Victorian Class Structure: Etiquette and the Gentlemen of the 19 th Century

1. Victorian Class Structure: Etiquette and the Gentlemen of the 19th Century Amanda Dewberry Dr. Gergits 19th Century British Literature Presentation

2. Social Class • Distinct social groupings that constituted British Society. • Classes were divided based on inequalities in areas of power, authority, wealth, working, and living conditions, life-styles, life-span, education, religion, and culture. • There were three distinct groupings in Victorian England: • Working Class • Middle Class • Upper Class

3. “Victorian Class Structure” casebook.org

4. Class Distinctions • “In England there is a hierarchy in everything, even down to the vehicles on the public roads. Carriages painted with a coat of arms take precedence over all others, middle class carriages with four horses have precedence over those with only two, the latter over cabriolets and tilburys, hired landaus over coaches, coaches over omnibuses, omnibuses over cabs, and so on and so forth down to the trap, and even it has the right of way over the cart. There you have the secret of all this admirable orderliness. Everyone has his place!” (Morgan 27).

5. Working Class • In the order of importance these were the bottom of the social order- also known as the low class. • These people were compared to animals, as they were said to live in their own filth. • Since cleanliness was correlated with respectability, these people were not respected. • A stigma was associated with the working class because of the “us” vs. “them” idea and the correlation with the serfs of the past. • Common ideas about the working class: • Dirty- smelled • Childlike • Superstitious/ Lacked a Religion • Excessively Sexual • Inhabitants from Beyond

6. Working Class Divisions • All of the working class people worked for the middle class of society. • There were three categories of the working class ( the difference in their living condition was considerable): • Skilled Laborers- These included occupations such as craftsman, artisans, and blacksmiths. In 1851 there were 67, 989 bricklayers( skilled laborers) • Semi-Skilled Laborers- These include miners and textile mill workers. In 1851 there were 22,530 miners • Unskilled Laborers- Farmers, railway workers, construction workers, and servants. In 1851 there were 1,460,896 farmers and 1,038,791 domestic servants.

7. http://www.victorianweb.org/history/work/burnett6.html

8. Middle Class • This group would not contain intellectuals, but instead people trying to appear to be the upper class. • If you had a domestic servant you could be labeled as middle class. • Although there is no accurate number of middle class citizens, it is believed to be about 200,000 people in Victorian Society. • Occupations of the middle class included: • Law officials • Clergy members • Civil and medical engineers • School teachers

9. Middle Class Success • The middle class were considered to be the “great success” (Evans 14). • At worst they were viewed as: • Small minded • Dull • Hypocritical • Smug • Tasteless

10. Middle Class Credit • At best they were considered: • The backbone of the period • The leaders of the period- they discovered natural selection • Builders of Victorian England

11. Why the Middle Class? • The middle class were able to pass the Reform Act of 1832. • This act gave the middle class more rights, resulting in the industrialism of the time period. • The middle class were given the right to vote in 1836 • This placed them among the ranks of the upper class

12. Upper Class • The upper class were also known as the aristocracy. • Although they were the elite of the day, they were blind to what was occurring. • Matthew Arnold was quoted as saying, “One has often wondered whether upon the whole earth there is anything so unintelligent, so unapt to perceive how the world is really going, as an ordinary Englishman of the upper class” (Evans 11).

13. Upper Class Images • The upper class was seen as: • Unimaginably rich • Inheritors of estates from forefathers • Superior attitude to others • English Gentlemen and Ladies • Knowing their proper place and role- they were aware of their privileges but not their responsibilities. Males- hunting/ Females- social doings such as high tea • They were taught etiquette • Literary Examples: Scrooge in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and Angel Clare in Tess of the D”Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.

14. England’s Gentlemen • The English Gentlemen can be defined as the man who never inflicts pain, a man who concurs with others rather than taking the initiative, he is concerned with making everyone feel at home, he never speaks of himself, nor of anyone else. This man always looks for the best in everyone, including the enemy, who should be seen as a friend. (Landow 1).

15. English Gentlemen The Gentlemen of the Victorian Period www.victoriana.com www.premieremusic.net

16. Types of Gentlemen • Gentlemen were most widely associated with the upper class- but the middle class also were schooled in the rules of being a gentlemen. • According to the author of “Etiquette for the Millions”, “There are two kinds of Gentlemen. One is the individual who was born a Gentlemen;…the other is the individual who has made himself a Gentlemen. Ten thousand, thousand honours upon the latter!” (Morgan 94).

17. The Life of the Gentleman • Beginning at the age of 10, the gentlemen would leave his family and attend a public school or preparatory school. • Educational reform was occurring throughout the period. • The middle class went to the public schools, while the upper class attended prep schools. • This resulted in the upper class trying to suppress the middle class again. • The middle class were considered to be “Embryo Victorian Gentlemen” (Brander 61).

18. Gentlemen’s Education • While each school had its own style, the boys were often beaten to learn the concept of discipline. • Unlike the schools of today, the boys were taught character formation. The idea of formal education was looked at as secondary. • ‘“Gentlemanly’ standards of behaviour, unthinking patriotism, pluck, or reliability, were the factors inculcated, as well, above all, as the ability to lead and command others” (Brander 61). • The boys went through this for a period of five years.

19. Cambridge • After leaving the public or prep school the boys would enter the university. • The focus would remain on etiquette and learning the ideals of the day. • The boys would also learn many social games- these varied with the university.

20. Reading Material • Etiquette books allowed the middle class to learn the ways of the upper class. • These books began to appear in the 18th century. • The first form of etiquette books were called courtesy books- these books were written by men for men. • Conduct books-emerged in the early 19th century and were written form both sexes by anonymous authors • Etiquette books-first appeared in 1830. The major difference between these and the conduct books was that they were written for people rising in power (middle class).

21. Courtesy Books • These books were divided into four parts. • Book One was a parental advice book for young gentlemen • Book Two was a polite book • Book Three dealt with worldly success in government • Book Four was based on civility- dress, table manners, and conversation

22. Conduct Books • These books focused on the religious aspects of society. • The message was, “whatever makes us happy is because of God and what he saw fit” (Morgan 17).

23. Etiquette Books • Etiquette can be defined as “manners of polite society, which in England meant fashionable London Society.” (Morgan 19). • These books were written for people rising in society and because of this titles included, “Those ladies not having had the good fortune to be born or educated in good Society, yet (who) aspire to be admitted within its circle” (Morgan 21). • The authors of these books were not even real ladies or gentlemen. • The books were the size of the pocket, enabling people to carry the books with them at all times. • They included the same material as the courtesy and conduct books.

24. Ballroom Etiquette • The following are some of the rules for the ballroom- something that was included in the etiquette books. • “A lady should always have an easy, becoming and graceful movement while engaged in a promenade. It is more pleasing to the gentleman” (sexism) (Landow 1). • “If a gentleman, without proper introduction, should ask a lady with whom he is not acquainted to dance, the lady should positively refuse” (Landow 1) • “ A lady should not attend a public ball without an escort, nor should she promenade the ballroom alone; in fact, no lady should be left unattended” (Landow 1).

25. http://www.victorianbazaar.com/Images/2women.gif

26. We Are Family • Although the classes were very distinct in their roles, they all shared something. • All of the class members were confident in themselves, “in their country, and in their way of life” (Evans 19).

27. Class Structure in Action • Now that we have talked about class structure in the Victorian Period, let’s read Oscar Wilde’s, “The Happy Prince” • Notice the different elements of class that are presented in a child’s story.

28. Works Cited Brander, Michael. The Victorian Gentleman. London: Gordon Cremonesi Publishers, 1975. Evans, Hilary and Mary. The Victorians: At home and at work, as illustrated themselves. London: Pitman Press, 1973. Landow, George. The Victorian Web. <www.victorianweb.org> 7 June 2006. Morgan, Marjorie. Manners, Morals and Class in England, 1774-1858.London: The MacMillan Press, 1994. Wilde, Oscar. The Happy Prince and Other Tales. London: Tiger Books International, 1990. <www.casebook.org>14 June 2006 <www.premieremusic.net> 14 June 2006 <victorianbazarr.com/images/2women.gif> 14 June 2006 <victoriana.com> 14 June 2006 <victorianweb.org/hisotry/work/burnett6.html> 14 June 2006