1 THE SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE VICTORIAN ERA
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”
This is the famous opening phrase to Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities. The quote compares the differences between London and Paris during the time of French Revolution, but I think this description is also applicable to the time of Victorian England. Dickens contradicts the wealth and prosperity of the rich with the state of distress and hardship of
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The Queen was ruling over the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Ireland and she was also the Empress of India. The ruling period started on 20th June 1837 and lasted for incredible 63 years and 7 months, until she passed away in 1901. This record in terms of reigning was recently overthrown by present Queen Elizabeth II. The parents of this young lady were obviously of noble birth, namely Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. The name “Victoria” resonates words victory and triumph just as the era of her reign truly was. It was marked with success, prosperity, peace and great economical, industrial, technical and scientific advancements that were never achieved before.
However, every coin has two sides, and the same goes for this period. Victorian Era was marked with negatives such as the differences between the social classes. Large number of working class people was badly treated in the factories, working conditions were terrible and there were no laws to protect employees’
Factories are a common thing today but during the victorian era they were an interesting place to be in. They were not the best place you could work either. Factories were much different in the Victorian era than they are today, in such ways as in the daily life of the workers, transportation, the steam engine, child labor, and mass production were all different. The way the workers lived was a very difficult way of life, for example many people moved from farms to find jobs in the cities (Worldbook.com,2).
Queen Victoria had great influence over foreign affairs. The marriages of her children had important diplomatic, and ancestral implications in Europe. Victoria's 63 year reign is the longest of any female monarch in history. Current biography’s state that “Queen Victoria was emotional, obstinate, honest, powerful, and treated people fairly”. Queen Victoria changed many laws during her rule, including making school mandatory.
Even though a lot of good came out of the Victorian Era, they were very disrespectful to women. Reading these make you understand what women had to go through and how far women have come since then. If you were considered ruined during the Victorian Era you were frowned upon very heavily. In some cultures, today it is still frowned upon, but fairly normal for our society. Today women have more of a voice then they did in the early 1800s.
In conclusion, The Victorian Era the evolution of today 's modern society. In many ways the Victorian Era was the “rough draft” of today 's modern america. Religion was questioned, nowadays religion is a secondary thing and a lot more people believe in science and evidence to prove the existence of god. Victorian times set path for new beginnings for education, religion, medicine, and
Victorianism was the age of the true woman and the Christian gentleman. People valued the sentiments of character and virtue. They truly believed that all a person had to do to be successful in life was consistently work on becoming a morally right, well-rounded person. A significant part of this were the gender roles deeply embedded into the age. As a Christian gentleman, a man was always right with God and a perfect husband in the home; outside of home, he worked hard and provided for the family.
The Victorian Era was the history of the United Kingdom during Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901. The Victorian society was broken up into four different classes, Gentry, Upper Class, Middle Class, and Working Class. Depending on what class you were a part of determined the type of diversion you got to participate in. Of course, the higher classes were involved in a wider range of activities. The lower classes activities were limited and not as diverse.
The Victorian period brought enormous changes into the United Kingdom’s social and economic systems. The industrialisation prompted the growth of towns and cities, and as a consequence, society needed to adjust to these new circumstances. Class and gender were still lead by rigid hierarchies, although by the late Victorian period there were more and more voices appealing for an improvement of workers’ rights and gender equality by proto-feminist movements. Therefore, there were hints of what was to come in the decades to come. Still, social hierarchies were still the norm, and most individuals’ whole lives would be determined by factors such as their surname or their income.
Villains of the Victorian Age: A Comparison Between Thomas Gradgrind and John Thornton The Victorian Age, which spans roughly the period from 1832 until 1901, is a term that covers England’s era of scientific revolution, economical progress and the country’s transformation to an industrial society. Novelist and historian Walter Besant observed the transformation of the mind and habits of the ordinary Englishman during the reign of Queen Victoria, after whom the Victorian Age is named. By 1897, he stated that the Englishman “would not, could he see him, recognize his own grandfather” (qtd.
The Victorian Era was a time of great change. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing and society and the economy were changing greatly. People began to care less about religion and more about themselves. During the Victorian Era aristocratic people focused on morality, behavior and etiquette; few were troubled by the poor conditions faced by the working class. Those that were concerned were called Romantics.
Queen Elizabeth is considered by many the greatest monarch in English History. Elizabeth died March 24th, 1603 in Richmond Palace. Only few years after her death in 1603, lamented her passing, in her greatest speech to Parliament, she told them “I count the glory of my crown that I have reigned with your love” (Queen Elizabeth 1). Proud and haughty, as though she knows she was born of such a mother, nevertheless does not consider herself of inferior degree to the Queen whom she equals in self-esteem; nor does she believe herself less than her majesty (Queen Elizabeth 1). Elizabeth 1 was the long-ruling queen of England, governing with relative stability and prosperity for forty-four years (Thomas, Dylan).
The Victorian period started in the nineteen century. Concurrently, when Queen Victoria was in the throne from 1837 until her death in 1901. As a matter of fact, the Victorian period is known for the changes and significant development from previous centuries. Accordingly, England had a dramatic change to the middle class which gave them more power. Never the less, the lower society, was being utilized for urban developments despite the fact they were unhappy and distressful.
Victorian Era The Victorian Era lasted about 63 years, ranging from the 18th to the 19th century. Full of dance, literature, art, and music. Granted some of those things did not flourish as well as others, but are still just as great when it comes to the entertainment factor of the Victorian era. MUSIC, Most music in the Victorian era was found in music halls or saloons, meaning, that music was one of the things that did not take off as well as art or literature.
Why were victorian cities so unhealthy? The victorian era took place between 1837 and 1901, during Queen Victoria’s reign and the industrial revolution. During this time period industrial cities, like Leeds or Manchester, were one of the most unhealthy cities in the world’s history. Water and waste; and housing were the biggest problems, leading to diseases and overcrowding.
III. SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND PREJUDICE The society in the Victorian Era was amidst a great change. Having in mind the fact that they were moving from a pastoral life to industrialization, their lifestyle changed. As with every transition, there is the issue of adapting to changes because people tend to hold onto their principles.
Everyone knows the frequent descriptions of Victorian England, the depressing streets, cluttered with poverty stricken families and thick clouds of smog. Even Peter Bailey, author of Leisure and Class in Victorian England, agrees that,“The early historians of England as an urban industrial society have left us with an overall picture of popular recreation which is cramped and joyless…”. While this may not have been true in all parts of Victorian England, the schools were no exception. Middle and lower class schools were places of strict rules and harsh punishments for students. Two stories that create an accurate picture of Victorian schools are Hard Times, by Charles Dickens, and Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontё.