27. Defoe - journalist and writer. Swift - publicist

D. Defoe is a journalist. (England, 1660 - 1731) Defoe's literary work began with political pamphlets (anonymous) and newspaper articles. He proved himself as a talented satirist publicist. He wrote on various political topics. In one of his works - “Experience of Projects” - he proposes to improve the ways of communication, open banks, savings banks for the poor and insurance companies. The value of his projects was enormous, if we take into account that at that time almost none of the proposed projects existed. Defoe has gained particularly widespread popularity since the appearance of his pamphlet, The True Englishman. Eighty thousand copies were sold semi-legally on the streets of London within a few days. The emergence of this pamphlet was due to the attacks of the aristocracy against the interests of the bourgeoisie of King William III. The aristocrats attacked in particular the king for the fact that he was not an Englishman, but a stranger, who even spoke little English. Defoe acted in his defense and, not so much defending the king as attacking the aristocracy, argued that the ancient aristocratic clans originated from the Norman pirates, and the new ones from the French lackeys, hairdressers and tutors, who rushed into England during the restoration of the Stuarts. This medieval method of punishment was especially painful, since it gave the right to street onlookers and voluntary lackeys of the clergy and the aristocracy to mock the convicted. But the bourgeoisie was so strong that it managed to turn this punishment into the triumph of its ideologue: Defoe was showered with flowers. By the day when they stood by the pillory, Defoe’s prison was able to print the Hymn to the Pillory. In it, he smashes the aristocracy and explains why he was put to shame. The crowd chanted this pamphlet on the streets and in the square, while the sentence over Defoe was carried out.

Swift (1667-1745gg.) The most passionate and uncompromising opponent Defoe. Gulliver's Travels, in which he wittily mocked human and social vices.

in the letter “Proposal for the correction, improvement and consolidation of the English language,” he sincerely protests against the damage of the literary language by slang, dialect and simply illiterate expressions. A considerable part of Swift journalism is occupied by various kinds of hoaxes. For example, in 1708, Swift attacked astrologers whom he considered to be notorious scammers.