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History of English Literature

Notes Jethro Tull

Machines That Harvest - Sickles, Reapers and Harvesters
By definition a sickle is a curved, hand-held agricultural tool used for harvesting grain crops. Horse
drawn mechanical reapers later replaced sickles for harvesting grains. Reapers developed into and
was replaced by the reaper-binder (cuts grain and binds it in sheaves), which was in turn was
replaced by the swather and then the combine harvester.

Notes The combine harvester is a machine that heads, threshes and cleans grain while
moving across the field.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
th
1. The .................... was well-defined by the 19 century.
2. .................... in the 1970s predicted that the New Journalism would displace the novel.
3. .................... sow seeds, before drills were invented seeding was done by hand.
4. In 1701, Jethro Tull invented his seed drill and is perhaps the best known inventor
of a .................... .
5. By definition a .................... is a curved, hand-held agricultural tool used for harvesting
grain crops.

14.3 Industrial Revolution

Literature is an expression of the personality of the writer, and that personality itself is formed and
moulded by the times in which he or she lives. It is moreso in the case of a writer as sensitive as
George Eliot was. It is, therefore, necessary that before proceeding to a study of her works, we try
to form an idea of the age in which she lived and created her works. The present chapter examines
her social milieu, while the next one is devoted to a study of the literary context of her novels.

The Spirit of Questioning
George Eliot was born in 1819 and her first novel was written in 1858. Thereafter, novel after novel
flowed from her pen in quick succession. In other words, the formative years of her life were
passed in the opening decades of the Victorian era. There was an intellectual ferment in England,
such as had never been witnessed before. This spirit of questioning, this intellectual unrest is
everywhere reflected in her works.

Industrial Revolution: It’s Impact

In the beginning of the Victorian era, there was a widespread faith in unlimited progress. This
sense of self-satisfaction, of complacency resulted from the immense strides that England had
taken in the industrial and scientific fields. The nation was prospering and growing richer and
richer everyday. The British Empire was already a reality, the “white man’s burden,” or the
colonising mission of the English was already bringing in rich dividends. They attributed all this
prosperity to their glorious and dominant Queen Victoria. It was an era of prosperity, an era of
aggressive nationalism, an era of rising imperialism. Hence, nobody wanted that the status-quo
should be disturbed; any questioning of the present order was frowned upon. Emphasis was on
faith, faith in one’s religion, faith in the Queen and those in authority, and faith in continuous
progress. If there were doubts anywhere, they needed to compromise with the existing order.

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