Representations of overpopulation in nineteenth-century British fiction

Abstract

This thesis analyses representations of overpopulation in British fiction of the long nineteenth century, from the publication of Thomas Robert Malthus’s Essay on the Principle of Population (1798) to the publication of Anticipations by H. G. Wells (1901). The period in which Malthus was writing and publishing editions of his Essay (1798-1826) also saw the rise of the novel, both in terms of status and of market share: it attained the rank of literature, and became the most widely disseminated form of writing in society (apart from newspapers and magazines). The nineteenth century as a whole saw the population of London increase exponentially: fears about population growth combined with fears about urbanisation and its deleterious effects. Combining these elements, I examine novels which explore the feeling of living in London at this time.