•heroic romance is replaced by more mundane, everyday life topics;
•improves on character development and, by the end of the century, experiments with gothic and sentimental prose
THE NOVEL is the main innovation of the century.
JOHNSON’S DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE (1755)
BOSWELL’S LIFE OF JOHNSON (1791)
PERIODICAL PRESS
•RICHARD STEELE AND JOSEPH ADDISON produced The Tatler (1709-1711) and The Spectator (1711-1712), two publications that contributed to the production of the novel, as they described the actions of imaginary characters, such as Sir Roger de Coverley or Mr. Spectator
•Their goal was to bring “philosophy out of closets and libraries, schools, and colleges, to dwell in clubs and assemblies, at tea-tables and coffee–houses.“
•ELIZA HAYWOOD, The Female Spectator (1744-46), the first periodical written by a woman for women; it took positions on public issues such as marriage, children, reading, education and conduct.