Literary+Period

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Many eras took place during the time period of 1859. The Scientific Revolution ends in 1852, although some argue it still continues to this day. Most of the literature of this time was highly influenced by the Victorian Era. The two movements occurring at this time were romanticism and transcendentalism. According to Rahn, "in England, Romanticism had its greatest influence from the end of the eighteenth century up through about 1870". Romanticism varies in theme and style more than many periods in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. During the Romantic era, artists and authors began incorporating more imagination, emotion and color to their works. It centered around the individual rather than society in general. Philosophy and literature bloomed as well because of certain concepts like spirituality. many works became written about the supernatural as well and an individual's connection to their faith. Dickens makes many allusions to the Bible throughout //A Tale of two Cities.// Many of his works are highly influenced from the Bible as he was very devout. Transcendentalism was also an influential movement during the late nineteenth and early eighteenth centuries. People began finding new ways of understanding knowledge, and questioned the importance of established faith. Divinity resided in the individual rather than a Church. the romantic movement greatly affected transcendentalism by providing certain philosophies. For example, " the predilection to turn to the natural world for intimations of the truth was a recurrent theme for the Romantics" (Rahn). Romantics were in favor of the belief that natural could hold hints to the truth of life. It could determine what is really fact, and what is not. Both periods highly centered on freeing the mind and separating the soul from the body or "transcending". However Dickens was probably most influenced by the Victorian Era at the time. The Victorian era "resembles a rope that is frayed on both ends"(Rahn). Many philosophies and ideas from other movements and time periods made up this era. At the same time, it had its own changes in art and literature. The authors of this time had been going through an enormous upheaval of fact and lie. Scientific advances were undermining the church power as people began to question what to believe in. Machines and factories were becoming more abundant, increasing unfair child labor laws and labor laws in general. Women were continuously treated poorly with few rights. Society was shocked by all of the change occurring at this time. Economics, government, faith, and society were al being refined at this time. It was a distinct time of question and uncertainty. =====

Source:

http://www.online-literature.com/henry-augustin-beers/from-chaucer-to-tennyson/8/