The Enlightenment era was a period where the importance of the individual was a concept supported by more than just a handful of artists. Philosophers, writers and artists satirized the noble families and how trivial, unimportant and relatively unsuccessful they were in comparison to the individual, experienced, every day man. In Voltaire’s novel, “Zadig”, he satirized the wealthy nobleman and how despite his wealth, he was never really content and paradoxically felt inferior to other people. By making a direct correlation between wealth and lack of happiness, it was easy for even the most amateur of readers to grasp the satire that Voltaire wrote. During this time period, it was crucial that philosophers try to appease the educated as well as the not so educated persons. In Jonathon Swift’s book “Gulliver’s Travels”, he stresses the importance of the individual, satirizing how noble families during the enlightenment period felt superior due to their “strength in numbers” and family connections, when really superiority and the ability to survive lies in the capable hands of the individual. By actually putting a character in a near-death circumstance in a story, one’s superiority and potency is literally put to the test. Gulliver learned that he couldn’t rely on his crew, and needed to think for himself in order to survive. This directly satirizes and correlates with the noble families of the time who couldn’t think for themselves as individuals. In William Hogarth’s collection of six paintings titled, “Marriage a la mode”, he satirizes women and men of the time period, marrying into wealthy families just for the money. He created a series of paintings that begin customary but then completely exaggerate and satirize the concept of arranged marriages to the point where the death of the wife in the last painting is almost funny. He satirizes the families of this period and how there was jealousy and drama that always grew out of proportion. This was ridiculous considering these were noble families who should be concerned more about running countries and leading their people, and not on family drama. This era was certainly a crucial turning point for the everyday man—his voice was becoming heard, and the upper class was becoming outnumbered.
-Team Waka
Lillie Moffett, Lauren Wakabayashi, Nicole Lussier, Sooji Hong
Your post was very accurate and similar to our group’s notion. We also believe that literature played a crucial role in the innovative ideas they presented. We however want to expand on your ideas about the enlightenment age.
ReplyDeleteThe age of the enlightenment was a time of thinking and revolutionary ideas. Many revolutionary thinkers such as Voltaire, Newton, and Hobbes each contradicted and spoke out against the Church’s ideas and grip on society. It was these men that liberated society and presented many of the theory’s that are commonly found in todays academics.
Furthermore, literature played a key role in the development and spread of this age. It was the use of newspapers and literature that quickly spread the ideas and in turn created a lasting term, expanding the longevity of their ideas. Without literature, there would be no separation of church and state, and in turn mankind would be far less advanced as it is today. We owe all our technology and knowledge to the enlightenment philosophers.