British Writer
Charles Dickens
Early life & Education
Life-changing experiences & personality
Born in England, into a poor family.
Traveled a lot as a journalist.
His father became a clerk and later was jailed for a debt to a banker.
Traveled to America
(1812 –1870)
Considered “The greatest novelist of Victorian Period” Occupation: Editor of magazine Bentley's Miscellany
Dickens had to leave school to work in a factory to help his family. As a child, he worked along with black people.
A train accident in 1865 Had tours around the U.S. and Europe, including France Lived in Switzerland
Major contributor of journal Household Words
Cause of death: Stroke
(1859–1930)
Relationships His first love, Maria Beadnell, whose parents disliked him. Her father was a banker and Charles a stenographer, so she was sent to Paris far from him. Later he married a Scottish woman, Catherine, whom with he had 10 children. The marriage grew cold, and Charles met a woman named Ellen Ternan. Catherine discovered a bracelet he gave to her and accused him of having an affair, thought he denied it, saying it was his costume to give presents to his friends.
People & Ideas He was an abolitionist He worked as a journalist for a newspaper; later turned political
Religious views He was an Anglican Christian, and wrote “The Life of Our Lord” (1849), a book to instruct his children on the life of Jesus Christ.
He lectured and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
Born in Scotland Both his parents were Catholic. He was sent to a Jesuit school, where he had a hard time. His father was an alcoholic.
He traveled to Africa and wrote a book justifying the UK's role in the Boer War in South Africa.
His father was sent to a mental hospital.
Got into politics twice and lost elections, which depressed him.
His wife got sick of tuberculosis and died.
At college, he met a doctor who inspired the character of Sherlock Homes.
He married again and had 3
Major Works “The Pickwick Papers” – (1836) “Oliver Twist” (1837 -1839) “A Christmas Carol” (1843) novella of explosive success and approval of the Queen. “David Copperfield” (1849-1850), his own favorite work
Philanthropy
Later he became a mystic believer in the spiritualist religion, of which he wrote 13 books and many articles
Short-stories His novels were delivered in serial publications Social criticism Attacked society’s hypocrisy
disprove the existence of ghosts
“A Tale of Two Cities” (1859) – best-selling novel of all time.
As critic of legends, he wrote ghost stories satirically.
Other works: Hard Times Great Expectations.
Keen observation of people’s character and society. His writings described as “charm and full of feelings.”
He edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, 5 novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles.
By the time he left the Jesuit school, he declared himself agnostic.
Trends & Topics
Defended poor people Denounced social injustice
The Haunted House (1859) –to
In 1858 they got divorced, which was a scandal surrounded with gossiping. The oldest son went with the mother, but Charles retained custody of all the rest.
Founded and owned the weekly literary magazine All the Year Round
Arthur Conan Doyle
Influences
Humour
A Study in Scarlet (1887) detective mystery
He’s considered the “Father of Science Fiction in Great Britain”
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902)
Genre: Crime fiction
Fiction characters: * Sherlock Holmes * Professor Challenge * Dr. John Watson (served
Fictional stories Fantasy
Occupation:
Physician (doctor) Writer.
George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
children. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh He opened a clinic but had no patients, so he quit his medical career and started to write. Born in Ireland Son of a civil servant His mother was a professional singer He worked as a clerk, but later found a job as music and play critic.
Occupation: Playwright Critic journalist Political activist Worked in a newspaper
George Elliot
Cause of death Renal failure, after an accident in a ladder
Born in England
(1819–1880)
She was brught up in a Low Church (Evangelical) family.
Mary Ann Evans Editor of the philosophical journal “Westminster Review” Translator
Her father invested on her education, an uncommon thing at that time. She had access to a library where she taught herself.
Tried to join the British Army at 55. His son was killed during the WWI, after which time he changed his mind about war. Moved to London. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature (1925) and an Oscar (1938) for the film Pygmalion, based on his own book.
He was knighted by King Edward VII, who was a fan of Sherlock Homes and asked him to write more stories of him.
In his political activities he met Charlotte Payne, who became his reluctant wife. Shaw had a number of affairs; notably, with
She changed her name because she didn’t want to be considered a romantic writer, as women writers were seen.
She had an affair with a married man:philosopher George Henry Lewes, who had already three children. When he died, she, 60, married a friend of them, John Cross (20 years younger than her). When the couple were honeymooning in Venice, in a fit of depression, he jumped from their hotel balcony into the Grand Canal, allegedly a failed attempt of suicide.
the British Army, medical doctor and writer). The Lost Horizon
Wrote some unsuccessful plays.
Cause of death: ?
Founding member of the London School of Economics When her mother died, she moved to London. She wrote her first novel in her forties.
in his last 15 years, defending the paranormal.
He was a Communist, who joined the Fabian Society He advocated eugenics and discussed on methods of killing the “unfit” people. He lectured in the so-called “Eugenics Education Society”
In the London’s Westminster Review , she was employed by Herbert Spencer.
Queen Victoria was “an avid reader” of her.
He was a Darwinianist evolutionist, he believed in “Creative Evolution He took up Nietzsche’s concept of the “Übermensch ” in his play “ Man and Superman”
She became an agnostic and denied her family’s Christian faith. Still she remained interested in religion from a humanist viewpoint.
Science fiction Mystery style Detective style Minor poetry
He won much money for Sherlock Homes, but he was bored of writing about him. He killed the character but people complained.
Pygmalion (1912)
Drama () Essayist Novelist
He wrote 60 plays, 5 novels, 2 short-stories,
Silas Marner (1861) Other novels: Adam Bede, 1859 The Mill on the Floss, 1860 Romola, 1863 Felix Holt, the Radical, 1866 Middlemarch, 1871–72 Daniel Deronda, 1876
Cause of death: 7 months after, she fell ill of throat infection and died of idney disease.
Short storywriter.
She was one of the leading writers of the Victorian Era
Novel
Psychological insights
Oscar Wilde
Born in Ireland
(1854–1900)
2nd son a family His father had 3 children with another family (he was a surgeon).
Occupation: Writer Poet Playwrigth Short-story -writer
Thomas Hardy (1840–1928)
His mother was a writer Homeschooled ‘til 9, when he was sent to Paris & Italy, where he won a prize in poetry at school. Born in England Son of a low-class constructor, stonemason and church builder. His mother taught him to read and homeschooled him ‘til 8.
Occupation: Architect, Poet, Novelist
George Meredith (1828 –1909)
Gratuated from Cambridge as an architect
Known for his manners and high-dress clothing,
He was married to Constance Lloyd, who with he had two children.
Aestheticism (aesthetics as more important than socialpolitical themes)
Because he was a homosexual, he was sent to jail for two years, under forced labours. Released in 1897, he lost all his money and changed his name.
His lover was Lord Alfred Douglas, a then young guy who would also became an author.
The influence of his father.
He had feel in love with her, and she became an inspiration of her writings. She died and he felt depressed
He read lots of Greek classics
They would become estranged, she died, he felt sad, and later he married again to his secretary, 39 younger than him.
Realism, Eliot Romanticism, Wordsworth
After Wilde’s imprisonment, Constance changed her and her sons’ last name to dissociate from the scandal.
After her release and health difficulties, he sought spiritual help and formally converted to Catholicism, with religious mentions in his last writings like “ The Ballad of Reading Gaol”
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) – [honest]his masterpiece, at his time of fame and success.
Comedy & Stire
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Short-stories
Salome (1891) – a play about the biblical story of Herod’s daughter who requested the head of John the Baptist.
Plays
Alterego
Essays Poetry
Wilde’s Cause of death: Celebral meningitis
“A Pair of Blue Eyes” (1873)
He traveled to Paris, Italy, with his wife Emma Lavinia Gifford.
Thought nominal Anglican, he was mystic on his views.
Movement:
Focused on poetry "How I Built Myself A House" (1865) – short story Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886)
Wrote about 14 novels and many many shortstories Severe critic of Victorian Society Focus on rural society
Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891) – it was censored for its sexual themes.
Cause of death
Published serials in magazines
Jude the Obscure (1895). Born in England His mom died when he was 5. His father, a saior, inherited debts and was in bankruptcy. He attended a Moravian school,
He married widow Mary Ellen Nichols. It was an unsuccessful marriage. They a son, but she eloped with an artist in 1858. Three years later she died.
He met a lot of famous people and writers of the epoch.
Liberal
A Darwinist, he “detested religion” and was an anticlerical who considered fighting against the priests as one of “the best of causes.” In his writings , he included
Essay on Comedy (1877) The Ordeal of Richard Feverel (1859) - novel about the inability of systems of education to control human passions
One of the most famous writers of fiction in Victorian England
Novelist Poet Psychological criticism through his characters Depression
Occupation: Worked for a newspaper
where fell in love with German music and poetry.
references to his belief in evolution.
His wife died and he was left with a kid.
Satire
He got married again. Cause of death ?
Anthony Trollope
Born in London to a poor family,
(1815–1882)
Due to his temper, his father lost his job at 12 attempted suicide
Occupation: Salesperson Post-officer
Samuel Butler (1835–1902)
His mother, a popular writer, offensive to Americans
With a short story he became rich. He run into politics, but lost and was poor again
He and his boss didn’t get along.
He used to read letters from his job to get inspiration for his writings.
Cause of death
Traveled to Ireland , returned to
He never married Born in England
Traveled to New Zealand
For years he made regular weekly visits to a female prostitute, Lucie Duma “His controversial assertions effectively shut him out from both of the opposing factions of Church and science”
Occupation:
Philosopher Translator
Sadness The Egoist (1879)
As a pantheist, he stated “nature is my God and I trust in her.” A moderate Anglican and a freemason, he addressed critically religious issues, essays about the structural debate of the Church of England (at that time, the so-called High Church vs. Low Church) as well as debate about Catholicism.
Modern Love (1862) - poem
An evolutionist, he criticized both religion, Christian orthodoxy, and Charles Darwin who he thought had not perceived well Erasmus evolutionary ideas.
Erewhon (1872) – published anonymously, a Utopian satire, anagram of nowhere Chapter “ The Book of the Machines” portraits “machines developing consciousness by Darwinian Selection”… asumming that machines would eventually replace man in the supremacy of the earth:
“In those days one was either a religionist or a Darwinian, but he was neither…"
Nature
Chronicles of Barsetshire The Warden (1855) – his major success - the first of six novels set in the fictional county of "Barsetshire"
Short-stories (many) Wrote several biographical works
Barchester Towers (1857) Palliser novels,( Palliser novels ) 6 novels concerned with politics, with the wealthy, etc.
“Appreciation of the usual”
Rachel Ray (1863) Foresaw a collapse of Victorian society Satirises criminal punishment and anthropocentrism Industrialism’s technology Theory of evolution Feelings The Way of All Flesh (1998).,semiautobiographical novel attacking Victorian society Translated the Iliad and Odyssey
Cause of death ?
Series of novels Travel-books (many)
Description of nature
Lewis Carroll
Born in England
(1832–1898)
His father was a High Church cleric Dogson was ordained a deacon in 1861.
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson Occupation: mathematician, logician, deacon and photographer.
Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881)
He didn’t become a priest, though he was expected to. Instead studied at Oxford and taught maths and logic.
Suffered form stammer He was very attracted to photography
It is thought he was a pedofile since he took pictures of a nude little girl who inspire Alice’s story: Alice Liddell
Alice In Wonderland Life in solitude He was a founding member of the Society for Psychical Research
Literary nonses In his later years, he joined the scientific Society for Psychical Research (1882)
A nominal Anglican, he was also interested in theosophy (an esoteric belief)
Made contributions to maths and some inventions
Through the Looking Glass (1872) Poems:
Children literature stories about a girl named Alice Liddell
"The Hunting of the Snark" "Jabberwocky"
Cause of death
Born in Scotland to a strict Calvinist family
? ? John Stuart Mill
He wanted to become a priest when a child.
Emerson John Ruskin
Cause of death
At college he lost his faith in Christianity and embraced liberal view from a transcendental non-materialistic view of the world.
“Heroes and Hero Worship” – he talks about the “importance” of heroic leadership of characters like Cromwell, Rousseau. Muhammad, Napoleon… “Sartor Resartus” – spiritual autobiography Signs of the Times (1829) “French Revolution: A History” (1837)
Occupation:
"Occasional Discourse on the Negro Question" (1849) - he argued that slavery should not be abolished
He did not follow a sequence to express his ideas Criticized the government dynamism and mechanism Against institutions (transcendentalism) Body politics vs soul politics
Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800–1859)
Born in England
Elected to the Parliament 1830 Secretary at War of Great Britain (1839 -1841) Worked in the East India Company., for which he wrote a new legal code
Occupation: Journalist in the Edinburgh Review
Taught himself German, Dutch, Spanish and French
Member of the Whig party (liberal)
? Played a major role in introducing English and western concepts to education in India
“The History of England” (many volumes about British history) Lays of Ancient Rome about the Roman Empire Biography of Plato and Machiavelli
