Due to the changing times and Westward expansion, many of the French wanted a change in their government. The wealthy people were looking to gain political power and the peasants wanted an end to feudalism. As the French population grew, the food supply did not, and this created even further tensions in the country. Fueled by ideals discovered in the Enlightenment, French citizens wanted to put an end to monarchy, so they violently revolted against their government.

The French Revolution directly relates to the excerpt from Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790). Written shortly after the “official” start of the French Revolution, Burke provides his thoughts and opinions on the events that took place, such as the slaughter of monarchy officials. He believes the Revolution was necessary, yet unnecessary, due to the horrendous actions that take place. This account is very important because it provides us with a different point of view on the Revolution. We read about it in textbooks and on websites, but Burke’s Reflections was written while the Revolution took place, and provide a personal viewpoint on the situation.

The morals behind the French Revolution can also be linked to William Godwin’s Caleb Williams. The French peasants were fighting for what they wanted and what they believed the country needed. Similarly, Caleb Williams fought for his own ethics, and went against Falkland’s wishes. Caleb’s desire to uncover the truth and bring justice to the situation correlates with the French people’s longing for a new form of government and how they wouldn’t stop until they were closer to their goal.

This definition is related to Romanticism, due to the overlapping time occurrence. The French Revolution can also be loosely related to the Victorian era of literature, because of the ideas that brought about the Revolution and therefore influenced future ideas to come.

Burke, Edmund, and L. G. Mitchell. Reflections on the revolution in France. Oxford University Press, 2009.

Godwin, William. Caleb Williams. Oxford University Press, 2009.

History.com Staff. “French Revolution.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009, www.history.com/topics/french-revolution.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “French Revolution.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 7 Feb. 2018, www.britannica.com/event/French-Revolution.