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Social class theme in Great Expectations
Society in the Victorian era
Impact of industrialization on English life and society
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The Victorian Era of England which lasted from 1833 to 1901 had many long standing effects on culture today. A reflection of the different struggles can be seen in the literature filling the period. Industrialization was beginning to take shape, leading to the Britain becoming an empire. Many of the effects of the changing customs and technology of this period are seen in the literature read today. Each different type of literature can give insight to a positive or negative effect of the time. Naturalism, Realism, and Romanticism are three common ways to see these effects.
Naturalism uses science in literature and is often gritty in its nature (Kinsella 857). This was a very new approach to literature. Charles Dickens often used this idea of the life and its hardships for his works. In Great Expectations, he uses Pip’s impoverishment to rely the type of poverty present in London during this era. Likewise Rudyard Kipling uses some of his works such as The Widow at Windsor to show how death effects even a queen and the strength she has. Kipling does this not by praising her greatness,...
“There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar;...” These are the thoughts of Lord Byron, a british poet, on experiencing the power of nature. A similar sentiment is seen in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 as one of the main themes. The thought is expressed a little differently, but it can be seen in many situations throughout the book. Although people try to feel alive using objects or superficial feelings, nature and people are what truly bring a person the feeling of being alive.
By observing the recurring trends throughout history, an individual can conclude that the modern world has evolved through a series of revolutionary eras. Revolutions have occurred since the beginning of mankind and continue to progress into the future. Ranging from a sharp change in political organization or structure, to social divisions within society, all the way to forward-thinking innovations, revolutions have impacted the course of history in numerous ways. Although many revolutions are titled with a specific name to identify the precise location or particular group of people involved, such as the American Revolution or the French Revolution, there are many occurrences in which a revolution is simply identified with a categorization term. However, among all the revolutions that have occurred in known history, there is a specific revolutionary period that has aided in the progress of humanity in addition to establishing the early concepts that shape our modern world. Originating in Great Britain, the Industrial Revolution has transformed the lifestyles of people around the world. However, the progressive transformation introduced a series of outcomes contrary to the prior regime. The Industrial Revolution triggered the growth of Great Britain’s economy, reset the social class divisions, and led to the formation of political reformation.
Buzard, James, Linda K. Hughes. "The Victorian Nation and its Others" and "1870." A Companion to Victorian Literature and Culture. Ed. Herbert F. Tucker. Malden: Blackwell Publishers, 1999. 35-50, 438-455.
American towns industrialized all throughout the nineteenth century, irresistible ailments developed as a genuine danger. The presentation of new workers and the development of vast urban zones permitted already confined sicknesses to spread rapidly and contaminate larger populations. As industrialization occurred, towns developed into cities, and people relocated to them. The expanded interest for shoddy lodging by urban vagrants prompted ineffectively assembled homes that poorly accommodated individual cleanliness. Outside laborers in the nineteenth century frequently lived in cramped dwellings that consistently lacked fundamental comforts, for example, running water, ventilation, and toilets. These conditions were perfect for the spread
America was a time of rapid growth for people all across the country. The Industrial Revolution began a few years after the Civil War with the invention of steam powered machines. From there, America faced a time of massive expansion and modern industrialized cities popped up across the United States. While there was much success across the nation, such as manual labor becoming easier and a huge population growth, the negative effects of industrialization outweigh the positives. A few of the issues that made industrialization an atrocious time for many was the racism and segregation towards immigrants and unsafe and unfair working conditions/the deprivation of a regular childhood for kids across the nation.
Nature is all around us, making it a prominent point in literature. Nature can take on different forms weather it is the nature of humans or a bush with a rose. It can represent life and death, health and sickness. It can teach us about our past or tell us our future. It is in all literature whether we know it or not.
"The Condition of England" in Victorian Literature: 1830-1900. Ed. Dorothy Mermin, and Herbert Tucker. Accessed on 3 Nov. 2003.
The 19th century was a time of massive change socially, politically and scientifically. This time saw the rise of Imperialism and of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, seeing massive changes in the way industry was run. Also during this time the literary movements of Romanticism and Victorianism emerged. Romanticism dealt with the issues of reality versus illusion, childhood and man versus nature. The first book I will examine in this essay, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, comes from this literary period and focuses on the man versus nature theme, namely the theme of scientific development and it’s contrast to nature. The second book I will look at in this essay comes from the Victorian period of the 19th century. This period saw the rise of the Industrial Revolution and of huge social and political change. Hard Times by Charles Dickens deals with these issues very closely, focussing mainly on the rise of industry in Britain and its effects on the people of Britain. Both of these novels challenge the social, political and scientific developments of the 19th century, namely the advent of science and technology.
Naturalism was a literary movement that took place from 1880s to around the 1940s. This movement used detailed realism to propose that social conditions, genetics, and the environment had unavoidable force in shaping human character. According to Zhang, “Naturalism was first proposed and formulated by French novelist Emile Zola, and it was introduced to America by American novelist Frank Norris.”(Zhang par.1) The term naturalism defines a type of literature that attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings. Naturalism writers often used the regularly ignored lower to middle classes backgrounds for characters in their stories. Naturalistic authors believe that the laws behind the forces that govern human lives might be studied and understood through the objective study of human beings. Natur...
The Industrial Revolution was a time of great change in the world and changed the way many products were manufactured. Originating in England and Great Britain, its effects spread across the globe and influenced the way people lived and worked and lead to the modern world known today. While it did not always have positive effects, through imperialism, Britain’s Industrial Revolution brought about technological innovations that transformed the world and its economies.
(Crane 1). Characters are portrayed as victims of the certain circumstances and environments. Naturalism works display how a person’s fate is dictated by factors they can not control. For instance, when Crane says “ In the streets infants played or fought with other infants or sat stupidly in the way of the vehicles”. (Crane 4).
The world has changed in many ways throughout history. Industrialization has changed England in many ways. The Industrial Revolution was too hard on the men, women, and children in England.
"History in Focus." : The Victorian Era (Introduction). Institute of Historical Research., Apr. 2001. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
The Victorian Era in English history was a period of rapid change. One would be hard-pressed to find an aspect of English life in the 19th century that wasn’t subject to some turmoil. Industrialization was transforming the citizens into a working class population and as a result, it was creating new urban societies centered on the factories. Great Britain enjoyed a time of peace and prosperity at home and thus was extending its global reach in an era of New Imperialism. Even in the home, the long held beliefs were coming into conflict.
The late eighteenth century was the beginning of a crucial turning point throughout Europe. In 1789, the people of France revolted against their government, proving that an absolute monarch did not hold all the power, and that citizens were not afraid to stand up for their rights. Known as the French Revolution, it lasted into the late 1790’s and paved the way for more freedom and equality among all citizens. Although this was a major movement for the future of European people in the nineteenth century, another equally significant accomplishment was beginning to unfold in England. The 1780’s marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in England, which led the way for tremendous population and economic growth throughout Europe.