1. VICTORIAN NOVEL
Crosato Gianpaolo cl VB

2. THEME 1
Differences and clash between lower and middle class, between rich and poor
He was a rich man: banker, merchant, manufacturer, and what not. (…) “I hadn’t shoe to my foot. As a stocking. I didn’t know such a thing by name. I passed the day in a ditch, and the night in a pigsty. That’s the way I spend my tenth birthday.” (Hard Times)
Differences between social classes
The only pupil who evinced the slightest tendency towards locomotion or playfulness was Master Squeers, and as his chief amusement was to tread upon the other boys’ toes in his new boots. (Nicholas Nickleby)
Fear of people to fall in a lower class
He could not but observe how silent and sad the boys all seemed to be. (…) “That’s the way we do it, Nickleby,” he said, after a pause. Nicholas shrugged his shoulders. (Nicholas Nickleby)

3. THEME 2 Children and their exploitation Education
The master aimed a blow at Oliver’s head with the leddle. (Oliver Twist)
“Third boy, what’s horse?”. “A beast, sir,” replied the boy. (…) “As you’re perfect in that,” resumed Squeers, turning to the boy, “go and look after my horse, and rub him down well, or I’ll rub you down. The rest of the class go and draw water up”. (Nicholas Nickleby)
Education
Obedient to this summons there ranged themselves in front of the schoolmaster’s desk, half-a-dozen scarecrows (Nicholas Nickleby)
Woman and their exploitation
The middle class family life
In the formal drawing-room of Stone Lodge, standing on the heart-rug, warming himself before the fire (Hard Times)

4. SETTING
In general the novels are setting in writer’s contemporary cities.
In particular the novels are set in:
Factories
It was a town of machinery and tall chimney. (Hard Times)
Schools
Having further disposed of a slice of bread and butter, allotted to him in virtue of his office, he sat himself down, to wait for school-time. (Nicholas Nickleby)
Workhouses
Oliver Twist and his companions suffered the tortures od flow starvation for three month. (Oliver Twist)

5. NARRATIVE TECNIQUE 1 In reality: Use of repetition
At the same hours, with the same sound upon the same pavements, to do the same work, and to whom every day was the same as yesterday and tomorrow. (Hard Times)
Pathos (exaggeration of sentiments and emotions)
The children sat crouching and shivering together (Nicholas Nickleby)
Use of direct speech
“hush!” cried Miss Sedley. (Vanity Fair) …

6. NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE 2 In humor
Grotesque (exaggeration, creation of caricatures that produces laughs and melodrama effects )
He gazed in stupefied astonishment on the small rebel for some seconds, and then clung for support to the copper. (Oliver Twist)
Irony
Obedient to this summons there ranged themselves in front of the schoolmaster’s desk, half-a-dozen scarecrows (Nicholas Nickleby)
Parody
The board were setting in solemn conclave (Oliver Twist)
Hyperbole
Oliver Twist and his companions suffered the tortures od flow starvation for three month. (Oliver Twist)

7. NARRATOR PURPOSE Third person omniscient intrusive narrator
To criticize industrial and Victorian way of life

8. CHARACTERS Classes Children Woman Unsuited man Oliver Twist
Rebecca Sharp, Amela Sedley
Unsuited man
Nicholas Nicjleby, Thomas Gradgrind

9. Anti-Victorian novel (Jude The Obscure)
Themes:
Middle class family life
Setting
City
Narrator technique
Pathos
Narrator
Third person omniscient narrator
Characters
Middle class family
Purpose
To criticize values and institution of every day life