Victorian Flashcards
About Charles Dickens?
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) He was born in Portsmouth. He left his school to work in a factory. His father had to go to prison due to heavy debts on him. He started editing as early as when he was only 20. He has written 15 novels, five novellas, and many short stories and non-fiction articles.
Summary of Pickwick Papers?
His career begins with The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (also known as The Pickwick Papers) was Charles Dickens’s first novel. He was asked to contribute to the project as an up-and-coming writer following the success of Sketches by Boz, published in 1836
Plot: GEORGE NORTON SUES LORD MELBOURNE. SAMUEL Pickwick is a wealthy man who is the founder of The Pickwick Club. He decides to go on a journey with three of the members of the club, (Mr Nathaniel Winkle, Mr Augustus Snodgrass, and Mr Tracy Tupman) to find out about other members of the club.
Summary of Great Expectation?
Great Expectations
Serialized 1860-61. In book form 1861
Plot: PIP lives with his sister and her husband JOE GARGERY. He is orphaned and keeps visiting the grave of his parents. He is THREATENED by a big man to bring food for him. He is a CONVICT who escaped from jail wanting to cut his chain. Pip STEALS a pork pie from his sister and a toolbox. The convict who is named ABEL MAHWITCH also fights another strange man who leaves after a while. Miss HAVISHAM asks Pip to be sent to Satis House. She lives with all clocks stopped at the great house alone with her ward ESTELLA. He is awestruck by Estella who torments him while playing.
Pip wants to leave the work that he does at the Blacksmith’s by studying properly and he finds out that money has been provided for him to become educated through the lawyer MR JAGGERS. He thinks it’s Miss Havisham who is giving him the money to marry Estella.
He has HERBERT POCKET as his friend and Pip lives in his rented house. He also befriends rich Bentler Drummle to learn the aristocratic lifestyle of London. He treats Joe Gargery badly and feels ashamed of that. Miss Havisham wants him to love Estella who comes to London. She becomes popular among the bachelors like Bentley, she is not in love with Pip though.
Pip finds out that it is MAGWITCH (under the name Provis), the convict he helped who is his beneficiary. Magwitch wants him to become a gentleman. Pip doesn’t like the fact that his beneficiary is not Miss Havisham but a criminal. Magwitch tells him it was Arthur Compeyson who fought with him that day and also the one who duped Miss Havisham on her wedding day.
Miss Havisham tells him that Estella is marrying BENTLEY DRUMMLE. Miss Havisham DIES IN FIRE although Pip tries to rescue her. Estella gets married before that. He finds out Magwitch is Estella’s father and her mother is Jagger’s housekeeper. Pip sends Magwitch away from Compeyson who wants to kill him.
He finds them and is killed in a fight with Magwitch. Magwitch is jailed and dies in prison.
Pip falls ill and nursed by Joe Gargery. His sister has died and Joe marries Biddy. He feels that he wronged Joe and returns to him.
After many years he visits the Havisham mansion where ESTELLA is WIDOWED as Bentley was KICKED TO DEATH to death by his horse. She is no more a snob and has become gentler. They walk together knowing that they will stay together for life.
Summary of Hard Times?
Hard Times Serialised April 1854 – 12 August 1854; book format 1854
It is based in a fictional Victorian industrial town called COKETOWN. It is a mill town. He published it in serial form in a Weekly periodical called Household Words. It is partially based on Preston.
THOMAS GRANDGRID, a retired merchant established his “school of facts”, in the industrial town called Coketown, where imagination was not allowed and raised his children Louisa and Tom using that philosophy. He takes SISSY JUPE, the daughter of a circus clown, as a student.
Louisa married JOSPEH BOUNDERBY, a wealthy industrialist and banker, who was more than twice her age.
STEPHAN BLACKPOOL, a worker in Bounderby’s factory, couldn’t get rid of his drunken wife because of the difficulty in getting a divorce.
JMAES HARTHOUSE, a wealthy sophisticated man became a member of parliament and wanted to seduce LOUISA with the help of Mrs Sparsit, earlier an aristocrat, but now working for Bounderby.
The Hands (term used for workers) had Slackbridge, who wanted to form a union, but Stephen didn’t want to have a conflict with the employers. He was removed from his job when he rejected the offer of Bounderby to spy on “the Hands”
Louisa wanted to help Stephen, but TOM asks him to ROAM around the bank to meet someone and he becomes a suspect of the theft that happened in the bank.
HARTHOUSE confesses his love to Louisa which Mrs Sparsit witnesses, but Louisa flees to his father’s house. Harthouse is convinced by Sissy to leave Louisa. STEPHAN falls into a mining pit while coming to Coketown to prove his innocence and DIES. Everyone comes to know that it is TOM who robbed the bank. His family tries to send him out of England, but Bitzer finds him, but he escapes with the help of circus performer SLEARY.
It is revealed that Mrs Pegler, who Mrs Sparsit thought to be a witness against Stephen is Mr Bounderby’s mother and he is lying about him being orphaned.
Bounderby fires Mrs Sparsit and the narrator talks about the possible endings of the story where Bounderby will die alone, Louisa never marries, Tom will finally miss his sister, Sissy will live a happy family life.
Summary of David Copperfield?
David Copperfield.
The novel’s full title is The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery
First published as a serial novel in 1849-50 and book form in 1850.
Autobiographical element: It has many resemblances with Dicken’s life. Like David, Dickens as well became a journalist. He also had a first love like Dora called Maria. He was forced into labour at an early age without being properly educated.
Plot
David Copperfield is born just before his father died leaving an annual income of £105 per annum. Clara his mother along with a servant Peggotty along with Betsey Trotwood are there during his birth but his great-aunt leaves as she hoped a girl who will be named after her.
In his early years, David is happier as his mother loves him and his servant takes to him to her brother’s house in Yarmouth, who also has two children to play with named Emily and Ham.
His mother married Edward MURDSTONE, who comes along with his sister Jane. They torture both Clara and David, which results in David biting Murdstone on the hand. He is sent to Salem House school under the care of Mr CREAKLE. He has many friends like James Steerforth and Tommy Traddles there. But his days at schools ends with his mother’s death. Peggotty too marries a taciturn carrier named Barkis.
He is sent to London to work and almost dies due to starving in the counting-house of Murdstone and Grinby. Here he washes and labels wine bottles with his friends Mick Walker and Mealy Potatoes. Mr Wilkins MICAWBER is a decent man who is trying to provide a good life for his wife and kids. Being troubled with his debts he is an optimist. He is thrown into prison and David loses his home in London.
David leaves to find out his great-aunt Betsey in Dover. He is beaten and robbed and she takes good care of him when he arrives. She decides to keep him after Murdstone tries to take him away. David is sent to Mr Strong School in Canterbury. He lives with Mr WICKFIELD who is Betsy Trotswood’s lawyer. Hr has a cunning clear called Uriah Heep who dislikes him. David is fond of Wickfield’s daughter AGNES.
He becomes a lawyer after graduation. He meets Steerforth during his visit to the Peggotty family. Emile and Steerforth are in love but she is engaged to Ham.
He becomes an apprentice in the law firm Spenlow and Jorkins and falls in love with DORA, who is Spenlow’s daughter. His aunt loses all the money and Uriah Heep is in partnership with Mr Wickfield. Emile runs off with Steerforth and Barkis is dying.
He starts learning shorthand. When Mr Spenlow dies he marries Dora. She is unable to manage on such a meagre income. He finds that Micawber is working for Uriah Heep who has given him advance payment. Heep also plans to marry Agnes after taking control of Mr Wickfield. Micawber tells him that Uriah Heep is cheating Mr Wickfield on money which is the reason for his great-aunt’s poverty. Micawber goes to Australia. Emily is abandoned by Steerforth and is accepted by the Peggotty family.
Dora dies and Agnes gives David solace. Ham Peggotty drowns saving Steerforth. David roams around Europe and comes back to find out Agnes is getting married. She confesses her love towards David and they marry. David becomes a famous and successful author.
Summary of The Tale of Two Cities?
The Tale of Two Cities
It is a Historical Novel. It is set in the French Revolution in the cities of London and Paris. It was first published in 1859.
Plot
French Doctor Alexandor MANNETTE was imprisoned for 18 years in Bastille in Paris and released to go to his daughter in London called LUCIE.
Book the First: Recalled to life.
JERRY CRUNCHER Cruncher, who is an employee of Tellson’s Bank in London carrying a message for JARVIS LORRY, who is one of the managers of the bank, flags down to the Mail coach from London to Dover. Lorry sends the message to the bank saying ‘Recalled to Life”. The message is about Alexander Manette, who is in prison for 18 years and now is released. Lorry arrives in Dover and meets Lucie, the daughter of Dr Manette and her governess Miss Pross. Lucie faints after knowing that her father is ALIVE as she had presumed him to be dead.
Book the second: The Golden Thread
Charles Darnay is on trial as he has committed treason against Britain in 1780. John Barsad and Roger Cly are two spies who are witnesses against him. They say that Darnay has given information about the British army to the French. Darnay’s barrister Mr Stryver grills him, but his other Barrister Carton is silent, he passes a note to Stryver after which he tells Barsad that there is a good resemblance between the faces of Carton and Darnay. Barsad agrees to that, which comes out to be untrue and DARNEY is acquitted.
Book Three: The Track of a Storm
Darnay arrives in Paris and is denounced for being an emigrant from France and jailed in La Force Prison. Dr Manette, along with Lucie, Jerry and Miss Pross go to Paris to ask Lorry so that Darnay can be freed. Darnay is tried after 15 months.
Dr Manette testifies in favour of Darnay and he is released. But he is arrested again and a new trial begins as Dr Manette had written about his imprisonment due to Darnay’s father which was hidden in his jail cell, found by Defarge. He will be beheaded using a guillotined machine for his father’s crime. Carton drugs Darnay in the cell and replaces him and Barsad frees Darnay. Since Carton resembles Darnay no one suspects him. Carton does that because he was in love with Darnay’s wife. Darnay is united with his family.
Defarge goes to the Manette family but is shot dead in a physical fight by Miss Pross by her pistol, also resulting in the deafening of Miss Pross. Carton is beheaded instead of Darnay
What is Gothic Novel?
Gothic Novel
This form of novels has elements of horror in them. They involve deaths, and romance in their narratives.
The term Gothic comes from ‘Goth’, (German) referred to Gothic architecture belonging to the Medieval eta in the history of Europe. Many of the buildings like Castles and Mansions are designed under the Gothic influence in most of these novels.
The first important writer of this genre is Horace Walpole. Who wrote his novel The Castle of Otranto (1764)
Manfred, lord of the castle lives with his family in Otranto. The novel starts with a wedding between Conrad, his son and Princess Isabella. After the death of his son, he marries Isabella by divorcing his wife Hippolita to save his lineage. He is cruel to his children.
The novel has also inspired Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Or The Modern Prometheus
Summary of Frankeinstein?
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818)
Plot:
Victor Frankenstein creates a creature through his scientific experiment using old body parts. He wants to create the strongest creature in the world, which comes to life. Victor runs away after getting horrified by the creature.
Frankenstein, the creature roams around everywhere which horrifies everyone. To find Victor, so that he can ask about his creation he kills William, Victor’s brother. Victor goes to the mountains to ease his sadness. The monster can find him and begs him to create a creature as a soul mate for him. Victor creates a female version of the monster, who looks like Frankenstein. He destroys the creature thinking about the consequences, which makes the monster angry. He kills Victor’s friend Henry. Victor is sent to jail for the murder and is acquitted while being ill and recovering later.
Frankenstein kills Elizabeth and Victor vows for revenge after his father as well dies of grief. In the end, Victor is killed by accident by the monster, who also leaves the place to kill himself.
About Charlotte Bronte?
Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855)
She was the oldest of the Bronte sisters. Her novels include
• Jane Eyre, published in 1847
• Shirley, published in 1849
• Villette, published in 1853
• The Professor, written before Jane Eyre, was first submitted together with Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë. It was published posthumously in 1857
o Emma, by “Charlotte Brontë and Another Lady”, published 1980; attributed to Elizabeth Goudge, but the actual author was Constance Savery.
o Emma Brown, by Clare Boylan, published 2003
Summary of Jane Eyre?
Jane Eyre (1847)
Subtitles as An Autobiography. Published by Smith Elder & Company of London.
Plot:
Jane Eyre was orphaned and under the care of evil aunt Mrs REED of Gateshead Hall. Her husband, who is Jane’s mother’s brother had asked Mrs Reed to take care of her, but she does the opposite of that and treats her like a servant. Jane falls ill when her aunt leaves her into the room where Mr Reed lived. Bessie Leaven nurses her back to health. They sent her to LOWOOD school. She becomes friends with Miss Temple. Many girls die in an epidemic in the school which leads to investigation and improvement in the school.
After becoming a teacher at school, she becomes a governess for ADELE Varens, who lives in Thornfield Manor near Millcote. She meets Mrs Fairfax, the chief housekeeper of the place. She becomes comfortable but warned against going to the room upstairs. She also hears a laugh from the room, which according to them, was a noise made by Grace Poole, a servant.
Mr Rochester, the house owner, thrown by the horse and his dog comes to seek help from Jane. He tells her that he wants to go the home without getting any aid and asks her about herself to find out who she is. Rochester tells her that Adele is his daughter from a Ballerina who betrayed him and his child.
One night there is a fire in the house, which according to Rochester, created by the mad Grace Poole. she is sympathetic towards him and falls in love with him later. Rochester meanwhile is dating Blache Ingram, who treats Jane badly.
Mr Mason calls from the West Indies. Jane hears “help” from above. Rochester tells her to help Mr Mason who gets injured and he leaves.
Rochester tells her that he will be marrying, which makes her unhappy, and asks how can she live in the place after the marriage. He kisses her and tells her that it is she who will be his bride.
One night, an ugly woman tries her wedding dress and then tears it apart. Rochester tells her that it was a dream, but she finds the tattered part of the dress in the morning. Mr Mason interrupts the wedding informing him that Rochester still has a wife. Rochester reveals the truth by telling her that the madwoman in the room above is Bertha, who is Mr Mason’s sister, whom he married as they tricked him in Jamaica. His life has been like hell since then.
She feels sympathy but also knows that she cannot live there. A clergyman named St John Rivers helps her when she is starving due to unemployment. She finds a job as a School Mistress with a new name Jane Elliot.
Jane comes to know that his uncle John Eyre has left a fortune for her worth £ 20,000. She wants to share the fortune with Rivers and his sister who are her cousins. John asks her to marry him and go to India, where he will be doing missionary work. She sees a dream where Rochester is calling her. She goes back to Thornfield where she finds that Bertha died in a fire which she caused herself although Rochester tried to save her, she plunged into the fire. He gets blinded and hurts his one arm to get amputated. He lives in the Manor of Ferndean. He proposes to him and they get married. They have a child and Rochester regains his sight.
Summary of Wuthering Heights?
Wuthering Heights
It is her only novel published in 1847. It’s written between 1845 and 1846. Charlotte edited the manuscript after Emily’s death and published it again.
Plot: Mr Heathcliff is the owner of Thrushcross Grange. Mr Lockwood visits his house owner. Heathcliff lives in a farmhouse damaged by a storm named Wuthering Heights. He has never met him before. On the second visit, Lockwood meets Heathcliff’s widowed daughter-in-law called Hareton Earnshaw, who is always badly dressed and haughty.
He had to stay there due to heavy snowing, but he must share his bed with Joseph, his servant. Mr Lockwood feeling insulted by that is leaving but stopped by Zillah, a kind cook who has a spare room. LOCKWOOD sees a bad dream where he sees a branch of a tree knocking on his windows. He tries to reach breaking the window. Instead of the branch, he is holding the hand of a woman named CATHERINE LINTON, who is crying and wants to get inside. He screams and which awakes Heathcliff, who orders him to go out of the room. Heathcliff goes to the bed there and asks the woman to come back.
Lockwood asks Nelly Dean, the old housekeeper about the landlord. She tells him that Mr and Mrs EARNSHAW used to live there with Catherine their daughter and Hindley their son. Mr Earnshaw brings a dirty looking dark orphaned boy with him, named Heathcliff by them. They all including Catherine love the boy. Hindley becomes jealous of Heathcliff and he had to send to school because he is treating Heathcliff badly. Hindley returns after the death of Mr Earnshaw with Frances, his wife. He is brutal to Heathcliff, who wants to take revenge for the behaviour later. Heathcliff feels most happy when he roams around with Catherine.
Catherine is bitten in her leg when they are spying on a grand ball given at Thruscross Grange, she recovers in five weeks. She meets Lintons, with their son Edgar and daughter Isabella. Heathcliff becomes jealous of her stories about them.
Frances dies in childbirth. HINDLEY is drinking a lot and tortures Heathcliff more. Catherine tells Nelly Dean that although she loves Heathcliff, but she won’t marry him, but will marry Edgar Linton. She doesn’t want to marry an orphan who is at the mercy of her brother. Heathcliff hears that and leaves Wuthering Heights in fury to make something of himself come back for her hand.
Catherine waits for him for three years and then marries EDGAR to live happily. Heathcliff suddenly returns with his elegant looking dress. He wants to become a tenant at Wuthering Heights, Catherine agrees with excitement although Edgar suspects him.
Heathcliff entangles Hindley into GAMBLING and makes Isabella fall in love with him. Edgar orders him to go out of Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff pursued Isabella to run away with him to Wuthering Heights.
Catherine is ill in childbirth and confesses that she was wrong to marry Edgar instead of Heathcliff, they reconcile but she dies giving birth to her daughter CATHY Linton. Heathcliff asks the ghost of Catherine to be there forever. Isabella gets disillusioned with Heathcliff and leaves for London. Hindley dies of alcohol overdose giving away the place to Heathcliff as a mortgage.
He also takes revenge on Hadley’s son HARETON after being the complete owner of the place. Hareton didn’t get any rights but only a little money.
Isabella dies after twelve years of her son’s birth. Edgar adopts her child, though Heathcliff wants his son to live with him and that he marries Cathy. Heathcliff locks her unless she agrees to marry the invalid.
Edgar dies and Cathy inherits Thruscross Grange. Linton also dies and Cathy is dependent on Heathcliff.
Lockwood returns after a trip to find out that Heathcliff died by starving himself to unite with Catherine after death being sick of his vengeful behaviour.
Cathy and Hareton live there and gives him the education he should have gotten. Lockwood finds Catherine’s grave between Heathcliff and Edgar. The people there believe that Catherine and Heathcliff have BEEN SEEN ROAMING roaming around on stormy nights.
About WIlliam Makepeace Thackray?
William Makepeace Thackeray (1811 – 1863)
His other important novels are The Luck of Barry Lyndon and Catherine.
Earlier he wrote with a pseudonym Charles James Yellow Plush.
Summary of Vanity Fair?
Vanity Fair
Published in a 19 volume monthly series from 1847 to 1848 with a subtitle Pen and Pencil Sketches of English Society.
Published as a book in 1848 with the subtitle A Novel without a Hero.
The novel is a Domestic Novel, as its narrative revolves around the domestic lives of the main characters.
Plot:
Becky Sharp along with Amelia Sedley graduate together from Miss PINKERTON’s GENTEEL academy for girls. Amelia belongs to a rich business family and Becky is an orphaned child of an artist and a French opera girl. She can now teach French to others. Becky seems to be aiming to be in the higher society and can do anything for that. Amelia is innocent and gentle. Becky throws a copy of Johnson’s Dictionary at the sister of the headmaster.
Becky meets Jos, Amelia’s elder brother whom she now wants to marry for wealth. At a party, Jos drinks too much and decides to go to India due to George Osborn’s suggestions. Captain William Doblin although loves Amelia but decides to sacrifice for his friend George.
Becky leaves the place to work as a Governess for two girls at Queen’s Crawley in Hampshire. Sir PITT CRAWLEY is terrible with the family. Becky wants to attract his attention towards her. Pitt Crowley has a son ROWDON from his other wife Grizzel who is an army captain. He gambles and his aunt settles all money for him.
Becky attracts Rowdon towards him, she takes care of Miss Crawley when she gets ill. Sir Pitt proposes to Becky when the second Lady Crawley dies.
Becky announces that she is already married to Rowdon. Miss Crowley removes Rowdon from the property will.
Dobbin tells the regiment that George will marry Amelia which angers him as he wants to wait. Now it becomes compulsion more than choice.
More so after Mr SEDLEY become bankrupt, forbidden for George to marry her. He marries Amelia and goes to Brighton for his honeymoon where they meet Becky and Rowdon. Dobbin tries to get George his fortune back but is unsuccessful. Napoleon is marching towards Belgium so they must go to Brussels. George becomes attracted to Becky. He goes to the battle of waterloo and dies with the bullet going through his heart.
Rowdon becomes Colonel and goes to Paris with Becky after Napoleon’s loss. He wins many gambling matches. Becky gives birth to a son.
Amelia, however, is living a sad life along with her newborn son. She lives with her parents. Becky buys many of Rowdon’s creditors. She does not care for her son a lot. She flirts with Lord Steyne, a rich man. She meets Pitt Crowley, the older brother of Rowdon. He falls in love with her.
Osborn takes care of his grandchild now, since Amelia’s parents are not well off, but she cannot see her son too much. Becky wears expensive jewellery and doesn’t give any money to Rowden. He goes to Sponging house for his debts but released after an appeal from his brother. He returns to see Becky with his brother and leaves her.
Jos Sedley returns to see his mother dead and his father troubled by the grandchild. Dobbin asks Amelia her hand, but she is still faithful towards her dead husband. After the death of Old Osborn, it is Jos who takes care of the child.
Jos along with Amelia and Dobbin meet Becky in a German spa. Amelia wants to give her a home, although Dobbin warns her about that.
Sir Pitt Crawley has adopted Becky’s son. She now lives off different men to survive. She becomes the mistress of Joss by attracting him. He takes a large insurance policy in her name. Becky becomes rich after Jos’s death under mysterious circumstances. Becky is now Lady Bountiful. She shows Amelia a letter where GEORGE is begging Becky to run with him. This convinces Amelia to marry DOBBIN.
About George Eliot?
George Eliot (1819-1880) Mary Ann Evans was her real name and George Eliot her pen name. She kept a pen name sounding like a man’s name because it was not fashionable for women to become writers. She was a novelist, a journalist, poet, translator etc.
Summary of Middle March?
Middle March (1871-72)
Subtitle: A Study of Provincial Life. It was published in eight volumes. It is set in a fictional town called Middlemarch in the years 1829-32.
Plot
DOROTHEA chooses to marry Edward Casaubon mistaking him to be a great scholar to be involved in the magnum opus he is creating, she becomes friends with his cousin Will LADISLAW, which makes Casaubon jealous.
She is devoted to her husband even when he bars Ladislaw to come to his home after his heart attack. After his death, she comes to know that if she marries Ladislaw she will be disinherited.
Later, however, they decide to marry and Ladislaw becomes a politician. Celia, her sister chooses Sir James Chettam, a nobleman who wanted Dorothea as his wife.
FRED VINCY is living off people giving him money like his uncle Featherstone. Celeb Garth has to pay for the load he took from Featherstone after he wastes that money as he co-signed the debt. Featherstone gives his money to Mary Garth after his death, which makes Fred disappointed. Fred becomes an assistant to Mary’s father and doesn’t become a clergyman. He manages the Stone Court owned by Mrs BULSTRODE and is engaged to Mary. They will only marry if he keeps working and earns a decent fortune.
LYDGATE is a doctor who arrives in Middlemarch and falls in love with ROSAMOND Vincy, who thinks that marriage with him will be economically beneficial. He realizes after marriage that he made a mistake as she is wasting money to look fashionable. This makes him lose a lot of money.
Bulstrode is a banker who REFUSES TO GIVE LOAN to Lydgate, he gets blackmailed by John Raffles and sends Lydgate when he is ill.
He accepts to give him the loan that he rejected earlier. Raffles dies as Bulstrode doesn’t follow the prescription of Lydgate. Dorothea believes that Lydgate is innocent in the matter. She gives money to pay off his loan. Lydgate and Rosamond leave Middlemarch for London. He dies at the age of fifty. Dorothea also goes to London after her marriage to Will.
