--George Eliot--
Overview
Welcome to the Nineteenth-Century British Novel site, created as a scholarly and informational resource by and for students in English 4348 at the University of Texas at El Paso.
The nineteenth century was a period of great scientific and technological change, rapid industrial and urban growth, and far-reaching political and social conflicts. The novels of the period largely reflect these cultural, political, and historical contexts, giving readers a window into what it was like to live in the Regency and Victorian periods. In a typical survey of the nineteenth-century novel, one is likely to read about both provincial village life and urban experience, rural farming and industrial factory labor, the lives of the gentry and those of the struggling working classes, the legal system and standards of medical practice, travel by horse-drawn carriage and by the rapidly growing British rail system, the differing experiences of men and women and the conventions of gender, sexuality, marriage and the family.
This site is designed to enrich the reading experience of these novels through in-depth discussions of their cultural and historical contexts. During the course of the Spring 2008 semester English 4348 students worked in teams to develop web pages on topics of their choice, ranging from class issues to medical practices, gender contexts to the business of book illustration and advertising. The Spring 2009 English 4348 class, in turn, developed new projects, including websites on nineteenth-century transportation, the publishing trade, philosophy and science, governesses, folklore, inheritance law, and entertainment. In each case, students provided factual information, helpful references to particular nineteenth-century novels, and bibliographical resources. Links to both the 2008 and 2009 topics can be found on the home page. It is hoped that future English 4348 classes will continue to add to the topics and scholarly resources of the site.
Please note that each group is solely responsible for the content of its site. My students and I hope you enjoy browsing what one group has coined as "Vikipedia," our informational resource on Victorian novels and culture.
--Dr. Thomas H. Schmid
University of Texas at El Paso