The Oriental tale in England in the eighteenth century

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

77806

Title

The Oriental tale in England in the eighteenth century

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This scholarly monograph examines the evolution of the Oriental tale in eighteenth-century England, tracing its roots in French satire and pseudo-letters. Conant analyzes how English writers adapted these forms to critique society, contrasting their focus on conduct with the French emphasis on art. The text explores the genre's transition from parody to a vehicle for social commentary, highlighting key figures like Goldsmith and the enduring influence of works like *The Arabian Nights* on English literature.

Summary up to 500 words

Martha Pike Conant's *The Oriental Tale in England in the Eighteenth Century* offers a comprehensive historical analysis of how the Oriental tale genre was received and transformed within English literature. Conant distinguishes between two primary modes of satire prevalent in the genre: social satire, which utilized the exotic Eastern setting to critique contemporary European morals and politics, and literary satire, which parodied the Oriental tale form itself. While French authors like Montesquieu and Voltaire employed the genre for sharp social and literary critique, Conant argues that English writers, most notably Oliver Goldsmith in *The Citizen of the World*, shifted the focus toward conduct and character development. The text traces the lineage of the pseudo-letter genre from Giovanni Paolo Marana's *L'Espion turc* through its English translations and imitations by figures such as Thomas Brown. Conant posits that the English adaptation significantly enriched the genre by moving beyond the generalized, abstract comments found in French originals. Instead, English writers infused the form with concrete, vivid sketches of street life, capturing the chaotic energy of London with a realism that recalled the works of Defoe and Hogarth. Furthermore, the monograph investigates the profound impact of these tales on major literary figures, including Byron, Wordsworth, and Dickens, who drew inspiration from the genre's exotic settings and moral complexities. By the nineteenth century, the eighteenth-century Oriental tale had passed its peak, leaving an enduring inheritance of imaginative material that shaped the evolution of the English novel and poetry. Ultimately, the work documents a significant shift in literary history: the transition from pseudo-orientalism, characterized by fantasy and fabrication, to a period grounded in actual first-hand knowledge of the Orient, a transformation that opened a fresh chapter in the history of Oriental influence upon England.

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Categories

• Fiction
• Translations
• Literary Criticism
• Asian Influences
• Orientalism