THE VICTORIAN AGE

1837 - 1901

 a complex era
characterized by:
- progress and social reforms
BUT , at the same time, by great problems such
as:
- poverty, injustice and social unrest.

 progress
Industrial Revolution: expansion of industry
and trade
Colonisation: Australia, New Zealand, Canada,
India, Africa (1876 Queen Victoria became
Empress of India)
FREE TRADE: unrestrained trade (no rules, no
limits, no taxes on goods bought from foreign
countries = imports)

 THE GREAT EXHIBITION (1851), where goods

coming from all the Empire were gathered,
symbolized the British leadership in the world
economy. It was housed in the Crystal
Palace in Hyde Park.

SOCIAL REFORMS
- 1832: first REFORM BILL
- 1867: second REFORM BILL
- 1884: third REFORM BILL

Poverty, injustice and social unrest

Because of the industrial development, most
workers had to live in SLUMS
and work long hours for very low wages
The working class protested against vote
restrictions and hard working conditions
CHARTISM

Consequences of social protest: social

improvements
Social reforms
Legalisation of Trade Unions (1875)
Foundation of the LABOUR PARTY also workers are
represented in Parliament!!!
The Government improved the urban environment:
hospitals, water, gas and lighting, paved roads,
boarding schools.
Foundation of the Metropolitan Police (bobbies) by the
Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel (Conservative)

Philosophical tendencies
POSITIVISM (Herbert Spencer: 1820-1903)
faith in science and progress: from a
humanistic to a scientifically-oriented world
view.
superiority of science over humanities
(languages and literature)

UTILITARIANISM
Theorist: Jeremy Bentham
The greatest good for the greatest number of
people
What is useful is good!
Whatever promotes material happiness is
useful. Consequences: exploitation of human
and natural resources, uncontrolled
competition.

SCIENTIFIC THEORIES
CHARLES DARWIN (On the Origin of the
Species 1858)
Evolutionism shook moral and religious
certainties, it discarded the version of the
Creation given by the Bible.

THE ROLE OF WOMEN

Foundation of charitable institutions mostly run
by women
Development of the feminist movement
Womens suffrage in 1918 (over 30)
Womens suffrage in 1928 (over 21)
From 1850: colleges for women
Women were confined within the house (angel of
the house) and enjoyed little freedom because of
the rigid sexual code
Sexuality was repressed: chastity and prudery

CULTURE
THE VICTORIAN FAMILY:
It was the stronghold of Victorian society
Strictly patriarchal: the husband represented
the authority and respectability.

VICTORIAN CREED AND VALUES

- duty and hard work
RESPECTABILITY = morality and severity,
conformity to strict social standards:
good manners,
ownership of a comfortable house,
regular attendance at church
charitable activities (expecially women)

THE VICTORIAN COMPROMISE

Inconsistency between RESPECTABILITY and
the OUTWARD WORLD (They were trying to
cover the negative aspects of progress and
materialism)
Peoples behaviour and creed clashed with
reality

==== HYPOCRISY of Victorian society!

LITERARY PHASES
1 EARLY VICTORIAN PERIOD
--The authors are critical towards their age, but
they still identify themselves with it.

- Charles Dickens
- William Thackeray
- Alfred Tennyson
- Robert Browning

 2 Late Victorian Period

Strong sense of isolation of the writers and strong
form of criticism of the Victorian society
- George Eliot
R.L. Stevenson
Thomas Hardy
Oscar Wilde