Towards the Goal (eBook)

Mrs. Humphry Ward, born Mary Augusta Ward on June 11, 1851, in Tasmania, was a renowned English novelist of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Her maiden name was Arnold, linking her to the influential Arnold family with connections to literature and culture. Her uncle was the poet Matthew Arnold, and her grandfather Thomas Arnold was famous for his role as headmaster of Rugby School, which he transformed into an esteemed institution. Her father, Tom Arnold, was a notable literary figure as well. Mrs. Ward achieved widespread recognition with her literary output, which catered to the taste of the educated middle-class reading public. Her narrative techniques often fused romantic plots with social and political themes, echoing the intellectual debates of her time. Mrs. Ward's significant contribution to literature includes her 1917 novel 'Towards the Goal.' This work exemplifies her nuanced approach to character development and her engagement with social issues, traits which have become the hallmark of her extensive oeuvre. Her literary style is characterized by its didacticism and a keen insight into the mores of her contemporaries. Mrs. Humphry Ward's novels played a critical part in Victorian and early 20th-century literature, and her impact extends to the domain of women's education, as she was a founding member of Somerville College, Oxford. She passed away on March 24, 1920, leaving behind a legacy of progressive thought and a rich collection of fiction.