ENG 367: Anon

Realism: A literary movement that seeks to represent everyday life as it is, focusing on the ordinary and the mundane. Realist writers aim to portray social issues and the complexities of human nature in a detailed, objective manner.

Gothic novel: A genre characterized by its use of supernatural elements, dark settings, and emotional extremes. Gothic novels often explore themes of horror, madness, and human psychology, featuring elements like haunted houses, mysterious characters, and tragic romantic entanglements.

Epistolary novel: A novel written as a series of documents, such as letters, diary entries, or emails. This format allows readers to see events from multiple perspectives and can deepen character development and emotional engagement.

Social problem novel, industrial novel: These novels focus on social issues such as poverty, class struggles, and the impacts of industrialization. Writers of this genre seek to raise awareness and provoke change, often highlighting the lives of the underprivileged and critiquing societal norms.

In medias res: A narrative technique where a story begins in the midst of action or events rather than at the beginning. This method can create intrigue and engage readers immediately by revealing plot elements gradually.

Bildungsroman: A coming-of-age story that follows the protagonist’s development and personal growth from youth to adulthood. The narrative often focuses on the character's moral and psychological maturation influenced by their experiences and relationships.

Phrenology: A pseudoscience that involves the study of skull shapes and sizes to determine personality and mental abilities. In the 19th century, it was used to justify social hierarchies and prejudices, impacting views on intelligence and morality.

Empiricism: A philosophical theory stating that knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience. Empiricists argue that observation and experimentation are essential for understanding the world, laying the foundation for modern scientific methods.

Byronic hero: A type of character popularized by Lord Byron, characterized by their brooding, rebellious nature and a troubled past. These heroes often grapple with inner conflict and are depicted as both attractive and dangerous, embodying romantic ideals and existential angst.

Return of the repressed: A psychological concept suggesting that repressed thoughts and feelings inevitably return to consciousness. This can manifest as anxiety or irrational behavior and is often explored in literature to represent the struggle between societal norms and individual desires.

Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act: A significant piece of legislation in the UK that reformed laws governing divorce. It enabled women to seek divorce on specific grounds, reflecting shifting societal attitudes towards marriage, gender roles, and individual rights in the 19th century.

Bigamy novels: A subgenre of literature that examines the complexities and moral dilemmas surrounding bigamy or illegal marriages. These novels often critique societal conventions and raise questions about love, loyalty, and personal freedom.

Angel in the House: A concept coined by Coventry Patmore that represents the idealized woman as a devoted wife and nurturing mother, embodying the virtues of self-sacrifice and domesticity. This archetype promotes the idea that women's primary role is within the home, emphasizing their purity and moral superiority.

Fallen Woman: This term refers to a woman who has transgressed the societal norms of virtue, often through sexual promiscuity or moral decline. The fallen woman archetype is a stark contrast to the Angel in the House, highlighting the stigmatization and social ostracism faced by women who failed to adhere to expected behaviors.

Gospel of Work: A Victorian ideology that glorifies hard work and industriousness as morally upright and necessary for personal and social upliftment. It emphasizes the belief that diligence is a pathway to virtue and a successful life, often associated with middle-class values.

Novel of Manners: A genre of fiction characterized by a focus on the social customs and behaviors of a particular class or society. It often critiques societal norms and showcases characters navigating their roles within a specific cultural context, shedding light on issues such as class, marriage, and morality.

Creole: Refers to individuals of mixed European and African ancestry, particularly in the Caribbean and parts of the Americas. The term also denotes aspects of culture, languages, and traditions that arise in these regions, highlighting unique identities shaped by diverse heritages.

Dramatic Monologue: A poetic form where a single speaker addresses a silent auditor, revealing their thoughts, emotions, and motivations within a specific dramatic situation. This literary technique allows for deep psychological insight and character development, often used by poets such as Robert Browning.

Pathetic Fallacy: A literary device where human emotions are attributed to nature or inanimate objects, enhancing the emotional effect of a narrative. It reflects the belief that the natural world responds to human emotional states, creating a deeper connection between characters and their environments.

Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood: A group of English painters, poets, and critics founded in 1848, who aimed to challenge the conventions of the art world by emphasizing vibrant colors, intricate details, and themes influenced by medieval and early Renaissance art. Key figures included Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Holman Hunt, who sought to revive the artistic fervor of pre-Renaissance art.

Factory Acts: A series of laws passed in Britain during the 19th century aimed at improving conditions for workers, particularly women and children in factories. These acts addressed issues such as working hours, safety standards, and child labor, reflecting the growing social awareness and reform movements of the time.

Chartism: A working-class movement in the mid-19th century advocating for political reforms including universal male suffrage, secret ballots, and the right to own property. Chartists sought to address the inequalities faced by the working class and aimed to achieve representation in government.

Currer Bell: The pseudonym of Charlotte Brontë, one of the famous authors of the Victorian era. She, along with her sisters, adopted male pen names to navigate the male-dominated literary world, seeking to publish their works without prejudice based on gender.

Ellen Allyn: A character from various works that often represents the struggles of women in the 19th-century society, embodying themes of independence, moral dilemmas, and societal expectations.

Pseudonym: A fictitious name used by an author instead of their birth name. This practice is often employed to conceal one's identity or to write in a different genre, allowing for artistic freedom and exploration without the constraints of personal reputation.

Associative, filliative anonymity: Terms describing the literary practice where authors use anonymity either to foster an association with a particular intellectual or aesthetic movement or to create a familial bond through their works, often masking their true identity to provide a collective voice or commentary.

The Brontë Sisters: Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë adopted the pseudonyms Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, respectively, to publish their works, which challenged societal norms and highlighted the constraints faced by women.