The previous era, the Romantic era, was a time when people revolted against the norms of aristocratic society and politics. People also reacted against the scientific rationalization of nature. Because the Romantic era was surrounded by war, such as the Seven Years’ War and the French and Indian War, strong emotions such as horror, fear, and terror were validated. When the Victorian era came to be, many of the values and attitudes of the people changed. Queen Victoria was a very prim and proper lady who reigned over Britain. Therefore, she created such a sense of propriety and prudery among the people. Queen Victoria had an elaborate set of rules and she ruled on her own as a monarch. She greatly emphasized good morals and family. Victoria had a large family and through her actions she showed how important family was to her. This was clearly a reaction to the Romantic era because during the Victorian era, Queen Victoria made a shift back to following rules, and being morally right. There was much more sensibility within the people of the Victorian era after the Romantic era, where horror and revolt were valued. People became much more sensitive to emotions. When Queen Victoria’s husband passed away, she spent a great amount of time mourning for him. This also contributed to the sensibility within the people because they saw how devastated that their queen was.
Jennifer Suh Charles Negrini Sid Vyas Sophie Resnick
We really liked how you emphasized Queen Victoria's role in influencing the zeitgeist of the time, mentioning the "propriety and prudery" that was so prevalent in the era. But there were some branches of literature and art that actually explored and embraced the nature of relationships, love, and sexuality. In a way, even The Importance of Being Earnest approaches this subject. Great job!
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