CHALLENGE TO TEMPORALITY, SEARCH FOR THE SUBLIMITY; MYSTIC QUEST OF THE NARRATOR IN WILLIAM BECKFORD’S EXCURSION TO GRAND CHARTREUSE (1779)
CHALLENGE TO TEMPORALITY, SEARCH FOR THE SUBLIMITY; MYSTIC QUEST OF THE NARRATOR IN WILLIAM BECKFORD’S EXCURSION TO GRAND CHARTREUSE (1779)

Summary/Abstract: William Beckford was born into a wealthy and politically prominent family on September 28, 1760. His father represented London in Parliament and became twice a Mayor of London. After his father’s death, he became the wealthiest son of England. He fell in love with Lord Courtenay of Powderham’s cousin William which ended his political career with Lord Loughborough’s rumor that Beckford was seen through a keyhole at Powderham Castle in sodomy with his nephew, William Courtenay. After this incident, he was excluded from political life and polite society (Tinker). Then, he traveled to Grand Chartreuse in Switzerland where he wrote Excursion to Grand Chartreuse (1779). His reflections in the letters from the Excursion to Grand Chartreuse, display the profound effect of the temporal time upon the mind of the author. It is obvious from the letters that the narrator tries to escape from the limit of physical time [life] and space [society]. This paper aims to discuss the effect of time on Beckford in the letters.

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