Chapter9 The Victorian Age

Chapter9TheVictorianAge(1832-1901)---07级电商一班张冉旭HistoricalBackgroundThesimilaritiesbetweenQueenElizabeth(1533-1603)&QueenVictoria(1819-1901)First,theywerebothonthethroneforalongperiodoftime;Secongly,duringtheirlongreignsEnglanddevelopedrapidlybothpoliticallyandeconomically;Thirdly,duringtheirreigns,literatureflourished.QueenElizabeth-drama(WilliamShakespeare)&QueenVictoria-novels（agalaxyofbrilliantnovelists）TheVictorianAgeCanBeDevidedintoTHEREPeriodsTheearlyperiod1832-1848,atimeofsocialunrest;Themiddleperiod1848-1870,aperiodofeconomicprosperityandreligiouscontroversy;Thelastperiod1870-1901,aperiodofdecayofVictorianvalues.TheFirstPeriod:ThefirstreformbillmadeindustrialcapotalistsgaintheirpowerinParliament.TheReformBillof1832extendedtherighttovotetoallmenowningproperty.Withtheintroductionofthesteamengine,itwaspossibleforthecapitaliststohireunskiledworkers.TheChartistMovementreacheditspeakin1838,1842,and1848.ThephilosophyofUtilitarianism(功利主义)wasfoundedbyJeremyBentham(1772-1832)andcontinuedbyJohnStuartMill(1806-1873)OpposedtotheUtilitarianphilosophywerethinkersandwritersshuchasThomasCarlyle(1759-1881),CharlesDickens(1812-1870),CharlesKingsley(1819-1875),ElizabethGaskell(1810-1865),ElizabethBarrettBrowning(1806-1861),andBenjaminDisraeli(1804-1881)TheMid-VictorianPeriod(heydayoftheVictorianage)•Thecountryenjoyedtwodecadesofpeaceandprosperity.•Thefactoryhadbecomedthefocalpointofthenation’slife.Itwasaperiodofcomplacency,stability,andoptimism.•Theconditionsoftheworkingpeoplewereimproved.•Inthisperid,thenovelistsDickens,MrsGaskell,andGeorgeEliot(1819-1880)realisticallyexposedthedarkersideoftheseeminglyprosperoussociety.•CharlesDarwin(1809-1882)、ThomasHenryHuxley(1825-1895)TheLastPeriodEnglandwascalled“theempireonwhichthesunneversets”.Itwasaperiodofserenityandsecurity.WriterssuchasMattewAonord(1882-1888),SamuelButler(1835-1902),ThomasHardy,andBernardShawexposedthecantandhypocrisyoftheVictoriancomplacency.Inthe80sthereappearedtheschoolofartforart’ssake,WalterPater(1839-1894)andOscarWilde(1854-1900).Inthe90s,melancholybecamesthespiritofthetimeandtheintellectualsweretaintedbyafeelingoffin-de-siecle.TheVictoriannovelists1832witnessedtheendofpoetry:LordAlfredTennyson,followerofKeatsMatthewArnold,followerofWordsworthRobertBrowningandAlgernonCharlesSwinburne(1837-1909).FollowersofShelley.theTheReasonsfortheRiseofNovelseaesFirst,thegrowthofurbanpopulationresultedintheappearanceofanewreadingPublic.Second,withthedevelopmentofthemethodofprintingandpapermaking,thepriceofbooksdropped,andbesidesregularbooks,therewereserialpublication.Third,writinghadbecomedaprofession,whichmadeitpossibleforthewriterstomakealivingbywriting.Fourth,withtheascendancyoftheindustrialcapitalsts,themajorityofwhomLi-vedanidlelifeoninterests,therewasalargeidleclasswhoneededrecreationandentertainment.Fifth,theconditionofthetimeandthedirepovertyontheonehandandtheen-ormouswealthontheotherhandneedasecularformtoexplorehumanrelationsratherthansermonsgiveninthechurch.Finally,thefeministmovementhadmuchtodowiththegrowthofthenovel.CommonfearuresofVictoriannovels1.Theplotisunfoldedagainstasocialbackgroundwhichisbroaderthanwhatishadbeeninpreviousnovels.2.Thecause-effectsequenceismuchmorestrikingthaninpreviousnovels.3.MostoftheVictoriannovelswerefirstpublishedinserialform.4.TheVictoriannovelsweretaintedbythespiritofPuritanismoftheVictorianage.5.TheVictoriannovelswerecharacterizedbytheirmoralpurpose.Novelists1.CharlesDickens(1812-1870)Before1844SketchesbyBoz(1836)—FirstnovelThePosthumousPapersofthePickwickClub（1836-1837）--fameandwealthTheoldcuriosityshop(1840-1841)Christmasstories(1843-1845)—thesestoriesarepermeatedwiththespiritofbrotherhoodandareregardedasrepresentativesofthespiritofChristmas.After1844NovelsofbittersocialcriticismBleakhouse（1853）Hardtimes（1854）ArtisticTechnique1.Dikenshasatendencytodepictthegrostequecharactersorevents.2.Dikenslivestoinstilllifeintoinanimatethingsandtocompareanimatebeingstoinanimatethings.3.Dikensisnotedforhisdescriptionofpatheticscenesthataimtoarousepeople’ssympathy.2.WillianMakepeaceThackeray(1811-1863)SimilaritiesbetweenThackerayandDickens1.Theywerebothhumourists,andtheycriticizedtheVictoriansocietysatirically.2.Scholarsalwayscomparethemeritsanddemitsofthetwowriters.MasterpieceVanityFair(1848)–firstmajornovelTheschoolofSnobs(1846-1847)DifferencesbetweenThackerayandDickens1.TheworlddescribedbyThackeraywasadifferentonefromthatofDickens.2.Dickenswasasentimentalist.Thackeraywasseldomsentimental.3.WhereasDickenswasaromantistinmanyaspectsbylettingloosehisimagination,Thackeraywasagainstaffectation,Byronicattitudes,andallromanticconventionsthatwerestillpopularamongtheVictorianwriters.3.LordAlfredTennyson(1809-1892)TheleadingpoetofVictorianage.Somehistoriansevencalledtheperiodfrom1832tothedeathofTennyson“theAgeofTennyson”.“InMemorian”(1850)andsucceededWordsworthaspoetlaureate.4.RobertBrowning(1812-1889)Heisnoteworthyforthedramaticmonologue.“MyLastDuchess”“DukeofFerrara”Thenonchalanceinhistonefullyrevealsthearroganceandcruel