How did George Meredith help develop the psychological novel?

George Meredith was a pivotal figure in the evolution of the psychological novel, serving as a crucial link between 18th-century literary traditions and the innovations of the 19th and 20th centuries.1

He contributed to the development of the genre through several key techniques:

• Interior Monologue: Meredith made extensive use of interior monologue, a stylistic choice that anticipated the stream-of-consciousness techniques later popularized by writers such as James Joyce.1
• Character Analysis: His novels, most notably The Ordeal of Richard Feverel and The Egoist, are distinguished by deep psychological studies of character. By focusing on the internal motivations and subjective experiences of his figures, he moved beyond traditional narrative structures.2
• Subjective Perspective: Meredith employed a highly subjective view of life, which allowed for a more nuanced exploration of human behavior and social dynamics.2

Alongside George Eliot, Meredith helped establish the psychological novel as a serious literary form, influencing a wide range of successors including Thomas Hardy, Virginia Woolf, and E.M. Forster.1