As you are looking into the 19th century, some of the major issues would be literature from colonial times, and of course the format of the Novel. Assuming you are concerned with literature in English, the discussions will likely take turns into pre-colonial or even postcolonial issues, and it would also require you to look into the history of the novel, subsequent development of literature with the advent of printing techniques, during the transition from 19th to 20th century. This all depends on which grade or standard of class you are teaching and in what method of teaching; which will unfold the dynamics of the discourse (or challenges) that the teacher, or the students, are likey to face.