Life in the Late Victorian AgeSociety in the time of Oscar Wilde

Mr. Ambrose

English 10

Victorian Life

• Victorian life was relatively structured.• Social classes were well-defined.

– Presumably all individuals accepted their station in life and were happy within their level of society.

– When an individual did move outside his/her class, he/she was generally shunned.

– Even if you earned money, you would not necessarily be accepted by upper social strata.

Victorian Society

• Victorian society was democratic, but featured many more restrictions than modern America.

• Lower classes actually had more freedom.– People perceived the lower class as merely

existing to serve higher classes.– Society frequently ignored them.

Young Men in the Victorian Age

• Young men in the upper classes received an education, but spent much of their life in leisure pursuits.

• First sons would inherit the family wealth, and had little to worry about.

• Second and subsequent sons could choose to go into the service (army) or to become a clergyman.– These were respectable positions, but lower on the

social scale.

Young Women in the Victorian Age

• They were encouraged to marry.• Sometimes had an inheritance, but rarely

controlled their own finances.• Ladies were permitted to enjoy pleasurable

pursuits: parties, balls (galas), horseback riding, croquet.

• They were allowed to go to the beach, but they would need to wear very conservative bathing suits…

Victorian Bathing Suits

Young Girls in the Victorian Age

• Young girls were taught to supervise a household.

• Daily routine included consulting with housekeeper and cook and planning meals.

• Free time activities:– Painting china, needlework, music, literature

Four O’Clock Tea Time

• A daily routine that became a tradition.• Everyone stopped all activities for tea time.

– Analogous to a siesta in Europe, South America, and Central America.

• Tea was usually poured from a silver or china tea pot.

• Sandwiches and sweets (biscuits, tarts) were served.

• An important social interruption.• Dinner was not usually served until 8:00 pm.

Tea Time in America

• Do you believe a tradition like this would have any place or advantage in contemporary America?

• Is tea time observed anywhere on this continent?

• Do Americans have a substitute for this custom?

Host your own Tea Time

• For extra credit, you can host your own tea time!

• Bring in a photo and a short description of your event.

• Good times!

Evening Entertainment

• In the evening, people during the Victorian era usually watched Family Guy on their televisions.

Evening Entertainment

• J/K• Evenings included a formal dinner (8 PM).• Families then might move into the Drawing

Room to enjoy musical entertainment, provided by younger girls in the family.

• Gentlemen might retire to play billiards.• On festive occasions, families might play games

or have dances at the country estate.

Homes in the Victorian Era

• Some members of the upper class kept an apartment “in town” (London)

• If they did not own there, they rented during the “season” so that the young girls could be presented to society and the young men could find brides.

• These apartments would be called “flats,” which is the English word for “floor.”

After the Victorian Era

• For the upper classes, this style of living continued until WWII.

• After WWII, social structures underwent great changes and the balance of power among nations shifted.

• Despite changes in home life and industry, the Victorian tradition of tea time can still be enjoyed in homes, hotels, and parks.