all about Victorian age and Charles Dickens
The early years of victorian reign
The first years were a period of social reforms, political changes and imperial expansion.
During these years we notice a strong working-class movement asking for social reform.The Great Reform Act of 1832 had extented the vote to almost all male members of the middle classes.
The movement of Chartism played an imporant role drawing up the "Peoples Charter"in 1838, they wanted the extensions of the right to vote to all male adults.
Other social reforms was ten hours act of 1847, which limited working hours to ten a day for all workes.
Thanks to the richness in foreign policy this was a period of great expansion in trade of manufacted goods which needed new markets.
City life in this period
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Half of Britain's people lived in towns. The majority of victorian city poor lived in a unhealty slum district.Two housing Acts were passed in 1851 to clean up the towns which had been devastated by frequents epidemics. The homeless, unemployed and orphaned children etc.. were given a place to live in these istitutions in return for their labour.Modern hospital were built and professional organisation were founded
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Victorian compromise
The Victorian age was a period of contradiction.On the one hand there was the progress brought about by the industrial revolution, the rising wealth of the upper and middle classes and the expanding power of the British empire. On the other hand there was the poverty disease, deprivation and injustice faced by theworking classes. The change brought about by the industrial revolution was rapid: towns and cities grew at an incredible pace as new factories and industries were built, and thousands of people moved to the cities in search of work.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
The Age of Fiction
During the Victorian Age, Britain experienced both progress and social problems. Industrialisation caused overcrowded cities and poverty, but reforms like the Public Health Acts improved living conditions. In this period, the novel became the most popular literary form. Victorian writers used fiction to highlight social injustices. The city was the main setting, symbolising industrial society and modern life.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Charles Dickens
He was born in Portsmouth. At the age of twelve, he worked in a factory because his father was in prison. Later, he became a journalist and then a famous novelist. He published Sketches by Boz and started a successful literary career. His most important works include the Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield and Great Expectations. He died in 1870 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Dickens
Characters
London
Didactic aimand Style
The setting for most of Dickens's novels was London. Dickens described the spiritual and material corruption of daily reality under the impact of industrialisation with a critical attitude.
Dickens's novels lower-class characters and ridiculed the vanity and ambition of London middle and lower classes though without sarcasm.
Dickens's task was make the ruling classes aware of the social problems. Dickens employed the most effective language and created the most detailed description of life and character ever tried by any novelist
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist is a poor boy, he is brought up in a workhouse in an inhuman way.
He is later sold to an undertaker, but the cruelty he experiences cause him to run away to London.
There he falls into the hands oh a gang of young pickpockets who try to make a thief.
Mr Brownlow, the victim, after learnig more about the boy decides to take him into his home.
Oliver is eventually kidnapped by the gang and forced to commit a burglary, during the job, he is shot.
He is then adopted by Mr Brawnlow and at last receives kindess and affection.
Investigations are made about who Oliver really is anditi s discovered that he has noble origins.
In the end, the gang leaders and Oliver’s half brother are arrested.
the most important setting of the novel is london, which is shown on three different social levels:-the parochial world of the workhouse -the criminal world of poverty -the world of middle class
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Hard times
The novel Denounces:
- Industrialisation – difference between the rich and the poor, factory owners and exploited workers.
- Betham’s utilitarianism – human nature is motivated by self interest, to be encoraged by education.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Coketown
Key aspect
1) monotony and sameness: the buildings are indistinguishable from one another
2) phisical and environmental decay 3) mechanical and utilitarian life: the city’s rythems are controlled by the factories and machinery, described by Dichens as monotonous, the repetitive syntax and alliteration used to depict the machinary imitate, the tireless work of the factory hands.
4) On a deeper level of meaning, reading Caketown gives us the idea of industrial society. This town is a critique of the negative consequencees of industrial revolution, including alienation, poverty and environmetal damage.
"
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Transcript
all about Victorian age and Charles Dickens
The early years of victorian reign
The first years were a period of social reforms, political changes and imperial expansion.
During these years we notice a strong working-class movement asking for social reform.The Great Reform Act of 1832 had extented the vote to almost all male members of the middle classes.
The movement of Chartism played an imporant role drawing up the "Peoples Charter"in 1838, they wanted the extensions of the right to vote to all male adults.
Other social reforms was ten hours act of 1847, which limited working hours to ten a day for all workes.
Thanks to the richness in foreign policy this was a period of great expansion in trade of manufacted goods which needed new markets.
City life in this period
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Half of Britain's people lived in towns. The majority of victorian city poor lived in a unhealty slum district.Two housing Acts were passed in 1851 to clean up the towns which had been devastated by frequents epidemics. The homeless, unemployed and orphaned children etc.. were given a place to live in these istitutions in return for their labour.Modern hospital were built and professional organisation were founded
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Victorian compromise
The Victorian age was a period of contradiction.On the one hand there was the progress brought about by the industrial revolution, the rising wealth of the upper and middle classes and the expanding power of the British empire. On the other hand there was the poverty disease, deprivation and injustice faced by theworking classes. The change brought about by the industrial revolution was rapid: towns and cities grew at an incredible pace as new factories and industries were built, and thousands of people moved to the cities in search of work.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
The Age of Fiction
During the Victorian Age, Britain experienced both progress and social problems. Industrialisation caused overcrowded cities and poverty, but reforms like the Public Health Acts improved living conditions. In this period, the novel became the most popular literary form. Victorian writers used fiction to highlight social injustices. The city was the main setting, symbolising industrial society and modern life.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Charles Dickens
He was born in Portsmouth. At the age of twelve, he worked in a factory because his father was in prison. Later, he became a journalist and then a famous novelist. He published Sketches by Boz and started a successful literary career. His most important works include the Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield and Great Expectations. He died in 1870 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Dickens
Characters
London
Didactic aimand Style
The setting for most of Dickens's novels was London. Dickens described the spiritual and material corruption of daily reality under the impact of industrialisation with a critical attitude.
Dickens's novels lower-class characters and ridiculed the vanity and ambition of London middle and lower classes though without sarcasm.
Dickens's task was make the ruling classes aware of the social problems. Dickens employed the most effective language and created the most detailed description of life and character ever tried by any novelist
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist is a poor boy, he is brought up in a workhouse in an inhuman way. He is later sold to an undertaker, but the cruelty he experiences cause him to run away to London. There he falls into the hands oh a gang of young pickpockets who try to make a thief. Mr Brownlow, the victim, after learnig more about the boy decides to take him into his home. Oliver is eventually kidnapped by the gang and forced to commit a burglary, during the job, he is shot. He is then adopted by Mr Brawnlow and at last receives kindess and affection. Investigations are made about who Oliver really is anditi s discovered that he has noble origins. In the end, the gang leaders and Oliver’s half brother are arrested.
the most important setting of the novel is london, which is shown on three different social levels:-the parochial world of the workhouse -the criminal world of poverty -the world of middle class
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Hard times
The novel Denounces:
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Coketown
Key aspect
1) monotony and sameness: the buildings are indistinguishable from one another 2) phisical and environmental decay 3) mechanical and utilitarian life: the city’s rythems are controlled by the factories and machinery, described by Dichens as monotonous, the repetitive syntax and alliteration used to depict the machinary imitate, the tireless work of the factory hands. 4) On a deeper level of meaning, reading Caketown gives us the idea of industrial society. This town is a critique of the negative consequencees of industrial revolution, including alienation, poverty and environmetal damage. "