Friendship and Allegiance in Eighteenth-Century Literature: The Politics of Private Virtue in the Age of Walpole
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Author Description
The concept of friendship has long been central to the field of eighteenth-century literary studies, not least because it was presented by the era's own authors as an essential aspect of their literary identities. For writers like Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift, being known as a good friend was just as important as gaining literary reputation.Friendship and Allegiance builds on recent scholarly interest both in friendship itself and more broadly in the relationship between privacy and publicity in the eighteenth century. It investigates how the idea of personal friendship could be distorted by its role in public discourse and whether friendship's value or meaning can ever be securely established in the midst of wider political, social and cultural debates. The book offers new ways of thinking about eighteenth-century friendship and about the prominent authors of the time who attempted to make sense of it
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates the complex interplay between personal friendship and public allegiance in eighteenth-century Britain, particularly during the Age of Walpole. It examines how prominent authors of the era, such as Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift, presented friendship as integral to their public identities and literary reputations. The study explores the potential for personal relationships to be manipulated within public discourse and questions whether the intrinsic value of friendship can be maintained amidst broader political and social debates.
THE SCOPE MAP
- Analysis of the concept of friendship as presented in eighteenth-century literature.
- Exploration of the relationship between privacy and publicity in the era.
- Examination of how public discourse could distort the idea of personal friendship.
- Discussion on the stability of friendship's value amidst political and social debates.
- Focus on prominent authors of the period and their engagement with friendship.
- New perspectives on eighteenth-century friendship and its prominent literary figures.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
The book is positioned as a scholarly examination of a key concept in eighteenth-century literary studies. It builds upon existing scholarship regarding friendship and the public/private divide of the period. The work aims to offer novel interpretations of how friendship was understood and represented by contemporary authors. The analysis focuses on the tension between intimate personal bonds and the demands of public life and political allegiance.
Page Count:
222
Publication Date:
2013-01-01
ISBN-10:
1137300493
ISBN-13:
9781137300492
History
Non-Fiction
Literary Criticism
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