Name: Brijal Oza

Roll no.: 23

M.A. SEM – 2, Year: 2015-2017

Paper: 6, The Victorian Literature

Email ID: brijaloza1994@gmail.com

Submitted to: Dept. of English

M.K. Bhav. Uni.

PRESENTATION TOPIC

Concept of “Culture” in Culture and

Anarchy

:ABOUT MATTHEW ARNOLD:

Poet of Victorian period.

British poet, cultural critic and novelist

Famous in genres like poetry, literary social and religious criticism.

SIMPLE CONCEPT OF CULTUREArt, customs, lifestyles, background, habits – characterized particular society and nation.

Not static, but changeable.

Study of social and moral perfection.

It has nothing to do with religion or god, but sometimes they are part of culture.

It is a music, literature, paintings, theatre and film etc.

Very important function to fulfill the mankind.

Arnold’s views: Culture and Anarchy is the pioneer work for

cultural studies. Arnold’s views published in his essay ‘Culture and

Anarchy’ about culture, anarchy, three classes of society, Hebraism and Hellenism.

According to Arnold, “Culture is properly described as the love of perfection; it is a study of perfection.

CULTURE: AS A STUDY IN PERFECTION

Arnold believes that culture is the study of perfection. Because he adds that, “to conceive of true human perfection as a harmonious perfection as a general perfection, developing all sides of our humanity”.

Culture is not just about to see and learn but it is also about to make it prevail the moral, social and beneficent character of culture becomes manifest.

Not a having and a resting, but a growing and a becoming, is the character of perfection.

Perfection of culture is not possible while the individual remains isolated.

Thus, the notion of perfection as culture brings us to conceive it: 1) A harmonious perfection

2) A perfection in which the character of beauty and intelligence are both present which unites- “the two noblest things” which are: “Sweetness” and “Light”.

IDEA OF “SWEETNESS AND LIGHT”

Arnold connects his idea of sweetness and light explained with culture and explain with the Greek words:

“Aphuia” and “Euphuia”Because of that central idea, the first chapter is called, “Sweetness” and “Light”.Which is about the introduction of the culture.

CONCLUSIONSo, at the end we can say that in “Culture and Anarchy”….Arnold articulated a theory of culture that continues to influence thinking about the value of the humanities in higher education and he defined culture in idealist terms.