Sentimentalism

Sentimental originated in Europe during the Epoch of Sentimentalism with the simultaneous emergence of Sentimentalism in philosophy. It continued from 1720 up to the French Revolution. In France and England it appeared as early as 1700.

It came to mean optimistic overemphasis of the goodness of humanity (sensibility). The Sentimental novel was originally developed in the beginning of the 18th century.

Sentimentalism in literature is contrary to the rationalism. For it, the most important thing is the intrinsic human ability to feel. The staple thing is feeling and emotions. In a way, this trend is close to the Romanticism.

One of the founders of this trend is Lawrence Sterne with his novel "A sentimental journey through France and Italy". Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote a novel "Pamela or Virtue Rewarded" that had great literary influence.

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing was the first to apply the word "sensitive" in his literary creations. His works affected the literary opuses of the entire new generation. Other German poets were F. Klopstock, C. Gellert and S. de la Rochie.

The most famous English Sentimentalism writer was Jane Austen with her novel "Sense and Sensibility".

The Sentimentalism was a driving force that gave rise to several subsequent trends, including Romanticism, Realism, Neo-Realism and so on.

For example, Chateaubriand is regarded as the supporter of both religious Sentimentalism and Romanticism. It is the same situation with W. Goethe.