Defoe and Swift - the Greatest Representatives of the Early Period of Enlightenment in the English Literature

The early period of Enlightenment began at the end of the seventeenth century and it was conditioned by the social and political situation in the country. During the eighteenth century British prosperity increased. Britain had many colonies; she had wars with other countries- Holland, France and Spain- for a commanding position in India and America. The commercial classes became active, now wealth was the main motivating power in society. The middle class people assumed a foremost place in English life and history. Men began to feel that society had a great influence on them and that it could be reformed. They wanted to improve the world by teaching it. The fiction writers of the eighteenth century started the movement for enlightening people. The spread of education and appearance of newspapers and magazines led to the increase of readers. In 1702 the first daily newspaper was established. Comedy, satire essays, political pamphlets and criticism were very popular. The writers of the day were dependent on the new reading public which had never before been greatly interested in literature. In previous periods the number of readers was comparatively small. Authors wrote largely for the upper class, but the main interest in this time was in man and in the origin of his good and evil qualities. The novel was used to teach human kindness, to frame philosophical or political ideas. Two English writers Defoe and Swift are representatives of this period witch are still reckoned among the master pieces of English literature.…