2. _The Professor and Jane Eyre_--The Professor: rejection by the publishers. Estimate of it to-day. Jane Eyre: realistic and dramatic qualities. England"s disapproval.
3. _Shirley and Villette_--Shirley: First novel by a woman dealing with the industrial problem. Its realism. Character of Shirley contrasted with that of Jane Eyre. Villette: Local color. Character of Madame Beck.
4. _Her Personal Experience as Reflected in Her Novels_--The moors, boarding-school experiences, life in Brussels, the manufacturing region of England.
BOOKS TO CONSULT--Mrs. Gaskell: Life of Charlotte Bronte. T. W. Reid: Life of Charlotte Bronte. Clement Shorter: Charlotte Bronte and Her Circle.
The life of the three remarkable sisters, known at the time as Currer, Acton and Ellis Bell, is full of deep interest. Ill.u.s.trate the program with readings from Charlotte"s Jane Eyre, Emily"s Wuthering Heights, and Anne"s Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Read a few of their verses also.
Contrast Charlotte with Jane Austen. Close with several brief selections from Mrs. Gaskell"s Life of Charlotte.
IV--THACKERAY
1. _The Story of His Life_--School days at the Charterhouse. Cambridge.
Study of art abroad. _The Const.i.tutional_. Newspaper work. His marriage and his daughters. His first novel. His lectures. The English Humorist, and later, The Four Georges. Visits to America. Attempt at political life. Editor of _Cornhill Magazine_. Read Thackeray"s Death, in Spare Hours, by Dr. John Brown.
2. _Vanity Fair_--The novel without a hero. Becky Sharp: intellect _minus_ heart; Amelia Sedley: heart _minus_ intellect. Interest of the historical setting. Read from the d.u.c.h.ess of Richmond"s ball.
3. _Henry Esmond, and The Virginians_--Henry Esmond: its place as one of the few great novels. The historical setting. Character of Beatrix. Is the estimate of the Duke of Marlborough just? The Virginians: connection with Henry Esmond. Is the American color correct? Reading: scene between Beatrix and the Pretender.
4. _Pendennis, and The Newcomes_--Pendennis: London newspaper life.
Compare the characters of Laura and Helen. The Newcomes: most popular of the novels. Theme: the unhappy marriage. The character of Colonel Newcome. Reading: the Charterhouse and the death of Colonel Newcome.
5. _Thackeray"s Place in the Literary World_--His instant success as a novelist. His friendships among men of letters. His warmth of affection. Discussion of his satire. His place as social preacher. Is Taine"s estimate of him just?
BOOKS TO CONSULT--Biographical and Harry Furniss"s editions of the novels (introductions). Melvill: Life of Thackeray. Merivale and Marzials: Life of Thackeray. Chesterton: Thackeray. Riding: Thackeray"s London.
V--d.i.c.kENS
1. _The Man and the Author_--His early life of hardship and the material it furnished him. Reminiscences in David Copperfield. Newspaper life and Sketches by Boz. Origin of this name. The launching of Pickwick. Growing fame. Marriage. Trips to America. d.i.c.kens as actor and reader. Home at Gad"s Hill. Grave in Westminster Abbey.
2. _The Humor and Pathos of d.i.c.kens_--Pickwick as a type of pure humor.
The grotesque, ill.u.s.trated by Quilp, Squeers, Uriah Heep. The farcical, as ill.u.s.trated by Micawber, Pecksniff, and Sarah Gamp. Pathos in Tiny Tim, Paul Dombey, and Little Nell. Reading from Bardell vs. Pickwick, and the death of Little Nell (Old Curiosity Shop).
3. _d.i.c.kens as a Humanitarian_--Little Dorrit and prison reform. Bleak House and the law"s delay. Nicholas Nickleby and poor schools. Oliver Twist and youthful criminals.
4. _His Greatest Novel: David Copperfield_--Discuss the plot and the chief characters. Notice the individuality of the women: Mrs.
Copperfield, Miss Murdstone, Betsy Trotwood, Peggotty, Little Emily, Dora, and Agnes.
BOOKS TO CONSULT--Forster: Life of d.i.c.kens. Letters of Charles d.i.c.kens.
G. K. Chesterton: Charles d.i.c.kens. Gissing: Charles d.i.c.kens.
A paper comparing d.i.c.kens and Thackeray may be added to this program, for Dombey and Son, d.i.c.kens"s sixth successful novel, appeared the same year as Vanity Fair, Thackeray"s first. There might be a paper on The Names of d.i.c.kens"s Characters, and Where He Got Them.
VI--TROLLOPE
1. _His Life_--Son of the novelist Frances M. Trollope. Unhappy life at Winchester and Harrow. In the postal service. (See The Three Clerks for the examination of Charley Tudor--Trollope"s own experience.) Post-office surveys in Ireland. Travels on post-office business.
Material thus gathered. His forty novels. First good novel, The Warden.
The idea of it suggested while wandering about Salisbury Cathedral.
Popularity and large earnings.
2. _The Ba.r.s.etshire Novels_--Deal with upper middle cla.s.s, especially clergymen and their families. Pictures of quiet country life. Realism.
Evenness of tone. Favorite situation: the man who has compromised himself and is in danger of ruin. Description of the leading characters in these novels.
3. _Four Novels_--Give brief sketch of plot and description of the chief characters in Orley Farm, Phineas Finn, The Vicar of Bullhampton, and Can You Forgive Her? Readings from these books.
4. _A Comparison of Trollope with d.i.c.kens and Thackeray_--Their materials, plots, methods of treatment, and diverse styles. Their relative popularity and standing to-day. Influence of Thackeray on Trollope.
BOOKS TO CONSULT--Anthony Trollope: Autobiography. Cross: The Development of the English Novel. Saintsbury: English Literature of the Nineteenth Century.
One of the famous women in the books of this decade is Mrs. Proudie, the wife of the Bishop of Barchester. Read a description of her, her methods of management, and the retribution which overtook her. The Rev.
Mr. Slope is also a well-known character in connection with the Proudies.
VII--BULWER LYTTON
1. _Life_--Birth and childhood. Fondness for medieval romances (compare Sir Walter Scott). Cambridge and the Chancellor"s gold medal. Romantic adventures in the North. Unhappy marriage. Necessity the motive to work.
Twelve novels in ten years. His plays. Parliament. Colonial secretaryship. The peerage. Westminster Abbey.
2. _Novels_--The novel of society: Pelham. The novel of adventure: Paul Clifford. The novel of crime: Eugene Aram. The novel of domestic life: My Novel. The novel of history: Last Days of Pompeii.
3. _Plays_--Lady of Lyons, Richelieu, Money. a.n.a.lysis of plots, description of chief characters, and readings.
4. _Critical Estimate of His Work and Place in Literature_.
BOOKS TO CONSULT--Life of Bulwer Lytton, by his Son. Bulwer Lytton"s Letters. T. H. S. Escott: Edward Bulwer. Lewis Melville: Victorian Novelists. J. F. Molloy: Famous Plays.
Bulwer Lytton was a personage in society in his day. Contrast his life with that of his contemporaries, Thackeray and Disraeli. Compare Vanity Fair and Coningsby with Pelham. Distinguish between Bulwer Lytton and his son, who was viceroy of India and author of the once-popular Lucile.
Explain why Bulwer Lytton"s plays have more vitality than his novels.
VIII--GEORGE ELIOT
1. _The Story of Her Life_--Materials for her novels in her early life.
Evangelical training and later change in her religious views. Life with Lewes and his encouragement of her writing. Literary friendships.
Marriage to Cross.
2. _Scenes from Clerical Life, and Silas Marner_--Story of the appearance of the Scenes and of her _nom de plume_. Reading from Silas Marner.
3. _Adam Bede_--Study of Retribution. _Felix Holt_--Study of labor.
Readings.
4. _Mill on the Floss_--Study of family life. _Middlemarch_--Study of selfishness. Readings.
5. _Romola_--Study of historic Florence. _Daniel Deronda_--Study of the Jew. Readings.
6. _Comparison of George Eliot with Thackeray, d.i.c.kens, and Trollope_--Her ethical quality as a writer.