The Way of All Flesh: Analyze the Novel and It's Victorian Society
The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the novel "The Way of All Flesh" by Samuel Butler. Specifically it will respond to the book and its insightful look into Victorian society. Butler's book was written at the end of the 19th century but it was not published until after his death in 1903. Butler's book is a sarcastic and biting glimpse into Victorian society and its mores. He was quite critical of this society, and it shows throughout this book. In fact, many people feel the book may be roughly based on Butler's own life. The book is a detailed and yet sarcastic look at Victorian life in Great Britain, including Butler's views on the Church of England and Victorian life in general. It can be biting in its satire but is still an important historical novel today, because of the intimate way it looks into the homes of the different British classes at the turn of the 20th century.The novel follows the Pontifex family from the 1750s through the late 1800s as three generations of Pontifex men influence the family and the family's fortunes. The main character of the novel is Ernest Pontifex, an unhappy young man whose parents are exceptionally cruel and heartless. Ernest's young life is difficult bec
Ultimately, this is a novel about Ernest's maturation and finding himself. He undergoes many adventures and all of them have something to say about Victorian society. At the forefront of Ernest's life are his cruel parents who set the stage for him to fail in life. They are the exact opposite of what a good parent is, but their peers see them as a decent family because they conform to society's wishes, at least on the outside. Ernest has to overcome his upbringing to become a successful man, and he manages to do that with the help of Mr. Overton and his aunt Alethea, rather than his parents, who should be the ones to love and support him. Ernest comes of age and becomes a success because of his own experiences, rather than the input of his parents and that may be the final social commentary Butler includes in the novel. Ernest is a success because of his failures, rather than the support of a loving family, and that too is a far cry from Victorian convention. In conclusion, this novel is part historical in context, and pure fiction in another. However, it is an excellent look into the mores and attitudes of Victorian British society. Many critics believe it is one of the most classic British novels ever written. While it may not be as popular as other, better-known books, it is an extremely important historical novel because of its satire, and the intimate way it gives the reader a glimpse of Victorian society's many faults and foibles. Many critics also believe the novel began a wave of critical novels that changed writing history forever. Whatever influence Butler's novel had on future writers, it is clear it is a biting and entertaining look at a Victorian society that Butler thought needed to change. One of the more enjoyable aspects of the novel is the author's own voice, which comes through the book as the voice of the narrator; a young neighbor of the third generation of Pontifex's who grows up with them. The author's voice is always biting and sarcastic, but wickedly funny, too. For example, early in the book the narrators muses, "I wonder whether he would feel disposed to cry out before a real Michael Angelo, if the critics had decided that it was not genuine, or before a reputed M
Some common words found in the essay are:
Michael Angelo, Church Rome, Mammon Butler, Overton Ernest's, Victorian British, Butler Specifically, England Victorian, Ernest Pontifex, England Religion, George's Ernest's, butler 1998, victorian society, historical novel, ernest's life, novel ernest, victorian life, glimpse victorian, aunt alethea, butler's book, lower classes,
Approximate Word count = 1499
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
