WALTER SCOTT - A FOUNDER OF A GENRE OF A HISTORICAL NOVEL IN ENGLISH LITERATURE

Abstract

This chapter delves into Walter Scott's influence on the historical novel genre.
Scott transformed the novel into a contemporary epic by infusing it with national
themes, achieved through its historical elements. This approach lent the novel a sense
of scholarly significance associated with history, particularly in Scotland during the
Enlightenment era. Throughout the nineteenth century, the historical novel became
the predominant form of the genre, maintaining its popularity and prestige long after
Victorian writers adopted Scott's techniques. Scott's fusion of history and
Bildungsroman, as seen in "Waverley; or, 'Tis Sixty Years Since" (1814), served as a
model for aspiring national literatures across Europe, its imperial borders, and
colonial territories well into the following century.