Ten Top Novels on Industrial Revolution : A Comprehensive Study on the Topic
What is the Industrial Revolution?
Novels that are set during the Industrial Revolution
There are many novels that are set during the early industrial revolution, which took place in Europe and North America in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. However, we can extend the time frame to the later industrial revolution and the early 20th century. Our personal favourite lists may include
1. "Hard Times" by Charles Dickens
2. "The Old Curiosity Shop" by Charles Dickens
3. "North and South" by Elizabeth Gaskell
4. "Mary Barton" by Elizabeth Gaskell
5 "The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists" by Robert Tressell
6. "Germinal" by Émile Zola
7. "The Mill on the Floss" by George Eliot
8. "Love on the Dole" by Walter Greenwood
9. "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck
10. "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair
We are discussing two novels by Charles Dickens. One is "Hard Times" and another is "The Old Curiosity Shop." Through his fiction, Dickens did much to highlight the worst abuses of 19th-century society and to prick the public conscience. But running through the main plot of the novels are a host of subplots concerning fascinating and sometimes ludicrous minor characters. Much of the humor of the novels derives from Dickens’s descriptions of these characters and from his ability to capture their speech mannerisms and idiosyncratic traits.
"Hard Times" by Charles Dickens(1854): Set in the fictional town of Coketown, this novel explores the social and economic changes brought about by the industrial revolution, as well as themes of education, imagination, and love.One of Charles Dickens’s few novels not set in London, Hard Times was published in 1854. Set in Lancashire, the heart of the relatively new factory system, the story is a portrait of industry in mid-19th-century England. Dickens comments on the harsh regime and mechanical routine forced upon the laborers and other parts of society by the Industrial Revolution.
The main characters include Thomas Gradgrind, a wealthy and influential industrialist, and his children, Tom and Louisa, who are raised according to Gradgrind's strict and utilitarian philosophy. Thomas Gradgrind is a scientific man: fact is everything to him, and he raises his children, Louisa and Tom, to think logically, as to him a reasoning mind is far preferable to an inventive and spontaneous imagination. The numbing, dehumanizing effect of machinery on the vitality of life is emphasized throughout the novel by Dickens’s technique of reducing individual human beings—who are often portrayed as almost robotic—to numbers tending the machines. This excerpt is a vivid description of the setting of Coketown; Dickens also highlights the smug hypocrisy characteristic of the Victorian middle class when regarding the workers; Sissy Jupe is a member of a circus.
The novel also explores themes of education, imagination, and love, and includes a number of memorable secondary characters, such as the circus performer Sissy Jupe and the tragic figure of Stephen Blackpool.
"The Old Curiosity Shop" by Charles Dickens (1840-1841; 1841): This novel tells the story of Little Nell, a young girl who is forced to flee London with her grandfather, a proprietor of a mysterious shop filled with strange and wonderful objects.
As they journey through the countryside, they encounter a variety of colorful characters, including the greedy and cruel dwarf Quilp and the kind and generous Dick Swiveller. The novel is notable for its evocative portrayal of the landscape and people of rural England, as well as its themes of love, loss, and redemption.
"Mary Barton" by Elizabeth Gaskell(1848): In Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life (1848), Victorian novelist Elizabeth Gaskell examined the schism between rich and poor in industrial Manchester, England, during the 1840s. The novel deftly weaves character development and evocative detail with social criticism. In this excerpt, mill workers John Barton (father of the heroine) and George Wilson try to relieve the suffering of a dying, impoverished weaver named Davenport. Wilson appeals to the wealthy mill owner for help. The scene vividly contrasts the luxurious life of the “masters” with the desperate poverty of the workers.
Set in Manchester, this novel tells the story of Mary Barton, a young woman who becomes caught up in the struggles of the working class during the industrial revolution.
The murder of Mary's father, a union leader, and the ensuing investigation, which reveals the harsh realities of life for the working poor in Manchester, are at the heart of the book. Mary's devoted suitor Jem Wilson and the wealthy industrialist Mr. Carson are just two of the novel's memorable characters. It also touches on themes of love, family, and social justice.
"North and South" by Elizabeth Gaskell (1855): Margaret Hale, a young woman from the south of England who relocates to the industrial north with her family, is the subject of this novel, another sympathetic examination of the conditions in Manchester. Although Margaret initially despises the gritty, filthy town of Milton, she eventually learns to appreciate and empathize with the plight of the local factory workers. The book examines issues of social justice, class conflict, and women's place in society. It also has a complicated love story involving Margaret's troubled past and the dashing industrialist John Thornton.
"The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists" by Robert Tressell (1914): Robert Noonan, an Irish house painter and sign writer, wrote this semi-autobiographical book. This book, which takes place in the fictional town of Mugsborough, chronicles the struggles of a group of working-class men as they attempt to live in a society characterized by injustice and poverty.
Frank Owen, a painter and decorator who is dissatisfied with the circumstances of his life and the scarcity of opportunities for social and economic advancement, is the main character. The novel is notable for portraying the daily struggles and lives of working people as well as for addressing social justice issues and the importance of education.
The struggles and lives of working-class people in an industrial setting are depicted realistically in this novel, a classic example of an industrial novel. It depicts the unforgiving realities of working for a construction company, including the low pay, long hours, and hazardous circumstances. The novel also includes social commentary elements as it criticizes industrialists' and the capitalist system's mistreatment of workers and their exploitation of them.
"Germinal" by Émile Zola (1885): The socialist ideology is examined in the novel Germinal by French author Émile Zola. One of French literature's greatest masterpieces, it is widely regarded. Zola is an exponent of the school of naturalism, which holds that human behavior is determined by hereditary instinct and social environment. This book describes the struggles and lives of working-class miners in a coal mine in 19th-century France. It depicts the perilous and difficult working conditions in the mine as well as the miners' battles to improve their living and working conditions. As it criticizes the capitalist system and worker exploitation, the novel also includes elements of social commentary.
"The Mill on the Floss" by George Eliot (1860): This novel is set in a mill in 19th century England and follows the life of the protagonist, Maggie Tulliver, as she navigates the challenges and struggles of being a working-class woman in an industrial setting. The novel explores themes of solidarity and community, as Maggie and the other mill workers come together to support each other and fight against the oppressive conditions they face. It also depicts the impact of industrialization on rural communities and the transformation of traditional ways of life. The heroine of The Mill on the Floss, idealistic, intelligent, passionate Maggie Tulliver, resembles Eliot herself as a young woman. Both experience difficulty expressing themselves in callous social environments and both face painful decisions in love. Marked by humor and sadness, the novel analyzes the full scope of Maggie’s imperfect humanity while presenting a sharp yet understanding view of society.
"Love on the Dole" by Walter Greenwood (1932) : This novel is set in a working-class community in Manchester, England during the 1930s and follows the lives of the working-class characters as they struggle to make ends meet in the midst of economic hardship. The novel explores themes of solidarity and community, as the characters come together to support each other and fight against the oppressive conditions they face.
"The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck (1939): The Grapes of Wrath is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939.This novel is set during the Great Depression and follows the journey of the Joad family, who are forced to leave their farm and search for work in California.The novel portrays the struggles of the working-class family as they face difficult conditions and exploitation in the industrialized agricultural industry.
"The Jungle'' by Upton Sinclair (1906): This novel is set in the meatpacking industry in Chicago and depicts the harsh and unhealthy conditions faced by the working-class immigrants who work there. American writer Upton Sinclair is a crusader for social justice. His novel The Jungle exposes abuses rampant in Chicago meat-packing factories and stimulates a wholesale reform of the industry, starting with the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act. It contains elements of social commentary, as it criticizes the exploitation and mistreatment of workers by industrialists and the capitalist system.
Common Identified Features of Industrial Novels
Some common identified features of industrial novels include:
Realistic depiction of industrial work: Industrial novels often portray the harsh realities of industrial work, including long hours, dangerous conditions, and low pay.
Social commentary: Many industrial novels contain elements of social commentary, criticizing the exploitation and mistreatment of workers by industrialists and the capitalist system.
Working-class protagonists: Industrial novels often feature working-class protagonists who are struggling to make a living and improve their circumstances within the industrial system.
Struggles against oppression: Industrial novels often depict the struggles of working-class people against the oppressive conditions and forces that they face, including poverty, discrimination, and exploitation.
Themes of solidarity and community: Industrial novels often explore themes of solidarity and community, as workers come together to fight for their rights and improve their lives.
Depiction of the impact of industrialization: Industrial novels often explore the social and economic impacts of industrialization, including the transformation of rural communities into urban centers and the rise of new forms of social organization.
Conclusion: The changes brought by the Industrial Revolution overturned not only traditional economies, but also whole societies. The social changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution were significant. As economic activities in many communities moved from agriculture to manufacturing, production shifted from its traditional locations in the home and the small workshop to factories. Large portions of the population relocated from the countryside to the towns and cities where manufacturing centers were found. The Literature produced at this time also reflect the changes. In every sphere of literature, the changes are noted and the above mentioned discussion is only a tip of the iceberg.
Works Cited:
1. Allingham, P. V. "Charles Dickens's Hard Times for These Times as an Industrial Novel"
2. Anon. ―Hard Times.‖ Knowledge Notes TM Student Guides. Ed. S. Shute. Cambridge:
3. Berman, C.V. ―Awful unknown Quantities: Addressing the Readers in Hard Times.‖
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