The Novel in the Victorian age

The novel was the most important literary genre in Victorian age and the novelists assured
a role of great social importance. In the mid century novel acted as spokesman for the
society and took on a moral function. They treated the many issues of the day for example
democracy, rapid industrialization and its consequences, philanthropy, etc. The greatest
novelists share a faith in the perfectibility of the mankind and believed that the goodness of
human heart could improve the general situation. Their moralistic purpose led to the
adoption of happy endings in their works to show that good is capable to triumphing over
evil. At the end of the century did novelists begin to examine the soul of the individual and
to lose their faith in easy or social solutions.
For example one of the most important novelists was CHARLES DICKENS, who wrote
about each social class of the time, from the upper middle class to the most unfortunate
members of the society. Dickens characters are not realist and his administration of moral
justice is also unrealistic.
Dickens most imp works are Oliver Twist and David Copperfield.
Other two important writers of Victorian age were the BRONT sisters. In their works they
described the suffering of an individual personality and presented a new conception of the
heroine as a woman of vital strength and passionate feelings. Bronts most important
novel was Jane Eyre, the first work in English literature which explores the role of woman
in society and proclaims womens right to the same of social and intellectual freedom as
men.
GEORGES ELLIOT was the pseudonym of another important novelist of this age, Mary
Ann Evans. Women in fact, were forced to used a pseudonym if they would that their
works were judged for its own merits.
The main purpose of Mary Ann Evanss novels is to examine moral problems. Her
characters are developed and analysed skilfully and minutely. Through her characters
Mary Ann Evans show a profound understanding of human mind and emotions. Her works
have always an happy ending. One of her novel is Middlemarch in which Dorothea
refuses to accept her role as an inferior member of the human race.