shows that literature is not a fixed or eternal category It is something created by history A very important theme of the essay is that literature was used as a social tool After political and social changes in England especially after the civil wars the ruling classes wanted order and stability Literature helped them in this process Books essays and poems taught values like politeness morality and good taste They helped to educate the middle classes in proper behaviour In this way literature became a kind of moral training It was not only about beauty and imagination but also about shaping people s character Another major theme in the essay is the rise of English as a subject in schools and universities At first English was not considered an important or serious subject compared to classics like Latin and Greek But in the nineteenth century it became more important The ruling powers found English useful for teaching moral values and national pride In the twentieth century during the time of the First World War English studies gained even more popularity Eagleton makes a sharp comment when he says It is a chastening thought that we owe the University study of English in part at least to a meaningless massacre He means that the destruction of the First World War created a hunger for spiritual comfort and English literature was used to fill that gap Eagleton also stresses that the teaching of English was never free from politics The selection of authors like Shakespeare Milton and Wordsworth helped to create a strong national culture Literature was shown as something above politics but in fact it served political needs It gave people ideas of loyalty unity and respect for authority Thus English literature was linked with ideology and power It helped the ruling class maintain control in a changing society Another theme in the essay is the question of literary value Eagleton argues that value is not natural or timeless What we call great literature is often decided by institutions like universities schools and publishers The canon of English literature was built in a way that reflected the needs of society For example Shakespeare became central not only because of his artistic genius but also because he was useful for forming national identity This shows that literature is never innocent it is always connected with history and ideology Hence the rise of English literature as a subject was not only about reading good books It was about using literature to shape society to build values and to maintain political order Eagleton teaches us that literature must be studied critically We should love literature but also question it because it is always linked with power Eagleton helps us understand that literature is never neutral It always carries values power and purpose within it