Born in Exile
1892
Born in Exile is a novel by George Gissing, first published in 1892, that explores themes of education, class dynamics, and personal ambition in late 19th-century England. The story follows Godwin Peak, a sensitive young man at Whitelaw College, as he navigates the challenges of his lower-middle-class background while striving for academic success. The narrative delves into the conflicts between science and religion, as well as the impact of social status on personal integrity and aspirations. Gissing's own experiences inform the story, making it a poignant reflection on class and morality in Victorian society.
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“Nothing great would come of his endeavours, but what he aimed at he steadily perfected.””
— George Gissing
“Conscience is the same in my view as an inherited disease which may possibly break out on any most innocent physical indulgence.””
— George Gissing
“Life utterly denied to me the satisfaction of my strongest instincts, so long as I plodded on without cause of shame; the moment I denied my faith, and put on a visage of brass, great possibilities opened before me””
— George Gissing
“( Peak, reflections on his brother and sister)But their characteristics no longer gravely offended him, and he willingly recognised the homespun worth which their lives displayed.””
— George Gissing
“I seem anything but lovable. I don't underrate my powers”
— George Gissing
“You have been trying to adapt yourself,' she said, 'to a world for which you are by nature unfitted. Your place is in the new order; by turning back to the old, you condemned yourself to a wasted life.””
— George Gissing
“A powerful intellect by no means implies a corresponding development of the moral sense.””
— George Gissing
“Yet in Peak's case all appearances are against him”
— George Gissing
“Buckland's class-prejudice asserted itself with brutal vigour now that it had moral indignation for an ally.””
— George Gissing
