While Charles Kingsley’s novel

(1850) is little-known to today’s readers, it still enjoys a reputation among scholars. The novel is included in anthologies and companions to Victorian literature as an example of the Condition-of-England novel. This genre, also known as the social problem novel, is linked to the plight of the working class and the ensuing political agitation during the 1830s and 1840s, of which the Chartist movement was the most prominent. The term “condition of England” was adapted from Thomas Carlyle’s work on

(1840). Other examples of this genre include Elizabeth Gaskell’s

(1848) and Benjamin Disraeli’s

(1845).

Charles Kingsley’s social problem novel is addressed

2154 words

Citation: Wiedemann, Julia. "Alton Locke". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 July 2022 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6750, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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