The Victorian Period: the age of paradox 1837-1901 Queen Victoria’s Reign

Age of Prosperity British Empire gained profits abroad Colonization of Africa, India for trade Industrial Revolution produced affordable goods Middle class developed Education increased Social mores revitalized Period of peace, known as the Pax Britannica Population doubled; move to the cities Advances in science, medicine, engineering

Introduction of the factory

Age of Buried Suffering Industrial Rev. caused working class to suffer (child labor and sweat shops) Colonization caused foreign conflict; xenophobia and racism Clash of ideals with French Revolution Social mores oppressed women and “Others” (monstrosities) Population increase meant more poor and sick Fear of scientific discoveries and medicinal advancements Religious strife and moral bias Life of excess=immoral vs. pragmaticism and asceticism=moral (unreal expectations=failure)

Victorian Identity: (upper class) Women Change in arranged marriage created some stress Career was “Angel of the House”: wife, mother, daughter Should be artistically trained, talented, charming, pure, demure, humble, beautiful, classically educated, dutiful, weak, helpless, emotional to compete with other women Sexism: “hysteria” comes from the root “hyst,” or uterus (Freud) 1887 the Married Woman's Property Act Until 1887, women could not own property, even if inherited If/when separated from husband, she forfeited property and had no rights to her children; she would be ostracized

The Victorian Woman

Victorian Identity: Sexuality Prudery and repression of animalistic desires Freud (id, ego, superego) Marriage and purity Courtship; dowries; double standards, love vs. class Euphemisms “limb” for “leg”; “expecting” for “pregnant” Rampant prostitution

Victorian Identity: Poor Poor Law (Social Welfare): 1832 Dangerous/difficult working conditions Workhouses and Unions “Living wage” (min wage) = 30 shillings a week Anti-Poor Law Movement Orphans and Orphanages Debtor’s prisons Prostitution Education Introduction of “ragged schools” (free schools)

Medicine and Science Hypnosis: 1841 Ether: 1846 Anesthetized surgery: 1840s Plaster casts: 1852 Cocaine: 1856 Darwin’s “Origin of Species”: 1869 Freud and psychoanalysis: 1880s

Industrialism and Innovation Steam Locomotive:1802 Daguerreotype Photography: 1824 Telegraph: 1838 Electric lights used in public: 1846 Sewing Machine: 1851 Refrigeration: 1859 Motion Pictures: 1890

Victorian Art and Aesthetics Literature/poetry consider impractical “lies” Victorian industrialist was pragmatic and efficient The search for objective beauty: “perfect form” Realism: “truth to nature” Photography, representationalism, portraits Rebellious Pre-Raphaelites: art for art’s sake

Victorian Religious Conflict Evangelicals (middle class “ethos”) vs. objective, scientific thought Happiness earned through hard work and self-denial Conformity Darwin crisis

Darwinism and Society Survival of the fittest Originate from ape? Animalistic nature? Social Darwinism=work harder? 1872 Origin of Species 1886 Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case… 1891 Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Literature Timeline 1813 Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice 1818 Mary Shelley, Frankenstein 1843 Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol 1847 Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights 1865 Lewis CarrolI, Alice in Wonderland 1883 Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island 1891 Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray; Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1895 Oscar Wilde, The Importance… 1886 Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case… 1897 Bram Stoker, Dracula 1902 Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness