7/ What is the meaning of the word “Enlightenment”? What were the two trends among the English Enlighteners?

·        “Enlightenment” is a word describing the developed period of English history. In the 17th century, the growing contradictions between the new class, the bourgeoisie and the old forces of feudalism brought about the English Bourgeois Revolution in the 1640s. England was proclaimed a republic, the position of Bourgeoisie had changed. In the 18th century,  Great Britain rapidly growing into a capitalist country. It was an age of intensive industrial development. New machinery was invented. The 18th century was also remarkable for the development of science and culture with the discoveries in the field of physics, philosophy or economy.

·        There are two trends among the English Enlighteners: some of them, the moderates, spoke in deference of the existing order, considering that a few reforms were enough to improve it others, the radicals, wanted more democracy in the ruling of the country. They defended the interests of the exploited masses.

8/ What is Dickens’s contribution to the world literature?

Dickens has given a full picture of 19th century English life. He revealed all that was irrational and monstrous and through his wit and humor people began to see their own time and environment in a new light. Dickens never loses his warmth of feeling and quickness of sympathy. His method of writing inspired many others to write realistically and great works of critical realism appeared after him. Dickens portrays people of all this types seen in the streets of great cities in his time. He lived for the people. He “never talked down to the people, he talked up to the people.” Some social improvements in England were attributed to the influence of Dickens’s works. To many European cities, Dickens ranked only among the moralists and reformers of the 19th century. His works were not considered works of art because in his writing he was not inspired by beauty but by human suffering.