The Introduction to the Victorian Age 维多利亚时期

TheVictorianAgeI.HistoricalBackground1.QueenVictoriaVictoriabecameQueenattheageof18in1837whenheruncle,KingWilliamIV,passedaway.SheruledBritainfor63yearsandBritainwascalledEmpireonwhichthesunneverset.YoungVictoriaQueenVictoriaQueenVictoriainOldAge2.APeriodofGrowth,DevelopmentandReformUrbanizationIndustrializationReformBillEnglandbecametheworkshopoftheworld.TheSpinningMillStephenson'sRocketInthe18thcentury,Englishmerchantswereleadersinworldcommerce.Itcreatedademandformoregoodsandacheapersystemofproduction.Besides,therewerenewideasinEngland:aninterestinscientificinvestigationandinvention,andthedoctrineof“laissez-faire”:lettingbusinessberegulatedbysupplyanddemandratherthanbylaws.Mostimportantofall,newmachinesandtechniquesweredevelopedbyBritishinventors(forexample:JamesHargreaves,JamesWatt,JohnBlenkinsop…)ConsequencesonsocietyTheIndustrialRevolution3.ConflictsBetweenCapitalandLaborThenewPoorLawof1834broughtalongwithittheworkhousesystemwhichmadethousandsofpoorfreetoilersfornothingbutarat’sdenandnever-adequatecheapfoodforabaresustenance.TheCornLaw(1815)madebreadtooexpensiveforthepoor.LifeinearlyVictorianminesandfactorieswaspoor,nasty,andbrutish.Conditionsunderwhichwomenandchildrentoiledinminesandfactorieswereunimaginablybrutal.Evena5-year-oldchilddraggedheavytubsofcoalthroughlow-ceilingedminepassagesfor13-16hoursaday.WorkingWomenADayinthelifeofaYorkshiregirlThistestimonywasgatheredbyLordAshleywhenheconductedaninvestigationintotheconditionsoflabourinmines.HisreportledtotheminesActof1842thatprohibitedtheemploymentintheminesofchildrenunderthirteen.PatienteKershaw,17-May15,1842“Myfatherhasbeendeadaboutayear;mymotherislivingandhastenchildren,fiveladsandfivelasses;theoldestisaboutthirty,theyoungestisfour;threelassesgotomill;alltheladsworkatthepit;motherdoesnothingbutlookafterhome.Ineverwenttoday-school;IgotoSunday-schoolbutIcannotreadorwrite;Igotopitatfiveo’clockinthemorningandcomeoutatfiveintheevening;Igetmybreakfastofporridgeandmilkfirst;Itakemydinnerwithme,acake,andeatitasIgo;Idonotstoporrestanytime;IgetnothingelseuntilIgethome,andthenIhavepotatoesandmeat-notmeateveryday.Atthepit,Ihurrythecorvesaboutamileundergroundandback;Iwearabeltandchaintogetthecorvesout;thegettersthatIworkforarenakedexcepttheircaps;theypulloffalltheirclothes;sometimestheybeatme,ifIamnotquickenough;theboystakelibertieswithmesometimestheypullmeabout;Iamtheonlygirl.Iwouldratherworkinmillthanincoal-pit.”Thegirlisanignorant,fithy,deplorable-lookingobject,onethattheuncivilizednativesoftheprairieswouldbeshockedtolookupon.ParliamentaryPapers,1842.ThebrickyardsofEngland-ChildrencarryingclayYounggirlpullingacorveChildLabourBy1836,theworkingclassmovementknownasChartismhadrisen,andin1837,theLondonWorkmen’sAssociationputforwarditssix-pointdemandinthePeople’sCharter,inwhichtheyweredemandingtherighttovoteandtobevoted,andtohavebetterworkingandlivingconditions.Thousandsuponthousandsofpeoplehadsignedthecharter,butforthreetimesitwasrejectedbytheParliament.Chartism4.ChangesinIdeologyScienceandtechnologydevelopedveryfast.Newinventionsanddiscoveriesingeology,astronomy,biologyandanthropologydrasticallychangedpeople’slife.GermanphilosopherssuchasLudwigFeuerbachandComteexertedgreatinfluencesoverBritishideologicalfield.Darwin’sOriginofSpecies(1859)andTheDescentofMan(1871)shookthetheoreticalbasisoftheconventionalreligiousfaith.Darwin:OriginofSpecies5.TheProblemofWomenIn1837whenQueenVictoriacametothethrone,marriedwomenhadnopropertyrights,notevenintheproceedsoftheirownearnings.Theyhadnorightstocustodyoftheirownchildrenandwereexcludedfromuniversitiesandprofessions.Theexplosivegrowthofindustry,especiallythetextileindustry,broughthundredsofthousandsofwomenintofactoryjobs.Infactories,womenwereemployedascheaplaborandwereforcedtodoveryheavyandhardjobsforabouthalftheusualpay.Theunbearableworkingconditionsandunemploymentdrovethousandsofwomenintoprostitution.Factoryworkpresentedanincreasingchallengetotheconventionalideasofwomenandopenedupnewandwidespheresforwomen.Womennowwereabletowalkoutofthehome,tosharepartoftheresponsibilityofmenandhelpsupportthefamily,and,atthesametime,wereenteringintosocialservices.Afeministmovementstarted,fightingforwomen’sequalityandfreedom,andfortheireducationalandemploymentopportunities.6.VictorianLiteratureNovelTheEnglishnovelcameofagesuddenly,swiftly,anddramatically.Realism,whichpresentedadetailedportraitoflifeinnineteenth-centuryEngland.TheVictoriannovelistswereprimarilyconcernedwithpeopleinsocietyandwiththeirrelationtootherpeople.Thefunctionofanovelistwasalsoextendedfrommeredescriptionandmoralizationtosocialcriticism.ThemajorVictoriannovelistsare:CharlesDickensWilliamMakepeaceThackerayCharlotteBrontëEmilyBrontëGeorgeEliotThomasHardyThankyou