New Grub Street Literary Elements

Realistic novel

London in the 1880s with an emphasis on the impoverished literary districts.

Third person point of view, omniscient narrator who knows all the thoughts and feelings of the different characters.

The tone of the novel is serious and sometimes obscure. The mood varies between a depressing one which is linked to characters like Edwin Reardon and Harold Biffen, and a somewhat cheerful but sarcastic one associated with the modern writers and upper class circles.

The two protagonists of the novel are Edwin Reardon and Jasper Milvain. There is no clear antagonist in the book; the antagonist is replaced by social injustice and unjust influence.

The major conflict in the book is Edwin Reardon's inability to adapt his writings with the market's demands, and consequent financial and literary failure.

The conflict, in the novel, hits the highest point when Amy and Edwin Reardon reconcile but the latter is very sick so that the reader does not know whether he will make it out alive or not, and whether their reunion would be laid to waste in case of his death.

“If he preferred to kill himself, who would be distressed?” This quote foreshadows, early in the novel, the suicide of Harold Biffen which only happens at the very end.

When Biffen announces the publication of his book to Amy Reardon, and offers her a copy, she asks him, “Can you really spare one?” Which is an understatement, for it is explained in the text that, “of the half-dozen he would receive, he scarcely knew how to dispose of three.”

The title of the novel is an allusion to a former street of the same name, later renamed Milton Street, and which was associated with hack literature and impoverished authors.

“A black sky and sooty rain strengthened his inclination to sit by the study fire and talk at large in a tone of flattering benignity.” This quote contains visual and tactile imagery to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind.

“The poor fellow was so lonely. Yes, but his loneliness only became intolerable when a beautiful woman had smiled upon him…” This is paradoxical because Amy’s kindness and ready friendship ought to have made Biffen feel less lonely. Instead, his loneliness increased with her bestowed kindness.

“Parting from her at length, he went to hide his face in darkness and think of her – and think of her.” This sentence uses components which have the same construction, sound, meaning, and meter.

“Yet even here he was too often reminded that the poverty-stricken of the class to which poverty is natural were not condemned to endure in solitude”
Here the word “class” is metonymy for a group of people who have the same financial status.

“she was anxious that her husband should discuss his affairs privately with Milvain and give ear to the practical advice which she knew would be tendered him”
Here, the word “ear” does signify more than just the organ. In fact, it represents the whole person of Edwin Reardon.

“A tongue of flame which suddenly illumined the fronts of the houses put an end to his doubt”.
Here, the fire flames are given human characteristics; namely a tongue, which is a personification.