Contexts and major writers of C19th prose fiction

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C19th prose fiction refers to novels and short stories written during the Victorian period.

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What major shift took place in Britain during the C19th?

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Complete these two quotes by Thomas Arnold and Walter Besant who commented on the effects of the rapid changes in the C19th for those living through them.

Thomas Arnold: ( said in relation to the various changes brought about by the industrialisation of Britain)

'We have been ( living, through, experiencing ), as it were, the ( life, shifts, existence ) of ( three hundred, one hundred, a thousand ) years in ( thirty, a hundred, ten )'

Walter Besant: ( ( said in relation the complete transformation of the attitudes, values and way of life of ordinary Victorians by 1897)

'He would not, could he see him, ( recognise, understand, know ) his own ( grandfather, grandmother, great grandfather )'

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Before novels became popular, what was the dominant form of popular literature?

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Which C19th writer first popularised the novel?

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Drag and drop the date labels to correctly identify when each of the writers in this picture were writing.

1818 - 1840's (Romantic)

1840s (Mid-Victorian)

1870 - 1890s ( Late Victorian)

1890s - C20th (Fin-de-siecle)

1811 - 20 (Regency)

1830s (Time of Troubles)

1850s - 60s (Age of improvement)

1880s - 1890s (End of the era)

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Which of these authors did not write their prose fiction during the C19th?

Choose all that apply

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Choose a date for each of the extracts from C19th prose fiction.

HINT: Think about the events taking place that may have influenced the ideas and perspective of the writers of these extracts to work out when they were written.

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The exam questions will focus on the way that the ideas and perspectives are presented in the extract on the exam paper.

What do we mean by ideas and perspectives?

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The extract on the exam paper can come from anywhere in the C19th (1800 - 1900).

A resources designed to help learners check their knowledge and understanding of the contexts and major British writers of the C19th covered in the introductory section of the Reading C19th Prose Fiction unit.