Defoe contributed to the debate of Ancients versus Moderns through this work and compared the ancient Chinese Eastern knowledge as a way superior to all the modern scientific development.
In this novel, Defoe satirized Baconian experimental science and suggested that using science and technology to transform natural resources into useful goods for commerce results in harmonious social systems and the overall development of society. The novel also emphasizes that technological advancements not only will strengthen individual nations but it will also develop a world-encircling international network of trade. Defoe himself was a successful businessman and he had a deep knowledge of commerce. In The Consolidator, the narrator satirizes Chinese society and the political class of China
The title ‘The Consolidator’ is the name of a feather-covered rocket ship in which the main character travels to the moon. Each of the winged steeds of the rocket represents a house of the English parliament. The title itself was inspired by a political crisis in 1704 during which the Tories almost lost the power over Parliament as the opposition feverishly argued over the issue of civil liberties for the Protestant dissenters.
Characters of The Consolidator :
Boyl is a recurring character that appears many times in the story and is addressed differently in different places. Initially, he is simply addressed as Mr. Boy, not even a full second name. As the story develops, Boy is addressed as Honorable Boyl. In the later parts, he is addressed as Boy or Boyl. Boy or Boyl is an allusion to Robert Boyle, the Anglo-Irish chemist, physicist, and natural philosopher who gave Boyle’s law of the inversely proportional relationship between the absolute pressure and volume of a gas at a constant temperature. Bishop Wilkin is another real-life character whom Defoe satirized in The Consolidator. John Wilkins was an English natural philosopher and clergyman who was one of the founders of The Royal Society. He supported scientific development as an augmentation and proof of Anglican beliefs. The narrator is an unreliable and inconsistent character that Defoe used to satirize the socio-political situations of the early eighteenth century in England. On some occasions, the narrator operates as a mouthpiece for advocating Defoe’s political and social ideas. Lunarians are the living beings on the moon who observe humankind on Earth with keen interest. Lunarians are much more developed and scientifically superior living beings than human beings on Earth.
Summary of The Consolidator:
The narrator returns from his visit to China where he learns about a strange chariot, a rocket that can travel in the air. The rocket is driven by two mysterious creatures who can fly at great heights. The narrator discusses the superior political and social setup of China and ridicules the current political struggles going on in Britain. The narrator says that the two feathered creatures that can take the rocket up to the moon succeed in their endeavor only because they work harmoniously and supplement each other. The narrator says that the name of the rocket chariot is The Consolidator and then compares the two-winged steeds of the Consolidator with the two houses of the British Parliament. The wings of these creatures take a more representative role, acting as the different sides of a parliamentary seating with each feather assigned as a Member of the parliament. Both sides must work together to pass bills into law. By working together, the vehicle can be transported to the Moon safely. Defoe uses his imagination to create a utopia that can dissect the workings of the British parliamentary system.
The narrator then mentions that he was lucky enough to get a chance to land on the moon with the help of the Consolidator and he mentions that the Moon is inhabited by native Lunarians who are a much more technologically developed species than human beings, the earthlings. The Lunarians are just like Earth people, but their civilization is more advanced. They have traveled between the Moon and the Earth over a long period and have shared their technological marvels with the Chinese and that is why the Chinese use the Lunar calendar. The narrator says that when he was on the moon, he happened to meet a Lunarian philosopher, who showed him many fascinating things. These included special magnifying glasses that enable the Lunarian people to view the Earth and to perceive the iniquities and absurdities of human life and governments.
Defoe used the literary device of imagining life on the Moon observing the societies on the earth and then criticizing the flaws of human society. Defoe's characterizations of the Lunarian civilization mock national and European politics, the follies of the times, and prominent figures, including Robert Boyle and John Wilkin. In addition, the narrator himself landed on the moon and observed human society and especially the English society with the help of the much-advanced magnifying glasses of Lunarians. Defoe criticizes the struggles of the British parliamentary houses while raising the issue of the recent 1704 political crisis which almost ousted the ruling majority of the English parliamentary system. Members of parliament had already been pushed to their limit by the call of pardon for former protestants who requested amnesty and civil freedom. The narrator dissects, analyzes, and criticizes the flaws of the British political system and offers his support to Baconian scientific development while ridiculing the ideas of John Wilkin, one of the founders of the Royal Society. The narrator further praises the Ancient Eastern civilization of China and suggests that Chinese advancements exceeded all of the modern efforts and this the narrator suggests, is because of the help of Lunarians. He mentions gun powder and silk manufacturing technology that are new to the West came from the Lunarians through China.
The narrator also talks about a debate between the Lunarian scientists when they try to make a consolidatory map of Earth showing the different kinds of governments in different nations of Earth. They try to make a single map showing all the different types of government but fail to do so because of the frequently changing governments in different nations of the earth. Finally, they conclude that no single map suffices to show the complexity of constantly shifting government policies. Instead, the decision is taken to make a series of maps, each showing a different topic. The Lunarian scientists then use the power of their special magnifying glasses to demonstrate scientifically that the human behavior thus mapped is, in fact, rational and justifiable. The Lunarians again engage in a debate about whether all of the information about the Earth can be shown on one map. The merits of different projections are discussed. The decision is reached that the information is too complex to be shown on a single map. The result is separate maps for Publick Faith, the State of War and State Policy, and so on.
Defoe’s parents were Presbyterian dissenters and he got his school education at the Academy of Dissenters at Newington Green where he learned the uses of telescopes and other scientific devices. Defoe was aware of the works of Robert Hook and his experiments with the microscope. Defoe made use of this information to vitalize The Consolidator.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!
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