The Novel in the Nineteenth Century

The Victorian Novel

The 19th century saw the novel become the leading form of literature in English. With the Industrial Revolution, the novel became a way to speak out about social injustices, and the rapidly growing middle class consumed the literature of the time period due to the messages in the literature. As well as speaking out against social injustices, many novels inferred the absence of God and the presence of realism and naturalism; Darwin's theory of evolution changed the way people viewed science, religion, and God's sovereignty, and many people distanced themselves from the church.

The novel's importance to the era could easily be compared to the importance of the plays of Shakespeare for the Elizabethans. Some of the great novelists of the time were: Emily, Anne and Charlotte Bronte, Anthony Trollope, George Eliot, Oscar Wilde, and, of course, Charles Dickens.

Elements of the Victorian Novel

Highlights social issues (child labor, women's rights, etc)
Underlying messages of morality
Focus on the Middle Class
Doubt and Skepticism
Science vs. Religion
Emphasis on idealizations (truth, justice, love, etc)

Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism

Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism started in the 19^th century, and while Romanticism ended in the mid 19^th century, Naturalism stemmed from Realism, and both Realism and Naturalism continued heavily into the Modern time period. For a preview, view the elements of each literary time period below:

Female Authors in Victorian Literature

During the Victorian time period, as social change that included women's suffrage occurred, women integrated themselves into the male-dominated career of writing. Many women published works under pseudonyms due to the patriarchal society of the time, and many novels spoke out about the injustices of women lacking the opportunity to have true independence. Similarly, many women included Gothic elements from the late 18^th century period in their writings.

Various reforms happened during the 19^th century including the Married Women's Property Act of 1870 which finally allowed women to be the rightful owners of any money or property they inherited; beforehand, the money or property passed to the closest male in the family.

Mary Godwin Shelley

Mary Godwin Shelley was Percy Bysshe Shelley's second wife. She was the daughter of the philosopher and novelist William Godwin and philosopher and prominent feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. She met Percy Shelley when she was a teenager and he was still married. When she was 18, she traveled with Percy Shelley to Geneva, where they vacationed with other poets, most notably Byron. The weather that summer turned out to be wet and cold, and the group ended up spending most of their time indoors. They entertained each other by reading German ghost stories, which led to Byron suggesting that they each write supernatural stories of their own.

This led to Mary Shelley coming up with the idea for her novel Frankenstein, which many credit as the basis for the modern horror story as well as the science fiction genre. Published in 1818 during the Romantic period, the novel serves as a reaction to the various changes in England during the 19^th century. The novel represents the effects of science and technology on the world. Although she published little else of note in her life, Frankenstein was an incredible achievement for someone so young.

Jane Austen

Author of the popular novel-turned-film Pride and Prejudice, Austen remains known for the satirical elements in her Romantic fiction. Austen subtly satirizes the novel of sensibility and uses her characters to speak out about society forcing women to obsess over marriage to prosper in society and in the economy. Austen also includes Gothic elements in her popular novel, Northanger Abbey.

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice, published in 1813, reveals the story of a family who attempts to marry their daughters off for social and financial security. However, Austen creates one character, Elizabeth Bennet, who does not agree with the norms for women set by Victorian society, and she openly rebels against the idea of sensibility and marrying for security.

Read the excerpts from Pride and Prejudice.

When reading, notice how Austen satirizes the importance of marriage for women in Victorian society and uses her writing as a way to take a different stance on the topic.

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens, who lived from 1812 to 1870, was one of the most popular, productive, and skilled English novelists. Although he was not educated, he remains famous for his compelling stories and unforgettable characters. Most of Dickens's major novels were first written in monthly or weekly installments in journals such as Master Humphrey's Clock and Household Words and later reprinted in book form. These installments made the stories cheap, accessible and the series of regular cliff-hangers made each new episode widely anticipated. His well-known novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and inspires adaptations consistently.

His novels feature attacks on social injustices and hypocrisy and offer an excellent insight into Victorian culture. Dickens' works include realism, comedy, unique characters, and social criticism that Victorian society devoured and modern culture still appreciates today.

Novels Depicting Victorian Culture

Dickens' novels focused on social injustices, and many novels focused specifically on working conditions and the conditions of the poor. In Oliver Twist, Hard Times,and Bleak House, Dickens presents the issues in a way that people find humorous yet thought provoking. Read through the background and excerpts of three popular novels by Dickens that highlights a need for change in Victorian culture.

Read the excerpts from novels by Charles Dickens.

When reading, notice how Dickens incorporates realism in his writing to truly paint a picture of life during the Victorian time period.

Analyzing Literature

Later on in this module, you will be asked to analyze some of the literature you've read in this novel in your final essay analysis. Let's take a look at the video below, from Ted-Ed about mining literature for deeper meaning.

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