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VICTORIAN AGE

VICTORIAN AGE. Historical context Social context Literary context. Historical Context. The VICTORIAN AGE (1832-1901 ) was a period of d ramatic change that brought England to its highest point of development as a world power was a complex era: vs.

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VICTORIAN AGE

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  1. VICTORIAN AGE Historical context Social context Literary context

  2. Historical Context The VICTORIAN AGE (1832-1901) was a period of dramaticchangethatbroughtEngland to itshighestpoint of developmentas a world power was a complex era: vs progress, wealth, order, stability poverty, injustice, social unrest

  3. Historical Context Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901) • Longest reign in English history • Period of unprecedented material progress imperial expansion political and constitutional development HOME POLICY: Political and Social Reforms FOREIGN POLICY: colonialism + imperialism

  4. Queen Victoria - worked for the peace and prosperity of her country - was able to keep at bay any conflict over constitutional matters - reigned constitutionally avoiding the storm of revolutions - played a more active role - became a mediator above political parties

  5. Queen Victoria - model for herpeople: exemplary family life, strictlyrespectable and decent code of behaviour (Victorianism) - belovedespecially by the middle classwhosharedher moral and religiousviews

  6. 1832 – First ReformAct 1833 – FactoryAct 1834 – Poor Law AmendmentAct 1838 – the People’s Charter (Chartism) Historical Context - Home policy POLITICAL and SOCIAL REFORMS 1842 – Mines’ Act 1847 – Ten Hours’ Act 1867 – SeconReformAct

  7. 1872 – BallotAct 1870 – ElementaryEducationAct 1875 – Public HealthAct 1884 – Third ReformAct 1880-1900 – Fabian Society Women’s Social and Political Union (Suffragettes) Historical Context - Home policy POLITICAL and SOCIAL REFORMS

  8. Historical Context – Home Policy Britain was a model of industrial success, individual freedom and constitutional government Upper and industrial middle-classes believed in a policy of “laissez-faire” ie. non-interference with industry or with national economy in order to promote free trade and free competition (=Liberalism)

  9. Historical Context – Home Policy • triumph of industry(steamengine, steamboats, shipbuilding, trains, ironindustry) • eg. 1851 GREAT EXHIBITION at Crystal Palace in Hyde Park • scientific progress (electricity, telegraph, gas-lighting, stamp+postalsystem, medicine) • eg. first railway

  10. Historical Context – Home Policy • butalso • a time of troubles • unemployment, poverty, (slums, workhouses) • appallingworking and living conditions • badsanitation • social unrest, rioting, violence

  11. THE BRITISH EMPIRE Historical Context – Foreign Policy Imperialism = territorial expansion, colonies abroad During the Victorian Age the British Empire reached its largest extension: it was called “the Empire where the sun never sets”

  12. THE BRITISH EMPIRE Historical Context – Foreign Policy • British Imperial powerwassustained by: • willingness to protectBritishtraderoutes and interestsagainstothernations; to gain new territories • firmbelief in the excellence of English culture and • institutions • nationalisticspirit, excessivepatriotisminfluenced by ideas of racialsuperiority

  13. Historical Context – Foreign Policy 1839-1842 Opium War against China 1853-1856 Crimean War 1857 Indian Mutiny 1877 Queen Victoria was named “Empress of India” 1882 occupation of Egypt 1884 invasion of Sudan 1899-1902 Boers’ War

  14. During the Victorian age most British citizens believed in their right to an empire and thought that imperial expansion would absorb excess goods, capital and population they were also extremely proud of their empire and of spreading their civilisation and culture to every corner of the globe (Jingoism = aggressive patriotism) colonial expansion was seen as a mission Historical Context – Foreign Policy

  15. thiswas“the whiteman’sburden” ▼ ie. the distinctly, moral responsibility of the British to colonize the world and educate itspeople Historical Context – Foreign Policy

  16. But at the moment of its greatest power Britain also discovered that every conquered area or land had new dangers to be controlled or stopped The British became aware of the immense human, economic and political costs of running an empire Britain found itself involved in a contradiction between its imperial ambition and its liberal ideas This contradiction would lead to the collapse of the British Empire in the 20th century. Historical Context – Foreign Policy

  17. Socio-cultural Context Urbanization Britain became a nation of town dwellers Extraordinary industrial development Overcrowding

  18. Socio-cultural Context Poverty – appalling living conditions in slums + workhouses squalor, disease, bad sanitation, crime, high death rate Terrible working conditions polluted atmosphere, lack of food and hygiene, disatrous effects on health especially on children

  19. Socio-cultural Context VICTORIAN COMPROMISE a set code of moral values that explained the general tendency to be excessively puritanical and to avoid taking definite positions

  20. Socio-cultural Context VICTORIAN COMPROMISE a rigid code of values that reflected the world that the Victorians wanted it to be, a world based on:

  21. Socio-cultural Context • Duty + hard work Material progress + wealth emerge from hard work • Appearancewasveryimportant(formalclothes) VICTORIAN COMPROMISE

  22. Socio-cultural Context VICTORIAN COMPROMISE • Respectability = a mixture of bothmorality and hypocrisy, severity and conformity to social standards (goodmanners, regular churchattendance, charitable activity, comfortablehouse) middle classes ≠ lowerclasses • Philanthropy = charitableactivityaddressed to everykind of poverty, involvingmanypeopleespeciallywomen

  23. Socio-cultural Context • Victorian family = a patriarchal unit where the husband was dominant, authoritarian and the wife was submissive and fruitful, the angel in the home • but «the fallen woman»… • Patriotism • Private life was separated from public behaviour VICTORIAN COMPROMISE

  24. Socio-cultural Context It was a particular situation which saw two opposing aspects of life: on one side PROSPERITY and MATERIAL SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS, ETHICAL CONFORMISM, MORALISM and PHILANTHROPY which opposed on the other side POVERTY, UGLINESS, CORRUPTION, MONEY and CAPITALISTIC GREEDINESS

  25. Socio-cultural Context VICTORIAN FRAME OF MIND contained a lot of contradictions caused among other things by the influence of new philosophical trends (Utilitarianism, Determinism), religious movements (Evangelicalism), economic theories and scientific discoveries (biology, geology, Darwin) of the period:

  26. Socio-cultural Context VICTORIAN FRAME OF MIND Evangelicalism = good moral Christian conduct Utilitarianism = only what is useful is good, any problem could be overcome through reason

  27. Socio-cultural Context VICTORIAN FRAME OF MIND Evolutionism = theory of evolution of species governed by natural selection and struggle for survival Determinism = theory which denies human freedom of action, everything is strictly governed by cause and effect

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