In Praise of the Minor Character: The Importance of Peripheral Figures in Victorian Literature

Minor characters in novels add depth, challenge perspectives, and reimagine relationships, but we need a nuanced way to understand them. This work provides a method of reading and rereading for minor characters across genres.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 31 October 2023
Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc

Minor characters play a significant role in novels, leaving a lasting impression on readers and inviting them into the hidden aspects of their lives. They enrich the landscape of a text, adding depth and complexity to its ecosystem. By challenging us to hold opposing perspectives, rethink interdependencies, and reimagine textual and lived relationships, minor characters encourage us to shift our focus from textual centers to margins and consider the minor elements of our own experiences. While we often identify with minor characters, we lack a nuanced understanding of them. This work aims to address this gap by exploring the qualities of minorness in Victorian novels and providing a method of reading and rereading for minor characters that extends across genres.

Weight: 320g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781476687278