Victorian Age
THE DAWN OF THE VICTORIAN AGE
Queen Victoria and the age of reform:
- Came to the throne in 1837, she ruled for 64 years
- In 1840 she got married to Prince Albert, she had 9 children and provided a model of respectability
- It was a period of economic and scientific progress
- 1832, Great Reform Act
- 1833, Factory Act
- 1834, The Poor Law Amendment Act
THE HOUSEWORK
- Were mainly run by the church, it provided a roof in exchange for work
- Poor diet, work condition and families were split
- 1851, Great Exhibition, Britain's
Foreign policy
- England was involved in the two Opium Wars to gain access over the Chinese ports:
- 1838-42 Britain against China
- 1856-60 Anglo-French War
- 1857 Indian Mutiny
- It supported independence wars - Italian independence from Austria
THE VICTORIAN …
- The Victorian Age was characterised by complexity, often referred to as the 'Victorian compromise'. It
witnessed unprecedent change, progress and political stability alongside poverty and injustice
- Despite the praise for modernity there was a revival of Gothic and Classicism in art.
- Religion, particularly Evangelicalism, played a significant role, fostering political action and leading to the
creation of charities and philanthropism.
Respectability:
- The era emphasized education and hygiene, linking self0restraint, good manners and self-help to the
concept of respectability, embraced by both middle and working classes.
- Respectability involved maintaining appearances, asserting social status, and prioritizing family. However,
it was a mix of morality and hypocrisy, as societal issues were often concealed beneath outward
respectability.
- The duty of men to respect and protect women became prominent, with women perceived as morally
superior guides and inspirers. Women, controlling the family budget and raising children, played a crucial
role in Victorian society. Victoria for example had a completely different role from the other women, she
was seen as the spiritual guide of the family like every other woman. She is considered as an angel.
EARLY VICTORIAN THINKERS
Early movements:
- Evangelicalism, inspired by the teachings of John Wesley, emphasized the literal truth of the Bible,
adherence to a strict moral code, and dedication to humanitarian causes and social reform.
- Unitarianism, based on Jeremy Bentham's principles, asserted that actions are morally right if they lead
to happiness and wrong if they result in the opposite. This philosophy aligned with the interest of the
middle class and contributed to the belief that reason could overcome any societal problem.
- John Stuart Mil, a brit
Scientific field
- In the mid- Victorian Age, challenges arose from the scientific field
- Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection, presented in "On the Origin of Species",
challenged biblical creation narratives, suggesting a dynamic and evolving universe where the strongest
survive and the weakest face extinction.
- The oxford Movement, led by Cardinal Henry Newman, represented a religious revival..
The North-South Divide
Main Economic and Social differences\The first half of the 19th century in American witnessed profound
economic expansion, scientific advancements, and a remarkable era.
THE CIVIL WAR
Rising tensions.
- The rise of Republican Pary,
The abolition of Slavery
- The 1865 abolition of slavery by the 13th American
THE LATEST YEAR OF THE VICTORIA'S REIGN
The liberal and conservatieve parties, Benjamin Disraeli
- After the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria withdrew from society
- The liberal and the conservative parteis regrouped
- Disraeli became the prime minister in 1868
- 1875, Dwellings Act
- 1875,f Pulblic health Act
- 1878, Factory Act
- He encouraaged the purchase of more shares in the Suez Canal Company
- A lot of people, in particualr the working class, had no place in society except in the factories. In this
moment UK was the most industrialized place.
William Gladstorne.
- Became Prime minister in 1868
- 1870, Education Act
- 1872, Ballot Act
- 1884, Reforming Act
- He Believed in the creation of and indepent Irish parliament.
The anglo-Boer Wars, Empress of India and the end of and era
- Briain gain control over aresa with political and cultural fragmentation - Boers
- 1877, queen Victoria became the eMpress of India
- The imperial governamnet destroyed the traditional farming in India
- The empire was becoming more difficult to rule
- Victorian age ended with the death of the queen in 1901
- She represented stability and continuity.
SOCIAL ISSUES
- In the later years of Queen Victoria' reign, Britain transformed into a predominantly urban society
marekd by advancements such as gas lighting, public buildings, a consumer boom and incresed retail
establishments.
- Middle class wormen began actively particapating in public lif, leeading camapigns against prostitution,
becaoming teachers, and engagin in charitable work. Despite this, social taboos persisted regardin family
issues
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Emerging Ideologies
- In the second half of the 19th centurt, britain reached the peak of its global power, but ideologiacl
conflicts and doubts about the stability of Victorian society aorse.
- The 1880s witness the rise of organised political left movements, including the Fabian Society and the
Independent Labour Party, advocating for socialism trought systematic reforms.
- Expressions of civic pride and …
Marxian Influence
- Intellectuals and arists expressed growing pessimism, and some thinkers protested aainst the harmful
effets of industrialism…
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THE NEW ENGLAND RENAISSANCE
- In the 19th century, New England, Deeply influenced by Puritanism, erved as the pi…
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The trascendnsadlism
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Aesthetic Rebellion; Escaping Bourgeois Conventions
- The Aesthetic Movement, originating in the last decades of the 19th century, emerged as a reaction
against the materialism and restrictive moral code of the bougeoisie.
- Theophile Gautier in France, particularly with the concept of 'art for art's sake' symbolized the artist's
retreat…
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Decadent Aesthetics
- Aesthetic works were characterized by features such as excessive…
The Europeand decadent Movement
- The Europeand Decadent Movement, closely related to Aestheticism, involved Frenche writers like
Rimbaud and Verlain, with Joris-Karl Huysmans' novel "A rebours" influencing …
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Two Kinds of poetry
- Majestic poetry, linked to the myth and belief in the greatness of England
- Poetry inclined towards anti-myth and disbelief, dealing with ethnical problems
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Outstanding poets:
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The dramatic monologue
- It's a narrative poem where a character adresses one or more listeners, became a significatn form.
- Different from the poet, the speaking character in a dramatic monolgue is caught in a moment of crisis,
and a non-speaking listener conditions…
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The Realistic Novel
- The late Victorian novel, shaped by a society facing moral and religious crises, refelcted the influence of
Darwin's evolution theorhy on its strcutre. Realistic novels began adopting…
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The psychological Novel
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The colonial literature
- The victorian era represented the pinnacle of British imperalism, with Rudyard Kipling serving as a
prominent literary figure influenced by colonialism. Kipling's novels and short stories, notably set in
colonized lands, use the backdrop of colonial reality to enable adventurous narratives.
- Kiplink, in works like "the white Man's burden"…
THE VICTORIAN DRAMA
- English drama experienced a perceived gap btween 1700 and the late 19th century due to several
factors. Apart from William Congreve, there weren't great author in the victorian age…
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Exploring Diverse Forms and Social Flourish
- Victorian Theatre, embraced vaious…
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Theatrical Revolution
- Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw emerged as prominent Victorian Playwrights as the end of the
19th century.
- Wilde's comedies featured witty dialogue exposing…
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