Realism and The Rise of The Novel in Victorian Literature: A Study of Narrative Method, Social Commentary and Genre Evolution Akhmedova G.Kh.

Аннотация

This article constructively explores the emergence and development of realism in Victorian literature, particularly within the novel genre. It provides insight into the socio-political context of the period and discusses the creative methodologies utilized by influential writers like Charles Dickens, George Eliot and the Bronte sisters. By examining the transition from romantic to realist narrative modes, the study highlights the significant contributions of Victorian novels in portraying complex social realities and giving a voice to marginalized groups. Furthermore, it underscores how these works contributed to the moral and intellectual development of society. The paper also reflects on how the genre’s formal features, such as scope, character complexity, and length, effectively mirror the broader cultural transformations occurring in 19th-century Britain, fostering a deeper understanding of the literary landscape of the time. Keywords: Realism, Victorian literature, novel, genre, character complexity, the literary landscape, narrative techniques, artistic discourse, English literature. a new phase in English literature. The realist novels of Introduction: The Victorian era has been the subject of the time explored major contemporary social issues thorough analysis within global literary studies, through artistic discourse, offering comprehensive particularly regarding its extensive output of novels and portrayals of British society, transforming lived the narrative techniques employed. The reign of Queen experience into artistic truth, and encouraging changes Victoria (1837–1901) is marked by significant in people’s way of life. These works often called for modernization and relative affluence within British resistance against the discrimination faced by women society. Literary critic David Mitchell highlights this in society. The literature of this period, especially its period as one of unprecedented industrial, economic, novels, exhibits a pronounced dedication to realism, and social growth, which not only elevated living offering intricate depictions of everyday life while standards but also fostered the expansion of simultaneously critiquing systemic injustices democratic principles. Such a transformative backdrop entrenched in society. Scholars like John Sutherland inevitably shaped literary production, prompting have lauded this era as the “golden age of English writers to confront and engage with critical socio- literature,” recognizing its artistic innovation and political issues of their time. ideological complexity. The Victorian novel emerged as As a result, it is clear from the content and underlying a powerful medium through which authors articulated intentions of many writers who were active during this responses to the pressing challenges of their day, period that their works brought pressing socio-political including class disparities, gender inequities, and the issues to the forefront. Indeed, Victorian literature, pursuit of moral reform. grounded in the principle of depicting reality truthfully METHODS and rich in works written in the realist style, ushered in American Journal Of Philological Sciences 286 https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN – 2771-2273) However, the era under investigation possesses a literary endeavor, becoming not only the most popular number of distinctive features that set it apart from and prominent genre in England but also in world other literary periods. Scholars who have studied the literature”. While this view is largely accurate, it is literature of this period often highlight one of the especially important to emphasize the development of distinctive features of Victorian literature: the fact that realism within the novel, particularly the rise of critical writers initially focused on seemingly modest, relatively realism. Movements such as Chartism, the increasing minor social issues. This observation is valid. For activism of the working class, and the growing instance, Charles Dickens began by writing in a satirical- exploitation of children and women in labor forced sentimental style, portraying the hopeless daily lives of writers to adopt a more socially conscious, realistic ordinary people. Later, in Oliver Twist (1838), he used narrative approach. the character of Oliver to expose the existence of a