Describe the composition of the Spectator Club. Which member of

Describe the composition of the Spectator Club. Which member of the club do you find most interesting?

Ans.

1. Introduction

In this famous essay-the Spectator Club-Steele at tempts a preliminary sketch of the imaginary members of the fictitious club of that name. In the first number of the paper. The Spectator, the editor Addison, introduces himself to his reader as “The Spectator.” In the very next number Steele introduces the famous club which was to serve as a tool for the comments and observations to be made through the Spectator. The members of the club are supposed to meet at some Coffee House and change views or discuss matters related to their observation of the past few days.

2.The Members of the Club

The members introduced in the essay represent the various classes of the 18th-century English society. It was a society in which the aristocracy and the middle class were now coming closer to each other. But the aristocracy was already on the decline while the middle class was rising fast. This can be observed by carefully examining the cases of Sir Roger and Mr. Freeport in the present essay. Other members of the club are the Templar (a lawyer), Captain Sentry (a retired army officer). Will Honey comb (a lady’s man), and a clergyman (name not given). these are more or less minor characters.

3.Sir Roger de Coverley the most charming man

Of all the members of the Spectator Club. Sir Roger de Coverley, popularly called Sir Roger, is the most interesting person. Sir Roger belongs to the landed aristocracy and is a sort of a country squire. He has a well-kept house both in town and in the countryside. He has a number of servants. He is a generous man and spends lavishly on hospitality. When he comes to town, he lives in the most fashion able part of it. His servants love him. When he visit his country, the young men and women surround him and profess their deep love to him. It is said that in youth he was a gay, handsome fellow. He had fallen in love with a beautiful young widow. Failing to win her love, he decided to remain a bachelor for life. And he remains a bachelor to this day. All this proves that Sir Roger is an idealist, even though he is an eccentric in many ways. His eccentricities do not, however, harm anybody; he is rather a more loving person because of them. But it is fact the is out of tune with the changing world he has to live in.

4. Other Sketches

Of the other members of the club Sir Andrew Freeport is every inch a man of the world. He is very rich and a self made man. He is also rich in practical wisdom. He has a store of wise sayings, especially on economy. His favourite saying, “A penny saved is a penny got”, is typical of the man as well as of his class.

Another interesting sketch is that of Will Honeycomb, who is essentially a lady’s man. His great weakness is women. He loves to talk of them and to be admired by them. Such a talk is naturally agreeable to the company, and he is a great favourite with most of the club-members.

The other members of the club, though interesting and sketched skillfully by the writer, cannot be described as typical of their class. The lawyer is so only in name. His true interest lies in literature and the stage. The soldier is a modest, shy fellow. He is something of a relic of the old knight. He is sick of army life because nobody there regards modesty as a virtue. The person is almost a shadow and belongs more to the other world, of which he loves to talk, than to this world.

Of these members of the Spectator club, Sir Roger becomes the most prominent later on. In the hands of Addison, he becomes a most lovable and appealing character. He is an immortal creation of the 18th-century English literature.

5. Steele’s Sense of Humour, visible through these sketches

In these preliminary sketches, Steele shows his characteristic sense of humour and his fine grasp of human character. There is much variety in these sketches. Imagine the modest Captain Sentry and the licentious Will Honeycomb together at the Club, and you will appreciate Steele’s humorous and inventive turn of mind. Or, again, imagine Sir Andrew Freeport, the clever merchant, laughing secretly while he listens to Sir Roger and Captain Sentry, who both seem to belong to a by gone age.