Narrative theory

This chapter surveys influential criticism at the intersection of narrative theory and Victorian literature, proposing that such criticism often takes one of two major approaches. In the first approach, critics reveal how the act of narration itself is an activity that shapes and constrains Victorian narratives, whereas in the second approach, critics consider the relationship between Victorian narratives and their audience, ultimately making a case for this relationship’s cultural, historical, or ethical significance. The chapter concludes with an account of how psychological perspectives on reading can expand narrative theory’s understanding of what readers do with literary texts and what texts do to their readers in turn.