Write a critical appreciation of the essay 'The Spectator Club'.

Write a critical appreciation of the essay ‘The Spectator Club’.

Ans.

1. Introduction

This essay is a famous essay of ‘periodical essay’. Steele was famous for the work of the Tatler and the Coverley Papers. The Tatler, which he started in 1709, was the beginning of new era in periodical writing. The Tatler was followed in 1711 by the Spectator. In the essay of Spectator the writer gives a description of the members of the club. The Spectator has been written in the particular forum, by Steel using with humour, satire and sarcastic statement. Steel launched the Spectator in March, 1711, in collaboration with Addison.

2. The aim of The Spectator

The chief aim of the Spectator was to combine instruction with division or providing both entertainment and guidance to conduct in society. The authors wanted to bring philosophy out of closet and libraries. school and colleges, to dwell in clubs and assemblies, a tea tables and coffee bouses. he wanted the readers to acquire a knowledge of their own selves and wanted further more to amuse them with such writing as could diminish ignorance, passion and prejudice. This was the reason each member of this club represents a different profession or class of society. Writer is, therefore in the spectator papers a detached observer of life and comments on the follies of fashion, the frivolities of manner and the aberration of taste. He seeks to establish sound taste and good manners and teach good sense and moderation.

3.Steel’s portrayal of the members of the club

The first member of the club is sir Roger de Coverley, a man of naturally strong intelligence and physical vigour, whose enthusiasm for life has been temporarily blasted by rather mysterious love affair. He has, indeed, resigned himself to an inglorious. existence among his bucolic and admiring tenants; but he has not fallen a victim to a sense of self importance. He overflow with loving-kindness, and his long career of feudal aristocracy has only added a touch of Independence and eccentricity to his benevolence. Thus Steel first showed that what was the knight’s true function when he depicted Sir Roger as protesting against the over civilization of city life and declaring himself to be a so whimsical in a corrupt age as to act according to nature and reason. In these days the city man had laughed at the backwardness of the provincial, and the sense of urban superiority is not missing in the Coverley papers. There is Captain Sentry, a man of unquestioned energy, ability and personal courage. who has retired from the army because he lacks the gift of self advertisement. Yet he does not spent his time in detracting from the success of other soldiers but has with drawn to the social pleasures of London and resigned himself good humouredly to a life of leisurely obscurity. There is lawyer, who has no taste for his profession and resides at the Inner temple to obey the direction of an old humoursome father. Another member will Honeycomb, the fap, had been for centuries but in comedies and satires. Will is portrayed as an vain and worldly-so a fap must always seem to the serious middle class but not as depraved. He is best of his type, a brilliant talker, with a kind heart and an irresistible charm of manner. The humour of the spectator is most clearly seen in the figure of Sir Andrew Freeport, the merchant. It was something new in literature to show how a man trained in a counting-house could be the intellectual equal to the spectator and his friends. Sir Andrew is not a wit, his conversation abounds in homely phrases; his mind is not stored with wisdom of the books; yet he has made himself an original thinker, with ideas not fettered by tradition, but derived from experience in trade and expressed with the lucidity of conviction.

4. Style used in the essay ‘The Spectator’

The style that has been used in the essay The essay The Spectator Club’ is easy and familiar. Its sentences are very easy to understand and read. Steel is sentimental and warm hearted, but always urban. He has also a delicate sense of humour. As Steel has been regarded a representative essayist of English literature and he was a member of parliament too. So his language and style is very attractive. The word that has been used by Steel is very simple. It’s easy to read to the common people. His simplicity of language can be seen in every essays. He uses his satires in his unique way. First he describes additives in his character and soon after it, he appreciates them to the end what they are not. His learned character in law does not know anything about law. His lady killer is always bachelor. His richest merchant are miser enough pathetic qualities of his character creates humour. His language is the language of common people. As Addison also elaborates the Spectator Club so there can be binded his satire, humour and irony too in this essay.