18th-Century Literature: Pirates, Princes and Prostitutes - Essay Example

?18th-Century Literature: Pirates, Princes and Prostitutes The prolonged eighteenth century comprises of the period between 1688 and 1832, commencingwith the magnificent uprising when James II was superseded by William II. The period ended with the Reform Act of 1832. The eighteenth century literature may be complicated to comprehend. The subject matter seems isolated and the approach of writing is very different from todays’ authors. For the first segment of the eighteenth century, the writers supposed that they should impersonate the natural world. However, from the mid century onwards they paid an increasing attention to imagination (Day & Keegan, 2009, pp.1-5). Literature communicates the thoughts and passions of authors which have a significant influence on the lives of people. (Stephen, 1994, p.1) In the eighteenth century literature, interest was mainly focused on the practical form of life either of culture as a whole or of one’s own community group or set. The majority of authors belonged by origin or society to the upper societal division and inclined to overstress its false customs, often looking with disdain on the other classes (Braudel, 1992, p.184). To them, the conservative good breeding, well conduct, pleasures, and the principles were the only ingredient of life a lot worth appraisal. The effort of the moralists carried over with remarkable sincerity into the literature. It was long-established to apply ethical values to the presentation of a human personality but it was an innovative thing to give too much of consideration to the identification and defining the superior as in fact found in a character and in humanity. This attention was now shared as never earlier by the qualified philosophers and the admired writers (Sanyal, 2006, pp.2-17). Several literature included writings on pirates, princes and prostitutes, who are in general considered as outsiders to a society. The study reveals the insights of the authors’ perceptions on the outsiders of the society, represented by the pirates, prices, or the prostitutes, in their views in the eighteenth century literature. Eighteenth Century Authors’ Perception on “The Outsiders” With the help of famous stories written during the eighteenth century, the perceptions of authors regarding the outsiders meaning the pirates, princes, and prostitutes, can be reflected. Through the stories it can be understood as to how these people used to be treated or accepted in the society. Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) was a businessman, correspondent, and an inexhaustible author. Many of Defoe's works are loaded with quirk of fate. Defoe’s story Roxana or The Fortunate Mistress is a classic writing that was published in 1724. It is believed to be a life story of Madamoselle Beleau, the beautiful daughter of French Protestant refugees. She was brought up in England and wedded to a worthless son of an English brewer. The story deals with how she suffers after her marriage and even more after the death of her husband. Another famous autobiography was written by Olaudah Equiano, or, Gustavus Vassa, the African who was born in Nigeria. He was “kidnapped and sold” into captivity in his early days and taken as a slave to a different world. Through a book called The Interesting Narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, he described how he in due course earned the value of his own liberty by careful “trading and saving”. The book had been a best seller and also furthered an anti-slavery cause (Carey, n.d.). John Gay (1685-1732) was another famous personality known particularly for his writing, The Beggar’s Opera. In the story the recipient of stolen merchandise, Peachum, has a beneficial dealing with Macheath. However, Polly who is the daughter of Peachum falls in love with the offender. Peachum reports against Macheath, who is captive in Newgate, in order to save the prize and to get relief of his son-in-law. The daughter of the warden also falls for him and he takes this chance to flee (Liukkonen & Pesonen, 2008). Through the stories the lives of those people get reflected who are considered as outsiders of the society, and ill treated, and not accepted within the society. However, it is a matter of fact that these people, be the pirates or the prostitutes, their lives are led to such circumstances mostly forcefully. Owing to them, many people may suffer, but, their sufferings are not counted. Roxana, The Beggar’s opera, and the biography of Olaudah Equiano, thus reflects the stories behind their real lives, and how authors represent them. Roxana or The Fortunate Mistress: Roxana who was a very beautiful, tall girl, was born in France, and was brought to England by her parents when she very small. She started living her life there, including her studies and her friends. She got married at an early age of “fifteen” with a person who according to her, was very handsome, and a sportsman, but by nature was a “fool”. She was not happy with him. Gradually, her husband failed in his business, and one day, quite surprisingly, left his family which also included their five children (Defoe, 2007, pp.1-8). Roxana’s life went into a “dejected condition” and such a life continued for long. On asking for help for herself and her children, from the near and dear ones, she did not get any assistance. However, she had her maid, Amy, who was very loyal to her and loved her with her heart. She thought out ways by which the five children could be saved (Defoe, 1855, pp.8-18). While Roxana was living her life in this “dejected condition”, she entered into a “new scene of life”. The news of her husband’s death had come. And her landlord to whom she had not paid rents for a long time, nor there were any further chances of payments, fell in love with her, and gradually this led them enter into a new relationship, where she had also had two children from him. However, the unfortunate part of the story lies in that her gentleman was too, robbed and killed, and her life again became “dejected and disconsolate”. However, he had left her with enough funds which pulled her put completely from a life of poverty. Her gentleman was a jeweler and the news of his death had become public. It was at this point of time in Roxana’s life that a Prince sent his “condolence” to her, and a new story in the life of Roxana was about to begin. The Prince started visiting her regularly, and gradually a relationship between them ignited. As the author says, “how unhappy women are ruined by great men; for though poverty and want is an irresistible temptation to the poor, vanity and great things are as irresistible to others” (Defoe, 1855, pp.19-54). Days passed and one day it was found that Roxana’s first husband was alive. Looking back at Roxana’s life, she was “wondered at” herself, having the realization how she “prostitute” herself for gain. Again and again, men came into her life, and she made love with them, and when they had to leave they left her with plenty of resources to keep her life safe. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: This is a story of Olaudah Equiano who was born in 1745 in Nigeria. At his age of about eleven, he was “kidnapped and sold” to slave traders and moved to West Indies. Much of Equiano's time in slavery was spent serving the captains of slave ships and British fleet vessels. One of his masters, Henry Pascal assigned Equiano a new name - Gustavas Vassa (Author, 1789). While he was purchased by kings or captains of ships, Equiano had traveled widely throughout the world. He was permitted to involve in his own trade and business which were minor in nature but that somehow helped him to save enough for him to buy him freedom in the later part of his years (Equiano, 2004, pp.4-20). Although his journey began by his getting kidnapped, yet he did not end his life in this manner. He continued with his studies, managed to engage himself in a small business, and save resources for himself, with which he freed himself. He established in England in 1767, and attended school. He also worked as “an assistant to scientist Dr. Charles Irving”. Equiano travelled a lot, making a number of voyages to Turkey, Portugal, Italy, Jamaica, Grenada, and North America. Equiano toured all through Great Britain as an “abolitionist and author”. He also settled with Susanna Cullen in 1792, and had two daughters. He died in London in 1797. (Equiano, Vassa, 2008, pp.4-34) The Beggar’s Opera: The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay is a sardonic drama with “over 60 short songs”. The word 'opera' is used sarcastically in the name and the play takes many occasions to punch mock at the principles of classical opera. The play ridicules, through the events and discourses of the “criminal characters”, the ethical values of “politicians and the upper classes” in broad-spectrum. Quite a few well-known figures of the era are introduced all the way through the play, and considering them represented as common criminals strike a harmony with spectators in the 18th century that still reverberates in the present day (Introbeggar, n.d.). Peachum, who is a thief-catcher and also a “seller of stolen goods”, and his wife are worried “that their daughter Polly is in love” with one of the thieves, MacHeath, and that they have married each other secretly. The parents make up a “plan to get MacHeath arrested” and executed. MacHeath comes to know of this plot from Polly, and though he makes plans for his escape, gets caught and arrested. In the jail, MacHeath takes advantage of the Jailer’s daughter, Lucy. He makes love with her, and promising to marry her, makes a way out of jail. However, he is arrested again, and both Polly and Lucy tried to plead their fathers for his release. At the end, MacHeath finds a partner for all the women with whom he made love and kept Polly for himself (Gay, 1760, pp.9-280). Representation of “The Outsiders” in the Eighteenth Century: The stories of the pirates, princes, or the prostitutes, who are considered as the outsiders of the society, as narrated by the authors of the eighteenth century, clearly reveal how such narratives functioned as a way of critiquing an emergent commercial in England, Britain, and the wider world. The authors through their writings in the eighteenth century provides the most undesirable demonstration of the intensifying surge of “commercialism and consumerism” in the early eighteenth century. The effects of commercialization come out at the face of human activities (Gonzalez, 2002, pp.iv-230). The stories emphasize on the diminution of human relations to commercial dealings. Even the marriage practices of the eighteenth century clearly get evoked through the tales, where transaction of money lies to be a major issue. Sex appears to be hardly anything more than a business, as represented by the authors. No difference can be obtained between the search of love and money, and it highlights the character of a culture utterly subjugated by wealth. The way thieves and criminals have been represented by the authors, the way criminals have been shown to become celebrities, it seems that commerce to a great extent depended on such crimes (Gonzalez, 2002, pp.228-235). Conclusion: The stories narrated clearly throws light on the eighteenth century literature when authors, in their writings, expressed the lives of princes, pirates or prostitutes, who are considered as outsiders of the society. As the life of Roxana can be studied, she initially lived a life of unhappiness with her “fool”-ish husband; but when the news of her husband’s death was received by her, her life changed. She allowed herself to different men at different points of time in her life, which included her landlord, or the prince. She made love with them, married them, and in turn received all happiness in terms of a rich life that she wanted (Kahn, 1991, pp.82-90). To look back at her life, she realizes too that she made herself a prostitute to gain the richness. If the story of Olaudah Equiano is seen, his life had become a complete misery when he was kidnapped and sold to slaves of piracy. This throws light on how the literature in the eighteenth century looked at the pirates in the sea life (Brooks-Tyreman & Smith, 2000, p.12). However, this story has a positive consequence as the protagonist does not waste his life, but takes every advantage to free him and lead a proper life. In The Beggar’s Opera, one can see how a thief, for his own purpose, falsely makes love to different ladies, while having a true love waiting for him. But the women love him so truly that when he was in trouble, these women prayed for his good (Pearce, 1973, pp.9-228). Thus, the eighteenth century authors can be seen to be typically expressing their views on the outsiders of the society. Through their writings, they gave detailed thoughts on the lives of such pirates, princes, or prostitutes. The authors perceived these people as low, and through their writings detailed as to how they spent their lives. However, the writings also explain that even though these people are considered out of the society, their lives also have difficult stories to share, which may not be visible from an outside view. References 1. Author. (1789). The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Documenting the American South, available at: http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/equiano1/summary.html (accessed on July 02, 2011) 2. Braudel, F. (1992). Civilization and Capitalism, 15th-18th Century: The structure of everyday life. California: University of California Press 3. Brooks-Tyreman, A. & Smith, K. (2000). Britain, 1750-1900. United Kingdom: Heinemann 4. Carey, B. (2000). Olaudah Equiano, or, Gustavus Vassa, the African, brycchancarey, available at: http://www.brycchancarey.com/equiano/ (accessed on July 02, 2011) 5. Day, G. & Keegan, B. (2009). The eighteenth-century literature handbook. London: Continuum International Publishing Group 6. Defoe, D. (1855). Roxana; or, The fortunate mistress. England: H. G. Bohn 7. Defoe, D. (2007). Roxana. United States: Wildside Press LLC 8. Equiano, O. (2004). The Interesting Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah Equiano, Volume 1. Montanna: Kessinger Publishing 9. Gay, J. (1760). The beggar's opera. Edinburgh: E. and J. Robertsons 10. Gonzalez, D. (2002). The Culture of Crime, A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, lsu, Retrieved on July 02, 2011 from: http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-0418102-024341/unrestricted/Gonzalez_dis.pdf 11. Introbeggar. (n.d.). Introduction to The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay, Introbeggar, available at: www.kentaylor.co.uk/die/drama_UK/ALevel/IntroBeggar.doc (accessed on July 02, 2011) 12. Kahn, M. (1991). Narrative transvestism: rhetoric and gender in the eighteenth-century. New York: Cornell University Press 13. Liukkonen, P. & Pesonen, A. (2008). John Gay, Books and Writers, available at: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/jgay.htm (accessed on July 02,2011) 14. Merriman, C.D. (2009). Daniel Defoe, The Literature Network, available at: http://www.online-literature.com/defoe/ (accessed on July 02, 2011) 15. Pearce, C.E. (1973). Polly Peachum The Story of Lavinia Fenton and the Beggar's Opera. Boston: Ayer Publishing 16. Sanyal, L. (2006). English Literature in Eighteenth Century. India: Discovery Publishing House 17. Stephen, L. (1994). English Literature and Society in the Eighteenth Century. India: Atlantic Publishers & Dist Read More