Concetti Chiave
- In Victorian society, women's roles were limited to being obedient to male authority and caring for family, reflecting their subordinate status.
- Victorian novelists felt responsible for social commentary, often highlighting societal issues like poor working conditions through their narratives.
- Prominent themes in Victorian novels included the disparity between rich and poor, exploitation, and the importance of education.
- During this era, British politics saw Liberals and Conservatives alternate in power, implementing reforms in trade, education, and living conditions.
- Victorian beliefs in racial superiority fueled their sense of duty to spread their culture globally, viewing it as a divine mandate.
Role of women
In Victorian society, women had a subordinate role, in fact, families were controlled by husbands, and women had to obey male authority and were expected to be the “angel of the hearth,” taking care of children and husbands. During the Victorian Age, writers and readers shared the same interests and values, and a lot of people were great readers who borrowed books and periodicals from the circle library. The novel became the most popular type of literature and the main source of entertainment. Many novels were published in monthly parts in periodicals; in this way, writers were in close contact with readers.
Social responsibility of novelists
Victorian novelists felt they had a social responsibility to readers and reflected the social changes of the time, describing society as they saw it. They knew about the problems of their time, like poor and child working conditions, but their criticism was not very strong compared to European writers. Didacticism was one of the main goals of Victorian novels because novelists saw literature as a vehicle to correct the vices and problems of the age. Novelists used the omniscient narrator to explain the story and show the differences between right and wrong. In the final chapter, all the events were explained and justified. The plot of Victorian novels was long and often had many subplots, and the most common setting was the town, which represented industrial civilization but also the loneliness of modern life. Victorian writers created realistic characters that readers could relate to. They also explored the inner lives of their characters in more depth.
Themes
The most important themes in Victorian novels were: the contrast between rich and poor, child and women exploitation, and education. There were social and humanitarian novels, written by the famous Charles Dickens, and novels about deep emotion, written by Emily and Charlotte Brontë.
British politics
During this time, British politics was dominated by the Liberals, led by Gladstone, and the Conservatives, led by Disraeli. Between the age of 1868 and 1880, they alternated as Prime Minister, introducing social and political reforms based on free trade and liberalism and overseeing the greatest expansion of the British Imper. Disraeli improved living conditions in growing cities by introducing the Artisans’ and Labourers’ Dwellings Act to provide homes for the poor, the Public Healt to improve sanitation and running water, and the Factory Act to limit working hours per week. Gladstone wanted to improve education and political participation by introducing the Education Act, which created ‘board schools’ for the poor and made elementary education mandatory, the Trade Union Act, which legalized trade unions, the Ballot Act, which introduced the secret ballot, and the Third Reform Act, which extended voting rights to all males.The Victorians believed that racial differences were both physical and intellectual and that some people were destined to be led by others. They saw it as their duty from God to spread their way of life across the world.Domande da interrogazione
- ¿Cuál era el papel de las mujeres en la sociedad victoriana?
- ¿Qué responsabilidad social sentían los novelistas victorianos?
- ¿Cuáles eran los temas más importantes en las novelas victorianas?
- ¿Cómo influyeron los políticos británicos en la sociedad durante la era victoriana?
- ¿Qué creencias tenían los victorianos sobre las diferencias raciales?
En la sociedad victoriana, las mujeres tenían un papel subordinado, debían obedecer la autoridad masculina y se esperaba que fueran el "ángel del hogar", cuidando de los hijos y el esposo.
Los novelistas victorianos sentían una responsabilidad social de reflejar los cambios de la época y describir la sociedad, utilizando la literatura como un medio para corregir los vicios y problemas de su tiempo.
Los temas más importantes incluían el contraste entre ricos y pobres, la explotación de niños y mujeres, y la educación, con novelas sociales y humanitarias de autores como Charles Dickens y las hermanas Brontë.
Los políticos británicos, como Gladstone y Disraeli, introdujeron reformas sociales y políticas, mejorando las condiciones de vida en las ciudades y promoviendo la educación y la participación política.
Los victorianos creían que las diferencias raciales eran tanto físicas como intelectuales y que algunas personas estaban destinadas a ser guiadas por otras, viendo como su deber divino difundir su forma de vida por el mundo.
Accedi a tutti gli appunti
Tutor AI: studia meglio e in meno tempo
