The selection of which texts are worthy of study is an act of exclusion that historically marginalized working-class, female, and colonized voices.
In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution transformed Britain, leading to rapid urbanization and scientific advancement. These changes severely weakened the authority of the Church.
Literature presents bourgeois values not as the interests of a specific class, but as timeless, universal truths shared by all humanity. The Academic Institutionalisation of English Terry eagleton the rise of english pdf
Eagleton argues that the academic study of English didn't emerge because literature is inherently special. Instead, it was born out of a crisis in power, a decline in religion, and a need for social control. 1. Literature as the "New Religion"
The Rise of English is not a comfortable read. It is the intellectual equivalent of finding out your childhood home was built on a burial ground. It strips away the sentimental veneer of literary study and reveals the cold, hard machinery of social control. The selection of which texts are worthy of
Since "The Rise of English" is the first chapter of Eagleton's book Literary Theory: An Introduction , many universities host the full introductory chapter as a public PDF for student use. brief summary of the main arguments to include in your post?
Divert the proletariat’s attention from material inequalities toward "higher," spiritual, and aesthetic values. B. The Education of the Middle and Working Classes Literature presents bourgeois values not as the interests
So what happened? Eagleton argues that as the bourgeoisie (the middle class) rose to power, they became afraid of rhetoric. A populace trained in persuasion is a populace that might persuade itself to revolt. So they replaced it with something far safer: an aesthetic, contemplative study of "literature." You stop learning how to argue for a new law, and start learning how to admire the symmetry of a sonnet.
The chapter remains widely available in print via publisher Wiley-Blackwell, which manages the distribution of Eagleton's foundational textbook. Reading Strategy
"The Rise of English" is the foundational first chapter of Terry Eagleton’s seminal 1983 book, Literary Theory: An Introduction . In this text, Eagleton provides a Marxist critique of how "Literature" developed as an academic discipline. Rather than viewing the study of English as a natural pursuit of beauty, Eagleton argues it was a highly orchestrated historical construct. It was designed to replace failing religious institutions, pacify the working class, and serve the ideological needs of the British Empire. 1. The Power Vacuum: Religion in Decline