The Great English Novelists
I—SIR WALTER SCOTT
1. Story of His Life: in the Country—Love of the Scottish countryside; saturation with old legends as a child; interest in odd characters.
2. Story of His Life: in the City—Homes in Edinburgh; relation to the law; his personal friends; his connection with the Ballantynes and publishing; his marriage and family; the building of Abbotsford; the last years.
3. As a Poet—Influence of ballads; simplicity of form.
4. Readings from His Poetry—Lay of the Last Minstrel; Lady of the Lake.
5. As a Novelist—The anonymous Waverley; rapidity of production; historic scope of the novels.
6. Readings from His Novels—Guy Mannering (Meg Merrilies); Ivanhoe (the tourney); Heart of Midlothian (Effie Deans).
Discussion—A comparison of Scott with later writers of historical novels.
Books to Consult—Lockhart: Life of Scott. R. H. Hutton: Scott (English Men of Letters Series). Washington Irving's account of his visit to Abbotsford.
Have a talk on Scott's romantic love-story and his later courtship and marriage. Give an account of his friendships, especially of that with Marjorie Fleming, and read from Dr. Brown's book about her life. Tell of the dogs Scott loved. Describe Abbotsford and Melrose; describe his death and the burial at Dryburgh; use as many photographs as can be obtained.
II—JANE AUSTEN
1. The Story of Jane Austen's Life—The county society; the material for her novels; her method of composition.
2. Emma and Mansfield Park—Analysis of the plots and the characters. Jane Austen's men and her women.
3. Jane Austen's Masterpiece: Pride and Prejudice—The story. The author's sense of humor. Readings: The ball; Mr. Collins' letter, etc.
4. The Place of Jane Austen in Modern English Literature—The pioneer novelist of modern society. Her realism. Estimates by Howells and others.
Books to Consult—Life of Jane Austen, by her nephew, J. E. Austen Leigh. Letters, edited by Lord Brabourne. Life, by Oscar Fay Adams. Life, by Walter Pollock.
Miss Austen is a charming subject, with many points of interest. The family life at Steventon is one; her letter-writing is another; her meeting with Thackeray is a third. Read from her letters, her brief unfinished comedy, and her poem. Describe her burial-place in Winchester Cathedral.
III—CHARLOTTE BRONTË
1. The Story of her Life—The home on the moors at Haworth, father and brother, the three brilliant sisters; boarding-school life; Brussels; her literary career, marriage, death.
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 Brontë. T. W. Reid: Life of Charlotte Brontë. Clement Shorter: Charlotte Brontë 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. Illustrate 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 Constitutional. 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 Duchess 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—DICKENS
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. Dickens as actor and reader. Home at Gad's Hill. Grave in Westminster Abbey.
2. The Humor and Pathos of Dickens—Pickwick as a type of pure humor. The grotesque, illustrated by Quilp, Squeers, Uriah Heep. The farcical, as illustrated 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. Dickens 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 Dickens. Letters of Charles Dickens. G. K. Chesterton: Charles Dickens. Gissing: Charles Dickens.
A paper comparing Dickens and Thackeray may be added to this program, for Dombey and Son, Dickens's sixth successful novel, appeared the same year as Vanity Fair, Thackeray's first. There might be a paper on The Names of Dickens'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 Barsetshire Novels—Deal with upper middle class, 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 Dickens 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. Analysis 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, Dickens, and Trollope—Her ethical quality as a writer.
Books to Consult—J. W. Cross: Life of George Eliot. Oscar Browning: Life of George Eliot. Mathilde Blind: George Eliot. C. S. Olcott: George Eliot: Scenes and People in Her Novels, illustrated from photographs. Also essays by Sir Leslie Stephen, E. H. A. Scherer, E. Dowden, R. H. Hutton, and Henry James.
No program on George Eliot would be complete without a brief presentation of her poetry. A scene may be read from the Spanish Gipsy, a selection from How Lisa Loved the King, and the whole of the beautiful short poem, Oh May I Join the Choir Invisible. A description of her grave in Highgate Cemetery in London, and its inscription, may conclude.
IX—ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
1. Story of His Life—Childhood and Edinburgh University. Travels on the Continent. Trip to America. First writing for publication. Story of his books. Samoa. Reading of passages from his letters.
2. Short Stories—His fantastic imagination. Style and how he cultivated it. Readings from the New Arabian Nights. Analysis of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
3. Essays and Sketches—Variety of subject and versatility of treatment. Readings from Crabbed Age and Youth, John Knox and Women, and In the South Seas.
4. Scotch Adventures—Analysis and description of The Master of Ballantrae, Kidnapped, David Balfour, Weir of Hermiston. Reading from Kidnapped.
5. Varied Romances—Treasure Island, Prince Otto, The Black Arrow, The Wrecker, The Ebb Tide. Note the great variety of material. Reading from Treasure Island.
Books to Consult—Graham Balfour: Life of Robert Louis Stevenson. A. H. Japp: Robert Louis Stevenson. John Kelman: The Faith of Robert Louis Stevenson. Isobel Osbourne Strong: Robert Louis Stevenson.
A program on Stevenson should certainly mention his poems. Read from his A Child's Garden of Verse. Notice also his prayers, which have had large circulation and use in the religious world. There might be a paper on the varied appreciation of Stevenson by his biographers, noting especially Henley. Show pictures of Stevenson, and especially of the bas-relief of him made by Saint-Gaudens for St. Giles's Cathedral in Edinburgh.
X—GEORGE MEREDITH
1. The Man—Story of his life and remarkable friendships. Peculiarities. His style and satire. Compare his prose with Browning's verse. Were they purposely obscure? Why is Meredith not more popular? His later days. Compare him with Dickens and Thackeray.
2. Richard Feverel, and Beauchamp's Career—Analysis of the plots and description of the chief characters. Have these books a moral? Discuss the novel as a teacher of morals. Readings.
3. The Egoist—Analysis of the plot and description of the chief character, Sir Willoughby Patterne. Is his refined and unconscious selfishness a common occurrence? Discuss the proper limits of egotism. Quotation of clever sayings.
4. Diana of the Crossways, One of Our Conquerors, The Shaving of Shagpat—Description in detail of these books, and their purposes. If possible, indicate any characters supposed to be from life.
Books to Consult—E. J. Bailey: The Novels of George Meredith. Mrs. M. D. Henderson: George Meredith, Novelist, Poet, Reformer. R. Le Gallienne: George Meredith, Some Characteristics. J. W. Beach: The Comic Spirit on George Meredith.
Have a brief paper on George Meredith as a poet and the various estimates of his poetry by literary critics; read from some of the best-known poems. Indicate Meredith's relation to the Feminist Movement. Look up in the magazines published at the time of his death something about his manuscripts and how he disposed of them.