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Segment Seven

Segment Seven. Victorian Literature. So Far…. Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Victorian Overview. Refers to literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria of England (1837-1901) Bridge between the writings of yesterday and today

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Segment Seven

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  1. Segment Seven Victorian Literature

  2. So Far…

  3. Queen Victoria (1837-1901)

  4. Victorian Overview • Refers to literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria of England (1837-1901) • Bridge between the writings of yesterday and today • Novels begin to overtake poetry as the most popular form of literature • Sometimes referred to as a second English Renaissance

  5. Romantics Imagination Harmony in Nature Individualism Transcendentalism Victorians Harsh Reality Cruelty in Nature Serve Society Utilitarianism Romantics vs. Victorians

  6. Characteristics of Victorian Literature • Utilitarianism – Do whatever produces “the most good for the most people” • Good is measured in terms of pleasure vs. pain • Society – Finding a place in society becomes an important theme in many Victorian Works. • Good—your contribution helps the human race as a whole • Bad—feel like a cog in the machine

  7. Characteristics of Victorian Literature • Struggle/Strife – Hard work is valued and, ideally, rewarded. Work is a reflection of inner character. • Alienation/Estrangement – Industrial Revolution and Theory of Evolution leave many feeling spiritually melancholy, lonely, separated from life and happiness

  8. Characteristics of Victorian Literature • Realism – writers should concentrate on describing physical, material details of life • Emphasized descriptions of setting, clothing, and characters that would have seemed inappropriate to earlier writers • Prefers ordinary over extraordinary: realistic heroes are more “everyday” (a middle class clerk) than special (such as a king with supernatural strength)

  9. Victorian Authors • Brontë Sisters (Emily—Wuthering Heights, Anne—Agnes Grey, Charlotte—Jane Eyre) • Joseph Conrad—Heart of Darkness • Robert Louis Stevenson—Treasure Island • Bram Stoker—Dracula • Robert Browning—Poems and Dramatic Monologues • Oscar Wilde—The Picture of Dorian Gray • Lewis Carroll—Alice in Wonderland

  10. Charles Dickens • One of the most popular Victorian authors • Strong Proponent of Social Reforms, particularly those protecting the poor • Many of his novels contain several “cliffhangers” because they were originally serialized • A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Little Dorrit

  11. 1812-1870 Worked in harsh conditions in a shoe polish factory as a child Became a journalist and, once he achieved financial success, a philanthropist Remembered for his vivid characters and social criticism Charles Dickens Life

  12. Oliver Twist Background • New Poor Law—passed in 1834, established system of financial relief for the poor in exchange for service in work houses • Conditions in work houses were often abysmal • “Great London Waif Crisis”

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