Progress and Decline:The Victorian Era

ENG 400: BRITISH LITERATURE

UNIT IV: PROGRESS, DECLINE, AND CHANGE

Historical BackgroundKEY HISTORICAL THEME: IMPERIAL BRITAIN

• Under Victoria, Britain’s empire expanded, and Britain celebrated progress, prosperity, and peace.

• Darker aspects of the era included the Irish potato famine, widespread poverty at home, and Germany’s rise as a competing imperial power.

Queen Victoria I

Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 until 1901.

After the out-of-touch and scandalous monarchs of the previous era, Victoria I set out to restore the reputation of the monarchy.

In 1840, married her cousin, Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, whom she loved dearly.

Respectability was an important concept in this era, and Victoria herself was a model of it.

The Victorian Age: A Time of Contradictions The Victorian era saw a return to optimism and

faith in progress, technology, and empire.

The era was an “age of transition”: an old social and political order, dating back to medieval times, was being transformed into a modern democracy.

“Best of Times” “Worst of Times”

• Dramatic technological advances

• Rapid industrialization• Growth of cities• Political reforms• Development into a

worldwide empire

• Spread of poverty• Increasing social

inequality• Conflict between social

change and long-held beliefs

• Continuous military campaigns to gain and hold colonies

Tragedies and Triumphs:The Irish Potato Famine

Potatoes are a key crop and staple of the Irish diet.

1845: Potato crop failed

By 1849, half of the population of Ireland had died or left the country.

British government did little to help, fueling hatred and violence between the British and Irish for the next hundred years.

Tragedies and Triumphs:The Great Exposition

1851: The high point of Victoria’s reign was the Great Exposition in the Crystal Palace, organized by Prince Albert.

The Palace, designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, was a wholly new style of architecture using iron and glass.

The exhibitions dramatized themes of empire and progress, celebrating manufacturing, colonization, and national pride.

A Reforming Age

Writers exposed brutal factory conditions and stinking slums.

Goaded by reformers and radicals, leaders took steps to expand democracy and better the lot of the poor.

Two key issues: Trade policy

Electoral reform

Key Issue: Trade Policy Corn Laws: placed high tariffs on grain

Discouraged food imports

Helped British landlords and farmers keep food prices high

1845 – 1849: Ireland faced a massive food famine

1846: Parliament increased food supply by suspending Corn Laws

Over next decades, Parliament established a policy of free trade.

Key Issue: Electoral Reform

1838: “People’s Charter” Authored by London radical William Lovett

Demanded universal suffrage for males

Second Reform Bill of 1867 granted voting rights to many urban workingmen

Third Reform Act (1884 – 1885) and Redistribution Act (1885) tripled the electorate and advanced country toward universal male suffrage.

Additional Reforms

Women allowed to attend public universities. Parliament passed laws to

Reduce the workday for women and children

Establish a system of free grammar schools

Legalize trade unions

Provide public sanitation

To regulate factories and housing

Agitation continued for further reform.

Imperialist Urge

Arguments in support of imperialism Colonies could provide raw materials and markets for

British industry

Colonies would offer homes for British settlers

If Britain did not seize a territory, a rival country would

Victorian belief: Western civilization was superior to all other cultures

Crimean War (1853 – 1856): Britain, France, and Ottoman Turkey teamed up to thwart Russian expansion

Britain as World Power

Hong Kong: Britain seized control of Hong Kong from China in 1842.

India: After a rebellion by Indian troops from 1857 – 1858, Britain took direct control of India from the British East India Company.

During last three decades of Victorian rule, Britain expanded influence in Africa: Gained control of Suez Canal (Egypt) Acquired territories in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, and Rhodesia

(Zimbabwe) Defeated Dutch settlers in Boer War (1899 – 1902) to

consolidate control over what is now South Africa

Late 19th Century British Empire

Source:  Center for History and New Media

Victorian Thought

Victorian thinkers often disagreed on the crucial issues of their times, but they shared a deep confidence in humanity’s ability to better itself. Enjoyed material benefits of industrialization

Deplored brutality of factory life and slums

Debates regarding whether business should be allowed free rein or the government should take a strong role in the economy.

Grappled with religious and philosophical as well as social implications of modern life.

Two Major Publications

The Communist Manifesto Published in 1848 by Karl

Marx

With revolutions convulsing Europe, pamphlet warned of the “spectre” of communism.

With communism would come political revolution.

On the Origin of Species Published in 1859 by

Charles Darwin Stirred bitter controversy Explained how life evolved

from previous forms Taken by some as direct

challenge to Biblical truths Accepted by others who

tried to reconcile scientific and religious thoughts

Literature of the Period

Romanticism and Realism Romanticism continued to influence Victorian writers

Realism focused on ordinary people facing the day-to-day problems of life

Naturalism Sought to employ the spirit of scientific observation

Filled novels with gritty details, often with aim of social reform

Portrayed nature as harsh and indifferent to the human suffering it caused

Skill Workshop: Literary Advocacy

Advocacy and Literature

As a TMA legal skill, advocacy is described as “[presenting] positions or arguments clearly and effectively, [both] orally and in writing.”

Advocacy is the difference between social commentary (describing what one sees) and social criticism (arguing for change).

Over time, British literature shifted from commentary to criticism as authors used their writing as a way to not only reflect their society, but to shape it as well.

Literary Form: Journalistic Essay

During the Victorian Era, newspapers assembled a fact-based image of the world by bringing together news from near and far.

This information helped people determine whether society had made progress in, whether things were better in the present than they had been in the past.

Important newspapers during this era included

The Times of London: established a reputation for independent, objective reporting

The Daily Telegraph: covered the news and offered thoughtful editorials

The Illustrated London News: featured 32 woodcut images in its first edition and was the first British periodical to use photographs

Literary Form: Journalistic Essay continued

Newspapers played an important role in Victorian society.

They brought opinions as well as news to a vast public.

They appealed to members of the public as witnesses, critics, and even judges of events.

The provided the overall standard by which the public could judge events, personalities, and policies.

This era gave meaning to the concept of public opinion, a force which is still important in today’s society.

Literary Form: Journalistic Essay continued

Journalistic essays are short prose pieces that provide perspectives (viewpoints) on current events or trends.

Combine the features of

Journalism: reports on social events and trends

Essays: explore the world to learn about the author or people in general

Journalistic essays

Construct serious or trivial stories out of the day’s news

May use the voice of an all-knowing witness or judge

May offer individual opinions about common concerns

Literary Form: The Novel

A novel is a long work of prose fiction. It is a comparatively recent genre of writing. Its longer length allows for a greater scope (more characters and/or longer time

period). Novels tend to survey societies, social classes, and ways of life.

Traditional types of novels include Picaresque: relates the adventures of a traveling hero in episodic form (series

of events or episodes) Historical: features characters and events from history Novel of Manners: shows the effects of social customs on individuals Social: presents a large-scale portrait of an age, showing the influence of social

and economic conditions on characters and events Bildungsroman (Novel of Growth): traces a protagonist’s passage to adulthood

(coming-of-age story)

Literary Form: The Novel continued

Novels include basic literary elements such as

Plot: an ordered sequence of events

Setting: specific time and place of the action

Characters: people who take part in the action

Theme: insight(s) into life conveyed by the literary work

As the novel developed, it emphasized or led to other literary innovations:

Narrative technique: the way in which a writer tells a story

Philosophical themes: general ideas about existence and values

Social commentary: writing that poses questions about or suggests criticism of life in a society

Realistic description: writing that attempts to accurately capture life in its details

Social Criticism in Fiction

In the 19th century, social criticism began to appear more frequently in fiction.

Authors such as Charles Dickens told stories that made the public aware of social ills such as slavery

unsafe work or living conditions

colonialism

the class system

injustices in the judicial and education systems

Social Criticism in Fiction continued

Social criticism often takes these forms Realism: reveals social ills by showing how life is really lived

Satire: ridicules individuals, institutions, groups, etc. to expose folly and/or wrongdoing

Utopian fiction: shows a perfect society, forcing readers to see what needs improvement in their own society

Dystopian fiction: depicts a dreadful society, forcing readers to see the dangers to which current social ills may lead

Within a literary work, the social criticism may be

Explicit: stated directly in the work

Implicit: the reader is expected to infer the criticisms based on the work’s details

Activity: Analyzing Social Criticism

Work with your table-mates to analyze examples of social criticism.

1. Take notes as you experience each work.

2. Discuss which type of social criticism the work represents (including details reflecting the features of that type), the issue(s) it addresses, and the viewpoint(s) that it is advocating.

3. For each work, write a one-paragraph summary of your ideas to submit to me.

“The Daily Show” (television

)

“Imagine” (song)

“Inner City Blues

” (song/vide

o)

“The Matrix” (movie)