English-Critical-Realism

TheVictorianAge(EnglishCriticalRealism)1832-1901HistoricalbackgroundQueenElizabeth&QueenVictoria(similarities)TheVictorianagecanberoughlydividedintothreeperiods:Theearlyperiod(atimeofsocialunrest)Corruptionofthegovernment;hiringchildrenasworkers;TheChartistMovementThePhilosophyofUtilitarianism;opposedtothisphilosophywerethinkerssuchasCharlesDickens,ThomasCarlyle,etc.HistoricalbackgroundThemid-Victorianperiod(heydayoftheVictorianage)Twodecadesofpeaceandprosperity;tremendouschangestookplaceinEngland;anxietiesandworriesbeneath;Dickens,GeorgeEliotrealisticallyexposedthedarkersideoftheseeminglyprosperoussociety;CharlesDarwin’sTheOriginofSpecies.HistoricalbackgroundThelastperiod(theempireonwhichthesunneversets)NewrivalssuchasGermany,TheUnitedStates,JapanandRussia;economiccrisis;Melancholybecamethespiritofthetime;MatthewArnold,ThomasHardy,BernardShawexposedthehypocrisyoftheVictoriancomplacency;OscarWildeandhis“artforart’ssake”.VictoriannovelistsTheriseofnovelsasadominantliterarygenreduringtheVictorianage.Thegrowthofurbanpopulationresultedintheappearanceofanewreadingpublic.Thedevelopmentofthemethodofprintingandpapermakingmadethepriceofbooksdrop.Writinghadbecomeaprofession.Manyindustrialcapitalistslivedanidlelifeoninterestsandtheyneededrecreationandentertainment.VictoriannovelistsThefirepovertyontheonehandandtheenormouswealthontheotherhandneededaformtoexplorehumanrelationsratherthansermonsgiveninthechurch.Thefeministmovementhadmuchtodowiththegrowthofthenovel.“thewomenhave,onthewhole,equality;andcertainly,insomepoints,superiority…Thenovelofthe19thcenturywasfemale.”FeaturesoftheVictoriannovelsTheplotisunfoldedagainstasocialbackgroundwhichisbroaderthanwhatithadbeeninpreviousnovels.Mostofthenovelswerefirstpublishedinserialformbeforetheywerefullypublishedinasinglebook.ThenovelsweretaintedbythespiritofPuritanismoftheVictorianage.TheVictoriannovelswerecharacterizedbytheirmoralpurpose.CharlesDickensLifeexperience(theexperienceofchildhoodleftsuchadeepimpressiononhismindthatitbecamearecurringsubjectinhisnovels)OliverTwistAChristmasCarolDombeyandSonBleakHouseHardTimesATaleofTwoCitiesGreatExpectationsOurMutualFriendCharlesDickensTheme:Dickensshowedhisprofoundsympathyforthepooranddescribedhowtherichwereconvertedafterundergoingseveretests.Artistictechnique:AtendencytodepictthegrostequecharactersoreventsHumourInstilllifeintoinanimatethingsandtocompareanimatebeingtoinanimatethings.Notedforhisdescriptionofpatheticscenesthataimtoarousepeople’ssympathy.WilliamMakepeaceThackeraySimilarities&differencesbetweenDickens&ThackerayThackeraymainlydescribedthelivesofaristocratsandrichbusinessmanDickenswasasentimentalistwhileThackerayisacynic.Dickenswasaromanticistinmanyaspectsbylettinglooseimagination,whileThackeraywasagainstaffection.WilliamMakepeaceThackerayVanityFairThetitletakenfromJohnBunyan’sThePilgrim’sProgressTheVictorianegoistic,hypocritical,andmoney-grabbingaristocraticandcommercialsocietyisavanityfair,whereeverythingissoldinmoney.ANovelwithoutaHeroTheBronteSistersCharlotteBronte(JaneEyre),EmilyBronte(WutheringHeights),AnneBronte(AgnesGrey)Howtheybecomewritersremainedamystery.TheirworksaredifferentfromthoseofotherVictorianwritersintheaspects:Theirworksaremarkedbystrongromanticelements.TheroleofnatureisespeciallyimportantintheworksoftheBrontesisters.Theirworksaremarkedbyanewconceptionofwomenasheroinesofvitalstrengthandpassionatefeelings.TheBronteSistersInJaneEyre,itisJane’srebelliousness,herdislikeforservility,andherinsistenceonequalitythatmakethebookunique.InWutheringHeights,Emilyportraystheconflictbetweenthepriviledgedandtheunderdog,betweenthemasterandthehiredhand.Astoryaboutloveandrevenge.ThomasHardyThelastimportantnovelistoftheVictorianagePessimisticinhisviewoflife(ImmanentWill)TessoftheD’UrbervillesJudetheObscureTheReturnoftheNativeTheVictorianPoetsTheVictorianagewasmarkedbytheprominenceofthespiritofinquiryandcriticism,byscepticismandreligiousuncertainty,andbyspiritualstrggleandunrest.AlfredTennysonRobertBrowningElizabethBarretBrowningMatthewArnoldLordAlfredTennysonPoetlaureateInMemoriamHewasknighted.Afterhisdeath,hewasburiedinWestminsterAbbey.VerymuchworriedaboutGodandnatureandman,aboutmodernscienceanditseffectonbelief,aboutDarwinismandthesignificanceofDarwin’stheoryofevolution,andaboutthemeaningoflife.RobertBrowningBoldandunconventionalinmatterandstyleDramaticmonologue(penetratestodepththepsychologyofhischaractersandrevealstheinnermostsecretoftheirlives)MyLastDuchessMatthewArnoldApoetandaliterarycriticEssaysinCriticismCultureandAnarchyPoetryasthecriticismoflifeDoverBeachThomasCarlyleEssayist,historian,andphilosopherOscarWildeRepresentativeoftheaestheticmovement(opposedtothematerialismandcommercialismoftheVictorianage)ADramatist,poet,novelistandessayistThePictureofDorianGrayTheImportanceofBeingEarnestGeorgeBernardShawIrishFabianSocietyDramatistMajorBarbaraPygmalionHeartbreakHouse