Victorian Period British Literature

Victorian Period The Victorian Period was a complex time during which the people of Great Britain experienced enormous changes in virtually every area of life. The period began with bishops in wigs riding in elegant horse- drawn carriages; it ended with motorcars in the streets.

Victorian Period Queen Victoria became queen in 1837 at the age of 18. In the early part of her reign, she was influenced by two men: her first Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, and her husband, Prince Albert, whom she married in 1840.

Victorian Period Both men taught her much about how to be a ruler in a 'constitutional monarchy' where the monarch had very few powers but could use much influence. Her marriage to Prince Albert brought nine children between 1840 and Most of her children married into other Royal families of Europe.

Victorian Period Victoria was deeply attached to her husband and she sank into depression after he died, aged 42, in She had lost a devoted husband and her principal trusted adviser in affairs of state. For the rest of her reign she wore black.

Victorian Period In her later years, she almost became the symbol of the British Empire. Both the Golden (1887) and the Diamond (1897) Jubilees, held to celebrate the 50th and 60th anniversaries of the queen's accession, were marked with great displays and public ceremonies.

Victorian Period Victoria died at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, on 22 January 1901 after a reign which lasted almost 64 years, the longest in British history.

Victorian Period The prevalent mind set of the time period was an optimistic faith in humanity’s ability to triumph with the help of material goods. The generally accepted thesis of the day was that human ingenuity could control the world and achieve an earthly paradise.

Age of Reform With the abominable working conditions created by the Industrial Revolution, reform was desperately needed during the Victorian period. The initial reforms were not overly successful but a step in the right direction.

Age of Reform Reform Bill of more common representation Abolition of Slavery Poor Law of workhouses for poor Public Health Act of Provided public parks, public baths, improved sanitation systems for poor areas

Age of Reform Trade Union Act of legalized unions and gave them legal protection There were huge injustices during the Victorian Period, but the Victorians made efforts to improve their society. England was the first nation to experience the social backlash of the Industrial Revolution

Politics and Economy There was overall political peace during the Victorian period; however, there was much vacillation between political parties. During Queen Victoria’s reign there were several Prime Ministers from the conservative and liberal parties.

British Imperialism It was during the Victorian Period when Britain could boast that the sun never went down on the British Empire. Britain had colonies spanning around the world from India, Australia, Dutch South Africa, the Suez Canal, Canada

British Imperialism It was during the Victorian Period when Britain could boast that the sun never went down on the British Empire. Britain had colonies spanning around the world from India, Australia, Dutch South Africa, the Suez Canal, Canada

Science, Religion, Philosophy The new science of the nineteenth century was a major intellectual force that was to shake the very foundations of traditional beliefs. In 1859 Charles Darwin published Origin of Species, which proclaimed that all existing species of plant and animal life had evolved into their present form over millions of years of natural selection.

Science, Religion, Philosophy Darwin’s ideas contradicted the Biblical version of creation and prompted furious debates among theologians and intellectuals. The majority of people dismissed the idea that human beings descended from a monkey.

Science, Religion, Philosophy Most people were concerned with a powerful religious revival known as Evangelical Reform Beginning in the eighteenth century by John and Charles Wesley, this movement inspired missionary zeal that lead to building churches, revival meetings, and religious messages that appealed to the heart of the common person.

Popular Culture Major improvements were made in transportation, providing easier access to music halls, auctions, band concerts, seaside resorts, cricket and football matches, golf courses, and bicycle paths. Hence, transportation facilitated growth in many facets of the entertainment industry.

Popular Culture The middle-class Victorian particularly was preoccupied with the comforts of home, emulating Queen Victoria. Middle-class families were generally larger, which was considered a tribute to the father’s adequacy in salary and to the mother’s devotion to her family and her efficiency as a manager.

Victorian Literature Victorian Literature is not characterized by a single distinct style or emphasis on a particular subject. Novels gained prominence during the period, especially because reading novels aloud was a popular form of family entertainment.

Victorian Literature Charles Dickens (Oliver Twist, Tale of Two Cities) - both entertaining and critical of sham and hypocrisy in Victorian society Bronte Sisters (Emily= Wuthering Heights, Charlotte= Jane Eyre, Anne= Tenant of Wildfell Hall) – sisters who lived and wrote together

Victorian Literature George Eliot aka Mary Ann Evans (Middle March, Adam Bede)- gained fame and recognition as the first English novelist to incorporate the intellectual ideas of the time into her novels. Throughout the early Victorian novel the primary focus was social issues

Victorian Literature Later in the Victorian period novelist seemed to be more interested in human psychology than social issues Rev. Charles L. Dodson aka Lewis Carroll (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)- complex and sophisticated children’s books, rich in parody, irony, and symbolic suggestion

Victorian Literature Novels were the predominate literary focus of the time, but there was also some poetry by poets such as Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Christina Rossetti Most often poetry focused on a sense of pessimism, tragedy, disappointment and waste

Victorian Literature Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness)- denounced England’s attempt to justify its supremacy as an imperial power Thomas Hardy (Return of the Native)- set in bleak, somber region of England, reflected dark pessimism

“The Lifted Veil” Journal What are your thoughts about the characters, particularly Latimer and Bertha? How do you feel about them? What is the significance of Latimer’s overtly “Romantic” characterization? Why might Eliot choose this characterization? How is Latimer affected by his “special power”? Do you think you would feel the same way he does? Explain. Why do you think Eliot wrote this story? What did she want to communicate?