Letteratura inglese: Late Victorian and Modernist Literature

Martina‌ ‌Terlizzi‌ ‌

23.09.2020‌ ‌

UNITÀ‌

‌A‌ ‌

The‌ ‌Victorian‌ ‌Age‌ ‌can‌ ‌be‌ ‌very‌ ‌easily‌ ‌divided‌ ‌into‌ ‌three‌ ‌periods,‌ ‌this‌ ‌is‌ ‌just‌ ‌an‌‌

artificial‌‌division‌‌in‌‌order‌‌to‌‌be‌‌able‌‌to‌‌analyse‌‌the‌‌broad‌‌trends‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Victorian‌‌Age.‌‌

It‌‌goes‌‌from‌‌1837,‌‌which‌‌is‌‌the‌‌year‌‌exactly‌‌in‌‌which‌‌Victoria‌‌accessed‌‌the‌‌throne,‌‌to‌‌

1901‌

‌when‌

‌Victoria‌

‌died.‌ ‌

- Early‌

‌Victorian‌

‌period‌

‌(1830-1848)‌ ‌

- Middle‌

‌Victorian‌

‌period‌

‌(1848-1870)‌ ‌

- Late‌

‌Victorian‌

‌period‌

‌(1870-1901)‌ ‌

Victoria‌ ‌was‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌queen‌ ‌who‌ ‌was‌ ‌able‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌photographed‌ ‌because‌ ‌of‌ ‌course‌‌

photography‌‌started‌‌developing‌‌itself‌‌at‌‌the‌‌beginning‌‌of‌‌the‌‌19th‌‌century.‌‌She‌‌was‌‌not‌‌

a‌‌woman‌‌who‌‌tended‌‌to‌‌have‌‌a‌‌very‌‌expensive‌‌court,‌‌she‌‌was‌‌called‌‌“the‌‌middle‌‌class‌‌

queen”,‌ ‌a‌ ‌queen‌ ‌who‌ ‌represented‌ ‌the‌ ‌ideal‌ ‌middle‌ ‌class‌ ‌woman.‌ ‌She‌‌of‌‌course‌‌does‌‌

not‌‌behave‌‌as‌‌a‌‌middle‌‌class‌‌woman‌‌but‌‌she‌‌is‌‌earnest,‌‌honest,‌‌she‌‌cares‌‌for‌‌her‌‌house‌‌

(nation),‌

‌she‌

‌dresses‌

‌plainly‌

‌and‌

‌so‌

‌on.‌‌ ‌

Norton‌ ‌Anthology‌ ‌starts‌ ‌talking‌ ‌about‌ ‌

London‌

.‌‌The‌‌city‌‌in‌‌the‌‌19th‌‌century‌‌became‌‌

the‌‌most‌‌important‌‌town‌‌in‌‌Europe‌‌and‌‌since‌‌Europe‌‌was‌‌the‌‌most‌‌developed‌‌country‌‌

(in‌ ‌the‌ ‌sense‌ ‌of‌ ‌advanced‌ ‌in‌ ‌technology,‌ ‌medicine,‌ ‌communication),‌ ‌we‌ ‌are‌ ‌talking‌‌

about‌‌the‌‌most‌‌important‌‌town‌‌in‌‌the‌‌world.‌‌We‌‌had‌‌Paris‌‌in‌‌the‌‌18th‌‌century‌‌and‌‌then‌‌

slowly‌ ‌London‌ ‌started‌ ‌substituting‌ ‌Paris.‌ ‌In‌ ‌this‌ ‌period‌ ‌the‌ ‌population‌ ‌increases‌‌

enormously.‌ ‌We‌ ‌have‌‌the‌‌‌

industrial‌‌revolution‌

,‌‌which‌‌started‌‌as‌‌early‌‌as‌‌the‌‌second‌‌

half‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌18th‌ ‌century‌ ‌in‌ ‌England,‌ ‌and‌ ‌England‌ ‌was‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌country‌ ‌in‌ ‌which‌ ‌a‌‌

different‌ ‌kind‌ ‌of‌ ‌economy‌ ‌actually‌ ‌developed.‌ ‌We‌ ‌are‌ ‌talking‌ ‌about‌ ‌steam‌ ‌power,‌‌

which‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌beginning‌ ‌was‌ ‌employed‌ ‌in‌ ‌factories‌ ‌and‌ ‌then‌ ‌became‌ ‌important‌ ‌for‌‌

trains‌ ‌and‌ ‌ships.‌ ‌The‌ ‌train‌ ‌was‌ ‌developed‌ ‌at‌‌the‌‌beginning‌‌of‌‌the‌‌century‌‌and‌‌by‌‌the‌‌

1830s‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌railways‌‌were‌‌constructed‌‌first‌‌in‌‌Europe‌‌and‌‌then‌‌all‌‌over‌‌the‌‌world.‌‌

The‌ ‌economic‌ ‌borders‌ ‌widened‌ ‌enormously,‌ ‌because‌ ‌England‌ ‌had‌ ‌already‌ ‌gone‌‌

abroad‌ ‌and‌ ‌not‌ ‌only‌ ‌England:‌ ‌we‌ ‌have‌ ‌to‌ ‌go‌ ‌back‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌15th‌ ‌century‌ ‌to‌ ‌find‌ ‌the‌‌

Portugues‌ ‌who‌ ‌were‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌to‌ ‌go‌‌along‌‌the‌‌coast‌‌of‌‌Africa;‌‌in‌‌the‌‌16th‌‌century‌‌we‌‌

have‌‌Spanish‌‌people‌‌and‌‌Dutch‌‌people‌‌going‌‌everywhere;‌‌at‌‌the‌‌end‌‌of‌‌the‌‌century‌‌the‌‌

discovery‌‌of‌‌America;‌‌in‌‌the‌‌17th‌‌century‌‌the‌‌Dutch‌‌East‌‌India‌‌Company‌‌is‌‌one‌‌of‌‌the‌‌

most‌‌important‌‌in‌‌Europe‌‌and‌‌slowly‌‌Britain‌‌substitutes‌‌the‌‌Dutch‌‌in‌‌the‌‌navel‌‌power,‌‌

so‌ ‌the‌ ‌British‌ ‌started‌ ‌colonizing‌ ‌the‌ ‌world.‌ ‌Before‌ ‌“colonizing”‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌sense‌ ‌of‌‌

conquering‌

‌territories,‌

‌they‌

‌created‌

‌outposts‌ ‌everywhere.‌‌ ‌

1‌‌

1 ‌avamposti‌ ‌

‌ Martina‌ ‌Terlizzi‌ ‌

When‌ ‌we‌ ‌talk‌ ‌about‌ ‌the‌ ‌

stereotypical‌ ‌Victorian‌ ‌person‌ ‌we‌ ‌think‌ ‌of‌ ‌earnestness‌‌

(Oscar‌‌Wilde‌‌will‌‌write‌‌a‌‌comedy‌‌‌

The‌‌importance‌‌of‌‌Being‌‌Earnest‌‌in‌‌order‌‌to‌‌mock‌‌

the‌ ‌attitude‌ ‌of‌ ‌earnestness‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌typical‌ ‌victorian‌ ‌man),‌ ‌hard‌ ‌work,‌ ‌moral‌‌

responsibility,‌ ‌religious‌ ‌conformity,‌ ‌domestic‌ ‌propriety‌ ‌(you‌ ‌behave‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌proper‌‌

way),‌ ‌fidelity.‌ ‌These‌ ‌are‌‌things‌‌that‌‌apply‌‌to‌‌the‌‌middle‌‌class‌‌and‌‌in‌‌particular‌‌to‌‌the‌

upper‌ ‌middle‌ ‌class,‌ ‌the‌‌working‌‌class‌‌was‌‌out‌‌of‌‌control‌‌and‌‌it‌‌was‌‌difficult‌‌to‌‌teach‌‌

what‌‌was‌‌the‌‌right‌‌behaviour‌‌because‌‌the‌‌working‌‌class‌‌was‌‌much‌‌less‌‌literate‌‌and‌‌the‌‌

only‌‌institution‌‌which‌‌could‌‌reach‌‌it‌‌was‌‌possibly‌‌the‌‌Church,‌‌the‌‌sermon‌‌on‌‌Sundays‌‌

in‌ ‌which‌ ‌the‌‌priest‌‌tried‌‌to‌‌convey‌‌the‌‌proper‌‌attitude‌‌towards‌‌life.‌‌There‌‌were‌‌many‌‌

people‌ ‌who‌ ‌really‌ ‌believed‌ ‌in‌ ‌these‌ ‌values‌ ‌but‌ ‌there‌ ‌were‌ ‌people‌ ‌who‌ ‌believed‌‌

theoretically‌

‌in‌

‌these‌

‌values‌

‌in‌

‌a‌

‌very‌

‌hypocritical‌

‌way.‌‌ ‌

The‌‌important‌‌thing‌‌was‌‌to‌‌‌give‌‌the‌‌impression‌‌that‌‌you‌‌are‌‌earnest,‌‌hard‌‌working‌‌and‌‌

so‌ ‌on.‌ ‌The‌ ‌idea‌ ‌was‌ ‌that‌ ‌at‌ ‌least‌ ‌you‌ ‌were‌ ‌respectable‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌outside‌ ‌and‌‌then‌‌of‌‌

course‌‌managed‌‌to‌‌do‌‌things‌‌in‌‌a‌‌hidden‌‌way.‌‌This‌‌is‌‌nothing‌‌new,‌‌in‌‌all‌‌times‌‌and‌‌in‌‌

all‌‌places‌‌this‌‌happens,‌‌what‌‌was‌‌new‌‌was‌‌the‌‌insistence‌‌on‌‌these‌‌values‌‌as‌‌important‌‌

and‌ ‌pivotal‌ ‌and‌ ‌since‌ ‌there‌ ‌was‌‌this‌‌kind‌‌of‌‌insistence‌‌it‌‌was‌‌easier‌‌at‌‌the‌‌end‌‌of‌‌the‌‌

century‌ ‌to‌ ‌mock‌ ‌these‌ ‌values.‌ ‌Moreover,‌ ‌since‌ ‌the‌ ‌instructions‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌population‌‌

beginning‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌crown‌ ‌and‌ ‌going‌ ‌down‌ ‌were‌ ‌this‌ ‌kind‌ ‌of‌ ‌writings,‌ ‌it‌ ‌was‌ ‌a‌‌

question‌

‌of‌

‌exporting‌

‌a‌

‌kind‌

‌of‌

‌image‌

‌to‌

‌the‌

‌whole‌

‌world.‌‌ ‌

Since‌‌everything‌‌was‌‌changing‌‌it‌‌started‌‌to‌‌develop‌‌an‌‌idea‌‌of‌‌a‌‌‌

progress‌‌of‌‌humanity‌‌

towards‌ ‌a‌ ‌goal,‌ ‌a‌ ‌target,‌ ‌towards‌ ‌something‌ ‌which‌ ‌was‌ ‌an‌ ‌evolution‌ ‌of‌ ‌living‌‌

conditions‌ ‌and‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌place‌ ‌of‌ ‌man‌ ‌on‌ ‌earth.‌ ‌It’s‌ ‌like‌ ‌looking‌ ‌at‌ ‌history‌ ‌with‌ ‌a‌‌

theological‌‌perspective‌‌that‌‌is‌‌like‌‌a‌‌line,‌‌so‌‌we‌‌start‌‌from‌‌a‌‌point‌‌and‌‌we‌‌go‌‌towards‌‌a‌‌

target‌

‌with‌

‌progress‌

‌in‌

‌the‌

‌meantime.‌

‌There‌

‌is‌

‌a‌

‌faith‌

‌in‌

‌progress,‌

‌a‌

‌sense‌

‌of‌

‌purpose.‌‌ ‌

However,‌ ‌there‌ ‌are‌ ‌lots‌‌of‌‌problems‌‌in‌‌the‌‌early‌‌period‌‌but‌‌there‌‌is‌‌also‌‌the‌‌idea‌‌that‌‌

things‌ ‌are‌‌changing‌‌rapidly,‌‌in‌‌England‌‌are‌‌changing‌‌even‌‌more‌‌rapidly‌‌than‌‌all‌‌over‌‌

the‌ ‌world‌ ‌and‌ ‌therefore‌ ‌there‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌idea‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌british‌ ‌population‌ ‌as‌ ‌the‌ ‌chosen‌‌

population.‌ ‌Through‌ ‌intercontinental‌ ‌journeys‌ ‌and‌ ‌colonization‌ ‌they‌ ‌are‌ ‌exporting‌‌

generously‌

‌-‌

‌that’s‌

‌the‌

‌mentality‌

‌-‌

‌this‌

‌kind‌

‌of‌

‌progress‌

‌everywhere.‌ ‌

In‌ ‌the‌ ‌later‌ ‌period‌ ‌the‌ ‌subterranean‌ ‌problems‌ ‌exploded‌ ‌and‌ ‌towards‌ ‌the‌ ‌end‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌‌

century‌ ‌there‌ ‌was‌ ‌a‌ ‌general‌ ‌disillusion‌ ‌regarding‌ ‌the‌ ‌British‌ ‌Empire‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌way‌ ‌it‌‌

was‌ ‌managed.‌ ‌Therefore,‌ ‌against‌ ‌the‌ ‌Victorian‌ ‌icon‌ ‌lots‌ ‌of‌ ‌writers‌ ‌used‌ ‌irony‌ ‌and‌‌

satire.‌ ‌ ‌

Early‌

‌Victorian‌

‌period:‌

‌a‌

‌time‌

‌of‌

‌troubles‌ ‌

Troubles:‌‌first‌‌of‌‌all‌‌the‌‌economic‌‌and‌‌social‌‌structure‌‌of‌‌England‌‌was‌‌obsolete.‌‌Think‌‌

about‌ ‌when‌ ‌the‌ ‌most‌‌important‌‌richness‌‌was‌‌the‌‌land,‌‌during‌‌the‌‌17th‌‌century‌‌things‌‌

are‌ ‌changing‌‌quickly,‌‌during‌‌the‌‌18th‌‌century‌‌private‌‌property‌‌is‌‌becoming‌‌more‌‌and‌‌

‌ Martina‌ ‌Terlizzi‌ ‌

more‌‌important‌‌so‌‌the‌‌landowners‌‌who‌‌owned‌‌enormous‌‌amounts‌‌of‌‌land‌‌allotments‌ ‌

2‌

are‌ ‌gradually‌ ‌being‌ ‌substituted‌ ‌by‌ ‌private‌ ‌people‌ ‌who‌ ‌buy‌ ‌the‌ ‌land‌ ‌in‌ ‌order‌ ‌to‌‌

cultivate‌ ‌it‌ ‌with‌ ‌up-to-date‌ ‌systems.‌ ‌This‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌process‌ ‌which‌ ‌was‌ ‌relatively‌‌slow,‌‌by‌‌

the‌ ‌end‌‌of‌‌the‌‌18th‌‌century‌‌many‌‌changes‌‌were‌‌still‌‌taking‌‌place:‌‌there‌‌were‌‌still‌‌big‌‌

landowners‌ ‌who‌ ‌were‌ ‌not‌ ‌updated‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌new‌ ‌systems‌ ‌and‌ ‌at‌‌the‌‌same‌‌time‌‌there‌‌

were‌‌small‌‌landowners‌‌who‌‌were‌‌losing‌‌their‌‌lands‌‌because‌‌they‌‌were‌‌not‌‌capitalists.‌‌

Things‌ ‌are‌ ‌changing‌ ‌from‌ ‌a‌ ‌late‌ ‌feudo‌ ‌society‌ ‌which‌ ‌was‌‌based‌‌on‌‌landowning‌‌to‌‌a‌‌

capitalist‌‌society‌‌which‌‌was‌‌based‌‌on‌‌money.‌‌In‌‌order‌‌to‌‌have‌‌money‌‌either‌‌you‌‌have‌‌

the‌ ‌means‌ ‌to‌ ‌work‌ ‌the‌ ‌land‌ ‌in‌‌a‌‌very‌‌advanced‌‌way‌‌technologically‌‌speaking‌‌or‌‌you‌‌

don't‌ ‌make‌ ‌much‌ ‌money‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌land.‌ ‌So‌ ‌many‌ ‌people‌ ‌lost‌ ‌their‌ ‌lands‌ ‌and‌ ‌didn’t‌‌

know‌

‌what‌

‌to‌

‌do‌

‌so‌

‌they‌

‌went‌

‌to‌

‌town‌

‌and‌

‌that‌

‌is‌

‌why‌

‌London‌

‌became‌

‌enormous.