The Victorian novel reflects social changes, like the struggle for democracy (= lotta per la democrazia) →la rivoluzione ha portato cambiamenti come la lotta per i diritti, etc.

The industrial revolution started in 1840 but the results started to be visible in the 1900. All the instirutions reflected society problems (businness, children, education, …), for these reasons novel’s litterature and culture reflected social classes.

Since in the 18th century there was not internet, tv, etc.. there were novels: people read and created ideas about it; the opinions they made conditionated the decision of society.

WIDELY-READ= ampiamente letto → avv. di modo (+ly)

Novel has always be considered inferior than poetry. → it should find new vitality

MAGNIFY= magnificare, dare grande importanza → “mignifier” from the verb “to mignifire”

Novel= attento ad aspetti realistici                              Poetry= the countrary Romanzo= forma più diffusa nell’800

Prima c’erano solo Richardson (con Pamela → psicologia dei personaggi, classi sociali, etc.), De Foe e Hanry Fielding (es. Thome Johnes: capacità di strutturare i pezzi del romanzo, che aveva assunto uno status narrativo attraverso questi tre scrittori) → they paved the way.

Il romanzo poteva esprimersi e occuparsi dei priblemi sociali.

To have an impact is equal to influence-condition-contribute to the way of people. → opinion formers.

To happen/occure= occuparsi                                  to mix/to blend= mescolare

I romanzi mescolavano forme quasi da documentario e storie d’amore. I romanzi erano come i report che si facevano in parlamento: facevano vedere i problemi nelle industrie nell’argricoltura (thomas hardy che scrive i wessecks cicle: serie di romanzi di agricoltura; Wessecks is an ancien name of an english country → fanno vedere l’impatto che la trasformazione dell’agricoltura ha sulla gente. Es: dalla letteratura all’agricoltura: saper leggrere trasversalmente).

Tema più importante della letteratura vittoriana e di tutto l’800→ concetto di classe sociale

To over simplify= semplificare in eccesso

The most characteristic theme in Victorian fiction is class. The Victorian novel was a photograph of social reality: the problem of relationship between one class and another, the desire to rise and the fear of falling down the social ladder, and the problems that arose from exploitation of labour and corruption or inadequacy in the social services are all familiar and central themes in the early Victorian novel.

The reading public was predominantly middle class, and in particular, lower middle class.

The most popular subject for working writers was family life, especially middle class family life. The villains in Victorian fiction are over villainous caricatures of evil; the virtuous are often too virtuous and innocent (usually children), like victim designed to provide the sense of pathos which is so typical of Victorian fiction.

The logic of Utilitarianism (the doctrine to which actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority) offered a sound excuse: if on one hand all this accounts for the pathetic side of Victorian art, on the other it also explains much about the complementary side of the coin: the grotesque (that described the underworld damnation).