Romanticism, Anarchist Literary Theory, and George Dyer's Complaints of the Poor People of England

Abstract

AbstractOver the past two decades, social movements have clearly shifted their philosophical bases from Marxism and toward anarchism. The rise of the global justice and Occupy Movement on the left – stimulated and expounded by influential modern theorists such as Noam Chomsky, Derrick Jensen, David Graeber, and the CrimethInc Ex‐workers Collective – and the rise of libertarianism on the right make evident the broader implications of this radical paradigm shift. Despite this clear sociopolitical trend, literary critics within academia appear oblivious to this change. Considering modern anarchism's historical roots beginning with the political writings of William Godwin, Romantic studies are seemingly well positioned to engage this growing field. Yet, with few exceptions, anarchist literary theory is absent from Marxist‐influenced contemporary Romantic studies. An anarchist theoretical approach allows for a reexamination of the Romantic era, offering new perspectives to canonical works while bringing minor works, such as the political writings of George Dyer, into a new light, while maintaining the vital currency of literary studies to a post‐Marxist audience.Over the past two decades, social justice movements have shifted their theoretical bases away from Marxism and toward a philosophical egalitarian anarchist foundation. The rise of several global justice movements on the left – stimulated and expounded by influential modern theorists such as Noam Chomsky, Derrick Jensen, David Graeber, and the CrimethInc. Ex‐workers Collective – and even the rise of libertarianism on the right make evident the broader implications of this radical paradigm shift. Despite this clear sociopolitical trend, literary critics within academia appear to be unaware of this anarchist turn. Considering modern anarchism's historical roots beginning with the political writings of William Godwin, Romantic scholars are seemingly well positioned to engage with this growing field. Though the study of Godwin himself shows no obvious sign of decline, the theoretical disconnect from an anarchist political theory he helped launch is interesting. Whereas Romantic studies has a long history examining various radicalisms and radical moments at length, little if any attention is paid to anarchism, an oddity considering the long shadow Godwin casts over the early Romantics. This dearth of anarchist‐related studies in the field translates into a near complete absence of anarchist literary theory in Romantic studies. With few exceptions, in particular the work of Jared McGeough, anarchist literary theory is nearly absent from contemporary Romantic studies, while Marxist studies remain strong. An anarchist theoretical approach allows for an iconoclastic reexamination of the Romantic era, offering new perspectives to canonical works while bringing minor works, such as the political writings of George Dyer, into a new light. A distinctly anarchist approach to Romanticism offers a new and vibrant currency to a contemporary audience less likely to see Marxism as the sole vehicle for radical analysis of any literary period, much less such a pivotal moment for anarchism: the Romantic era.