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TheVictorianAge(1832-1902)Objectives1.TohavethebasicknowledgeaboutthebriefhistoryoftheVictorianPeriod.2.Toknowsomethingaboutthecriticalrealist3.TobefamiliarwithCharlesDickens’writingstylesandmajorcontributiontoEnglishliterature.HistoricalBackground--beganwiththepassageoftheReformBillin1832andclosedattheendoftheBoerWarin1902.Victoriaage:•Victoria；•thequeenVictoria’saccessionin1837andherdeathin1901.Sheruledfor63years,thelongestinEnglishhistory.TheperiodhasbeengenerallyregardedasoneofthemostgloriousintheEnglishhistory.QueenElizabeth(1533-1603)andQueenVictoria(1819-1901).•TheEnglishpeoplewereproudoftwoqueensintheirhistory:QueenElizabeth(1533-1603)andQueenVictoria(1819-1901).Therearesimilaritiesbetweenthetwoqueens.First,bothqueenswereonthethroneforalongperiodoftime,QueenElizabethbeingonthethroneforoverfortyyears(1558-1603)andQueenVictoriamorethan60years(1837-1901).•Secondly,duringtheirlongreignsEnglanddevelopedrapidlybothpoliticallyandeconomically.DuringthereignofQueenElizabeth,capitalismfirsttookitsshape,andthesmallislandcountrydefeatedthestrongnavalpowerSpainin1588.DuringthelongreignofQueenVictoria,Englandgrewtheworkshopoftheworldaswellasitsfinancialandpoliticalcenter.•Thirdly,duringtheirreigns,literatureflourished.IntheageofQueenElizabethdramaflourishedandwithittherewasthegreatestdramatistWilliamShakespeare.whereasintheageofQueenVictoria,novelflourishedandwithitagalaxyofbrilliantnovelistsappearedontheliteraryscene.TheVictorianagecanberoughlydividedintothreeperiods•theearlyperiod1832-1854,atimeofsocialunrest;•themiddleperiod1855-1879,aperiodofeconomicprosperityandreligiouscontroversy;•thelastperiod1880-1901,aperiodofdecayofVictorianvalues.•Itcanbedividedinto2periods:–-EarlyVictoriaPeriod（1832-1868）–-LateVictoriaPeriod（1869-1902）thefirstfourteenyearswerefilledwithunrest,alarmandmisery,andtheycontrastedwiththegrowingprosperityandgeneralgoodfeelingofthesucceedingtwenty-twoyearswhenEngland,havingcommittedherselftoindustrialismandfreetrade,becauseforatheme'theworkshopoftheworld'一Political•1Reform•2ChartistMovement(1838-48)TheProgressofReform•①greatchanggesinadministration•leadership/financialpolicyWhigToriesemancipationofslaves(dominions)effectotherareas•Theimpetusofrefom••Aseriesoflaws;①childLabourinfactoriesin1833②FactoryAct(1833)③PoorLawAmendmentAct(1834)④TherepealoftheCornLawsin1846⑤TenHoursActin1847•TheReformBillof1832extendedtherighttovotetoallmenowningpropertyworthtenpoundsormore.Thisbillextendedtherighttovotetotheindustrialcapitalistsandthelowermiddleclass,butnottheworkers(theyhadtowaituntil1867whenasecondReformBillwaspassed)•ThesecondaccomplishmentoftheReformBillwastoeliminatethe“rottenboroughs”andgavethevacantseatstotheindustrialcities.ThisBillbrokethemonopolyinParliamentoftheconservativelandownersandendedthelongreignoftheTorypartywhichhadbeeninpoweralmostcontinuouslyfrom1783to1830.TheWhigparty,whichrepresentedtheinterestsoftheindustrialcapitalistsandbusinessmen,cameintopower.•Withtheintroductionofthesteamengine,itwaspossibleforthecapitaliststohireunskilledworkers,suchaswomenandchildren.Manyskilledworkerswereunemployed,andwhatmadethesituationsworsewastheenforcementoftheCornLaws,whichforbadeimportinganygrainfromforeigncountrieswhenthepriceofwheatdroppedtoacertainprice;thismeasurekeptwheatatahighpriceintheinterestsofthelandedclass.In1845seriouscropfailuresinEnglandandthepotatoblightinIrelandkeptthepriceofbreadstillhigher.•UndertheeconomicpolicyofLaissezfaire(apolicybasedontheUtilitarianphilosophy)whichassertedthatthefunctionofprivatepropertyandnottointerferewiththeeconomicoperationofthecountry,thecapitalistsdidnotfeeltheywereresponsibleforthepovertyoftheworkingpeople.Inordertodemandtheirownrights,theworkingpeoplelaunchedlarge-scaledemonstrations.TheyputforwardtheirpoliticaldemandsintheformofaCharterandorganizedmeetingstocollectsignatures.Inthe1830sand1840sthecountrywasthreatenedbysocialunrest.TheChartistMovementreacheditspeakin1838,1842,and1848.ChartistMovement•Themajorcontraditioninthepoliticalarenabecamemoredefinitebetweenlabourandcapital.•Theworkersforsocialjusticeandabetterlife•Forwantofpossessingvotesandleadership,aunifiedpurposeandfundsTheMovementFizzledOut•Reson:1ToomasCarlyle•2HungryForties•threantigcloud•Rulingclasses'twofears;pestilenceandrisingmobThoughitfailed,Chartismsignififiedthefirstgreatpoliticalmovementofproletariat(无产阶级）inEnglishhistory.二EconomicAnageofprosperityandprogress－therichestandmostpowerful;－the1sturbanandindustrialsocietyintheworld;－Thedevelopmentofscienceandtechnology:railways,telegraphs,journalism;三Culturally－97%peopleabletoreadby1900;－cheaperpaper;－fasterprinting;－easiercirculation;－moreworkingreadersdemandingcheapliterature:Victoriannovelsarecharacterizedbythecommonfeaturesbelow:1.Theplotisunfoldedagainstasocialbackgroundwhichisbroaderthanwhatithadbeeninpreviousnovels.TheplotdrawsmaterialsfromsocietyandrelatestheminsuchawaythattheVictoriannovelsreflectthecomplexityofhumanrelationsinacapitalistsocietyandrevealthewriters’attitudestowardsthesociety.2.Thecause-effectsequenceismu