrows of Young Werther” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is in the form of letters, also a structure favored by the neoclassicists. With “young Werther” began the ‘Sturm und Drang’ movement (Storm and Stress movement) in Germany, as a reaction against the restraint and decorum enjoined by the Neoclassical movement. The Romantic movement which came later is in many ways similar to this movement. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the main elements of theory of Romanticism were “ a deepened appreciation of the beauties of nature, a general exaltation of emotion over reason, and senses over intellect, a turning in upon the self” (Encyclopedia p.161) Other aspects of the movement were the importance given to the artist’s imagination and creative abilities at the cost of rules and procedures. Romanticism encouraged emotional literary expression .by inventing new forms and techniques. The language of the common man was used and in poetry, folk forms like ballads were written According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “The motto was not common sense, but courage”. Wodsworth’s words in his Preface to the second edition of “The Lyrical Ballads” sums up the theory of Romanticism, in which he describes poetry as the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” On seeing “The Sorrows of Young Werther” through the lens of Romanticism, we are struck by the number of elements of Romanticism seen in this work. His description of the village Walheim and the beautiful linden trees conforms to the Romantic idea of appreciation of the beauties of nature. Describing Waldheim, the author says,”The chief charm of this spot consists in two linden trees, spreading their enormous branches over the little green before the church……I have seldom seen a place so retired and peaceable” (Goethe, May 26, p. 20) When, in the letter of May 17, he says, “In her presence could I not display to its fullest extent , that mysterious feeling with which my heart embraces nature?” (Goethe May 17, p. 13) , the author is alluding to the transcendental peace attained through an empathy with nature, which is the hallmark of the Romantic movement. He continues in this strain in his letter of May 26, extolling nature, “She alone is inexhaustible, and capable of forming the greatest masters”. (Goethe, May 26, p. 21)He ejaculates in exasperation, “Can we never take pleasure in nature without having recourse to art?” (Goethe May 30, p. 27) Another element of the Romntic movement is the exaltation of emotion over reason, which can be seen in the protagonist when he sees Charlotte and immediately falls deeply in love with her. “I ramble through the woods and when I return to Charlotte, and find Albert sitting by her side in the summer-house in the garden, I am unable to bear it , I behave like a fool and commit a thousand extravagances.”(Goethe , July 30, p. 88) Werther cannot contain his emotions. He gives them rein over reason and continues to suffer. He is so carried away by his emotions that he decides to leave the place, only to return again after some time. Even the passage of time does not diminish his ardor. Charlotte is moved by pity for him, which also causes her suffering. The emotions of anguish caused by unrequited love and pity are portrayed so graphically in the book, that it became a best seller of the period. Since self discipline was not a strong point of the protagonist, he finally commits suicide. Although “The Sorrows of Young Werther “ contain many major elements of the Romantic Movement, it cannot be classed under Romanticism as it also contains some Neoclassical elements. The work is in the form of letters, a form favored by the Neoclassicists. The work adheres strictly to the rules of form. Another element of Neoclassicism found in “Werther” is the “correctness” with which both Werther and Charlotte behave. Charlotte, though moved by pity and something akin to love for Werther, is always faithful to her husband. Neither does Werther behave with anything but decorum. The insult suffered by Werther at the Count’s gathering portrays the existing class devide of the times. Thus we see that Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels” in English and Voltaire’s “Candide” in French are works which show elements of the theory of Neoclassicism , while Goethe’s “The Sorrows of Young Werther” exhibits many elements of Romanticism, while at the same time retaining some elements of Neoclassicism.A biting satire on the existing society, government, and establishment, “Gulliver’s Travels” satirizes speculation and non productive imagination, and the intellectuals . Voltaire uses a matter –of – fact tone to describe the most horrific incidents in history like the war and earthquake. Using the epistolatory form of writing, Goethe portrays a young man who is sensitive, talented and intelligent, who feels trapped by society’s rules, and becomes a victim of his own unrestrained emotions. We see that while Neoclassicism gave importance to restraint and clarity, focusing on reality as in “Candide”, Romanticism focused more on the imaginary and the creative, which is seen in ”Young Werther” The Romanticcists’ love of nature is amply evidenced in “Young Werther’, who is finally buried under his beloved linden trees. The Romanticists’ encouragement of the individual’s feelings and behavior as opposed to the Neoclassicists’ practice of writing about general universal human behavior is evident in “The Sorrows of Young Werther.” Works cited Daiches, David. A Critical History of English Literature Vol.3 .Allied Publishers Limited. New Delhi.2000. Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol 3 and Vol 10, 15th Edition. London 2003 http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/5415/Neoclassical-Poetics.html Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, The Sorrows of Young Werther EasyRead Large Edition.. Publisher: www.Read How You Want.com Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver’s Travels Part III A Voyage to Laputa, Barnibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubrib and Japan Ed. Paul Turner, The World’s Classics.Oxford University Press, Oxford. 1986. Voltaire, Francois-Marie Arouet. Candide. Courier Dover Publications, New York. 1991. .. . . Read More