Nathan Willimzik's List: English "The Importance of Being Earnest"

• begins in 1837 (the year Victoria became Queen) and ends in 1901 (the year of her death)

  • named after Queen Victoria of England
• 1830 is usually considered the end of the Romantic period in Britain,

  • 1830 makes a convenient altered date for Victorianism. due to this
    1901 being Queen Victoria's death holds importance as being the official end, altered to the end of the century as being the end of Victorianism 1900.
• The common perception of the period is the Victorians are “prudish, hypocritical, stuffy, [and] narrow-minded”

  • as is greatly referred to within "The Importance of Being Earnest"
• However, it is also true that this description applies to some large segments of Victorian English society, particularly amongst the middle-class, which at the time was increasing both in number and power.  Many members of this middle-class aspired to join the ranks of the nobles, and felt that acting “properly,” according to the conventions and values of the time, was an important step in that direction.
• the large-scale expansion of British imperial power.  By 1830, the British empire had, of course, existed for centuries, and had already experienced many boons and setbacks.  Perhaps the most significant blow to its power occurred in the late 18th century with the successful revolt of its 13 American colonies, an event which would eventually result in the formation of the United States as we now know it.  During the 19th century, the British empire extensively expanded its colonial presence in many parts of Africa, in India, in the middle-east and in other parts of Asia.  This process has had many long-term effects, including the increased use of the English language outside of Europe and increased trade between Europe and distant regions.  It also, of course, produced some long-standing animosity in colonized regions.

  • large scale expansion of imperial power
    extensively expanded within Africa,middle-east, parts of Asia and India during the 19th century
    Causing the increase of the use of english worldwide
• The drive for social advancement frequently appears in literature.  This drive may take many forms.  It may be primarily financial, as in Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations.  It may involve marrying above one’s station, as in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.  It may also be intellectual or education-based.  Typically, any such attempt to improve one’s social standing must be accompanied by “proper” behavior (thus helping to provide the period with its stereotype).

  • early on the subject discussions in literature was social advancement
    Jane Eyre and Great Expectations
• period saw the rise of a highly idealized notion of what is “English” or what constitutes an “Englishman.”

  • a lady, a gentleman
• colonists and politicians saw it as their political (and sometimes religious) duty to “help” or “civilize” native populations in colonized regions.

  • british colonists seemed to take it as a duty to spread these ideals
• Later Victorian writing saw the seeds of rebellion against such idealized notions and stereotypical codes of conduct.  These “proper” behaviors often served as subjects of satire; Oscar Wilde’s plays are an excellent example. 

  • later victorian literature provided rebutal to these ideals
    eg: "The Importance of Being Earnest"
• saw the rise of aestheticism, the “art for art’s sake” movement, which directly contradicted the social and political goals of much earlier Victorian literature.

  • caused the ideas for doing art because it is art, against those current ideals
• examine the influence of these later developments on the Modernist period which follows.

  • these were reflected in the idea's that were discussed during the Modernist period afterward

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