Development of Prose in Victorian Age

Development of Prose in Victorian age.

Name                          :           Bhumi Vajani

                                                M.A. – English Part – I

Sem.                            :           2

Roll No.                     :           04

Paper                          :           6 - The Victorian literature

Topic                          :           Development of Prose in Victorian age.

Year                             :         2013

Submitted to              :           Dr. Dilip  Barad

                                                Dept. of  English

                                                M.K. Bhavnagar University

The Development of Prose in Victorian Age.

Introduction :

                   Victorian age follows Romantic age. It begins from 1833 and ends in 1900. This ‘age’ is one of the most glorious epochs in the history of England. It was an age of material affluence, political awakening democratic reforms, industrial and mechanicals progress, scientific, advancement, social unrest, education expansion, imperialism and empire building, humanitarianism, idealism, and all pervasive intensity of life. The Victorian scene unfolds a rich panorama of life in all its wide and varied branches – social, political, economic and literacy. It is one of the special features of the age that while it evoked feelings of warm appreciation and commendation in the hearts of many of its admirers it equally well roused the feelings of resentment and condemnation in others.

Carlyle Wrote :

“Were we required to characterize this age of ours by any single epithet, we should be tempted to call it, not heroically, devotional, philosophical or moral age, but above all others, the mechanical age. It is the age of machinery in every outward and inward sense of that ward; the age which; with its whole undivided might, forwards teacher and practices the great art of adapting means to evils. Not the external and physical alone is now managed by machinery, but by the spiritual also. Men, are grown mechanical in head and heart, as well as in hand.”

Signs of the times by Carlyle

          Victorians laid great emphasis on order, decorum and decency –

“To talk of duly, honor the obligations of being a gentleman the responsibilities of matrimony and the sacredness as religious beliefs is to be Victorian.”

The advances made by new science were accepted by new science were accepted but the claims of old religion were not ignored. They took up a compromising position between faith of religion and doubt created by science –

“There remains more faith in honest – doubt Believe me that in half the creeds.”

The Victorian Age was rich in literacy output –

“Nearly all victorious wrote copiously and had little regard for eighteenth century ideals of terseness and epigrammatic point. The mounds of unsalable sermons and black bound homiletic writing which, even now make corners of second hand bookshops look like ossuaries remind us pungently of the special interests and demands of the special interest and demands of the expanding Victorian public.”

-  The Literacy scene by G.D. Klingopulos :

“The most striking characteristic of Victorian literary was its strenuousness, its conscious purpose. Both poets and prose – writers worked under the shadow and burden of a conscious social responsibility.”

- A history of English literature by Moody Lovett.

There is a note of revolt and denunciation against the growing materialism and mechanization of the age. In spite of the growing tendency of the writers to be interested in social and political life of the times, there was in Victorian literature a contribution of the old romantic thirst for beauty, love and art. It was customary to regards this age as an age of pessimism doubt and despair –

“It is spoken of as a prosaic age, looking in great ideals.”

The literature of this age was influenced by science.

“In fiction the scientific spirit is no less discernible, the problems of he reedit and environment preoccupying the attention of the novelist, writers like charlotte, Bronte, Dickers kingsley, and read, give place to point in biology, psychology, pathology. The influence of Herbert Spencer and of come meets us in the pages subtly followed in the fiction of George Eliot, the early writings of Mrs. Humphrey ward and the intimate Wesson studies of Thomas Hardy.”

- A history of English Literature by Cooption – Rickets.

The Victorian age is essentially the age of prose and novel. The novelists were freer because their aims were more limited and allowed a pragmatic approach.

Major Novelists :-

Charles Dickens :-

Life :

          Dickens was born near Partsea. At an early age he because very fond of the theatre and this fondness remained with him all his life and affected his novels to a great extent. He becomes reporter.

Ø  Sketches by B02 (1836)

Ø    The Pickwick paper (1836)

Ø  Oliver twist (1937)

Ø    Nicholas Nichleby (1938)

Ø  The old curiosity shop (1840)

Ø    American Notes (1842)

Ø  Martin Chuzzlewit (1843)

Ø    Donbey and son (1846)

Ø  Bleak House (1852)

Ø    Hard Times (1854)

Ø  A tale of two cities (1959)

Ø    Great Expectation (1960)

Our mutual friend (1964)

          His last, novel ‘The mystery of Edwin drood’ remained incomplete and his died.

Features :

          His novels were very popular. At the age of twenty six he was a popular author. The demands of this novel were very high and this led to lastly work which could not be considered properly his all books were rich and enduring. His all books were rich and enduring. His power of imagination was beyond comparison. Not even a single English novelist excelled him in the multiplicity of his characters and situations. His humor is broad, Humane, and creative. He could describe horrible, as the death of bill Sykes, he could be painfully dramatic as in the characters of Rosa Dartle and Madame defrags. His characters are created in the ‘flat’. His style is clear, rapid and resembles the style of journalists.

The example of peculiar Dickensian style is -

“A decidedly indelicate young gentlemen, in pair of wings and nothing else, was depicted as superintending the cooking, a representation of the spire of the church in longhand place, London, appeared in the distance, and the whole formed a “valentine”, of which as a written inscription in the window testified, these was a large assortment within, which the shopkeeper pledged himself to dispose of, to his countrymen, generally, at the reduce rate of one and sixpence each.”

- The Pickwick papers.

William Makepeace Thackeray : (1811-63) :

Life :

Thackeray was born at Calcutta. He contributed to prose and legend verse. He studied art and also contributed to periodical as journalists.

Same of his novels one:

Ø  The yellow plush correspondence (1837 – 1938 )

Ø    The book of Snoks (1949)

Ø  The Fitz boodle papers (1942-43)

Ø    The memories of Barry Lyndon (1844)

Ø  Vanity Fair (1847-48)

Ø    History of Pendermis (1848 to 1850)

Ø  The History of Henry Edmond ( 1852 )

Ø    The New comes ( 1853 – 55 )

Ø  The Virginians (1857 – 1859)

As an editor of the Cornhill magazine he wrote published as –

Ø  The English Humourists of the eighteenth century (1837)

Ø  The four Georges (1860)

Ø  His blursque work –

Ø  Rebecca and Rowena (1850)

Ø  The Legend of the Rhine (1845)

Ø  The Rose and the Ring (1955)

Features :

          When Dickens’s was enjoying his success Thackeray was struggling through neglect and contempt to rendition. He got success slowly. Once he had gained the favor of the public he held it and among outstanding English novelists there is none whose claim is so little subject to challenge.

          “Since the author of Tom Tones was buried” says Thackeray in his preface to pandemic, “No writer of fiction among us has been permitted to depict to his almost power a ‘man’. We must drape him and give him a certain conventional simpler.” His certain conventional simpler. “His creations are rounded, entire, and quite alive and convincing. He depicted truth with the help of satire. In pathos he is sentimental. He style is effortless and of extraordinary degree.”

“Her eyes beamed out on him with affection indescribable, “Welcome”, was all she said as she looked up, putting back her fair curls and black hood. A sweet rosy smile blushed on her face: Harry thought he had never seen her look so charming. Her face was lighted with a joy that was brighter than beauty – She did not quit Edmond’s arm.”

                                                                             - Henry  Esmond

3.      The Bronter :

          Life :

          Charlotte (1816-1855) family (1818-1848) and Anne (1820 – 1849) were from Yorkshire. The three sisters wrote for fun and they published look take different name and not original ones. Female writing was not given much importance in their time.

Charlotte  Bronte :

          She work had truth and intensity. Her plots were limited upto her experiences. She brought energy and passion which seemed wonderful and romantic. Her novels are

Ø  The Professor

Ø    Jane ryre (1847)

Ø    Shirley (1949)

Ø    Villette (1853)

v    Emily Bronte :

She wrote less than charlotte. Her one novel “Wuthering Heights” (1847) is unique in English literature. It depicts the passions of moor. She also wrote few poems. Her finest poems are –

Ø  No coward soul is mine

Ø    Cold in the earth, and the deep snow piled above three.

v    Anne Bronte :

She wrote two novels …

Ø  Agnes grey (1847)

Ø    The Tenants of Wild fell Hall (1848)

Compared to charlotte and Emily she lacked power and intercity in her work the were pioneers in the filed of romantic fiction in their concern with the human soul they were to be followed by George Eliot and Meredith. The following passage shows the quality of Emily Bronte’s work.

“My Great miseries in this world have been healthchieff’s miseries and I watched and fell each from the beginning. My great though out in living is her self. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue tube; and if all else remained and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger; I should not seem a part of it my love for linden is line the foliage in the woods; time will change it, I’m well aware, as winter changes the trees.’’

(4)     George Eliot :

Life :

Many an Evans was the real name of George Eliot. She was born near Nuneaton. She became a member of a literacy circle. In later life she travelled extensively and married (1880) J.W. Cross and died at Chelsea in the same year.

Works :

          George Eliot discovered her own was of writing fiction in the middle years of her life. She wrote:

Ø  Adam Bade (1959) :

Ø    The mill of the floss

Ø  Silas Marner – The weaver of Raveloe (1861)

Ø    Romola (1863)

Ø  Felix Holt the Radical (1866) :

Ø    Middle march, a study of provincial life (1871-72)

Ø  Daniel Dernda (1876)

Features :

          There is relatively few striking incidents in her novels, but her plots are skillfully managed. Her characters are usually drawn from the lower classes of society and her studies of the English countryman show great understanding and insight. She displays light humor. There are irony and moral earnest an in her novels. Her style is lucid & simple. Her speeches are ordinary and natural. Nature is present in the form of countryside description. Her novels deal with social, personal and psychological problems of ordinary people.

“She wakes to a new condition. She felt as if her soul had been liberated from its terrible conflict, she was no longer wresting with her grief, but could now sit down with it as a lasting companion with her grief, but could now sit down with it as a lasting companion and make it a sharer in her thoughts for now the thoughts came quickly.”

- Middlemarch

(5)     George Meredith : (1828 – 1909)

          Life :

          He was born at Partsmoutg. He was a reader to a London publishing huge but slowly he was able to get the way for his own bolos. He died at his home at box hill, survey.

Poetry :

Ø  Poems (1851) :

Ø  Poems and lyrics of the joy of the joy of earth (1883)

Ø  Ballads and poems of tragic life. (1887)

Ø  A reading of earth (1988)

Ø  A reading of life, with other poems (1901) .

Novels :

Ø  The ordeal of Richard Fevered (1859)

Ø  Evan Harrington (1861) – Emilia in England (1864)

Ø  Rhoda Fleming (1865)

Ø    Vittaria (1867)

Ø  The adventures of Harry Richmend (1871)

Ø    The egoist (1879)

Ø  The tragic comedians (1880)

Ø    Diana of the Crossways (1885)

Ø    The Amazing marriage (1895)

Features :

          His language and style both are praised. His female character where given same importance as males. His style is fully matured. His novels are deep solid. His characters are amazing and accurately woven. For example –

“She had the mouth that smile in repose. The lips met full on the centre of the bow and trimmed along to a lifting dimple, the eyelids also lifted slightly at the outer corners and seemed, like the lip into the limpid cheek, quickening up the temples, as with a run of light, or the ascension indicated off a shoot of color.”

- The Egoist.

Other Novelists :

Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881):

Ø  He was born in London. He gained seat in parliament. He wrote :

Ø    Vivan grey (1926-27) :-

Ø  The Vajage of caption Popanilla.

Ø    A psychology autobiography (1932) –

Ø    New generation (1844)

Ø  The new monthly (1929-30)

Ø    The wondrous tale of Alroy and the rise of Iskander (1833)

          His work dealt with fashionable society, His passages are full of decorum. In style the prose is inflated, but the later novels sometimes have flashes of real passion and insight.

Edward Bulwer – Lytton ( 1803 – 73 )

He had a long and successful career of a literacy man as well as a politician. He wrote –

Ø  Kalkand (1827) :

Ø    Paul Clifford (1830)

Ø  The last days of Pompeii (1834)

Ø    Roman Tribunes (1835)

Ø  My Novel (1853)

Ø    A strange Story (1862)

Ø  Money (1840)

          His book are full of the pictures of current society. The can be said to be immature in their affection of wit and cynicism.

3.      Charles Reade : (1814-1884) :

          He was born in oxfordshire. He was a successful man of letters. He died at shepherd’s Bush. He began with plays. His works are as under –

Ø  Marks and faces (1852).

Ø    Christie Johnstene (1853)

Ø  The cloister and the Hearter (1861)

Ø    Hard Cash (1863)

Ø  Griffith Gaunt or Jealousy (1866)

Ø    Foul Play (1868)

          He has the dramatic’s sense and gives striking scenes. Sometimes he becomes melodramatic while hi character lacks depth. He gives historical details in his work.

4.      Wilkie Collins :

          He is the successful followers of dickens. He was versatile. He specialized in the mysterious novel. Supernatural elements are present in his work. He wrote more than twenty five novels.

Some are :

Ø  The dead secret (1857) :

Ø    The woman in white (1860)

Ø  No name (1862)

Ø    The moonstone (1868)

5.      Robert Louis Stevenson : (1850 – 1894 )

          He was born at Edinburgh, His works are –

Ø  An Inland Voyage (1878)

Ø    The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1868)

Ø  Kidnapped (1886)

Ø    The Black Arrow (1888)

Ø  The Manster of Ballantrae (1889)

Ø  The Catrine (1893)

Ø  A Child’s Garden of Verses (1885)

Ø    Underwoods (1887)

Ø    Ballads (1890)

          He wrote gracefully. His finish was artistic. He had adventurous spirit. His most of the stories are interesting.

6.      Mark Twain :

Mark Twain was the pet name  of Samuel L. Clemers (1835-1910). He was born in Florida, Missouri. His work falls into there main classes –

(1)     Travel books                   (2)     Novels of Mississippi

(3)     Romances.

His works are

Ø  The adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)

Ø    The adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Ø  Life on the Mississippi (1883)

Ø    The prince and the pauper (1881)

Ø  Joan or Ark (1896)

Twain Brock influence of European models in American literature. He was humorist. He did bitter satire. His best works are firmly based on reality. His works flows spontaneously with natural charm.

There are many major writers of this age apart from the discussed ones. I have tried to include important Victorian writers.

“With all its immense production the age produced supreme writer. It revealed no Shakespeare, no Shelly, nor a Byron as a Scott. The general literal level was, however, very high, and it was an age, moreover of spacious intellectual horizons noble Endeavour, and bright aspirations.”

- A history of English Literature by B.G. Albert.