Civil war (1642-1648) and the English Bourgeois Revolution

6. Critical realism in E lit. The Bronte sisters, Ch.Dickens, W.M. Thackeray
Reign of the Queen Victoria. The 1830s which followed the industrial revolution saw the sharpening of сlass contradictions. One of its signs was the Chartist movement which followed the Parliamentary reform of 1832(slavery). An age of progress and an age of doubt. The new class of bourgeoisie was divided into 3 categories: upper, middle and lower. There was too much poverty, too much injustice and too little certainty about faith and morals. A new approach to literature was needed which would reflect the problems of that time. Thus a new trend was born in English as well as in the Continental literature - Critical or Social realism, dealing with the needs of society. Realists stressed the link between man and the social environment in which the personage grew and functioned. So from the materialistic point of view man is predetermined by the conditions of his life. Portrayed day-today realities and personages of the realistic works were social types, not psychological as in the Romantic Lit.
Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855), Emily Bronte (1818-1848), Anne Bronte (1820-1849)
They began to write poetry and novels when they were very young. They died before their best- known books became the famous works of E. literature. ”Wuthering Heights” (1847) the only novel by Emily Bronte. “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte. These both novels have realistic and romantic elements (Social obstacles / poetry, nature, mysticism)
Contributions:1) A fragmented structure 2) A method of multi-narration&its effects 3) The flashback technique 4) Unparalleled emotional intensity 5) Freedom from social conventions
Charles Dickens (1811-1863) Was born in Landsport, in a middle-class family -> London. At 10 went to work for a factory. Later he went to school, which he attended for only 3 years- at the age of 15 he started his work in a layer’s office, 18 he became a reporter in Parliament.