Victorian Era Synthesis Asher.P1.T1

Just like the Romantic Era was a backlash against the sensibilities of the Enlightenment Era, the Victorian Era was a reaction to Romanticism. The Enlightenment Era was a movement of reason and reform, and the Romantic period responded with its freeform expression and emotions. Novels like Frankenstein by Mary Shelley encouraged thought about moral and personal issues – for example, is one responsible for actions, or can others effect changes in another person? The Victorian Era found a different reversal of the more inner-minded attitudes of Romanticism and brought about a very outward approach of life. Victorian literature displayed a great emphasis on restraint and propriety. Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is comparable to Moliere’s Enlightenment piece The Misanthrope in that cultures in both eras were less concerned about discovering inner selves but were rather troubled over social status.

The Victorian era was also a vital era for industrialization and imperialism, and societies of the age tended to focus their attention on expanding technology and land as opposed to diverting their stress into works of literature as the Romantic era had. Notable events of the Victorian period include the establishment of stagecoaches, canals, railways, the telephone, and the theory of evolution by Darwin, and this practical outlook on life contrasts with the Romantic ideals which promoted thought about abstract ideas like nature and emotion.

A strong social code of conduct established in the Victorian Era reflects a reaction against the emotion-oriented Romantic period. As Europe and American began to modernize, practical ideas dominated over emotion and nature and would only encourage further industrialization. The days of intuition and imagination were long gone.