THE EVOLUTION OF THE ENGLISH NOVEL: FROM DEFOE TO DICKENS
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Keywords: English novel, literary history, Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, Austen, Radcliffe, Dickens, Brontë, Eliot, Enlightenment, Romanticism, Victorian Era, social commentary, realism, Gothic, realism, social critique, gender roles, societal change.##article.abstract##
Abstract: This article traces the evolution of the English novel from its humble
beginnings in the 18th century with Daniel Defoe and Samuel Richardson to its
flourishing in the Victorian era with Charles Dickens, Charlotte Brontë, and George
Eliot. It explores how the genre reflected societal changes, explored human experience,
and challenged prevailing ideologies, evolving alongside the English-speaking world.
Key factors influencing this evolution include the Enlightenment, Romanticism, and
the Industrial Revolution.
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Reference
1. The British Library: [https://www.bl.uk/](https://www.bl.uk/) -
2. The Victorian literature:
[https://www.victorianweb.org/](https://www.victorianweb.org/) - A
comprehensive resource dedicated to Victorian literature and culture
3. The Literature Network: [https://www.online-literature.com/](https://www.online-
literature.com/)
Literature
4. The English Novel: A Short History by David Lodge
5. A History of the English Novel by Michael K. Johnson
6. The Cambridge History of the English Novel edited by Ian Watt, Richard B.
Sewall, and C.J. Rawson
