Samuel Johnson and the End of Patronage
The question asks to identify the individual credited with ending the system of patronage through his work titled “Letter to Lord Chesterfield”.
Samuel Johnson is widely recognized for this significant contribution to literary history. His famous “Letter to Lord Chesterfield” was written in 1755.
This letter was a powerful response to Lord Chesterfield's perceived lack of support and recognition for Johnson's monumental work, A Dictionary of the English Language. By publicly denouncing the reliance on aristocratic favour, Johnson's letter marked a turning point. It signified a move towards authorial independence and encouraged writers to seek broader public support, such as through subscriptions, rather than depending solely on the patronage of a few wealthy individuals. This act effectively challenged and contributed to the decline of the traditional patronage system in literature.
Important Questions from Literature
- Gitanjali, a famous collection of poems, was originally written in which of the following languages?
- Which of the following languages is most notably associated with the literary contributions of Girish Karnad, exemplified by his acclaimed play 'Tughlaq'?
- Which of the following texts is considered the earliest Tamil grammar work?
- The drain of wealth theory was a major critique of colonial economic policies. Who propounded the 'Drain of wealth theory' in the late $19^{th}$ century?
- Which one of the following plays mock the Restoration drama of Dryden and Thomas Otway?
