Research Paper on:
The Theme of Poverty in The Man of Feeling and The London Merchant

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
the glorious existence of the wealthy in a world that was benefiting from increased trade and consumerism. But, there was other literature which focused on the havoc such trade and  consumerism played with the lives of ordinary people. In George Lillos "The London Merchant" and Henry Mackenzies "The Man of Feeling" we are given two such novels. These novels depict  the poor of the 18th century, offering a sympathetic look at the people whose lives were impacted by increased trade and consumerism. In the following paper we present an examination  of the two works and illustrate how they depict the poor of the 18th century. Man of Feeling This particular novel is one from a period of time  when many artists and writers were involved in a sentimental movement. With the increase of trade and consumerism much of the civilized world had ceased to be sentimental about reality.  They were citizens out to make money and people who cared little for those in need. According to one author, "Mackenzies hugely popular novel of 1771 is the foremost work  of the sentimental movement, in which sentiment and sensibility were allied with true virtue, and sensitivity is the mark of the man of feeling" (Anonymous Man of Feeling, 2001; 0192840320.html).  The main character of the story is a man of feeling. He is a man who shows emotion and a man who deeply cares about others. In the following  we see an examination of the man, as well as the inherent questions in Mackenzies work: "The hero, Harley, is followed in a series of episodes demonstrating his benevolence in  an uncaring world: he assists the down-trodden, loses his love, and fails to achieve worldly success. The novel asks a series of vital questions: what morality is possible in a