British Literature II.docx
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BritishLiteratureII
TheVictorianPeriod
FirsthalfofRealism
Comment
Thecriticalrealismofthe19thcenturyflourishedinthefortiesandinthebeginningoffifties.Therealistsandforemostsetthemselvesthetaskofcriticizingcapitalistsocietyfromademocraticreality
Typicalwriters
CharlesDickens
ThegreatestEnglishrealistofthetime
Withastrikingforceandtruthfulness,hecreatespicturesofbourgeoiscivilization,describingthemiseryandsuffersofcommonpeople.
WilliamMakepeaceThackeray
criticalrealist
Thackeray‘snovelsmainlycontainasatiricalportrayoftheupperstrataofsociety
ElizabethGaskell
MaryBarton
describedtheinhumanconditionsofthelifeofEnglishworkersandbirthofChartistmovementastheinevitableresultofthemonstrousexploitation
CharlotteBronte
Furtheradherentsofthemethodofcriticalrealism
Humanism
Profoundhumanismwhichisrevealedintheirsympathyforthelaboringpeople.Thesewriterscreatepositivecharacterwhoarequitealientothevicesoftherichandwhoarechieflycommonpeople
Humor&satire
Theworldofgreedandcrueltyiscontrastedtoaworldwheretheunwrittenlawsofhumanismruleindefianceofallsorrowandinflictionsthatbefalltheheroes.Thisjuxtapositiondeterminesthecharacterandfunctionofhumorandsatireintherealisticnovelofthe19thcentury.
Humorousscenesmayattendtheactionsofthepositivecharacters,butthishumoristingedwithlyricismandservestostressthehumanquality,thesincerityandkindnessofsuchcharacter.Atthesametime,bittersatireandevergrotesqueisusedtoexposeandcriticizetheseamysideofreality.
SecondhalfofRealism
Comment
Inthefiftiesandsixtiestherealisticnovelentersastageofdecline
Theydonotrisetotherealizationofthenecessityofchangingthecontemporarysocialsystemradically.Theystrivefornomorethanimprovingitbymeansofreforms,whichbringsthemtoafutileattempttoreconcilingtheantagonisticclassforces---thebourgeoisandproletariat.
Typicalwriter
GeorgeEliot
Describedthelifeofthelaboringpeopleandcriticizedtheprivilegedclasses,expositorytendenciesaremuchweakerinherwork.Sheraisestheproblemofclasscontradictionmoreseldomandlessforcibly.
ThesignificanceofG.Eliot’sworkliesintheportrayalofthepattiesandstagnancyofEnglishprovinciallife.
Chartistwriters
Comment
Chartistliterature,foritdevelopedamongtheparticipantsoftheChartistmovementsbeforeandaftertherevolutionaryeventsof1848.
Theme
TheChartistwritersintroducedanewthemintoEnglishliterature---thestruggleoftheproletariatforitsrights
Poet---RobertBrowning
Comment
Adheringinhisbestworktotheideasofhumanism,Brownaeratedinhispoemsagalleryofinspiredpainters,musicianandscientist.
Feature
ManyofhispoemsaredevotedtotheglorificationofItaly,ofitspeople,natureandart.
AnItalianinEngland
BrowningportrayedanItalianrevolutionaryfightingforthefreedomofthecountry.
CharlesDickens
Position
ThethreegreatestVictoriannovelistsareDickens,ThackerayandGeorgeEliot.ThefirstofthesetoachievefamewasDickens,
whobecameagreatportrayerofchildlife.
Comments
AftersuccessofATaleofTwoCites,hisreputationwasgreat.Hisconcernfortheoppressedpoor,hissentiment(whichsometimeslippedintosentimentality),hisflairfornarrative,oftenmelodramatic,andaboveall,hisinventionofcomiccharacter,combinedtomakehimmorepopularthananyotherEnglishnovelisthaseverbeen.
AllDickens’majornovelswerepublishedeitherinnumbers,likeNicholasNickleby,orininstallmentsinmagazine,whichfrequentlyaccountsfortheepisodicqualityofhiswork.
Pickwick
AtthetimeofhismarriagehewaswritingseriesofhumorousstoriestoaccompanyillustrationsofCockneysportinglife,therichlycomicadventuresofthePickwickClubintheEnglishcountryside.ThesalesofthePickwickpapersjumpedwiththeintroductionintothestoryoftheengagingCockneyservant,SamWeller,andby1837,whenitspublicationinnumberswascompleted
DickensattwentyfivehadriseninayearfromobscuritytoapoisonofpopularityunequaledinEnglandbeforeorsince.
OliverTwist
OliverTwist,hisfirsttruenovel,hadacarefullyworkedoutplot,incontrasttothepicaresqueofincidentsinPickwick.
ItspictureoftheworkhousescreatedundertheNewPoorLawandthedescriptionofthecriminalslumofLondoninwhichyoungOliverlivedbroughtDickensanewclassofseriousreaderinterestedinsocialreform.
MasterHumphrey’sClock
In1840Dickensbeganaweeklypaper,MasterHumphrey’sClock,patternedonSpectatorandTatler.Thereader’sinterestswerelessinthefamiliaressaysthaninthestorieswhichDickenswasproviding;graduallythepaperbecameonlytheframeworkforthepublicationoftwonovels:
theOldCuriosityShopandBarnabyRudge.BarnabyRudgeishisfirsthistoricalnovel.
Americatrips
HisfirsttriptoAmericabeganwithanenthusiasticanduncriticalreceptionwhichslowlysouredasDickensbegantospeakoutagainstslaveryandtheAmericanpublishers’piracyofEnglishbooks.He,inturn,wasdisgustedbythecrudenessoflifeandmannersinAmerica,andinparticularbyhisownlackofprivacythere.
HisAmericanNotes,publishedonhisreturntoEnglandprovokedgreatresentmentintheUnitedState.
InhisnextnovelMartinChuzzlewit,heoncemoreusedhisobservationonthetriptodrawtheludicrouscharactersoftheAmericanepisodesofthebook,andagaintherewastrans-Atlanticprotest.Thisnovelisconcernedwiththeevilsoftheloveofmoney,butDickensembroideredthetalewiththehumorofsomeofhismostcomiccharacter,suchastheoldnurseSaraGampandthehypocriticalPecksniff.
AChristmasCarol
HisfirstandbestChristmasbook,AChristmasCarol,failedtosellaswellasheexpected
DavidCopperfield
DavidCopperfield,pleaseeveryone.Manyoftheeventsofitshero’schildhoodandhisromancewithDoraareclearlyreminiscencesofDickens’youth.Themellowveinofmemoryprovidedarangeofcharacterizationheneversurpassed,andsuchcreationsasthemarvelousMicawberandthecringingUriahHeephavemadeitthemostperenniallypopularofhisnovels.
BleakHouse
BleakHouse,asatireontheabusesoftheCourtofChancery,showDickensathisbestinhandlingcomplexnarrativesandinterlockingplots,buttheprevailingmoodofsombernesswasnewtohisreaders.
HardTimes
HardTimesisanearnestattackonthevulgarityandmaterialismoftherisingmiddleclassindustrialists.
ATaleofTwoCities
Thestoryofredemptionthroughdevotionshowshisabilityathandlingpurenarrative,andithasalwaysbeenonofhismostpopularnovels,althoughitlackshischaracteristichumor.
GreatExpectation
GreatExpectationistoldinthefirstpersonbyPip,ayoungmanwholearnsthroughadversitytodiscardhiswonsuperficialsnobbishness.Becauseoftheunityofinterestcenteredonthechiefcharacter,andthecrediblequalityofitsromanticstory,manycriticshavecalleditthebestofhisnovels.
WilliamMakepeaceThackeray
Comments
BythistimehispopularityrivaledthatofDickens,withwhomhewasfriendlyifnotintimate;theironlyquarrelwashealedjustbeforeThackeray’sdeath.
ThesentimentalitywhichhesharedwithDickensoverscenesofsuffering,andtheoccasionallymaudlinqualityofhis“good”womenaretemperedinhisworkwithasatiricalsometimescynical,viewofsocietywhichperhapshasmoreappealtodaythaninhiswontime.
Thackeraywasalways,gregarious,andhelovedtheeasylifeoftheupperclass,withwhomhewasfriendlybutwhowerefrequentlythebuttsofhissatire.
YellowplushCorrespondence
TothenewFraser’sMagazinehecontributedhisfirstimportantsuccess,theYellowplushCorrespondence,thefictionalmemoirsofpushingandself-importantfootman,ofwhichthethemeasonehelaterusedfrequently:
theridiculousnessofpretension.Reviews,sketches,andnovelsfollowinFraser’s,notablyCatherine,writtentosatirizesuch“NewgateCalendar”novelsofcrimeOliverTwistandHarrisonAinsworth’sJackSheppard,TheGreatHoggartyDiamond,andBarryLyndon.
TheBookofSnobs
TheBookofSnobsmadehisreputationasasocialsatirist.
VanityFair
Hisfirstmasterpieceoflongnovels,VanityFairappearedinmonthlyinstallments.
ItssettingisEnglandduringandaftertheNapoleonicWars,butitspanoramicviewoffollyandvanityisuniversal.
BeckySharp,theunscrupulousgovernessofwhoseadventuresdominatethebook,isgenerallyrecognizedasoneofthemostvividlydrawscharactersintheEnglishnovel.
HenryEsmond
HenryEsmond,ahistoricalnovelforwhichhisstudiesofthehumoristshadprovidedthebackground.
Itissetintheperiodinhistoryhelovedbest,thereignofQueenAnne,butthelovestoryofEsmondandLadyCastlewoodisinpartareflectionofhiswonfeelingforMrs.Brookfield.
Perhapsitwastheonlyoneofhisnovelsnotpublishesserially,Esmondhasafinishandstructuralorganizationgreaterthananyofhisotherworks.
TheNewcomes
Hisdelightfulfairy-tale,ThecentralcharacterofTheNewcomesisanotherviewofThackerayhimselfasayoungmanofgoodinstinctswhicharethwartedbyhisownshortcomings;
Clive’sstrugglestoestablishhimselfasanartistandthetrialsofhisfirstmarriagearereminiscentofThackeray’scurlymanhood.
Therealinterestofthebook,however,isinthecharacterizationofClive’scapriciouslycharmingsweetheart,Ethel,andofthehonorableandguilelessoldColonelNewcomes.
TheVirginians
Thelastofhisgreat