Question: What picture of 18th-century English social life do you get in Addison's The Coverley Papers?
Or, Describe the picture of eighteenth-century social life with reference to The Coverley Papers.
Or, Write in Addison as a practical moralist with reference to The Coverley Papers.
Or "Life in 18th century English countryside comes alive in The Coverley Papers." Do you agree? Justify your answer.
Or, "The Coverley Papers is an important social document. It mirrors contemporary life completely."Do you agree? Give e reasons for your answer.
Or, What do you learn about the manners, fashions and frivolities of Addison's age from your study of The Coverley Papers?
Or, Write a note on the literary devices used by Addison in his war against folly and vice.
Or, What glimpses of country life do The Coverley Papers offer to its reader?
Or, Write a note on Addison as a critic of contemporary society.
Or, Give an appreciation of Addison as a satirist.
Or, Write a note on Addison as a social satirist.
Answer: Eighteenth-century essay in English literature is marked as periodical essay. Joseph Addison and Richard Steele are representative essayists of this period. They published "The Coverley Papers". It was important as a mirror of the social life of that time. The figure of Sir Roger de Coverley created by Steele and developed by Addison unforgettable. Addison was a reformer and wanted to reform his society. In his "The Coverley Papers" he wanted to show the deformities and absurdities in order to amend them. When we go through his essays we feel that the living shadow of 18th-century English society is exposed before our eyes. Addison has touched every common sphere of his contemporary society. He satirized and moralized many aspects of human life. So, "The Coverley Papers" is regarded as a social document and a moral commentary.
In "The Aim of the Spectator" Addison says, "I shall endeavour to enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality." Though he claims himself as the spectator of society, he exposes himself as a critic. He criticizes what he saw and observed in society. As a subtle reformer and observer, he noticed all the common aspects of the common masses. He longed to remove the follies and foibles from the core of society. Addison longs to "reprehend the vices which are too trivial for the chastisement of the law and too fantastical for the cognizance of humanity." Accordingly, he employed humour and wit for conveying his disapproval and his censure of prevailing absurdities in English social life and manners. Actually, his main aim was to "banish the vices and ignorance from the territory of Great Britain.”
There are many social pictures of 18th-century English society that have been portrayed in "The Coverley Papers" by Addison. The portrayal of the country squire is one of them. He has created a wonderful character in his essays. It is Sir Roger de Coverley's character. Roger de Coverley is a county squire. He is an eccentric person but benevolent to the common people. He is an expert in hunting and a religious man. He goes to church on Sunday. He is kind to his servants and attendants but fashionable. At church, he often slept and at the end of their prayer, he tried to talk with the judges. The tenants and the masses of his locality thought that Roger has become a man of importance. Addison also showed the feud between the country esquires and the country parsons of that time.
Sir Will Wimble is another character portrayed by Addison. He is a young man from a rich family. He does not do any important work. He hunts the fox and here. He also catches fish to present his favourite people. By presenting his fish he joins them in the hour of dinner. Thus he is very fond of showing his expertness. Will Wimble hates trade and commerce. He is very idle. Here Addison remarks that we should not hate trade and commerce and should not pass our days carelessly. If we expand our business, we will become rich very soon. Thus England will develop in trade and commerce. Addison has depicted another character namely. Will Honeycomb is also an idle and fashionable man. He has characterized Sir Andrew Freeport who is an expert in trade and commerce and becomes a rich man. In this way, Addison has upheld the social picture of his contemporary life and manners.
It is said of Socrates that he brought philosophy down from heaven. But Addison says, "I have brought philosophy out of closets and libraries, school and colleges, to dwell in clubs and assemblies, at tea tables, and in coffee houses." At that time coffee houses were the central place where Londoners gathered to sip, their beloved coffee. It was the meeting place for everyman. It is said that there were at least three thousand coffee houses in London and all these were patronized by the men of business and the rich people. If anybody was not to be found in the house, he must have to be found in the coffee houses. Literature, politics, religion, art, science and all the things were discussed there. Thus Addison has painted the social picture in his essays.
The women of that time were very eloquent and flirtatious. They were always busy in their toilet. They were fashionable and tried to attract others. They wore a skirt and a particular type of garment and for this reason, they resembled go-carts or perambulators. Spreading rumour and meddling were their habit. They were accustomed to tell upon nothing. They were habituated to pretending to make love with one man but to marry other. In a word, the women of England were morally degraded. Because they did not hesitate to go to the theatre with their boyfriends. In this way. Addison has shown that the people of England used to go to the theatre hall. Thus he has represented the social and moral portrait of his contemporary society.
As a spectator, Addison noticed and observed all kinds of frailties and follies but as a critic he criticized them. As a satirist he satirized them and as a humorist, he aroused humour in his readers' hearts. Because he did it only to mend and morally reform it.
In "The Coverley Papers" we are acquainted with two political parties. These are Whig and Tory. In fact, the people of England were grouped into two groups. For this reason, the political condition was unrest. That is why the Whig party and the Tory party were hostile to each other Though Addison supported the Whig party he said that we should not divide into groups. Because, according to him, if we are divided into groups we will not prosper in our country. Thus he wants to instruct and moralize his readers.
Addison also saw that there were a lot of vices and corruption in English society. These were gambling, drinking, cruelty dwelling, prevention, feud and moral degradation. His contemporary people were superstitious. They believed in ghosts, apparitions and Moll white. Thus Addison has thrown light on every sphere of life.
However, in light of our discussion, we can say that Addison has described in his essays what he viewed in his contemporary society. In this respect, "The Coverley Papers" is considered as a social document and a moral commentary. It is also the representation of 18th-century English society. But we should be kept in our mind that it is not the history of English life. It is a part of the literature. Yet what we get from it is a wonderful presentation.
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