Coverley Paper by Addison & Steele

Q:  Sir Roger at Home- explain it.

Written by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele, the de Coverley Paper is the mirror of the eighteenth century’s life and manner, both of the city and countryside. Sir Roger, one of the good friends of Addison and Steele, represents the lifestyle of rural England in eighteenth century.

In the essay “Sir Roger at Home” we find, Sir Roger is a country squire, who has a great relationship with his servants. The servants have been working here for a long time, who are very faithful and love him. He also shows kindness to them and maintains a fatherly relationship.

We find that Sir Roger as a stoic character. He maintains his routine very strictly and never breaks that. It symbolize that in eighteenth century, people leads a routine life, indicates the industrial revolution.

Though he loves his servants, he never gives his used things to them. He thinks that if the servants use his cast off things, then they will suppose them as a landlord, which demonstrates the class distinction. In eighteenth century class conflict becomes one of the major social factors.

The main subject of the Coverley Paper is to satire the society. Though this is the age of enlighten, social, psychological, political conflict have appeared- all these factors are portrayed by Addison and Steele through wit irony and symbols.