The Victorian Period was the era of Queen Victoria’s rule from 1837 to 1901. It was a period of prudery, peace, propriety and the expansion of self-confidence for Britain. During Queen Victoria’s rule, Britain reached its peak as the largest empire in the history. It was also a time of great economic growth due to the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Under Queen Victoria’s reign, Britain became the first political and world power. As the monarch during this era, Queen Victoria was given credit for Pax Brittanica, which was the period of comparative peace in Europe. People began to imitate her image of woman prudery, moral propriety, and public rectitude because of her success in ruling the country. The Victorian Era is a reaction to the Romantic Era because it marks society’s evolution from the carefree concept of Romanticism to a condition of awareness and modification. Romanticism provides the concept of idealized look of the world, however, during the Victorian Era, people became conscious of inequality in the society. For example, Jane Austin, the author of Pride and Prejudice, had characteristics of Romanticism with some features of Realism. Charles Dickens, the author of A Christmas Carol, was considered as the most popular writer during this era, he wrote vibrantly about the struggles in London and the condition of the poor. The Victorian Era stressed on positivism and reason as a reaction to the Romantic Era. The artist, writers had the devotion of showing “life as it was” during the Victorian Era as an idea against the Romanticism.
Ashley Chang, Justin Park, Jenny Yu, Diana kim
Period 1 team 1
We also agreed with how the Victorian era came to be through Queen Victoria's reign and how authors such as Charles Dickens used what was happening during that time to write their novels. The industrial and surge of economic gratitude the Victorian era saw, was one that Dickens used in his novels of people facing adversity and hardship and somehow finding their way. The way that the Victorian era also saw a surge in the amount of people that created a middle class and saw people become more literate and educated was due to the industrial work from the factory people did. It was hard work at first but the way that people rose up from not only the industries that grew but the military build up that was happening was also something that was scene during this era. We saw aspects of romanticism and idealism also come out form this time through the novels of love and heartache with Jane Austen. Your reference to her also caught our eye as something that was at the beginning of the Victorian era of her books being published and how her characters had to deal with separation of class in her book was one thing that was also apparent in the Victorian period. As the middle class emerged they were at first looked down upon by the rich because they were not wealthy by blood but by hard work. The look down on the middle of the upper class was something they had to deal with and could not escape. Also, the poor class also intensified as more people were dirt poor and living on the street than just couldn't pay rent a few months out of the year.
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