自考《英美文学选读》笔记4Novel of the Victorian Period. [P236]
Novel became the most widely read and the most vital and challenging expression of progressive thought. A harvest in novel
Critical realists：
Charles Dickens
William Makepeace Thackeray
Charlotte Bronte
Emily Bronte
Mrs. Gaskell Anthony Trollope
They were angry at the inhuman social institutions， the decaying social morality as represented by the money-worship and Utilitarianism， and the widespread misery， poverty and injustice. Their truthful picture of people's life and bitter and strong criticism of the society had done much in awakening the public consciousness to the social problems and in the actual improvement of the society.
George Eliot， the pioneering woman， was the first novelist that "started putting all the actions inside"
Thomas Hardy， the Wessex man who not only continued to expose and criticize all sorts of social iniquities， but finally came to question and attack the Victorian conventions and morals.
Prose of the Victorian Period [P236]
Poetry of the Victorian Period [P236-237]
The poetry of this period was mainly characterized by experiments with new styles and new ways of expression. Robert Browning who created the verse novel by adopting the novelistic presentation of characters. This transferred the thematic 主题的interest from mere narration of the story to revelation 新发现，提示 and study of character's inner world and brought to the Victorian poetry some psycho-analytical element.
Charles Dickens （1812-1870）
The definition of Critical Realist：
（1） A number of novelists who are strongly critical of the social reality of their day.
（2） They don't want to overthrow the existing social order and so they can't see a way out of the terrible situat
ion.
（3） They have a word of sympathy for the miseries of the poor laboring masses and cried out loud against social injustice.
（4） But they don't approve the use of violence to right the social wrongs.
（5） Therefore， they fear rather than welcome the Chartist Movement.
Life of Charles Dickens
1812 Son of a petty navy officer. Because of financial problem， his father along with his family members was put into prison. Dickens spent some of his childhood in prison.
1824 12y， He worked for a shoe blacking factory as a child work. Later， he wrote his miserable life there in Oliver Twist.
1827 Dickens entered a lawyer's office in London， where he acquainted with law court. While in London， he often read book at the British Museum Library.
1828 He became a Parliament reporter. The job enabled him to get some insideknowledge of British legal and political system， a chance to meet people of all kinds， a good foundation for writing.
1837 25y， Pickwick Paper was published. Dickens gained fame.
Major works of Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist （1837
