Romanticism and the Rise of the Novel: A Literary Exploration

Romanticism: From Revolution to Manifesto

This period, spanning from the French Revolution to the mid-19th century, concludes with the Communist Manifesto. International and domestic conflicts arose in England, yet religious disputes no longer dominated political life. Economic transformations fueled class conflicts between the bourgeoisie and lower classes, as well as between the gentry and the industrial bourgeoisie, driven by economic interests. The era witnessed the Declaration of the Rights of Man, the Reign of Terror, France's rise as a military power under Napoleon, and economic crises. In England, figures like Nelson and Wellington emerged, and Bentham advocated for reforms, fearing the spread of revolution amidst the Napoleonic Wars.

Reactions to the French Revolution in England

Conservative: Edmund Burke's "Reflections on the Revolution in France" critiqued the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity, deeming them too abstract. Radical: Thinkers like Spence and Mary Wollstonecraft championed radical perspectives.

The Realist Novel vs. the Gothic Novel

The novel focused on individual lives. The anti-revolutionary Gothic novel, ignoring the Industrial Revolution, explored dramatic changes. Two distinct responses emerged: Realism, communicative and excluding profound changes, and the Gothic, questioning established norms. Gothic protagonists, lacking guidance, wandered through fears both tangible and metaphysical. The realist novel prioritized verisimilitude.

Material Conditions of Literary Production

• The writer and their public
• Serialization in newspapers and installments, influencing novel form and allowing real-time feedback
• Circulating libraries, lending books affordably
• Censorship
• Reading practices: group, family, or individual

Romantic Poetry

• Complexity of the movement
• Reactions against the Enlightenment: emotion vs. reason, nationalism vs. universalism
• Reaction against mechanization
• Influences: "Emile"
• New poetic language, themes, and mythology (Christian)
• Centrality of subjectivity vs. individualism
• Internalization of the Quest Myth: a spiritual journey of the Romantic soul
• Romantic imagination: symbol and vision
• Romantic Symbol vs. Allegory: The symbol is expressive and motivated, while allegory is arbitrary
• The egotistical sublime
• The work of art and nature: expressive vs. imitative art
• Main topics: childhood, education (especially aesthetic education), the individual and social order

Organic Form of the Poem

The poem is seen as a living entity, mirroring nature's vitality.

Literary Genres

1. Poetics: Notably prefaces and Shelley's works
2. Literary criticism
3. Poetry: Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats
4. Novel: Gothic (Frankenstein), historical (Walter Scott), Bildungsroman, parodies (Jane Austen)

The Early Victorian Novel

• 1830s: Novels of fashion and crime
• 1840s: The Brontë sisters