What are some examples of books or authors who, in the 19th century, started to move away from religious /morality themes ?

Question

What was the start of the modern novel?

Answer 1

The morality tales of the 19th century were primarily on the decline since the 1700s, but it was advents of novels such as:

1. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll written in 1865
2. Dracula, by Bram Stoker written in 1897
3. Emma, by Jane Austen written in 1815

Each of these despite being written at a different time period still dealt with the social issues of the time, but they moved far from the common morality tales of the 16th and 17th centuries. The idea of modern novel can be associated with the publishing of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, though this is one of many novels from that era; however, it strayed away from the norms of introducing morality into the mix.

Answer 2

I would argue that you need to ask separate questions about religious and moral themes. Because while general fiction gradually moved away from overtly religious themes - just as monarchies gave way to other, more secular forms of government - morality, or the lack thereof, is still a central theme of many novels. If you compare "The Deerslayer" to "All Quiet on the Western Front" to "A Farewell to Arms" to "Fallen Angel" to "Sunrise Over Fallujah" they all address the moral issues of war. You can find also with crime novels, or political novels, or adventure novels, the best novels are not pure entertainment but address moral issues of current concern to society.

Answer 3

Hi Students: Daniel DeFoe, famous for Robinson Crusoe,(1721) is considered the father of the modern novel. However, reading of the original text will show that this writing and Moll Flanders have a very religious base and focus a lot on redemption of the soul. Next, when Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice (1813) the morality aspect had lessened considerably and the book focused much more on social comment, dialogue and theme.

When Huckleberry Finn was writtern (1884) by Mark Twain, an argument can be made that the escape to freedom by Huckelberry and slave Jim was a morality statement. I would argue that it was much more a social commentary and research shows that Twain used his knowledge of state laws in existence at the time to direct the actions of his characters.

Lastly, in today's popular genre, comics, with Marvel Comics leading the pack; an argument can surely be made that morality still is a major theme in these pieces where good and evil, like the Titans they are, do battle on a daily basis. Your thoughts? Courtney W., MA