THE ENGLISH NATURALIST NOVEL IN THE INTERTEXT OF NEW WOMEN'S LITERATURE

At the end of the 19th century, the main figure of English naturalism is George Gissing. In fact, all of his novels, starting with "Workers at Dawn" (1880), contain commentary on the condition of women and the moral aspect of gender relations. For example, in the novel The Unclassified (1884), before such themes became popular, the prostitute-protagonist, as written, insists that she be considered a "pure, chaste woman," while the heroine adheres (even if only in words) to the principle of free love. Gissing was never able to make deals with publishers or readers. In 1884, in a letter to Poll Moll, he wrote: "I feel sorry for English novels, because English novelists are afraid to show everything they can, lest they lose their popularity and consequently their income." It should be noted that he had sufficient grounds for such statements. Addressed, as he wrote in The Enemies of Mrs. Grandy, to "those who hold such art dear," it proved too drastic even for a progressive publisher like Bentley and could not be published.