How did literacy change in the eighteenth century? What audiences were targeted and why?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Following the Renaissance and the growth of secular culture, and aided by the invention of the printing press, there was a significant growth in literacy in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. However, this overlapped with the Reformation and the wars of religion throughout Europe, and so most literary efforts were undertaken with respect to reading the Bible and studying religious tracts. A significant gap remained between popular literature written in the vernacular and serious academic and intellectual works written in Latin, which greatly limited the available audience. In the eighteenth century, however, the popularity of religious publications declined and popular literature that included novels, newspapers, and political tracts grew. Novels also provided a change in the reading audience because they appealed to women, and political tracts allowed women the opportunity to participate in at least a minimal way through debates and salon society. The eighteenth century also saw, for the first time, the growth of professional writers, rather than privileged authors relying on patronage or family wealth.