The Form of Victorian Fiction: Thackeray, Dickens, Trollope, George Eliot, Meredith, and Hardy

"The Form of Victorian Fiction" by J. Hillis Miller examines the works of prominent Victorian novelists, including Thackeray, Dickens, Trollope, George Eliot, Meredith, and Hardy. This period in English literature, particularly the Victorian era, was characterized by a growing self-consciousness and introspection among writers. The rise of the novel as a dominant literary form allowed authors to explore rapid social changes, industrialization, and the paradoxes of wealth and poverty. These novelists, through their diverse styles and thematic concerns, contributed significantly to the development of realism and provided insightful critiques of their society.123