Victorian Era

VICTORIAN ERA

Introduction to the setting:

The Victorian Era in British history took place during the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837
to her death on 22 January 1901. The period was marked by many important social and historical
changes as Britain became a major imperial power and the worlds first industrialized nation. Some
of the changes were: the use of steam power to drive industries, fast railways, ships, printing
presses and farmers combines. These were soon followed by the introduction of the telegraph,
intercontinental cable, photography, anesthetics and universal compulsory education.

While the country saw economic progress, poverty and exploitation were also part of it. The
differences between the rich and the poor increased significantly and the drive for material and
commercial success was seen to propagate a kind of moral decay of the society itself.

Some other important characteristics:

Men and women had very distinct roles, especially in the upper class society.

The role of women: One of the most important factors that defined the age was morality. The
society was really strict and there were codes that were even harsher for women because for them
everything had rules. 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 and this led to a commercialization of the institution of
marriage.

This was also the era of the professional woman writer, a time in which women demanded a place
alongside men in the world of letters to contribute to cultural discourse, to make their opinions
heard, and to tell their own stories.

This focuses on womens use of writing in the nineteenth century as a powerful tool to promote
social change and to take control of their lives, to make their voices heard outside the domestic
confines of the home, and to alter their positions within the social order.

Some very well-known writers were: Jane Austen, George Eliot, Charlotte Bront, Emily Bront,
Anne Bront, Christina Rossetti, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Elizabeth Gaskell, Margaret Oliphant,
Eliza Lynn Linton, Harriet Martineau, Mary Kingsley and Annie Besant. Some of them tried to make
a living, some to record their lives or contribute to the world of literature, while others used their
pens to change British society.

The role of men: During this Era, men were highly expected to provide sufficiently for their families,
their role in a family meant bringing money to their homes. As it was a chilvarious time, men took
great pride in being the protector, of home and family.

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 Victorian Era

They were considered superior to women and had many more rights, such as the right to vote and
own property.

Most of them, especially men who belonged to the upper class, were educated. Moreover there are
many writers and authors in this period. Some of them were: Charles Dickens, William Thackeray,
Thomas Carlyle, John henry Newman, John Stuart Mill, and others.

Victorian literature

Victorian people were highly interested in literature, theatre and the arts in general. While in the
preceding Romantic period poetry had been the dominant genre, it was the novel that was most
important in the Victorian period.

Characteristics of the Victorian novel:

In novels, good characters were rewarded but bad ones were punished.
They presented characteristics of the Victorian life.
The major characters were recognizable Victorian types, with typical aspirations.
During this period nature is considered basically good, the heroes and heroines were people
of virtue but sometimes weak.
Novels had Moral lessons.

Childrens literature: This was the first period which assigned literature for children. This was a
consequence of the evolution of social attitudes towards childhood.

Literature became a popular way to teach children lessons and morals. They were rarely enjoyable
works. Later, when reading for pleasure became socially accepted, folk and fairly-tale
compilations became very popular.

There were different types of publications written for boys and girls. Girls stories were domestic
and based on family life whereas boys ones were more about adventures.

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 Victorian Era

Some important writers of the period were:

Charles Dickens
BIOGRAPHY CHARACTERISTICS MOST IMPORTANT WORKS

Charles John Huffam Dickens was born Charles Dickens was the The Pickwick Papers.
on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, well-loved and prolific David Copperfield.
England. British author of A Christmas Carol.
He was the second of eight children. numerous works that Oliver Twist.
His father, John Dickens, was a naval are now considered Great Expectations.
clerk who dreamed of striking it rich. classics.
His mother, Elizabeth Barrow, aspired He was extraordinarily
to be a teacher and school director. popular in his day with
Despite his parents best efforts, the his characters taking on
family remained poor. a life of their own
Charles Dickens was forced to leave beyond the page.
school to work at a boot-blacking He created some of the
factory alongside the River Thames. world's best-known
Some years later, he returned to fictional characters and
school but again he was forced to is regarded as the
leave it to work in an office. greatest novelist of the
Charles Dickens died at home on June Victorian era.
9, 1870. His plots were carefully
constructed, and he
often included elements
from topical events into
his narratives.
He wrote mainly about
the poor, abused
children and women,
workhouses and the
state of education in
England.

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 Victorian Era

William Thackeray

BIOGRAPHY CHARACTERISTICS MOST IMPORTANT WORKS

William Makepeace Thackeray was In 1837, Thackeray Vanity Fair.
born in Calcutta on 18 July 1811. became a regular The Memoirs of Barry
His father, Richmond Thackeray, had contributor to Fraser's Lyndon, Esq.
been an Indian civil servant, as had Magazine. Pendennis.
William's grandfather. When During his stay at The History of Henry
Richmond died, William was sent to Punch, he wrote Vanity Esmond, Esq.
study at St. Helena. Fair, the work which The Newcomers.
His mother was 19 at the date of his placed him in the first The Virginians.
birth. She was left a widow, and then rank of novelists.
she got married with Major Henry His writing was filled
Carmichael Smyth. with wit, humour and
He went his own way, attending satire.
various schools, but leaving He wrote mainly about
Cambridge without taking a degree. the rich in a mocking
Thackeray went to Paris and took up way.
the study of art. He had early shown
talent as a caricaturist.
Thackeray died 24th December, 1863.

The Bront sisters

BIOGRAPHY CHARACTERISTICS MOST IMPORTANT WORKS

Charlotte was born on 21 April 1816, Charlotte, Emily and Anne: Agnes Grey.
Emily on 30 July 1818 and Anne on 17 Anne Bront were The Tenant of
January 1820 all in Thornton, sisters and writers Wildfell Hall.
Yorkshire. whose novels have Charlotte: Jane
They had two more sisters and a become classics. Eyre.
brother. Charlottes novel, Jane Shirley.
Their father, Patrick, was an Anglican Eyre was a best seller. Villette.
clergyman. 'The Tenant' written by Emily: Wuthering
After the death of their mother in Anne was sold well, but Heights.
1821, their Aunt Elizabeth came to 'Wuthering Heights'
look after the family. written by Emily did not.
The three sisters were educate din They wrote about life in
different schools and also at home. closed groups of people,
They were employed at various times especially about family
as teachers and governesses. life and women
The three sisters died of tuberculosis: (marriage, inheritance,
Emily in 1848; Anne in 1849 and love).
Charlotte in 1855.

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 Victorian Era

George Elliot

BIOGRAPHY CHARACTERISTICS MOST IMPORTANT WORKS

Mary Ann Evans was born on 22 She used a male pen Adam Bede.
November 1819 in Nuneaton, name, she said, to The Mill on the Floss
Warwickshire, England. ensure her works would Silas Marner.
During her career she was known by be taken seriously. Felix Holt, the Radical
her pen name: George Eliot. She wanted to avoid the Middlemarch.
She was an English novelist, poet, stereotypes of women Daniel Deronda.
journalist, translator and one of the only writing light-
leading writers of the Victorian era. hearted romances.
Her father, Robert Evans, was the She was not considered
manager of the Arbury Hall Estate for to be a beautiful or even
the Newdigate family in Warwickshire. an attractive woman.
Mary received little formal education. She wrote with a
She died on 22 December 1880 at the politically astute
age of 61. message.

As I mentioned before, women were treated as the property of their husbands and confined to
their homes. Their greatest defining roles were as wife and mother.

This allows me to mention two important works of Victorian Era: A Dolls House (a play) and
Sefton Church (a short story).

A DOLLS HOUSE

About the author: Henrik Ibsen was born on 20 March 1828 and died on 23 May 1906. He was a
great playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote about realist drama and his most famous
work is A Dolls House which was performed by the early of the 20 th century.
Henrik was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1902, 1903 and 1904. He was not
English but he was a great influence for the playwrights of the time (George Bernard Shaw,
Oscar Wilde)
About the play: It is a three-act play written by Henrik Ibsen. The dialogues show the audience
that they were able to relate to the real life what they were seeing on stage.
It shows a critical attitude toward the 19th Century marriage norms. It aroused great
controversy at the time, as it concludes with the protagonist, Nora, leaving her husband and
children because she wants to discover herself.
Through the play it is possible to see many literary devices such as: symbolism (Christmas tree,
Macaroons, Letters, Dresses, Nora (as a doll), etc), foreshadowing (macaroons), dramatic irony
(when Nora says that Trovalds promotion will guarantee a happy future but at the end of the
play it ends up with their marriage), and some others.

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 Victorian Era

There are also many important themes presented such as: the role of women in Victorian Era,
love, freedom and marriage.
In this play, Henrik uses language to create tension. He also uses pauses and interruptions in
order to portray a more realistic conversation.

SEFTON CHURCH

About the author: Laetitia Elizabeth Landon was born on 14 August 1802 and died on 15
October 1838. She was a poet, short story writer, novelist, editor and reviewer. During her
career she published seven volumes of poetry and a number of novels.
Her reputation was high during the 19th Century but fell by the 20th because of literary
changes. Her poetry was perceived as sentimental.
Laetitia was an attractive, lively and independent woman who lived on her own in London.
Several times she was surrounded by gossip and scandal, especially for her engagement to
Dickens.
About the short story: It begins by telling the readers about the authors opinion on marriage
and love in Victorian Era and it ends telling the story of Miss Merton.
In this short story, Laetitia shows a critical view of the 19th Century. She talks about love during
this period and matches of convenience.
It is possible to see different literary devices such as: Symbols (the gown and the blue coat or
blue and white to represent marriage, she also uses green to represent hope and yellow for
sadness), allusion (Arabian Nights), sarcasm and humour (to describe the happiest day of ones
life), images (household gods and chimneypiece), foreshadowing (But the worst was yet to
come) and some others.
The language used is full of irony, sarcasm and humour for example when the author says (Of
course we had no breakfast; nobody seemed to think of it but myself).
Some of the important themes present in the story are: love, marriage, money, convenience,
hope and experience.
- After been discussing these two stories I would like to compare an extract taken from them:
Extract taken from A Dolls House
(Act I a conversation between Nora and
Mrs Linde-page 7):
Extract taken from Selfton Church
(first part)
Mrs Linde: How much have you been able
to pay off in that way?
I say nothing for your matches of
Nora: I cant tell you exactly. You see, it is
convenience for I do not understand how
very difficult to keep an account of a
any thing in existence can be other than
business matter of that kind. I only know
inconvenient; nor of your marriage for
that I have paid every penny that I could
money, as money, like patriotism is an
scrape together. Many a time I was at my
excuse for every thing ()
wits end (smiles). Then I used to sit here
and image that a rich old gentleman had
fallen in love with me--

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 Victorian Era

In these extracts it is possible to compare the desire of Nora to be married to a wealthy man, for
convenience (to be financially saved). But on the other hand, Laetitia shows that marriage for
convenience is not good at all. If a woman gets married for convenience, she will not be happy;
moreover she will be tidied to her husbands mandates.

Extract taken from Selfton Church

Extract taken from A Dolls House
(Act II a conversation between Helmer and
Nora- page 33):
Nora: No I have never been happy. I
thought I was, but it has never been so.
Helmer: Notnot happy!
Nora: No, only merry. and you have
always been so kind to me. But our home
has become nothing but a playroom. I have
been a doll-wife, just as at home I was
papas doll-child; and here the children
have been my dolls. I thought it great fun
when you played with me, just as they
thought it great fun when I played with
them. That is what our marriage has been,
Trovald.
(first part)
() However there is one other mistake,
more absurd than all the three- and that is
marrying- and which is made worse by the
fact, that the other three we cannot very
well help, but the last we can.
Extract taken from Selfton Church
(first part)
() Every year one sees a young woman in
a white gown, and a young man in a blue
coat, adventuring on what is called the
happiest day of ones life, so called,
perhaps, as they are never very particularly
happy afterwards.

In these extracts we can see that in Sefton Church the author says that although marriage is
called the happiest day of ones life, it is not. She considers marrying as a mistake because you
can avoid it. If you get married with someone for convenience, you will never be happy. Moreover
you will become your husband property.

This same point is discussed in A Dolls House when Nora realizes she has never been happy while
she was married; moreover that she has been treated as a child.

Conclusion about the stories: Both, the character and the author complain about Victorian Era
laws. First, Nora and Letitia, argue about marriage by saying that in the end you realize that a
marriage for convenience does not make you feel happy.

Then, property is also shown in these two stories. When Nora says that her life has been nothing
but a playroom she means that she has never been valued by her husband and that everything she
has done is just to make him happy. Laetitia shows the same by mentioning marriage for
convenience because once you get married, both, wife and husband, are benefited. Wife is
financially saved and husband has someone to live with who will take care of their children and the
house.

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 Victorian Era

STORIES TO INCLUDE IN THE PREZI

Arms and the Man is a comedy by George Bernard Shaw that

takes place in 1885, during the Serbo-Bulgarian War. Raina
Petkoff is engaged to the gallant Sergius Saranoff, hero of the
recent Bulgarian victory over the Serbs. But she is distracted
by the abrupt arrival of Captain Bluntschli, a Swiss mercenary
who fought for the Serbian army. He takes refuge in her
bedroom after the battle and although he is initially
threatening, reveals that he carries chocolates instead of
bullets. Will Raina marry the posturing Sergius or the
chocolate cream soldier? Extra intrigue is provided by saucy
servant girl Louka, her dour fiance Nicola, and Raina's hand-
wringing parents.