The 18th Century American Novel: Part One

There was enormous change throughout the 18th Century. In America, the American Revolution happened, freeing the citizens from the tyranny of Britain. In Europe, the French Revolution occurred, laying the format for democracy. The landscapes of both countries drastically altered on several levels, in many respects: philosophically, socially, politically, economically and artistically. The structure of literature became less restrained and characters developed qualities that reflected the changing ideologies of authors.  Women’s roles changed, they became more active, which was reflected in the female characters that were portrayed in most novels, by male and female authors.

Emerging from the Renaissance Period, English men and women felt a sense of assurance. Their military strength was reliable. The monarchy and the economy were resilient. All of these elements had a significant influence on how men perceived women and how women were portrayed in literature.

In the 18th Century, Restoration, comprised of the Augustan period and the age of Johnson, was coming to an end. It was distinguished by several movements. First, there was a new, rational scientific approach to inquiry fostered by the Royal Societyand its leading members, which included Sir Isaac Newton.

Second was an accentuation on logic and order, and particularly concordia discors -- the invasion of order on something that was innately disorderly. One remnant of the Royal Society point of view is that the 18th Century was a time when men believed that they could make everything in creation, including God Himself, abide by the rules of logic and order. They believed they could use mathematics, science, and pragmatic observation to rationalize God’s creation and then replicate His proceedings in new works of beauty. Women began to appear with steady importance in two aspects of the literature: as more renowned authors, in a time when literature was dominated by men, and as primary characters, depicting a flawed society.

In America, the novel form was also blossoming.  However, because of the tenuous social climate, it had a hard time surviving. Americans weren’t as in to romance as their European counterparts. Literary critic Cathy Davidson stated that "The early American novel, as a genre, tended to proclaim a socially egalitarian message. It spoke for orphans, beggar girls, factory girls, or other unfortunates, and it repeatedly advocated the general need for 'female education'."