Victorian Literature (1832–1900): Authors, Genres, and Social Impact
The Victorian Age (1832–1900): Literature and Context
The Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century caused great changes in Britain. When Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, many social problems existed. While the working classes remained very poor, the middle and upper classes grew rich and comfortable.
Many writers used their work to expose the problems hidden behind the facade of a successful society.
Victorian Prose: The Novel in the 19th Century
Victorian novels mainly developed social themes, often following the dramatic patterns of the previous century, characterized by very long descriptions and authorial comments. They also featured a strong moral and didactic tone.
Charles Dickens (1812–1870)
He hated the social system of his time and became the spokesman for the poorer classes, making his readers aware of the problems of Victorian society.
He described the social problems of young boys in institutions or schools:
- *Oliver Twist* (institutions)
- *Nicholas Nickleby* (schools)
He wrote *David Copperfield*, based on his own childhood, about growing up and reaching the success the Victorians admired—wealth and marriage. *Great Expectations* was also partly autobiographical.
*Hard Times* shows the worst side of the new industrial society, presenting a very pessimistic picture of the nation.
*A Tale of Two Cities* is a historical novel about the French Revolution.
*A Christmas Carol* gives the traditional picture of Victorian family values, showing Christmas as the most important family festival.
Dickens’ career mirrored the shift in Victorian sentiment, moving from optimism early in the reign to sadness thirty years later.
The Brontë Sisters
The Brontë sisters revolutionized the portrayal of women in novels, presenting them as more realistic, less idealized figures dealing with complex relationships and problems.
- Charlotte Brontë wrote *Jane Eyre*, which shows a new move towards freedom and equality.
- Emily Brontë wrote *Wuthering Heights*, a novel of passion with a landscape as wild as the central characters’ relationship. The novel is very original, moving backward and forward in time, and also presents a new view of women and their emotions.
- Anne Brontë (1820–1849) wrote *The Tenant of Wildfell Hall* (1848) with a central female character involving complex relations and problems.
George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) (1819–1880)
She wrote about controversial women’s themes, such as having an alcoholic husband or being an unmarried mother. *Middlemarch* (1872) is about society, addressing themes like changes in the voting system, medicine, the advent of rail transport, and the roles of women.
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)
He wrote adventure novels like *Treasure Island* (1883). *The Strange History of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde* (1886) is a horror story and a psychological novel showing the double nature of Man—good and evil.
Oscar Wilde (1856–1900)
He wrote only one novel, *The Picture of Dorian Gray* (1891), with the central theme of appearance, which caused a great scandal at the time.
Fantasy Literature for Young Readers
As literacy rates increased, many Fantasy books were written specifically for young readers.
Lewis Carroll (Charles L. Dodgson) (1832–1898)
He wrote *Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland* (1865) for the daughter of a friend and *Through the Looking Glass* (1871). The latter continues Alice’s strange adventures, where he plays with reality, language, and logic in ways that are both comic and frightening.
The Rise of Detective Fiction
The Detective story was another novel genre that became immensely popular.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930)
He created the most famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, the main character of many stories like *The Hound of the Baskervilles* (1902).
Early Science Fiction
Science fiction was a genre just beginning to emerge.
H.G. Wells (1856–1946)
He wrote *The Time Machine* (1895), *The Invisible Man* (1897), and *The War of the Worlds* (1898). He continued writing well into the twentieth century.
Victorian Drama
In the early years of the Victorian period, drama was generally not considered part of serious literature.
Oscar Wilde (1856–1900)
*The Importance of Being Earnest* (1895), about social behaviour and appearance, demonstrates how deeply fixed the prejudices and manners of Victorian society were.
Victorian Poetry
Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892)
He became the nation’s favorite poet with *In Memoriam A.H.H.*, an elegy to a deceased friend. He is considered the poet of sadness and loss but also wrote about historical facts.