Depiction Of Victorian Life Through The Novel

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History Unit 2: Theories and Perspectives in ‘The History and Culture of the Victorian Novel’ To what extent was the Victorian Novel a reliable depiction of Victorian life and culture? Richard Rothwell This essay will explore the themes and perspectives prevalent in a number of studied novels and works from the Victorian era. The relevance of these themes to the life, culture and societal transitions Victorian Britain went through will be highlighted in an attempt to determine the level to which the works were an accurate depiction of the Victorian era. The works to be explored include Charles Dickens ‘Hard times’, Thomas Hardy’s ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’, H.G. Welles ‘The Time Machine’ and Marx and Engels ‘Communist Manifesto’. The Industrial Revolution had radically reshaped the way people lived. Mechanisation saw the rise of a new powerful class of business owners and manufacturers, and with advancements in technology deeming the trades and livelihoods of many rural communities obsolete, people were forced to move to the emerging towns and cities in search of work. The influence of the industrialists saw new government policies pushed through, feeding their demand for factory labour. Legislature was made that increasingly inhibited people’s ability to forge a living for themselves, peasants were evicted from their land, and their only option was to head for a life of exploitation in the factories. This age of change spawned a number of novelists and thinkers and some of the most influential and acclaimed writings ever. Friedrich Engels, upon visiting Manchester in 1842 was appalled at the living conditions of the working classes. He began chronicling what he saw in the city and later his writings were published
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