The English Novel in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries - Essay Example

THE CONCEPT IN THE ENGLISH NOVELS OF EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEETH CENTURY Introduction The concept of classism did not start in the recent past, as it seems in our way of thinking; it is something that was conceived back in the eighteenth century. This is the time when the society was also divided on the same line of classes, people used to stay and interact depending on the classes they belonged to. There was the higher class, middle and lower class, in those times, there was little mobility between the classes, so that those who belonged to a certain class were condemned to stay in the class for their whole of their life and destiny (Carrier 2010 24). Writers who emerged in this period wrote their books depending on the issues that were being experienced, this is the reason who most of those that were written during this time based their themes on the concept of classism in the society (Leondar 2005 65). Some of those books that based their themes on class as it existed in the eighteenth and nineteenth century are discussed below. Great Expectation by Charles Dickens Great Expectation is one of those novels that have been read and loved by people from all corners of the world, the novel is famous, and is composed by one of the great master of Victorian prose, Dickens Charles (Cruz 2013 35). Just like other novels made by the same composer, Great expectation has made brilliant use of characters and plot as well as an incredible sensibility and sympathy for the manner in which the British class system was designed in the eighteenth and nineteenth century when it became more profound. Overview The storyline in the novel centers on a young man by the name of Pip, a young man who is offered an opportunity to be made a gentleman by a mysterious benefactor in the hope of getting riches to marry a girl of his choice. The novel gives an attractive perspective of the differences that were characteristic between the society’s classes during the Victorian era, at the same time; it brings out s sense of comedy and pathos. The Novel starts up at an exciting vein, Pip; the main star in the novel is a young orphaned man who stays with her sister and husband by the name Joe. While still at her sister’s place, news start circulating that a certain man has escaped prison and is on the run, one day, while walking aimlessly around their home, Pip comes across the convict who is silently in hiding at Magwich. After being threatened for his life, Pip secretly brings food as well as other tools requested by the convict to Magwich; this goes on until the time of his re-capture. As he grows, Pip finally meets a young girl with who they fall in love, but treats Pip with much contempt because he is a mere poor man not of her class. Later, Pip receives news that there is a certain benefactor who is willing to make him a gentleman to marry this young woman that he has fallen in love with. The theme of class in, ‘The Great Expectation’ This novel brings out the differences that exist between classes in Britain at that time as well as how money can be used to influence corrupt deals. In the poem, the author makes it clear that money cannot be used to buy love, nor does it guarantee any means of happiness for an individual (George 2006 102). In this society depicted in this novel, Joe, Pip’s sister’s husband is one of the happiest and most morally correct people; on the other hand, Miss Haversham is the richest but most unhappy and loneliest man. Confronted by a strong desire to be recognized in the society and marry, Pip has a firm belief that if he becomes a gentleman, he will be better placed to have everything in his world. His world finally collapses when he comes to understand that all his money was based on Magwitch’s dishonest earnings, later he comes to understand the true value of life. Robinson Crusoe Robinson Crusoe is a novel that is composed and written by Defoe Daniel, depicting the kind of life that that characterized life in the eighteenth century as well as some other years before. The novel revolves around a young man by the name of Crusoe, who is described as a young and impulsive wanderer. This young man defies his parents and goes to the sea, where he is involved in a series of violent storms that threaten his life. Realizing, his mistake, Crusoe is ashamed to go back home to his parents, instead, he boards another ship and heads to Africa, form where he makes a successful comeback, however, he is met with another bad luck as he is caught and taken to prison in Sallee, as a punishment, his captors sent him out to go and fish. Knowing his way out using the sea route, Crusoe manages to escape successfully, making away with one of his captor’s slaves. During the escape, he is rescued by a Portuguese ship and starts another new adventure again, landing in Brazil. In Brazil, he manages to align himself with other planters and sets himself on another trip to Africa in order to bring another shipload of slaves to work in his increasing number of farms. On their way to Africa, they are met with a sudden misfortune; they are shipwrecked, losing all people except himself, who realizes that he is the only survivor (Haque 2004 203). Crusoe stays on the island for a about twenty years, while on the island, he realizes that there are cannibals too. He finally decides to escape; he therefore makes a small boat that he manages to make away from the island with it.This novel explains how Crusoe finds a hard life after he moves from home to find his own adventure, after mush suffering, he manages to come back home, marries and enjoys his wealth. Bibliography Carrier, J. 2010.The Making of the Slave Class. Algora Publishing, New York. Cruz S. 2013. "Was Dickens Really Paid By the Word?" University of California Press, California. George B, S. 2006.Charles Dickens; Modern Critical Views, Infobase Publishings, New York. Haque A. 2004. "Psychology from Islamic Perspective: Contributions of Early Muslim Scholars and Challenges to Contemporary Muslim Psychologists", Journal of Religion and Health 43(4): 357–377. Leondar W. B. 2005. Class Matters: Cross-Class Alliance Building for Middle-Class Activists, New Society Publishers. Read More