Victorian period literature The Background for the Victorian period literature

Queen Victoria (1819~1901) 1819年生于伦敦,1837年继位成为英国女王。 到19世纪末，维多利亚女王由于拥有许多欧洲皇室的皇亲国戚，被人称为“欧洲的祖母”，是英国历史上统治时间最长的女王。 由于这一时期英国迅速地向外扩张，建立了庞大的殖民地，因此被称为“日不落帝国”。 1901年1月22日，维多利亚女王去世。

Victoria Period (1832~1901) Time Span: ◆The Victorian Period revolves around the political career of Queen Victoria. ◆A new era really began with the passage of Reform Bill 1832 and closed at the end of Boer War in 1901.

Victoria Period (1832~1901) Three periods ◆1.The early period (1830~1848): 多事之秋 (A Time of Troubles) ◆2.The middle period (1848~1870): 经济繁荣和宗教分歧的时期 (Economic Prosperity and Religious Controversy） ◆3.The later period (1870~1901) : 由盛到衰过程的时期 (Decay of Victorian Values）

Victoria Period (1832~1901) Four Features ◆1.The long struggle of the Anglo-Saxons for personal liberty is definitely settled, and democracy becomes the established order of the day. ◆2.Because it is an age of democracy, it is an age of popular education, of religious tolerance, of growing brotherhood, and of profound social unrest (动荡).

Victoria Period (1832~1901) Four Features ◆3.It is an age of comparative peace. ◆4.The Victorian Age is especially remarkable because of its rapid progress in all the arts and sciences and in mechanical inventions.

Prosperity and Progress ◆the richest and most powerful; ◆ the first urban and industrial society in the world; ◆the greatest empire ruling over 1/4 of the world’s landmass,  over 20 nations; ◆ railways, telegraphs, journalism; ◆ a period of great social unrest (Chartist Movement 1838-48); ◆religious doubt ( theory of evolution and positivist philosophy ) and Reform Bill(1832) was enacted；  ◆ giving right to representation of growing cities and 50% raise of electorate to middle class.

Literary Background ◆97% people able to read by 1900; ◆ cheaper paper; ◆ faster printing; ◆ easier circulation; ◆ more working readers demanding cheap literature;  ◆ monthly installment became the fashion in novel publication

Victorian Literature Genres（流派） 1)The novel became the most widely read and the most vital and challenging expression of progressive thought. 2) The great prose writers in the Victorian age brought English prose to a very high point in both prose art and literary criticism. 3) The famous poets in the Victorian period were: Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning

Victorian Literature Features ◆1. In this period, the novel became the most widely read & the most vital & challenging expression of progressive thought. ◆2. While sticking to the principle of faithful representation of the 18th-century realist novel, novelists in this period carried their duty forward to the criticism of the society & the defense of the mass.

Victorian Literature Features ◆3.They were all concerned about the fate of the common people. They were angry at the inhuman social institutions, the decaying social morality as represented by the money-worship & utilitarianism & the widespread misery, poverty & injustice.

Victorian Literature Features # crtical realism 批判现实主义小说 ◆4.Their truthful depiction of people's life & bitter & strong criticism of the society had done much in awakening the public consciousness to the social problems & in the actual improvement of the society. # crtical realism 批判现实主义小说

Victorian Literature Features ◆5. It represents the reality & spirit of the age. The high-spirited vitality, the down-to-earth earnestness, the good-natured humor & unbounded imagination are all unprecedented. In almost every genre it paved the way for the coming century, where its spirits, values & experiments are to witness their bumper harvest.