18th Century and the Rise of the

English Novel
The novel considered one of the most important art forms
in the English language. This is because it affects grand
aspects of the language and is now considered an integral
part of the art. However, the rise of the English novel
occurred primarily in the 18th century; this does not mean
that there was no form of a novel before this time. It only
means that there was an increase of novels and novelists
during this period.

The English novel is an integral part of English literature .

The novel is a work of art that deals with the imagination
to explore the diverse experiences of humans through
interwoven events of a select people and setting.

Also, it is a genre of fiction that has been a medium of

entertainment, information, or a blend of both. In this
light, any art piece that is long enough to be adapted as a
book can be said to have achieved “novel hood.”

A Highlight of the 18th Century

The 18th century, the term is used to refer to the 1700s.
This is the century between, 1700, and, 1799. This period
witnessed a great revolution that shook the society
structure of its time. The elements of enlightened thinking
were at the fore of this revolution. This was experienced in
the French, American, and Haitian revolutions.

In retrospect, a more profound sense of appreciation can

be ascribed to this revolution that was seen as a threat but
somehow without this revolution, a lot of works we in
presently would not have been a thing to imagine, think,
talk more of experience.

This century was called the „century of Light‟ or the

„Century of Reason.‟ By this, you can tell that several
changed were happened.

This Age of Reason, also called the Enlightenment. From

thinkers in Britain to France and even throughout Europe.
These thinkers began to question the traditional norms
they were born into and had adopted through their lives.

These thinkers has rational thinking, logic and knew that

their lives and reality as a whole were never going to be
the same. They discovered that their lives as humans and
others‟ lives, can be enhanced through rational thinking.

In an essay called, „What Is Enlightenment?‟ (1784),

Immanuel Kant, the German philosopher said „Dare to
know! Have courage to use your own reason!‟ era. Not
only Immanuel Kant‟s essay came to thrive, but also an
influx of other essays. This era saw the evolution of
literature.
Also, it gave life to numerous essays, inventions, books,
laws, scientific discoveries, revolutions, and wars. The
major revolutions, the American and French Revolutions,
were influenced by the 18th century.

Just like childbirth, a mother goes through all the birth

pangs in lieu of the joy she gets to carry through life. The
18th century is a cause of birth to the 19th-century
Romantic Era or Romanticism.

History of the English novel

The 18th century marked the period where novels were
distributed on a large scale, and a certain level of demand
arose among English readers. This demand is also due to
people‟s desire for reading about everyday events, events
which went on to shape the lives and actions of fictional
characters. Some of the earliest novels include Robinson
Crusoe and Tom Jones which were respectively written
by Daniel Defoe and Henry Fielding.

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe was first published

on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work’s
protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author and
therefore many readers thought that the book was the
biography of a real person.
It happened that this century was replete with literature in
all its forms – poetry, drama, satire, and novels especially.
This period saw the development of the modern novel as a
major literary genre. Many novelists who revolutionized
the sphere of this literature genre can be dated back to
this century. Novelists like:

1. Thomas Malory, Le Morte d‟Arthur also known as Le

Morte Darthur
2. William Baldwin, who authored Beware the Cat
3. Margaret Cavendish – The Description of a New
World, also called The Blazing-World
4. John Lyly, Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit (1578), and
Euphues and his England (1580)
5. Jonathan Swift – Gulliver‟s Travels
6. Philip Sidney -The Countess of Pembroke‟s Arcadia
(a.k.a. Arcadia) (1581)
7. Jonathan Swift – A Tale of a Tub published in 1704
8. William Caxton‟s translation of Geoffroy de la Tour
Landry – The Book of the Knight of the Tower,
originally in French and was published in 1483
9. Daniel Defoe -The Consolidator in 1705

10. Some of the most influential novels of the

18th century
These are some of the earliest novels, including Robinson
Crusoe and Tom Jones, written by Daniel Defoe and Henry
Fielding, respectively. Also, the theater as an art form was
not available to every member of the population.

The novel was popular because it could reach a larger

audience, even those who could not afford a ticket into a
theater. It is also important to note that during this period,
drama had begun to decline in England. The growth of the
novel can also be attributed to the need of individuals to
create something new, something different.

The social and intellectual circle longed for something

completely new yet individualized. The people wanted
stories that mirrored their own lives, stories that had a
recognizable nature, and this need birthed the novel.

Furthermore, the rise of the middle class in the 18th

century have a direct effect on the rise of novels. David
Daiches, a historian said, the novel “was in a large measure
the product of the middle class, appealing to middle-class
ideals and sensibilities, a patterning of imagined events set
against a clearly realized social background and taking its
view of what was significant in human behavior from
agreed public attitudes.”

Another factor responsible is the popularity of newspapers

in the 17th century, and the growth of periodicals. For
example, the novel, Pamela by Samuel Richardson was
originally intended as a series of letters, but instead, it was
made into a novel. The newspapers helped the reading
culture among the lower class.

The democratic movement that gripped England after the

Glorious Revolution of 1689 could also be regarded as one
factor that gave rise to the novel in the 18th century. This
is because the democratic system emphasized
commoners‟ stories, who were the subjects in many of the
novels written during this period. Also, the novels by
Richardson, Sterne, Smollet, and Fielding center around
commoners‟ lives, rather than that of the ruling class.
Conclusively, the rise of realism in the 18th century also
affected the growth of the novel. Factors such as reason,
intellect, and satirical spirit were all adopted into the novel
form and were principal subjects in the realist movement.

The rise of the English novel was affected by a number of

factors; one of the most significant is the medieval
romance, and the courtly tales of Italy and
France. Translations from classical Greek materials also
gave to the rise of the English novel.

The Rise of the Middle Class

One thing that stood out for the audience of the 18th-
century was how these authors were the regular everyday
people. Since the theater as an art form was not available
to every member of the population, the novel became
succor.

The people who made up the novels‟ audience were the

middle class and those considered to be at the lowest
rung of society‟s strata. The combination of these classes
of people was en masse larger than the upper echelon.
This made these novels reach a larger audience, even
those who could not afford a ticket into a theater.

It is also important to note that during this period, drama

had begun to decline in England. There was a tilt that no
longer sated the theatrical audience but seemed to wet
the parched thirst of the rapid novel audience.

The growth of the English novel can also be attributed to

individuals‟ need to create something new, something
different. The social and intellectual circle longed for
something completely new yet individualized. Also, the
people wanted stories that mirrored their own lives, stories
which had a recognizable nature to theirs, and this need
birthed the novel.

Furthermore, the rise of the middle class in the 18th

century directly affected the rise of novels. David Daiches,
a historian, said, the novel “was in a large measure the
product of the middle class, appealing to middle-class
ideals and sensibilities, a patterning of imagined events set
against a clearly realized social background and taking its
view of what was significant in human behavior from
agreed public attitudes.”

The emergence of the middle class occurred in the

18th century due to the Industrial Revolution. Many
people became rich by the industry and other
professions such as lawyers or administrative officials
also developed as the society’s demand.
Of all the books that took precedence in the 18th
century, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, published in
1719, was one phenomenal event.

Robinson Crusoe‟s tale is a story narrated in the first

person, which makes it very personal and authentic. It is
told as a flashback of events experienced by a young
Englishman who was very adventurous and set to sail
against his parents‟ wishes.

Daniel Defoe‟s novel is strongly inspired by contemporary

travel narratives and tales of real-life stories of a person or
people who were cast adrift or ashore, like the Alexander
Selkirk story.

On Crusoe‟s travels, he is found shipwrecked at different

times. One intriguing thing about him was that he never
gave up on his quests. Instead, they somehow spurred him
on to set sail again. This resolve to set out again one day
puts him in danger. This dangerous journey to obtain the
slaves stuck in Africa puts Crusoe in a precarious situation.

After the shipwreck on an island after South America‟s

coast, Crusoe is the only surviving human, apart from the
dog and two cats who were the animal survivors. Although
grateful to have survived, he rescues some provisions from
the ship before it sunk completely. This was one thing that
stood out for a lot of readers. How amidst the life-
threatening event that just took place in his life, Crusoe
was proactive about his survival at the moment.

Unlike what most humans expected to do – brood, wallow

in self-pity or give up entirely. For all that it is worth, this
was an island that seemed lifeless with no infrastructure
for human existence on there. All his survival instincts
strengthened through previous voyages came to the fore
on this island.

Crusoe‟s journal almost seemed like a character on its own

as he referred to it a lot. Not only did the journal serve as
an escape for Robinson Crusoe, but it also was a mirror
used by readers to understand him better and read his
thoughts.
This personal journal is adapted into Crusoe‟s daily
routine. He describes his daily activities, fears, concerns,
challenges acquiring food, and his revival with Christianity.
This journal was something to look forward to as a reader.
Two years later, on the same island, Robinson Crusoe‟s life
as a sole sojourner has metamorphosed into core beliefs
no one thought possible.

One would have imagined that by the strong sense of

survival he exhibited, he will be coming up with discoveries
that should be leading him closer to home. Instead,
Crusoe was seen accepting his present state. He
challenged the societal norms of the world he used to live
in and the inherent vices compared to the peaceful island
void of those vices. This was a novel that remains a classic
to date.

Factors That Aided the Rise of the English

Novel
The etymology of the word „novel„ comes from the French
word „nouvelle,‟ which in Italian is novella, that means
“new.” Due to the novelty of what this term represented,
the word „Novel„ was coined to refer to it. It is an
elongated form of fictional narrative written in a prose
format.

Until the 18th century, the word referred only to shorter

fictional forms used to depict love and life in its rawest
forms than romance, which was mostly about stories with
adventure, laughter, and joy.
The birth of the novel in the 18th century garnered
features of old romance and became one of the most
preferred literary genres. This dominant genre in English
literature became one of the bedrock of budding
imaginative writing.

The rise of the novel has been daunting – with being

about 250 years old in English, the fight for its survival has
been prominent. After the challenges faced by the novel
to make its mark, it later became a primary source of
entertainment in the 19th century.

As stated earlier, Robinson Crusoe is one novel that spun

the evolution of the English novel to a greater dimension.
In line with this, other novels sprouted more confidently,
exploring creativity, genres, and themes. Here we will take
a look at some of the factors that further grew the spread
of the English novel. Some of these factors are:

1. Novelty

Firstly, apart from the novel being a break from the norm,
its novelty attracted a lot of traction. People‟s curiosity was
peaked; not only that, it delivered a satisfaction of a
craving that was hitherto non-existential.

2. The Print Press

A second factor responsible is the Print Press. The teeming

popularity of newspapers in the 18th century and the
growth of periodicals and bulletins gave people
something tangible to look forward to. These reads held
reforms that were rational even though not yet
implemented. By this, there was something new to learn, a
cause to propagate, or some pioneer movement to look
forward to.

One of the repercussions of the Print Press is the

novel Pamela by Samuel Richardson, which was created to
be a collection of letters. Still, somehow maturated into
the novel, it became eventually.

The print press also reduced the price of ink, paper,

bookbinding, etc. All these became more affordable as
book production became more commercialized. This
continuous increase in literacy rates brought about a
demand for more written text.

Through this, the growth of the reading audience allowed

authors to write more novels, and readers better able to
read them. This factor significantly led to the English
novel‟s rise and by this posterity thanks its bequeather.
The newspapers and the varied print media helped the
reading culture among the lower class and prepared the
soil for the seeds of what the novel brought to the existing
society then.

3. The Glorious Revolution

In addition, the democratic movement that gripped

England after the Glorious Revolution of 1689 could also
be regarded as one of the factors that gave rise to the
novel in the 18th century.

The Glorious Revolution of November 1688 or Revolution

of 1688, is the term mostly used for the events that
surrounded the deposition of James II and VII, king of
England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the replacement by his
daughter Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of
Orange. John Hampden first used this name in late 1689.

The Glorious Revolution is a factor that aided the growth

of the English novel because the democratic system
emphasized the stories of commoners, who were the
subjects in many of the novels written during this period.
This brought it so close to home and spiked the emotions
of the people.

The novels of Richardson, Sterne, Smollet, and Fielding

center around the life of commoners, rather than that of
the ruling class, and very well became a constant among
the people.

The Glorious Revolution, took place from 1688 to 1689

in England. It involved the overthrow of the Catholic
king James II, who was replaced by his Protestant
daughter Mary and her Dutch husband, William of
Orange. The establishment of the democratic system
helped the rise of the English novel.
4. RISE OF The Middle Class

Next, the rise of the middle class. The rise of the middle
class as a factor that aided the rise of the English novel can
be seen through the growth of the lower class. The middle
class was made up of numerous merchants and
manufacturers who amassed great fortunes and were able
to enlarge their political influence and consequentially
increase their social influence. This made a lot of trades
more lucrative and dignified.
These further gave rise to the middle class. Also, the
middle class of the 18th century became quite liberated in
their thoughts and began to challenge certain laws that
existed.

All these changes and supposed chaos gave thought-

leaders more to write about. Through these, writers were
encouraged to put out information out there, be it biased
or unbiased. As a result, the common man whose opinions
were regarded highly easily became one of prominence in
the society, where he was a part of the upper strata or not.

Now that everyone at this level could read and their status
quo was vehemently being challenged, the middle class
never remained the same.

5. Literacy

Then there was an increase in education. The only way

novels became a thing was if people could read them and
talk about them. This is not to say people of that age
never showed any literacy. There is a difference between
just saying things out loud, talking about them, and being
able to read or write about them.

Very evident is the Canterbury Tales, which was not only

penned down but was mostly spread through folklore.
Although a written book could appear to be longer and
with a more complex plot, the oral stories tend to be
shorter because it was passed on through word of mouth
and can not be put down to be read or listened to later.

On the other hand, the novel could be put down to be

read later without losing the storyline. Those who could
not read made sure they learned how to, and so did
generations after them. This was no longer a luxury a
select few could afford. It became a necessity – a way of
life, and no one was to be left out.

6. Leisure

To buttress, a factor that aided the growth of the English

novel came from the leisure a lot of folks then started to
experience. The industrialization that gave rise to the
middle class‟s economic and financial status also afforded
them options.

More time meant more leisure cum rest. Life became a lot
easier for them. There was an increase in the number of
people who had a little or more time to rest and
experience some leisure. The middle class could now
afford certain luxuries like candles and oil lamps which
could be used to read at night after the day‟s work.

Conclusively, the rise of realism in the 18th century also

affected the growth of the novel. Factors such as reason,
intellect, and satirical spirit were all adopted into the novel
form and were principal subjects in the realist movement.

Characteristic of the English Novel

1. The eighteenth-century English novel‟s main
characteristics are the relatable characters from
different walks of life, different social strata, settings,
and complexity of plots that illustrate how complex
life in itself can be. They are usually centered around
real-life issues.
2. Unlike the romance novels, the English novels of the
18th century depicted a lot of reason, logical
projection of thoughts, and facts. Whatever that
propagated idealism was not welcomed or
patronized.
Just as the people began to question the societal norms, it
became evident in their writing. Some novels seek to
enlighten, others inform, a generous amount seems to
entertain, and there were also those English novels which
were a blend of them – just like „infotainment.‟

3. The English novels illustrated the rise of the middle

class. Therefore, its theme, subject matter, style,
characters, and setting took these into consideration.
Unlike romance, the characters were not kings,
queens, knights, or nobles. Instead, they are created
using characters that are the typical everyday middle-
class people of many different professions. It was no
wonder that readers found the strengths,
weaknesses, and travails of these characters quite
relatable.
The setting and plot of novels also reflect this new focus of
realism. The setting became the conventional realistic
world we live in, rather than an imaginative kingdom or
place. This was a magical aspect of the English novel –
every reader at different times, in different places,
experiencing a certain reality felt like they mattered. Their
voice was being heard, and that they were not alone in
their plight. This was how much the readers could see their
own times and places in English novels.

The middle class further experienced some power that was

never experienced before. This was wielded by the power
of the pen that was discovered at that time. Whatever that
was put on paper was brought to light and could be easily
tackled or did cower willingly out of their list of issues just
because it was brought to the open. The latter was mostly
the case.

4. Although the English novel tried to present its ideas

logically, one thing that stood out for it was its choice
of words and writing style. It was unique in its
simplicity; nothing grandiose or exaggerated, just a
play on words to better express one‟s logical
reasoning regarding the topic in question.