Characteristics of the Victorian novel
  • "Good" characters are rewarded, "bad" ones punished.
  • The adjustment of the individual to society is the major human problem presented, with a general acceptance of the values of the middle class.
  • The major characters were recognizable Victorian types, with typical aspirations. The poor were usually treated patronizingly, the rich scorned and envied.
  • In an era in which human nature is considered basically good, the heroes and heroines are persons of virtue, even though sometimes weak.