During the 19th century literature underwent a change that placed more writings into the hands of more people than ever before. The rise in a type of literary culture that occurred in the 19th century was fueled by rising literacy rates, the availability of written materials, and the popularization of the written word.

Literacy rates, on the whole, rose during this period. Primary and secondary schools were opening and enrolling students, especially those from the working class, very rapidly during this time period. (Lees and Lees 105-8) Libraries, thanks to national legislation in the 1850’s, were funded by the government and became available to all for use. (Lees and Lees 216-17) This culture of literacy fostered a new demand for books that was met by authors like Charles Dickens and Sir Walter Scott.

Dickens and Scott both used their novels in a way that was both new and interesting. Making use of the newspaper industry that had sprung up by this time, many of their novels were serialized, and published in sections that were shorter, easier to disseminate, and less expensive to purchase than they had previously been. This opened up new markets of consumption and helped to create the popular novel. Playing into this new popular concept Dickens and Scott focused on themes that would appeal to these new markets.

Scott used Scottish sentimentality to great effect in such works as The Heart of Midlothian and Rob Roy. Playing into a sense of dispossessed highland culture and suppressed Scottish identity, Scott struck a chord with readers by writing about the romantic highland Robin Hood figure of Rob Roy. (Scott Rob Roy) The figure of the virtuous, religious, young woman seeking a pardon for a crime that her sister did not commit in The Heart of Midlothian also marked Scott’s first use of a female protagonist. (Scott Heart of Midlothian)

Dickens’ work played into public sentiment in a more general way, criticizing the social values of the upper and middle class, while praising the hard-working virtue of the working class protagonists of his novels. The specific character of Stephan Blackpool in Hard Times is an excellent example of this virtuous working class figure.(Dickens Hard Times) Furthermore, these authors used their public appeal to simultaneously reinforce and re-define their societies. By playing into popular sentiments, Dickens and Scott encouraged the suppositions of their audiences, and by presenting them with unexpected character traits, they challenged readers to engage with their social climate. These changes in literature marked a departure for British literature in the 19th century, as authors put the new popularity of books to good use, challenging and reinforcing societal norms.

- Jon Doolittle