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Introduction The victorian literature refer to the regin of Queen Victoria who ruled the british empire from 1837 to 1901, a time of double standards and sexual opression. This time is regarded as a high point of british literature. The victorian literature is partly global, reaching to the british colonies. This era of literature links the romantics and the different styles of the 20th century. Literature as serials The new industry made it possible to increase the editions due to new printing techniques. More people learned to read and magazines began printing stories as serials, and since a magazine is cheaper than a novel this format became popular. The literature was adapted by the demands of the big audience, they must fit in middle class homes. The author of theese serials was ruled by the publishers - a good serial sold more magazines. The ultimate serial writer was Charles Dickens who knew the profits of giving the audience what they wanted. The characters was never complicated, the ending always happy and no sexual implications was to be found. Dickens attacked society in his novels, but never lost readers. Oliver Twist is the story of an orphan boy, written with a child's perspective. The story is an attack on the goverment and is a plea for reform and human compassion. The Style The early victorian literature tried to educate the reader on how to be a "good victorian" - hard work, perseverance, love and luck would win in the end. But this gradually changed after Charles Dickens death in 1870. Soon the novels became more critical, Thomas Hardy began to question marriage, and realism became a leading theme. Webmaster recomends |