English Literature of the Victorian Age 维多利亚时期的英国文学

English Literature of the Victorian Age

1. The Victorian Period:

Chronologically the Victorian period roughly coincides with

the reign of Queen Victoria who ruled over England from1836

to 1901. The period has been generally regarded as one of the most glorious in the English history. II. Historical Background

1. economy: Industrial Revolution (1760 – 1840)

2. politics: Chartist movement (1838 – 1848) 宪章运动

3. science: Darwin’s theory of evolution(1859)

4. society: the women question Queen Victoria ( 1837 – 1901)

The early years of the Victorian England was a time of rapid economic development as well as serious social problems.

III. Critical Realism

1. definition----English critical realism of the 19th century flourished in the 40s and in the early 50s. It found its expression in the form of novel. The critical realists, most of whom were novelists, described with much vividness and artistic skill the chief traits of the English society and criticized the capitalist system from a democratic viewpoint.

2. Features:

Victorian literature, as a product of its age, naturally took on its quality of magnitude & diversity. It was many-sided & complex, & reflected both romantically & realistically the great changes that were going on in people’s life & thought. Great writers & great works abounded.

a. introduction of characters from the working class

b. strong hatred for vices in the society

c. an illusion of bringing about social justice and harmony by reforms

d. an interest in woman emancipation (Charlotte Bronte)

3. Representatives:

Charles Dickens; William Thackeray etc.

4. Features of Victorian novels

In this period，the novel became the most widely read & the most vital & challenging expression of progressive thought. While sticking to the principle of faithful representation of the 18th-century realist novel, novelists in this period carried their duty forward to the criticism of the society & the defense of the mass. Although writing from different points of view & with different techniques, they shared one thing in common, that is, they were all concerned about the fate of the common people. They were angry at the inhuman social institutions, the decaying social morality as represented by the money-worship & Utilitarianism & the widespread misery, poverty & injustice. Their truthful depiction of people’s life & bitter & strong criticism of the society had done much in awakening the public consciousness to the social problems & in the actual improvement of the society.

Victorian literature, in general, truthfully represents the reality & spirit of the age. The high-spirited vitality, the down-to-earth earnestness, the good-natured humor & unbounded imagination are all unprecedented. In almost every genre it paved the way for the coming century, where its spirits, values & experiments are to witness their bumper harvest.