Reading 19th-century texts
Long sentences
Nineteenth-century writers often use with many clauses, linked by commas and semicolons. Mayhew's opening sentence runs over three lines before it reaches its main point: that the eight-year-old was ‘in thoughts and manner, a woman’.
To understand them:
- Find the : who did what?
- Treat each section between commas or semicolons as extra detail.
- Read on to the full stop before deciding what it means.
Key terms
Formal and old-fashioned vocabulary
Older texts use formal words, and some words have changed meaning.
| Word | Meaning then |
|---|---|
| pathetic | moving, causing pity (not ‘useless’) |
| earnestness | seriousness and sincerity |
| narrate | tell, describe |
| quarter | district of a town |
If you don't know a word, use the rest of the sentence to work out its likely meaning. You won't need every word to understand the main ideas.
Key terms
The writer's assumptions
Every writer has : beliefs they take for granted. Nineteenth-century writers often held views about class, gender and race that we would now question.
Mayhew was a middle-class journalist writing for middle-class readers. He pities the girl deeply, but he describes her from the outside, as a sad case, and expects his readers to share his shock.
Spotting assumptions helps with Question 4: ask what the writer takes for granted, and how a modern writer might see the same topic differently.
Remember
A 19th-century source shows the attitudes of its time. Comment on them; don't just judge them.