The Victorian Period was a great influence to the authors who composed novels at that time where distinctions between social classes as well as between men and women were strongly marked. During this period, it was precisely a woman who ruled. Alexandrina Victoria who was born on May 24, 1819 became Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from June 20, 1837 until her death on January 22, 1901. Victoria’s reign was one of the longest of a female in history. At only the age of 18, after her uncle William Henry IV died, she began a span of 63 years of reign. In spite of her independence and power, Victoria fell into a deep depression when her husband died in 1861 and ever since she wore black every day for the rest of her …show more content…
During Victoria’s reign there were changes of great importance economically, socially, and technologically. London had a rapid growth from a 2 million to a 6.5 million population by the time of Queen Victoria’s death, due to a significant change. As a result of the industrialization, instead of a life based on ownership of lands, England was transformed to a modern economy. Based on trade and manufacturing they changed from an agrarian society in 1800’s with 75% rural to an industrial society by the 1900’s with a 75% modern urban economy. Socially, there were extreme discriminations especially between men and women. Consequently, women were not eligible for a higher education, employment and were denied the right to vote. Gradually and by the end of Victoria’s reign, women won significant political and legal rights. These included a greater access to education, the custody of children, economic independence and were able to work under fair conditions. Definitely, the Victorian Period was an era of dramatic changes that highly developed England’s power and …show more content…
At the beginning of the Victorian Period, both single and married women’s rights were limited. The changes during this era in the identity of genders are represented in the characters the author Wilkie Collins describes. For example, Marian Halcombe is characterized as strong and predominant. She is Laura’s voice when regarding to her husband and protects her throughout the story. Although Marian knows her role as a woman in society, she disapproves with the beliefs of the era. On the other hand, Laura personalizes the conventional quiet woman that obeys customs. To emphasize this, in Collin’s novel, he lets the reader know that Laura is marrying the man that her father approved even though he is now dead. When she marries, her rights legally belong to her husband and is treated with the laws and customs of the Victorian era. Throughout this period, the distinction between classes was also notable. Comparatively, The Woman in White presents how the middle class as Laura and her uncle refer to the working class, Fanny the maid. Even though Fanny has always been their maid and is the only person they trust, they only communicate with her at their convenience. Moreover, Mr. Fairlie does not even call the maid by her name, but refers to her as “Young Person”. Certainly, the Victorian Period was a significant impact in the novel where
The Victorian Era was a time of peace and prosperity. During the Victorian Era the society was divided into various social classes like the working class, middle class. Upper class, Dickens/Victorians. Above all those classes the middle class was the most hard working class with all the various occupations but also they also had quite relaxing life also speaking of which let's get into the middle class.
After William IV died, his niece, Victoria, became the Queen of England, starting the victorian era. In Victoria’s reign, the British Empire came to cover over ¼ of the world. The Industrial revolution is created during her reign, producing more products available to the common people of England. On the down side, people working in the mill had a hard life.
Throughout the first half of the semester, we have consistently discussed and learned the impact of the Victorian Middle Class (VMC). One of the major topics was its influence on prizefighting, and how the culture and values of the Victorian Middle Class influenced its growth from a lowest of the low sport to a sporting spectacle viewed by all. The Victorian Middle Class culture’s influence on the transformation of prizefighting was due to a large number of ideas, especially its strict values, the sporting fraternity, along with the Civil War.
A world of class systems, the aristocracy and working class. a divide so vast people could not see the other side. following some of great minds of the Victorian era actively fighting this status quo notably Charles Dickens and his many books championing the ideas of social change at a time when it was considered dangerous to challenge the predefined views in society about the poor and working class. This world would come to an abrupt end, between screaming shells and the bloodshed of millions.
British literature and culture has been shaped by many movements and time periods. The Victorian Period had a huge impact on many aspects in British literature and culture. The roles of women were greatly affected during this time period. The question of what women could (or should) do attracted a lot of debate in the Victorian era.
The Victorian era ranging from 1837-1901 is named after Queen Victoria who as corded the throne of Great Britain and Ireland in 1837. She served for a period of 64 years, till her death in 1901 and her period was marked by many important social and historical changes that altered the nation in many ways. The population was doubled, the British Empire expanded exponentially and technological and industrial progress helped Britain become the most powerful country in the world (Brown&Simpson, 2013). While the country saw economic progress, poverty and exploitation were also equally a part of it. The gap between the rich and the poor increased expressively and the drive for material and commercial success was seen to propagate. Moreover a kind of a moral decay in the society was witnessed. One of the most important factors that defined the age was its stress on morality. Strict societal codes were enforced and certain activities were openly looked down upon. These codes were even harsher for women. A feminine code of conduct was imposed on them which described every aspect of their being from the proper apparels to how inverse; everything had rules (Brown&Simpson, 2013). The role of women was mostly that of being angels of the house and restricted to domestic confines. Professionally very few options were available to them as a woman could either become a governess or a teacher in rich households. Hence they were financially dependent on their husbands and fathers for their
Social classes are categories societies are sectioned into based n their economic and social status. The Victorian era was a time period when Queen Victoria was in power. Social classes underwent various changes during the Victorian era. The social classes consisted of the upper class, middle class, and the lower class. The upper class was the wealthiest of everyone and their income was mostly inherited. The middle class were average paid. The lower class suffered the most with the social class system.
During the time of the Victorian Era, Queen Victoria was ruling Britain for many years. During the Victorian Era, many technologies were invented and science were advanced. By the Industrial Revolution, railways and trains were developed as a result. It improved transportation and it became important factors ordering society. As a result, huge population increased accompanied by rapid urbanisation stimulated by the Industrial Revolution. However there were advantages and disadvantages by the growth of Britain. The reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) included a period of enormous political, social, and cultural innovation and change.
The image on the right is known as “The British Beehive.” I think this is a good image because it represents the social classes during the Victorian Era. In the Victorian Era, social class wasn’t dependent on the amount of money a person had like today, but more so on the source of income, birth and family connections played a bigger role. We usually see social classes as mainly 3 the upper class, the middle class, and the lower class. At the top of The Beehive is a smaller section which consists of the royal family, in the middle is a broad section including booksellers, mechanics, tea dealers and inventors; and at the bottom are the cabmen, shoeblacks, coalheavers, sweeps and dustmen. Relations and viewpoints on people of different social
When Queen Victoria took control of England in 1837, the country was undergoing many social changes. Social status was no longer based on lineage and was now determined by an individual’s financial status. Lower class individuals were shamed and judged by members of the elite social classes. Things like fashion and language were used to categorize people into certain social classes. This categorization came with the prejudices and stereotypes that were common among members of a certain class. This culture gave the members of the elite social classes a sense of entitlement that lead them to judge the mistreat members of the lower classes. From this harsh and strict social system emerged a group of social reformers. These reformers came in the form of writers, journalists, photographers, etc. and they worked hard to expose the social class system for what it was. One of the most important social reformers during the Victorian Era was Charles Dickens. Growing up in a poor, working class family, Dickens knew about the harsh realities that spawned from the social class system present. His writing reflects these experiences and attempts to expose this harsh system and other big problems prominent in Victorian society. Pip is a character that experiences some of these realities in Great Expectations. Pip initially lets his social status define him and must then go through a spiritual journey to discover what truly defines an individual. In Great Expectations Charles Dickens uses
The Victorian Period, the years between 1837 and 1901, was named after the reign of the great Queen Victoria in English civilization. It was during her regime that England gained economic prosperity, experienced the rapid growth of the empire, encountered dramatic changes and religious beliefs. Various social classes represented the population of England, comprising of the upper class, the middle class, the working class and the under class. Social order and proper etiquette was the norm for most Victorians, particularly in the upper class society. Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” and Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem, “Ulysses” illustrates the dominant characteristics of the Victorians, specifically addressing social manners, money and power, and priorities and goals.
In the Victorian era women were held at a different standard than the men in the Victorian era. In the novels of Jane Eyre and Tess of the d’Urberville the social class of the women was challenged by both leading ladies in the novels. Exploring both novels I will you examples from both to show how social class effected women in the Victorian era.
Queen Victoria was the longest reigning British monarch in history. Ruling the U.K. from 1873 to 1901. Queen Victoria’s death on January 22, 1901 at the age of 81 was mourned around the world and signaled an end to the VIctorian Era.
The Victorian Age was a time of great change for the people of Great Britain. The Victorian Age lasted from 1837-1901, and was named after Queen Victoria who reigned during the time. There were many changes that occurred during this time, but one of the biggest ones was the rise of the middle class. As the country became more developed, middle class economic interests became a priority. This led the middle class to gain political power they previously never had. These new found powers help shape the changes that would occur during this period. Victorian middle-class economic interests gained increasing political power as a result of the Reform Bill of 1832 in the following ways: extended voting rights, gained representation to the new industrial towns, and allowed social reform.
The Victorian period spawned a spiritualist movement, abandoning ordinary religion. The movement, which ran from 1837 to 1901, was named after Queen Victoria. Economic activity increased as the period saw the rise of the industrial revolution and advancements in various technologies: steamships, electric power, and telephones. A prevalent aspect of the time was child labor, which was considerably cheaper than conventional adult workers (Mullan). Likewise, women in the Victorian period were often treated as second class citizens and needed to contend for basic human rights. The literature of this period was quite distinct, often dealing with new and unique topics such as: class, gothic, politics, and romanticism. Many authors during the time expressed an extreme amount of passion in their writing, occasionally including personal conflicts. The Victorian period was the first step to social diversity, in a time where literary criticism was on the rise, and social class was more important than ever. The unjust social conditions that many authors faced during the Victorian era continues to inspire literary innovations.