Edwardian Realism: Wells, Bennett, and Galsworthy’s Literary Legacy
The Realist Tradition in the Edwardian Period
Defining the Edwardian Era (1901–1910)
The Edwardian Period corresponds to the reign of Edward VII (1901–1910), preceding World War I (1900–1914). This era contrasted sharply with the preceding Victorian age, characterized by continued prosperity, confidence, and literary experimentation.
Key Edwardian Authors: Henry James, Joseph Conrad, E.M. Forster.
Traditional Edwardian Themes
- The Empire as a source of national pride.
- The countryside as the custodian of national values.
- The upper-class house-party as representative of English life.
Edwardian vs. Georgian Modernism
The literary landscape saw a division between the traditional Edwardians and the modern Georgians.
- Edwardian: Traditional approach to fiction.
- Georgian: Modern approach, exemplified by writers like Virginia Woolf.
This debate is famously captured in Virginia Woolf’s essay, “Mr Bennett and Mrs Brown” (1924), which served as an answer to Arnold Bennett’s review of Woolf’s Jacob’s Room (1922).
Woolf argued that the creation of character is the foundation of good fiction, criticizing the older generation (like Bennett) whose characters, she felt, “do not vitally survive in the mind.” See also Woolf’s influential essay, “Modern Fiction” (1919).
H. G. Wells: Science, Socialism, and Social Reform
H. G. Wells, a leading figure in the era, attended the Normal School of Science on scholarship, studying under Thomas Henry Huxley (biologist). Wells held a strong confidence in scientific progress as the catalyst for social improvement.
Wells’s Literary and Social Role
- He was a journalist, propagandist, and reformer.
- He viewed the novel primarily as a medium to impart ideas and criticize existing society, rather than as a work of art.
- He used fiction as a vehicle for utopian visions of the future.
- He was a leading member of the Fabian Society starting in 1903, viewing it as a training ground for an intellectual elite who would achieve a new world order through science and technology.
Critique of Wells’s Approach
Critics noted errors in his perspective, including:
- Underestimation of irrational impulses in man.
- Persistent denigration of the arts; he was impatient with art for art’s sake.
Early Scientific Romances (Before 1900)
- The Time Machine (1895)
- The Island of Dr Moreau (1896)
- The Invisible Man (1897)
- The War of the Worlds (1898)
Characteristics of Wells’s Early Fiction
Works like The First Men in the Moon (1901) are typical of this period:
- Fantasy based on logic.
- Sketchy characterization.
- Excellent description of external appearances.
- Little inner exploration.
- Vivid, factual details.
After 1900, Wells shifted toward comedy, and after 1910, toward the novel of ideas. Generally, his works show little interest in craftsmanship or technical innovation, often reverting to Victorian formulas.
Arnold Bennett: The Craftsman of the Five Towns
Arnold Bennett was born in Hanley, in the industrial north—one of the six pottery towns (which became five in his fiction, now the city of Stoke-on-Trent). This background heavily influenced his writings, giving him a familiarity with the industrial scene comparable to Gaskell, Dickens, and Disraeli.
Bennett’s Aesthetic Approach
Unlike Wells, Bennett adopted a more aesthetic approach to his novels. He is characterized as:
- A regional novelist.
- A craftsman, content with older forms and showing no innovation.
- A materialist (as described by Virginia Woolf), defining people by their jobs, habits, and possessions.
Major Works
- The Five Towns novels: Anna of the Five Towns.
- The Old Wives’ Tale (1908): An impressive record of life in time, focusing on birth, change, and decay. It tells the story of two provincial, slightly educated, and rather unimaginative sisters, Constance and Sophia, set in the town of Bursley. It highlights the excitement and significance of commonplace experiences.
- Clayhanger trilogy: Clayhanger (1910), Hilda Lessways (1911), These Twain (1916).
For Bennett, time was not a philosophical concept but simply the ticking of the clock.
John Galsworthy and the Critique of Property
John Galsworthy focused his attention on English society viewed strictly from within the bounds of the well-bred and well-to-do upper bourgeoisie.
Galsworthy’s Social Critique
Galsworthy’s work offered a criticism of late-Victorian and post-Victorian life by exposing the complacency of the propertied class, rather than the miseries of the poor. However, he was often criticized for:
- Having little understanding of the world beyond his own class.
- Being unaware of the social disintegration occurring around him.
The Forsyte Saga
His most famous work, The Forsyte Saga, centers on a family who represents the apotheosis of the British merchant class. The Forsytes:
- Live in terms of property, not affection.
- Believe that what cannot be bought does not exist.
- View art and spiritual matters merely as objects to be collected and manifestations of their success in life.
The first novel in the saga is The Man of Property (1906).
Technique
Galsworthy’s technique involved:
- Presentation of the flow of time, often centered on characters like Soames Forsyte.
- Little technical interest or innovation.
- Treating characters as objects rather than fully realized persons (a characteristic often labeled ‘materialist’).