Victorian Era Background Essay

The Victorian Era: Time for Change Under the throne of Queen Victoria, a new era arose. For much of the nineteenth century, Victorian’s were known to be “old fashioned, repressed, and prudish.” (Victorian England: An Introduction) During this time, however, industrial production boomed, altering the lives of all classes of citizens. This rapid transformation led the British society to go from confident to uncertainty and doubt regarding Britain’s place in the world.
The nineteenth century revolved around the foundation of moral behavior known as “Victorianism.” (Victorian Period Overview Religion) It was believed that morality would end all crime and poverty. Hard work, respectability, and religious conformity were greatly encouraged amongst society until advancements in science and technology necessary. As a result, beliefs about religious practice resulted in doubt of faith and moral values began to decay. Writers such as Matthew Arnold resisted this change. Arnold wanted to maintain the traditional values of life and felt science was destroying the emotional aspect of human culture. (Iqbal and Matthew Arnold- a Comparative Study)
The Industrial Revolution brought England to its highest point of development. Improvements to steam engine technology and railroads allowed for people and goods to be quickly transferred at a cheaper expense. With the advancement of transportation and equipment, the way of life that was once based on ownership turned to a life based on trade and manufacturing. (The Victorian Period) Electricity, sewers, telephones, and aircrafts developed as the population continued to rise.
The fundamental changes happening were a source of hope and optimism but the majority of writers saw the Victorian society was “a kind of illness that would sooner or later come to a tipping point.” (Victorian Literature) With the continuous increase in population, poverty built. Families struggled to pay rent and turned to child labor. Children were sent