Social Identity and Literary Form in the Victorian Novel: Race, Class, Gender and the Uses of Genre

During the Victorian era, significant social changes led to the development of English literature, including the relaxation of gender rules and class hierarchies, the growing consciousness of discrimination, and the use of scientific racism to justify British expansion. Novelists of the time used realism, satire, and the bildungsroman to resist or support various ideologies, and the book discusses these themes through the lens of interdisciplinary social studies, genre analysis, and paradoxes of the era.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 29 July 2022
Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc

The Victorian era was a time of immense social transformation, which had a profound impact on the English language and its literature. In the final decades of the century, rigid adherence to gender rules and class hierarchies began to loosen, giving rise
way to a greater consciousness of the injustice of class- and gender-based discrimination. At the same time, prejudice against nonwhite peoples continued to worsen, with the British employing scientific racism to justify their relentless expansion into Africa and Asia.

Viewing Victorian literature through the lens of these social changes provides a fresh perspective on the novels and their relevance to contemporary issues. Nineteenth-century novelists used a variety of literary techniques, such as realism, satire, and the bildungsroman, to resist or support the prevailing ideologies of their time, including the separate spheres doctrine and British supremacism. Each chapter in this book is an elaboration of the author's university lectures on Victorian classics, aimed at both undergraduate students and general readers interested in the era.

The tone of the text is scholarly yet accessible, designed to engage both students and non-specialists. It presents concepts in interdisciplinary social studies, discusses the uses of genre for rhetorical and social purposes, and exposes the paradoxes of the Victorian era. The coherent style, abundant examples, discussion questions, and literary glossary make this book an invaluable supplement for readers of the Victorian novel.

In conclusion, the Victorian era was a period of immense social change, which had a profound impact on English literature and its language. By examining the novels of this era through the lens of these social changes, we can gain a deeper understanding of their relevance to contemporary issues and appreciate the rich and complex literary traditions that emerged during this time.

Weight: 430g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781476687261