The victorian period

1. The Victorian PeriodThe Victorian Period
1830-19011830-1901

2. A Time of ChangeA Time of Change
London becomes most important city in EuropeLondon becomes most important city in Europe
Population of London expands from two million Population of London expands from two million
to six millionto six million
Shift from ownership of land to modern urban Shift from ownership of land to modern urban
economyeconomy
Impact of industrialismImpact of industrialism
Increase in wealthIncrease in wealth
World’s foremost imperial powerWorld’s foremost imperial power
Victorian people suffered from anxiety, a sense Victorian people suffered from anxiety, a sense
of being displaced persons in an age of of being displaced persons in an age of
technological advances.technological advances.

3. Queen Victoria and the Victorian Queen Victoria and the Victorian
TemperTemper
Ruled England from Ruled England from
1837-19011837-1901
Exemplifies Victorian Exemplifies Victorian
qualities: earnestness, qualities: earnestness,
moral responsibility, moral responsibility,
domestic proprietydomestic propriety
The Victorian Period was The Victorian Period was
an age of transitionan age of transition
An age characterized by An age characterized by
energy and high moral energy and high moral
purposepurpose

4. The Georgian PeriodThe Georgian Period
1911-19361911-1936
A reaction against the A reaction against the
achievements of the achievements of the
Victorian PeriodVictorian Period

5. The Early Victorian PeriodThe Early Victorian Period
1830-18481830-1848
In 1830, the Liverpool and In 1830, the Liverpool and
Manchester Railway opened, Manchester Railway opened,
the first public railway line in the first public railway line in
the world.the world.
By 1850, railway lines By 1850, railway lines
connected England’s major connected England’s major
citiescities
By 1900 , England had 15,195 By 1900 , England had 15,195
lines of railroad and an lines of railroad and an
underground rail system underground rail system
beneath London.beneath London.
The train transformed The train transformed
England’s landscape, England’s landscape,
supported the growth of supported the growth of
commerce, and shrank the commerce, and shrank the
distance between cities.distance between cities.

6. The Reform Bill of 1832The Reform Bill of 1832
Transformed English Transformed English
class structureclass structure
Extended the right to Extended the right to
vote to all males vote to all males
owning propertyowning property
Second Reform Bill Second Reform Bill
passed in 1867passed in 1867
Extended right to vote Extended right to vote
to working classto working class

7. The Time of TroublesThe Time of Troubles
1830’s and 1840’s1830’s and 1840’s
UnemploymentUnemployment
PovertyPoverty
RiotingRioting
Slums in large citiesSlums in large cities
Working conditions Working conditions
for women and for women and
children were terriblechildren were terrible

8. Impact on Victorian LiteratureImpact on Victorian Literature
The novelists of the 1840’s and the 1850’s The novelists of the 1840’s and the 1850’s
responded to the industrial and political responded to the industrial and political
scene:scene:
Charles Kingsley- Charles Kingsley- The Water BabiesThe Water Babies
Elizabeth Gaskell – Elizabeth Gaskell – North and South; Life of North and South; Life of
Charlotte BronteCharlotte Bronte
Benjamin Disraeli- Benjamin Disraeli- SybilSybil


9. The Mid-Victorian PeriodThe Mid-Victorian Period
1848-18701848-1870
A time of prosperityA time of prosperity
A time of improvementA time of improvement
A time of stabilityA time of stability
A time of optimismA time of optimism

10. The Crystal PalaceThe Crystal Palace
Erected to display the Erected to display the
exhibits of modern exhibits of modern
industry and science at industry and science at
the 1851 Great Exhibitionthe 1851 Great Exhibition
One of the first buildings One of the first buildings
constructed according to constructed according to
modern architectural modern architectural
principlesprinciples
The building symbolized The building symbolized
the triumphs of Victorian the triumphs of Victorian
industryindustry

11. The British EmpireThe British Empire
Many Between 1853 and Many Between 1853 and
1880, large scale 1880, large scale
immigration to British immigration to British
coloniescolonies
In 1857, Parliament took In 1857, Parliament took
over the government of over the government of
India and Queen Victoria India and Queen Victoria
became empress of India. became empress of India.
Many British people saw Many British people saw
the expansion of empire the expansion of empire
as a moral responsibility.as a moral responsibility.
Missionaries spread Missionaries spread
Christianity in India, Asia, Christianity in India, Asia,
and Africa.and Africa.

12. Religious DebateReligious Debate
Evangelical movement Evangelical movement
emphasized spiritual emphasized spiritual
transformation of the transformation of the
individual by conversion individual by conversion
and a moral Christian life.and a moral Christian life.
Their view of life was Their view of life was
identical with Dissenters.identical with Dissenters.
The High Church The High Church
emphasized the emphasized the
importance of tradition, importance of tradition,
ritual, and authorityritual, and authority
The Oxford Movement The Oxford Movement
led by Newmanled by Newman
The Broad Church was The Broad Church was
open to modern ideas.open to modern ideas.

13. UtilitarianismUtilitarianism
Derived from the ideas of Derived from the ideas of
Jeremy Bentham and his Jeremy Bentham and his
disciple James Mill, the disciple James Mill, the
father of John Stuart Millfather of John Stuart Mill
Rationalist test of valueRationalist test of value
The greatest good for the The greatest good for the
greatest numbergreatest number
Utilitarianism failed to Utilitarianism failed to
recognize people’s recognize people’s
spiritual needsspiritual needs

14. Challenges to Religious Belief Challenges to Religious Belief
ScienceScience
HuxleyHuxley
Darwin- the Origin of Species and The Descent of Darwin- the Origin of Species and The Descent of
ManMan
Higher CriticismHigher Criticism
Examination of the Bible as a mere text of historyExamination of the Bible as a mere text of history
Source studiesSource studies
GeologyGeology
AstronomyAstronomy

15. The Late Victorian PeriodThe Late Victorian Period
1870-19011870-1901
Decay of Victorian valuesDecay of Victorian values
British imperialismBritish imperialism
Boer WarBoer War
Irish questionIrish question
Bismarck's Germany became a rival powerBismarck's Germany became a rival power
United States became a rival powerUnited States became a rival power
Economic depression led to mass immigrationEconomic depression led to mass immigration
SocialismSocialism

16. The 1890’sThe 1890’s
Breakdown of Victorian Breakdown of Victorian
valuesvalues
Mood of melancholyMood of melancholy
Aesthetic movementAesthetic movement
The beginning of the The beginning of the
modern movement in modern movement in
literatureliterature
Aubrey Beardsley’s Aubrey Beardsley’s
drawingsdrawings
Prose of George Moore Prose of George Moore
and Max Beerbohmand Max Beerbohm
Poetry of Ernest DowsonPoetry of Ernest Dowson

17. The Role of WomenThe Role of Women
The Woman QuestionThe Woman Question
Changing conditions of women’s Changing conditions of women’s
work created by the Industrial work created by the Industrial
RevolutionRevolution
The Factory Acts (1802-78) – The Factory Acts (1802-78) –
regulations of the conditions of regulations of the conditions of
labor in mines and factorieslabor in mines and factories
The Custody Act (1839) – gave a The Custody Act (1839) – gave a
mother the right to petition the mother the right to petition the
court for access to her minor court for access to her minor
children and custody of children children and custody of children
under seven and later sixteen.under seven and later sixteen.
The Divorce and Matrimonial The Divorce and Matrimonial
Causes Act – established a civil Causes Act – established a civil
divorce courtdivorce court
Married Women’s Property Acts Married Women’s Property Acts

18. Educational Opportunities for Educational Opportunities for
WomenWomen
First women’s college First women’s college
established in 1848 in established in 1848 in
London.London.
By the end of By the end of
Victoria’s reign, Victoria’s reign,
women could take women could take
degrees at twelve degrees at twelve
university colleges.university colleges.

19. Working Conditions for WomenWorking Conditions for Women
Bad working Bad working
conditions and conditions and
underemployment underemployment
drove thousands of drove thousands of
women into women into
prostitution.prostitution.
The only occupation at The only occupation at
which an unmarried which an unmarried
middle-class woman middle-class woman
could earn a living and could earn a living and
maintain some claim maintain some claim
to gentility was that of to gentility was that of
a governess.a governess.

20. Victorian Women and the HomeVictorian Women and the Home
Victorian society was Victorian society was
preoccupied with the very preoccupied with the very
nature of women.nature of women.
Protected and enshrined Protected and enshrined
within the home, her role within the home, her role
was to create a place of was to create a place of
peace where man could peace where man could
take refuge from the take refuge from the
difficulties of modern life.difficulties of modern life.

21. Literacy, Publication, and ReadingLiteracy, Publication, and Reading
By the end of the century, By the end of the century,
literacy was almost universal.literacy was almost universal.
Compulsory national education Compulsory national education
required to the age of ten. required to the age of ten.
Due to technological Due to technological
advances, an explosion of advances, an explosion of
things to read, including things to read, including
newspapers, periodicals, and newspapers, periodicals, and
books.books.
Growth of the periodicalGrowth of the periodical
Novels and short fiction were Novels and short fiction were
published iin serial form.published iin serial form.
The reading public expected The reading public expected
literature to illuminate social literature to illuminate social
problems.problems.

22. The Victorian NovelThe Victorian Novel
The novel was the dominant form The novel was the dominant form
in Victorian literature.in Victorian literature.
Victorian novels seek to represent Victorian novels seek to represent
a large and comprehensive social a large and comprehensive social
world, with a variety of classes.world, with a variety of classes.
Victorian novels are realistic.Victorian novels are realistic.
Major theme is the place of the Major theme is the place of the
individual in society, the aspiration individual in society, the aspiration
of the hero or heroine for love or of the hero or heroine for love or
social position.social position.
The protagonist’s search for The protagonist’s search for
fulfillment is emblematic of the fulfillment is emblematic of the
human condition.human condition.
For the first time, women were For the first time, women were
major writers: the Brontes. major writers: the Brontes.
Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot.Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot.
The Victorian novel was a The Victorian novel was a
principal form of entertainment.principal form of entertainment.

23. Victorian PoetryVictorian Poetry
Victorian poetry developed in the Victorian poetry developed in the
context of the novel. Poets sought new context of the novel. Poets sought new
ways of telling stories in verseways of telling stories in verse
All of the Victorian poets show the All of the Victorian poets show the
strong influence of the Romantics, but strong influence of the Romantics, but
they cannot sustain the confidence the they cannot sustain the confidence the
Romantics felt in the power of the Romantics felt in the power of the
imagination.imagination.
Victorian poets often rewrite Romantic Victorian poets often rewrite Romantic
poems with a sense of belatedness.poems with a sense of belatedness.
Dramatic monologue – the idea of Dramatic monologue – the idea of
creating a lyric poem in the voice of a creating a lyric poem in the voice of a
speaker ironically distinct from the poet speaker ironically distinct from the poet
is the great achievement of Victorian is the great achievement of Victorian
poetry.poetry.
Victorian poetry is pictorial; poets use Victorian poetry is pictorial; poets use
detail to construct visual images that detail to construct visual images that
represent the emotion or situation the represent the emotion or situation the
poem concerns.poem concerns.
Conflict t between private poetic self Conflict t between private poetic self
and public social role.and public social role.

24. Victorian DramaVictorian Drama
The theater was a The theater was a
flourishing and popular flourishing and popular
institution during the institution during the
Victorian period.Victorian period.
The popularity of theater The popularity of theater
influenced other genres.influenced other genres.
Bernard Shaw and Oscar Bernard Shaw and Oscar
Wilde transformed British Wilde transformed British
theater with their comic theater with their comic
masterpieces.masterpieces.

25. Images of the Victorian PeriodImages of the Victorian Period