Hierarchies of Power and Identity: The Representation of Social Class in Victorian Literature

Abstract

This research examines the complex representation of social class in Victorian literature, analyzing how major authors depicted, critiqued, and reinforced class hierarchies during a period of unprecedented social transformation. Through systematic analysis of canonical works by Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Charlotte Brontë, and Thomas Hardy, this study reveals how literary representations both reflected and shaped contemporary understanding of class identity, social mobility, and economic inequality. The research employs close textual analysis combined with historical contextualization to demonstrate how Victorian writers navigated the tension between social criticism and literary convention. Findings indicate that while Victorian literature increasingly challenged rigid class boundaries, it simultaneously reinforced middle-class values and perspectives as normative. The study contributes to understanding how literature functions as both mirror and constructor of social reality, with implications for contemporary analysis of class representation in cultural texts.