Nineteenth Century Novel

 

Nineteenth century produced a number of great literary figures. In order to have a look on the writers and their masterpieces, we shall divide 19th century into different phases. The phases are as under;

 

1. Novel of Romantic Period
2. The Pre-Victorian Period
3. The Early-Victorian Period
4. The Later-Victorian Period
5. The Closing Period of 19th Century

 

1- NOVEL OF ROMANTIC PERIOD

Romantic age is the age of Wordsworth, Shelley and Keats etc. But the central novelists of this age are Jane Austen and Scott. They widened the scope and technique of the novel.

 

LITERARY FEATURES OF THE AGE

These types of novel emerged in this age and those were realistic, romantic and novel of manners. In the hands of Defoe, Richardson and Fielding, novel had not yet formed a pure shape. However, it was Jane Austen who wrote pure novel. The novels of both Scott and Austen showed love for traditions. They came to combine two opposite ideas of romance and realism.

 

NOVELS AND NOVELISTS OF THE PERIOD

Lesage and Abbe proved to be the cheap writers. Mrs. Brooks and Sara Fielding wrote domestic and romantic novels. Colman sums up the tendencies of the novel of that time ironically;

 

"Cassandra's Folio now no longer read,

See two volumes in their stead place,

And them so sentimental is their style,

So chaste, so bewitching all the while,

Plot, elopement, passion, rape and rapture,

The total sum of every dear chapter."

 

2- THE PRE-VICTORIAN PERIOD

A great literary figure, Scott died in 1832. It marked a turning point in the English history. Before this period, Jane Austen had succeeded in writing marvelous masterpieces like ‘Pride and Prejudice’. Scott was known as creator of a world of events and characters. A great change was taking place in this age when ‘Reform Bill’ was emerging as a great writer.

 

LITERARY FEATURES OF THE AGE

In the middle of 19th century, the English novel underwent immense expansion. Novel made a rapid progress. Above all, social novels and novel of manners had dominated the ‘Historical Novel’.

 

NOVELS AND NOVELISTS OF THE PERIOD

In Victorian period, Mrs. George and Thomas Love Peacock wrote romantic novels. Friar Tuck describes the summary of Peacock's philosophy in ‘Maid Marian’. He remarks;

 

"The world is a stage and life is a farce, and he that laughs most, has most profit of performance."

 

3- THE EARLY VICTORIAN PERIOD

The two outstanding novelists of this age are Dickens and Thackeray. Besides them, there were a number of remarkable novelists like Charles Read and W. Collins.

 

LITERARY FEATURES OF THE AGE

The writers' attitude to sex underwent a great change because Fielding's 'Tom Jones' was frowned severely. The writers started writing about 'Morality’. Realism and Humanism were the main focus of the writers.

 

4- THE LATER VICTORIAN PERIOD

Novel of this period took a new trend and may be called 'Modern Novel’. In the year 1859, George Eliot's 'Adam Bede' got immense popularity. Dickens' novel 'A Tale of Two Cities' appeared the same year.

 

LITERARY FEATURES OF THE AGE

Unified plot, contemporary thoughts, women characters and psychological matters were discussed in the novels.

 

NOVELS AND NOVELISTS OF THE AGE

George Eliot wrote ‘The Mill on the Floss’ and ‘Adam Bede’. Her novel 'The Mill on the Floss' shows a variety of characters. Through the heroine 'Maggie'. The novelist has shown a number of psychological implications. Thomas Hardy with his ‘The Return of the Native’ became popular.

 

5- THE CLOSING PERIOD OF 19TH CENTURY

In this age, Stevenson's name is popular in all readers of fiction. In ‘Gossip on Romance’ he says:

"Fiction to the grown man is what play is to the child".

 

To conclude, the period from 1830 onwards came to be known as the Victorian Era. This age produced the novelists like Dickens, George Eliot and Hardy etc.