The Victorian Period: 1832-1901
**Peace, Economic Growth, and Progress**
Named for Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837-1901, the Victorian Era in
England was a time of overwhelming growth, prosperity, and progress. The literature of
the time highlights the everchanging political and social values and was a comment
on the Victorian culture. Writers, such as Charles Dickens, took the opportunity to
reinforce and challenge ideas and feelings of the Victorian society.
**Progress meant "material" improvements such as:
1. Cleaning up the streets
2. Added security to homes and businesses
3. Turning "respectable" neighborhoods away from slums
England was a time of overwhelming growth, prosperity, and progress. The literature of
the time highlights the everchanging political and social values and was a comment
on the Victorian culture. Writers, such as Charles Dickens, took the opportunity to
reinforce and challenge ideas and feelings of the Victorian society.
**Progress meant "material" improvements such as:
1. Cleaning up the streets
2. Added security to homes and businesses
3. Turning "respectable" neighborhoods away from slums
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Life in Victorian England:
The Hungry Forties:
**During the first decade of Queen Victoria's reign, England was in a state of Depression (1.5 million unemployed workers).
1. Poor working conditions and child labor laws: children worked long
hours under poor conditions.
2. The Irish Potato Famine: lack of food in ireland killed 1 million
people and forced 2 million to move to England. London was so crowded
that people lived 10-12 in one room and had two toilets for every 250 people.
3. Pollution and filth: poor sewage and drainage, bodies buried 6-8 deep
hours under poor conditions.
2. The Irish Potato Famine: lack of food in ireland killed 1 million
people and forced 2 million to move to England. London was so crowded
that people lived 10-12 in one room and had two toilets for every 250 people.
3. Pollution and filth: poor sewage and drainage, bodies buried 6-8 deep
Movement for Reform: Violence broke out at political rallies in the 1840s to protest government policies; people protested against Parliament and Queen Victoria.
1. Improvement in Diet: the price of food dropped after mid-century because of increased trade with other countries and meat and fruit began to appear in Victorian working class households.
2. The Reform Bills: political reforms the vote to almost all adult males, except for farmers
**a series of factory acts limited child labor and reduced the work day to 10 hours
**state supported, public schools were established in 1870 and were made free in 1890
Decorum/Prudery and Authoritarian Values: Many Victorians thought of themselves as progressing morally and intellectually, as well as materially
**prudery became the fashion--bringing "a blush to one's cheeks" from morally altered words or episodes not deemed appropriate for a young person's ears
**people were arrested for for distributing sexually transmitted diseases
** society regarded seduced or adulterous women as "fallen," but not their male partners
**many Victorians were uneasy about giving all the authority to a central government
**women were subject to male authority and middle-class women were expected to marry and give their husbands a comfortable home
Intellectual Progress: Humans began to understand more about the Earth and its creatures. Geoligists worked on fossils and the history of the Earth and Charles Darwin began to study the evolution of man
***BUT, Victorian writers asked whether this new material comfort fully satisfied human needs and wishes. They questioned the cost of exploiting the Earth and human beings to achieve this comfort and they protested or "mocked codes of decorum and authority"
Transcendentalism: trust in transcendental power was the belief of writers--the highest purpose of a poet, or any writer, was to make the reader aware of the connection between Earth and Heaven, body and soul, and material and ideal. Were more "nature" poets than "mind "poets, unlike the Romantics.
Oscar Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest
annarbor.com
The Importance of Being Earnest was written by playwright/novelist/poet and all
around literary genius, Oscar Wilde. It premiered in London in 1895 at the St.
James’s Theatre. Set in London and the English countryside during the late 19th
century, The Importance of Being Earnest is a both a whimsical romantic comedy
as well as a sharp-witted satire of Victorian society.
By Wade Bradford, About.com Guide
around literary genius, Oscar Wilde. It premiered in London in 1895 at the St.
James’s Theatre. Set in London and the English countryside during the late 19th
century, The Importance of Being Earnest is a both a whimsical romantic comedy
as well as a sharp-witted satire of Victorian society.
By Wade Bradford, About.com Guide
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The Importance of Being Earnest Theme of Lies and Deceit...
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Moving Toward Realism:
androidblip.com
Drama began to move toward realism at the latter part of the Victorian era.
In England, and throughout Europe, fiction writers began to write about the
social realities of the time.
Realism was an attempt to produce an accurate portrayal of real life without
filtering it through personal feelings or Romantic idealism. Realism concerned
itself more than with details of ordinary life. It also sought to explain why
people behave the way they do.
Realistic writers rejected the emotional Romantic writers, as they saw it as an
ineffective tool for reform, or even describing, industrial society.
