1. The Victorian Age 1833-1901

2. Historical Context Period named for Queen Victoria She ruled for 64 years! Great economic growth Probably the richest country in the world Great expansion of land Asia, India, and Africa “The Sun never sets on the British Empire” Relative peace Only one real war (Crimean War against Russia)

3. Historical Context Imperialism = Major countries in Europe rushed to conquer land in other nations “The White Man’s Burden” = The idea that Europeans (white men) needed to bring civilization to the rest of the world Used as an excuse to conquer England conquered these ‘savage’ nations in an effort to ‘protect’ them from other European nations

4. Victorian Ideas Nationalism = The English have a great pride in their superiority Religion = increase in commitment to personal morality Science = continued growth in scientific knowledge (Darwin) Politics = three main ideas lead to political fighting Laissez-faire Theory – Gov’t leaves business alone Reformist Theory – Gov’t needs to regulate business Socialism – spreads because of the Industrial Age

5. Victorian Ideas (cont.) With the growth of the middle class, there is a great increase in education Previous ideas/philosophy (such as Romanticism) do NOT end, just take less importance Great optimism = believe that ‘this time is the best time ever’ BUT also a time of great concern for the fellow man Man is responsible for himself AND can better himself

6. Aspects of Victorian Literature Romanticism = continues and is now mainstream Realism = A movement to portray ‘how life really is, not how it might be’ Shifts from poetry to prose (stories) Deals with family, morality, & social change Naturalism = is a subset of Realism that attempts to use scientific observation to writing Highly detailed Nature is harsh & indifferent Nature mirrors human behavior