Victorian Literature

Charles Dickens was a great social analyst and prolific author who boldly challenged the social norms in 19th century England. When he wrote his novel Hard Times published in 1854, he was especially critical of the commonly accepted psychological abuse of women in the newly industrialized British society. His character...

The selections “Porphyria's Lover” by Robert Browning and “Ah Are You Digging On My Grave” by Thomas Hardy demonstrates loss of social safety net during the Victorian Period. The speakers in both poems have a sense of social insecurity which influences their interactions with other people. The social insecurity would...

Catherine’s emotions are as vivid and wild as her beauty. The theme of external looks and internal character is explored through Catherine’s emotional tantrums and the other characters who witness her tantrums. Catherine is intelligent, but she is also impetuous. Because Edgar loves Catherine, he has not seen her for...

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austin is, no doubt, one of the most illustrative books to reveal the truth about the society of the time, which is described in the book. And one of the most important features, which allow achieving the goal, is, certainly, the great manner of the...

'Sense and Sensibility' is novel written at the start of the 19th century whose purpose is to entertain, educate and cultivate moral sentiment and responsibility through a psychologically accurate depiction of the lives and tribulations of the upper middle-classes of southern England, particularly the two sisters Marianne and Elinor Dashwood....

Austen's use of irony in her novel offers important insights to her attitude about life through the experiences of her characters. What does Austen have to say about women, class mobility, and marriage based in the experiences of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice? What did Elizabeth Bennet experience and...

The poem “Corinne at the Capitol” by Felicia Hemans can easily be viewed as a celebratory and jubilant piece of prose that extols womanhood just as easily as it reveals to what extent women are frequently stereotyped and categorized. In extolling the virtues of a heroic woman who is politically-minded,...

Little House on the Prairie is the third book of a series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The story takes place when Laura is a little girl who travels with her father and mother, and two sisters, from the “Big Woods” where too many people had moved, to a place...

The novel Little Women by the American author Louisa May Alcott is a much-loved novel for both children and adults. The novel follows the lives of four characters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March, as they grew from children to women. The characters remain some of the most beloved characters...

Haworth, England is not a name that will come to mind when one thinks of important locations in England or Great Britain. An unassuming town in industrialized northern England, Haworth’s most famous daughters are the Brontës, titans of 19th century British literature. Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë became internationally famous...