She Stoops to Conquer

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Satire
Works Cited

Introduction

The 18th Century consisted of proud people who declared it a period when people could think and reason both critically and creatively. They therefore called it the age of reasoning and enlightened people. However, the writers of then published stuffs, plays and articles, which were full of satire addressing how the real case was the opposite of what the people claimed about the century.

Oliver Goldsmith, in his work ‘She Stoops to Conquer’ shows how the 18^th century people were neither reasoning nor enlightened. Satire, a literary device that addresses issues, as they ought to be and not as they are, has a good share in Goldsmith’s work concerning the claims of 18^th century.

Satire

Goldsmith successfully satirizes the 18^th century views. For instance, the then people claimed that their reasoning could help in determine the likely laws rights, which would otherwise help in tapping an unending knowledge with which they would realize some of the long-awaited ethical laws and major achievements.

However, the major development that marked the century was that of a religion, known as deist whose people believed in God as the one who created the universe giving it the power to function as it did but without any divine intervention.

Therefore, the then people held that the then triumph and contentment could act as the center of life irrespective the future life. In fact, the claim did not feature even the least of apt reasoning or thinking, leave alone enlightenment. Confirming this, Goldsmith asserts, “…there is hope for flawed humanity” (Para. 20) showing how weak the people were in terms of thinking and reasoning which did not dominate the century as claimed.

Furthermore, the achievement of humanitarianism was also prioritized by the people in this century. They were devoted to benevolence towards those who were less fortunate in the society whereby the little bit fortunate in the society were supposed to show mercy to the less fortune, a new concept during this enlightenment. Nonetheless, this did not portray any token of apposite reasoning or thinking as it did not happen in actions, despite the words.

Confirming this, Goldsmith asserts, “Appearances are some time deceiving or you cannot judge a human being by the quality of her wrapping” (Para. 4), which therefore goes against the reality as the people were selfish and hypocritical, judging others in terms of their social status and possessions rather than the content of their character. Based on these words, it is clear that proper reasoning did not dominate in what the people claimed.

People also followed the 16^th and 17^th scientific revolutions whereby natural science was to be re-examined and used to create understanding. Nothing was worth accepting based on faith rather than the belief that everything that happened in the world, either good or bad, had a logical or rational explanation.

The misconceived enlightenment also led to the idea of social change whereby people believed that if science could progress then it was imperative for human beings also to progress too. Therefore, it was possible to create a good society with better people believed to propel greater developments during the half of 18^th century. However, the 18^th century developments as evident in the records were insignificant in relation to the thereafter inventions of 19^th and 20^th century.

Therefore, the then claims were no more than dreams far from their realization, particularly during the course of the century. Confirming this, Goldsmith scorns them telling the contemporary society to be wary of appearances as well as much words accompanied by little or no actions at all as it was in 18^th century, a clear indication of how enlightenment was nowhere then.

Furthermore, this enlightenment and reasoning brought drastic changes in the cultures of people especially in Europe where people turned into worshipping idols, dressing in outlandish styles and practicing foreign sets of customs and manners. As evidenced, the claims were exactly the opposite of what was on the grounds depicting the then people as primitive rather than enlightened ones who ought to change for the better, not only economically but also religiously.

In real sense, they had by far lost the track as Goldsmith points out. “Led o loss of the right way” (Para. 9). In addition, people especially the thinkers and philosophers believed passionately in the human progress through education whereby societies could become free when people were able to use their reasoning abilities to foster socialization.

However, as Goldsmith observes, “love ignores social boundaries” (Para. 7) as majority of the 18^th century people were no more but lovers of themselves socializing with others whose rank matched their class neglecting the other lot of the less fortunate who too needed their company.

Despite their claim as educated people, Goldsmith points out how the education lacked during the century, which “…could liberate…their thinking to break the boundaries allowing them to marry people from other social classes” (Para. 8). Goldsmith too satirizes the 18^th century science.

Science formed the basis of understanding since it was believed to be ideal and nonaligned. As per claims, the researchers who could provide any awareness in its original form was to be declared fit to believe and apply the policies of reason irrespective of the underlying incentive whether money or any other materialistic concern.

However, the claim does not constitute enlightenment or reasoning, as Goldsmith points out concerning the money that formed the basis of the 18^th century developments. He says, “Money breeds indolence” (Para.3), a case that was then evident as people did not engage in fruitful activities and hence the less developments as opposed to the claims. Therefore, the writers of the 18^th century had all the reasons to satirize the then events as Goldsmith exposes.

Works Cited

Goldsmith, Oliver. She Stoops to Conquer, 2009. Web. https://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/Goldsmith.html

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She Stoops to Conquer

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