The Victorian Era: A Short Guide

ICSE English Literature lessons consist of many chapters from the Victorian period. For example, Oliver Asks For More, Lines Composed in a Wood on a Windy Day, The Brooke, The Model Millionaire etc. This blog on Victorian society will take you through the society, themes and the popular writers during this period.

How Was Victorian Society?

The Victorian period refers to the time when Queen Victoria ruled England and the empire. She took power in 1837 and this era lasted till her death in 1901. This was also the time of the Industrial Revolution.

Rural landscapes in the UK were replaced by urban development due to urbanisation, as the population grew significantly through natural increase and migration. Many people left the UK, while outsiders settled in, leading to large-scale social and geographical mobility, particularly among the middle class. This transition had wide-ranging socioeconomic impacts, transforming the country's economic, social, and cultural landscape.

As ICSE students have likely read, Oliver Twist was a fictional character who represented the harsh realities faced by many poor children during the Victorian era in England. As a child labourer living in a workhouse, Oliver's story highlighted the difficult conditions endured by the most vulnerable members of society at the time. Even children working on farms were often subjected to long hours of labour and exposure to the elements, with low pay that kept them in a state of poverty.

Popular Writers During This Period

The 19th century was the golden age of children’s literature. Lewis Caroll’s Alice Adventures in Wonderland ( 1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1871) came out during this time.

In the last part of the Victorian Age, roughly from 1880-1900, novels tended to be bleak and melancholic. This was a reflection of the society and the poverty during the time. Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1892) was about the main protagonist Tess who gives birth to a child out of wedlock.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective series Sherlock Holmes appeared in the year 1886. The science fiction genre also grew during this time and books like Time Machine by H.G Wells became popular. Oscar Wilde wrote “The Ballad of the Reading Gaol (1897) which was about his sad life in prison.

British journalism and periodical writing flourished during the Victorian Era. Charles Dickens ran a literary magazine called Household Words and Eliot edited the Westminster Review for a long time. As this period was the age of the Industrial Revolution, Victorian authors also wrote books exposing the difficulties of the working class. In Charles Dickens’ Hard Times, the hero of the book is ostracised for refusing to join the millworkers’ union.

Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre, published in 1847, was a significant work of Gothic literature during the Victorian era. While set within the broader context of Victorian society, the novel incorporates distinct Gothic elements that were characteristic of the genre.

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Realism

Realism was the dominant narrative mode in Victorian literature, representing a shift away from the romanticism and idealisation of earlier eras. Victorian realist writers sought to portray realistic events, characters, and social conditions in a truthful manner. Victorian realist fiction encompassed several distinct variants:

• Social realism
• Psychological Realism
• Satirical Realism

Realism was a reaction against the romanticism and fantasy of earlier eras, aiming to apply a more scientific, fact-based approach to literature . This shift was influenced by Enlightenment ideals and the scientific advancements of the time. Realist novels often centered on the lives of middle and working class characters, moving away from the aristocratic focus of earlier literature. This helped shine a light on individual struggles and broader societal problems

The Victorian era is considered a golden age for the novel, with realism playing a central role. Iconic realist works by authors like Charles Dickens, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy had a lasting impact on the development of the novel as a literary form.

The Enduring Legacy of Victorian Literature

The Victorian era was a transformative period in English literature, marked by a shift towards realism, social commentary, and the rise of new literary forms. This era witnessed the flourishing of the novel as the dominant literary genre, with iconic works by authors such as Charles Dickens, the Brontë sisters, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy.

The enduring legacy of Victorian literature lies in its ability to capture the complexities and contradictions of a rapidly transforming society. The works of this era continue to be studied, analyzed, and celebrated for their literary merit, their social relevance, and their enduring impact on the development of English literature as a whole.

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