Write a critical note on the theme of “The Rise of English”.

Answer

Write a critical note on the theme of “The Rise of English”.

Terry Eagleton’s (1943-present) essay The Rise of English (1983) explains how English literature became an important subject in schools and universities. The central theme of the essay is that the growth of English was not a natural or innocent process. It was deeply connected with history, society, politics, and power. Eagleton shows that literature has often been used to spread values and control society.

At the beginning, Eagleton explains that the meaning of the word “literature” has changed with time. In the eighteenth century, “literature” meant many kinds of writing, such as philosophy, history, and sermons. It was not limited to poetry, drama, or fiction. The modern idea of literature as only imaginative writing appeared in the nineteenth century. Eagleton writes,

“The modern sense of the word ‘literature’ only really gets under way in the nineteenth century.”

This shows that literature is not a fixed or eternal category. It is something created by history.

A very important theme of the essay is that literature was used as a social tool. After political and social changes in England, especially after the civil wars, the ruling classes wanted order and stability. Literature helped them in this process. Books, essays, and poems taught values like politeness, morality, and good taste. They helped to educate the middle classes in proper behaviour. In this way, literature became a kind of moral training. It was not only about beauty and imagination, but also about shaping people’s character.

Another major theme in the essay is the rise of English as a subject in schools and universities. At first, English was not considered an important or serious subject compared to classics like Latin and Greek. But in the nineteenth century, it became more important. The ruling powers found English useful for teaching moral values and national pride. In the twentieth century, during the time of the First World War, English