THE VICTORIAN NOVEL

Structural analysis: single out the function and content of each paragraph.

The text under analysis introduces to the reader the Victorian Novel and its main features. It is arranged into three main sequences according to the content and to the function.

The first sequence includes paragraphs from one to three. Here, the Victorian Novel is introduced in relation to its context. In particular, the Victorian novel is strictly linked to the economic, social and political changes of the time, and, speaking of changes, it has a particular role: its function is to shape the readers’ opinion.

The second sequence, which includes paragraphs from four to eleven, develops the main features of the Victorian Novel.  In particular, the fourth paragraph draws the reader’s attention on its most relevant point: the Victorian Novel focuses the attention on the relationship between an individual and society. The following paragraph provides information about the audience of the Victorian Novel, the middle class, and introduces some features of the Novel linked to the audience itself. Indeed, the sixth paragraph introduces the narrative strategies, such as realism (linked to the reflection of social problems), pathos and grotesque (whose purpose is to have a certain effect on the reader).

Paragraphs from seven to eleven focus the reader’s attention on the latter, providing more details about it and explaining its purpose. Paragraph seven is meant to explain better what “grotesque” means: it mainly consists of an exaggeration of the characters’ traits, be them evil or good. The eighth paragraph is meant to draw the attention on a specific type of character and on the reason why it was used: children were considered suitable characters to convey social problems and therefore make the rich afraid and guilty. Paragraph nine is meant to justify the use of grotesque, as well as pathos: it provided an “alibi” for the middle class’ coscience. Paragraph ten analyses the effect of the use of grotesque on the reader: the middle class had not to recognize themselves in the Victorian characters; they were afraid of becoming like them, in terms of social status. Paragraph eleven is linked to the previous one: in particular, it adds that the feeling of superiority and the partial identification with the characters is a symptom of the contraddictions of the Victorian Age.

The third sequence, which goes from paragraph twelve to fourteen, concludes the text. In particular, it focuses the attention on the effect, the consequences and the impact of the Victorian Novel. The setting and the characters are considered a unifying element, while the novel itself became a sort of mass media: the effect on language can still be seen today (eg. Some English words come from Dickens’ novels). The text is closed by a list of authors and of their works, that are contextualised.